Leadership

If you've found this article then chances are you have to admit that leadership is just one of those topics that we can't seem to get enough of.  Well you're not alone because the study of leadership and what it takes to be a leader is intriguing to a lot of people.

Leaders and Leadership

That's because we often admire leaders and sometimes even envision ourselves in leadership roles.  After all, we read about famous leaders in the paper and hear about their exceptional results all the time.  But the more we read and learn about leaders and leadership the more we begin to wonder - Do I have what it takes to be in a leader?

Unfortunately, that's not such an easy question to answer.  That's because you first need to know what it takes to be a leader.  For example, what are the characteristics of a leader?  Once you've got a good understanding of leadership skills and characteristics, then you need to figure out if you actually possess those skills and / or characteristics.  Finally, you need to make sure that you understand how to correctly use these talents.

Natural Born Leaders

There is a saying that some leaders are born that way.  We call these "natural born leaders."  Perhaps you even know someone that exhibited leadership abilities at a very young age.

We've discussed the nature versus nurture argument in an earlier publication.  The fact is that nature has more to do with instincts.  For example, even a newborn knows how to do certain things like nurse or drink from a bottle instinctually.

Undoubtedly, there are also some natural characteristics that young children exhibit, seemingly without any influence from others.  The classic example might be an introverted versus an extroverted child.  At a very early age, some children seem to gain energy from crowds (extroverts), while others seem to like to look inward (introverts).  But leadership is quite a different story.

Leadership is skill or trait that is observed and imitated.  Leadership needs to be learned from others that act as role models.  Small children appear to be leaders at times, but the skills they exhibit are usually related to persuasion.  For example, they may be good at bargaining with others children to persuade them to play a game they like to play themselves.

But this ability to persuade is usually a result of imitation.  A parent may have used the same persuasion tactics on them effectively and they quickly learn how to apply these same techniques to those around them.  So let's just dispel the myth right now... there are no natural born leaders.  Leaders are created via the influence of others.

Leadership Characteristics

If we believe that leaders are created and no one is born a leader, then we need to better understand some of the characteristics that make up a leader.  We've already covered this topic at length in our article on Leadership Characteristics, and a summary of that information appears below:

• Interpersonal Skills - leaders have above average interpersonal skills.  They are good at dealing with and relating to others.
• Communication Skills - whether it is captivating an audience or giving clear direction to others, communicating is an important leadership characteristic.
• Values - leaders are driven to achieve results, but they are usually motivated by their beliefs and values.
• Confidence - leaders are sure of their abilities and are not afraid to ask for help in areas where they are weak.
• Flexibility and Creativity - thinking outside the box and willing to operate outside the box to get things done.
• Results - a cornerstone of these leadership characteristics, a leader sets out to accomplish something and they find ways to make sure they get done.

Leadership Styles

Now that we have a good feel for the characteristics of a leader, we need to understand how these characteristics are bundled to create a distinct leadership style.  Here we defer to the theory of Daniel Goleman and the leadership styles he describes.  Once again you can reference our article on Leadership Styles for more information.

Goleman describes six different leadership styles that range from a style where the leader works with others to get things done to a style that exhibits a lot of "old school" leadership and managerial techniques that basically intimidate or coerce followers into getting things done.  But what is so important about understanding the different styles is that we, as leaders, may have used more than one leadership style in the past.

This is a very important point because it is desirable for leaders to be able to flex their styles to the situation at hand.  And this brings us to perhaps the single most important topic we're going to cover in this article on leadership.

Situational Leadership

Situational leadership is the application of the most effective leadership style given a set of circumstances surrounding the leader.  Quite frankly, this is arguably the most important factor in determining the long term success of a leader.

You've probably heard similar stories or have observed this first hand - A leader was very effective at one time, but suddenly they seem to just lose their leadership abilities.  Many times we attribute this to burn out or some other external factor that was beyond the leader's control.  They were put in a different situation, but were unable to achieve superior results.

This can happen when the leader fails to flex their style to the situation.  The leader might have been effective in a crisis because they used a coercive style or a pacesetting style.  The work needed to get done quickly and the surroundings were chaotic.  These leadership styles work well in those types of environments.  But when things calmed down and the followers gained experience and maturity, these styles are very ineffective, perhaps even counterproductive.

These fallen leaders we observed failed to realize that the leadership style that worked in the past was no longer effective in the current work environment.  They failed to change as the circumstances changed and they became ineffective leaders.

Effective Leadership

In summary, leadership is more than skill or knowledge.  It is an awareness of the surroundings and the needs of the environment and the followers.  To be an effective leader you need to be willing to move with the times and adjust your style to your environment.  You must be willing to admit to yourself that you might have to change your leadership style to continue being successful.

If your own self assessment, or a more formal leadership assessment, tells you that you don't have all the leadership skills you need then make sure you get the leadership training you need or you volunteer for assignments where you can practice those skills.  Read up on the leadership styles and the circumstances where they succeed.  Finally, make sure you don't settle on just one style because it will never be effective in all situations.

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