John Kotter On Leadership Analysis

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One of the main functions of leadership is to institute change. Leaders realize that in order to truly lead, they must be able to influence a group of people toward a common goal. In order to accomplish this, Lisa Wagner pointed out that they must have a vivid, larger than self vision, and an idea of how to reach it. Then leaders must use their ability to inspire to push the group towards this vision. John Kotter points out that what is crucial about vision is not its originality but how well it serves the interests of important constituencies and how easily it can be translated into a realistic competitive strategy (What Leaders Really Do 44). When mapping out a vision, a leader must make sure it constitutes a change for the better. …show more content…

One way leaders can influence others to buy into their vision is by embracing the vision and personally living it out. Leaders need to work to embody the core values and ideas contained in the vision. Leading by example is a powerful tool, and followers that see their leader fully committed to the vision will be more likely to jump on board. Another way to motivate people is by empowering them to be regularly involved in deciding how to achieve the vision (Kotter 49). By empowering followers, it allows them to embrace the vision as their own. Additionally, a leader then needs to recognize and reward success of followers attempting to carry out the vision. A final way a leader can inspire others and motivate them to pursue the vision is by demanding excellence. By setting the standards high, people will naturally try to reach them. This was one of the methods of Steve Jobs at apple and while at times was implemented in an unloving way, it was effective in pushing the company toward Steve’s vision for it. Specifically thinking about your future career in private practice, by demanding excellence from your staff to excel in all aspects of patient care and customer service you will be able to set your practice apart and drive it closer towards your vision of being the best dental practice in the

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