Leaders do not just appear out of thin air and automatically start making great things happen in the world. A leader must learn from prior leaders or role models that they are surrounded by that they look up to. Not everyone can be a leader, only some people have the correct characteristics it takes to lead others in the right direction. Those who do great things, for example volunteering at a homeless shelter, are not leaders. Many people mistake a “great person” as being a leader, which is completely incorrect (Kouzes and Posner, p. 3). While playing an active role in your community is a positive thing it does not make someone a leader of that community. All leaders have a group of people they have inspiration too and that is a good way of determining who your personal leaders are. My mother, brother, and grandfather are my leaders because I have always looked up to them and tried to mimic some of the great things that I have seen them do. My mother has always been an independent women with goals and an action plan to accomplish those set goals. Stephen, my elder brother, is outgoing and tends to have a leveled head when it comes to evaluating stressful situations. My grandfather is the most caring person I know and he is amazing at keeping situations under control in order to please everyone. These are all the qualities I want to combine into my own leadership style. I know I am not a efficient leader of these actions yet, but I plan on growing into this as I more on into my career, fulfill my set goals, and adjust to the curve-balls that life throws at me.
Every leader must be able to accept the fact that they are not perfect and each person has things that they exceed at and things that come with a bit of difficulty. I do not see myself as being outstanding in a certain area but I do think that one of my talents is adjusting to change. When I came off to college I did miss my family a lot, but I kept myself busy by being more outgoing and finding new/different things to do. One of the reasons why I am probably so good at adapting to change is because I want change; I love switching things around and doing stuff another way.
Something that I can truly attest to is that people are not born with these leadership qualities, they must be inspired. Inspiration is a positive influence to the mind or soul of a person that usually comes from the people around them. People can be inspired by teachers, family members, friends and even strangers. My inspiration comes from my family members and my CNA instructor because their urge and passion for education has lead to their success. Deriving from a family of nurses, professors, principals and business women, I have nothing but all the motivation I need to succeed. They want nothing but the best for me and that is why their lives and decisions have such an impact on my life.
Leaders show up in infinitely varying circumstances and characters. Typically, each individual has a picture of who they see as a perfect leader, but no leader is perfect for everyone. Different circumstances and different people require different character traits and styles for their leaders to be effective. The coach of a high school football team is not going to have the same character traits or leadership style as a kindergarten teacher. Not only is the scope of a leader’s character limited in the minds of individuals, but the circumstances in which a leader is needed, or in which a good leader could be found, is typically a narrow field in the minds of individuals. When good leaders come to mind, they are often pictured as outgoing, authority-demanding,
Leadership is being able to direct or guide other people by either your own actions or by actually guiding them into the right direction (Acumen). Inspiration to be a leader might come from many different areas like your family, friends, peers, or even teachers. My inspiration didn’t really occur to me until I started attending college in August 2013. In all actuality I never even thought of how to be a leader until I was in Mrs. Moore’s Perspectives class. I now have a desire to be a great leader, and the inspiration has come from Mrs. Moore, and my family. I am the first to attend college out of my family, so in a away I have already started leading my siblings in the right direction. Being a leader means inspiring others to pursue their dreams, and aspirations and helping throughout the journey to success. Being a leader has nothing with authority or being able to tell other what, and how to do things, it’s about having people who look up to you and want to follow your example.
In my life i have encountered many different types of leaders. Some were strong and ruled with an iron fist. Some were weak and failed to lead me. We are all leaders in our own way, some of us are born to take the lead. Most achieve their goal of being a leader but most get pushed back and their leadership is diminished.
Leaders come forth depending on the kind of situation, in which they are need. This type of leadership is typically known as “situational leadership,” where the key concept is every situation is different, so each situation requires a specific, unique leader. For a person to be a great leader, one does not have to necessarily assume a “bossy” persona, which is stereotypically characterized with all leaders, but being a leader based on listening. Being this background leader is known to many as, “servant leadership.” Servant and situational leadership is how I can characterize my leadership style so far since I have joined the student leadership community at Hillwood High School.
Great leaders have been around since the start of primitive civilization. Examples of said leaders are George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Adolph Hitler, and Alexander the Great. Despite the different areas and different views that these leaders may have had, they all had a few character traits that can be considered to be the same such as the ability to stimulate, adapt and persevere, and to stick with their primary principles. Every single one of these traits is hard to come by in a single person because they are difficult to learn but have to be instinctive and natural to a true leader.
Leadership is contagious throughout the world and most importantly in the Army. It is not just my view, but of all leaders, at all levels, that organizations are responsible for setting conditions that lead to long-term organizational success. As I reflect on my experiences, through experience and observation, I realize how my values, beliefs, and perspectives about leadership continuously evolve over time. Recognizing these changes over time helps me better understand that people in organizations have different perspectives in life. This leadership narrative serve as important guiding principles for how I will lead at the organizational level and represents my thought, values and beliefs.
