In the current dynamically developing social and organizational conditions, the role of a leader is becoming more relevant than the role of a manager. Today, there is a renewed need for leaders in networked organizations.
What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?
Being in a leadership position is not enough to be a leader. A leader is defined by his skills, qualities, and ability to organize and inspire other people to implement an idea or project. Developing all of the above is very important for both students and young professionals, as well as senior managers who are confidently walking up the career ladder. The ability to take responsibility at the right time and direct all actions in the right direction to achieve goals is your main advantage at any stage of your career.
Leadership is largely a natural gift, art, skill, teaching, and talent. Effective leadership is formed in the process of direct management of people. At the same time, there are a number of characteristics or even tips that can serve as a guide in the formation of effective leadership. A good leader has the following features:
- Dedication
Possessing this quality is equally important for both the leader and his subordinates. If you are true to the idea, then the team will adopt a similar attitude. Effective cooperation is guaranteed to you.
- Simplicity
Often behind arrogant behavior and confused ideas lies self-doubt and professional ignorance. The leader has a broad view; he has developed intuition, strategic vision, and a sense of the new. He is able to take risks and solve problems.
- Self-control
You can’t manage people when you can’t manage yourself. If the leader often loses his temper and turns to screaming in communication with his subordinates, the team is unlikely to be cohesive and cooperative.
The leader takes his place in the group not by chance but as a result of some controlled procedure – he is appointed or elected – and takes on clearly described (official) functions of regulating formal relations in the group. In contrast, the leader is put forward spontaneously due to personal qualities and the corresponding moods of the group, is primarily the center of interpersonal relations in the group, and does not have formal management tools.
Which Are the Key Traits of an Effective Leader?
The personality approach made an attempt to determine the relationship between the presence of specific personal qualities and the effectiveness of leadership. The behavioral approach has classified leadership styles – manners of behavior with subordinates – on a continuum from autocratic to liberal style. The situational approach to leadership is more flexible and defines the role of the leader in specific situations from the standpoint of the correlation of certain variables (relationship between the leader and a member of the group, task structure, official authority).
Among key traits of an effective leader are:
- Emotional intellect.
- High level of motivation.
- Self-confidence and optimism.
- Professionalism and responsibility.
- Working authority.
- Personal efficiency.
- Negotiation skills.
- Charisma and communication skills.
When analyzing the phenomenon of leadership, special attention is paid to the personality of the leader. While researchers have had great difficulty compiling a concise, agreed-upon list of key traits common to all leaders, in recent years, many scholars have concluded that leaders do differ from other people in several important ways.