Leadership is something nobody is born with, but it is earned with the desire to create something extraordinary. Being a great leader requires qualities such as approachability, acceptance, perseverance, and a open mind. With none of these qualities, many of the great leaders we know today would be unheard of. In Creativity, Inc. Ed Catmull talks about how the Pixar Animation Studios are designed for animators to communicate and collaborate with each other so they can build on each other's ideas instead of having many incomplete ideas. He wants there to be collaboration and not competition so that together, they can persevere as a company and break boundaries for what they can accomplish. Great leaders must have open minds to new ideas. Nobody
Leaders from the past and leaders today all have similar qualities. These qualities are what make every leader one of the best the world has seen so far. Some so called leaders are individuals who have taken the credit of other people’s accomplishments in their own name. On the other hand, people like Nelson Mandela, Morgan Freeman, and John Kennedy have all displayed accomplishments that can rightfully be called their own. Being dedicated, hard-working, a listener, determined, and able to set realistic goals are a few qualities that turn a person into a leader and a leader into somebody the world will never forget.
Everything in leadership will be determined by the competency of the leader. John C Maxwell is credited with saying “everything rises and falls on leadership. The leaders are often the ones making the decisions influencing success or failure. When I think of competency, I believe it is important to acknowledge the difference between competency and confidence. Confidence is the belief that I can lead; competence requires results of successful leadership. Confidence is the place people get the idea a person is a “good guy.” Being a good guy or even being confident is not a qualification of competency; it merely means one has the right to have dinner. Being a good guy allows
I believe that there are many meanings to the word “leadership”. There is not just one way to describe it. It can be such a powerful and influential thing. Leadership has an impact on everyone’s lives whether they realize it or not. It doesn’t matter what you do, leadership has an impact on your life in some way or another. To me, the definition of leadership would be a person who chooses to lead. Someone who is confident in there decisions, works well with others and it capable of motivating people to take on tasks that they might normally find impossible. They also have to be someone that people respect and would be willing to listen to. Leadership also means that you have to take a risk. A leader never knows exactly what is going to happen and sometimes things may not work out for the best. When this happens the leader is usually to blame. This is just one of the many risks a leader must take when he or she chooses to lead. A leader must also be understanding and open to the people around him. Just because they are the leader does not mean that they have to do it alone. A leader should always be willing to listen to those around him and take into consideration the thoughts and ideas of others. One of the last things a leader must be willing to do is accept failure. It doesn’t matter when or where but at some point a leader will fail. This does not mean that they give up and pass the role of leader on to someone else; it means that they learn from it and use it as a lesson for the future.
Throughout my life, my experiences and role models have shaped my understanding of leadership. I believe leadership is responsibly guiding and motivating others to use both my strengths and their own to obtain success. My personal leadership philosophy is guided by my core values of my family, relationships, loyalty, harmony, and responsibility. My ever-changing definition of philosophy helps my leadership and decision making routinely. New experience’s and external forces effect my translation of leadership daily which, in turn, helps shape me into a successful leader.
When people think of leadership so many things rush through their heads. For example am I a leader, am I apart of a group that has a leader, and what does being a leader mean? A common definition of being a leader is a person who leads or guides a group of people. So now knowing the definition of a leader who pops into your head; Phil Jackson, Mike Krzyzewski, Martin Luther King Jr.? All of these people are great leaders, but the real question is why are they so great? One very important thing that all these men have in common is they have a philosophy of leadership. This philosophy is going to help guide these men during turbulent times, or when they need guidance themselves. Nobody is perfect and everyone needs direction no matter how wise or gifted you are. I am no different, which is why writing this philosophy of leadership is going to be a fruitful experience for years to come.
When I think of someone who is a great leader I automatically think about current and previous managers I have had over the years, and honestly I cannot say that any of them are the definition of a great leader. So after I looked up many different definitions of a leader all of them basically defined a leader in the same way, someone who leads people. So, a leader does not typically have to be a manager it could be a teacher or a parent. That is when I realize that a great leader has always been right in front of me teaching me great values, and that is my mother.
Throughout my life I have encountered the chance to experience position of being a leader. Being part of groups in university for class presentations, being the organizing secretary of my campus fellowship, being a youth leader in my church and the church admin, also being part of a family. Leaders are charismatic, inspirational and trust worthy. I have gained some important qualities of being a good leader through these experiences. Most of the valuable leadership’s characteristics that I obtained and strengthened are: learn to become a better leader every day, how to be a team player, to be a better listener, to be an effective communicator, to have more patience, not afraid of constructive criticism, to be outspoken, and to be a problem solver. Even though I have gained a lot, I still have more things to learn to become a better leader such as being more assertive, being more disciplined, becoming a better public speaker, and learn how to be realistic and not too optimistic. You are a leader if someone else choses to follow you.