2 minute speech on leadership cannot be taught

Speech On Leadership [1,2,3 Minutes]

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the ways and shows the way”. This is one of my favourite quotes which describes the meaning of leadership in just a few words. Leadership is a process of influencing, inspiring and helping others to achieve goals along the way.

In this article, we shared some examples of speech on leadership. These speeches have a time duration of 1, 2 and 3 minutes. This article will explain to you what is leadership, who is a good leader and how to choose a good leader.

1 Minute Speech On Leadership

Hello and welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to present a speech on leadership.

What is leadership? If you find the definition in the dictionary, you will see it is the ability of a person to influence individuals and guide them in a way that maximizes their efforts and leads to optimum outcomes.

This is why It becomes important for any kind of organisation to have a great leader who has good visionary skills and risk-computing skills so that he can lead the organisation on the path of progress.

Many say that leadership can not be taught but I believe this is an assumption. Various leadership development programmes can help you develop leadership skills.

To sum it up, developing leadership skills is a slow process but anyone can definitely learn leadership. Thank you!

2-Minute Speech On Leadership

I warmly welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to deliver a speech on leadership. Before I start speaking my thoughts, I would like to wish you a good day. Also, I want to thank you for giving me this valuable opportunity.

Leadership is a skill that not everyone is blessed with. Yet, it is not something that can not be learned. It is a process of influencing, inspiring and helping others to become their best selves, building their skills and achieving goals along the way.

Leadership skills are always needed to accomplish a great goal of an organisation. A good leader has a good vision and risk-calculating abilities which reduce the risk of a decline in progress. Working for a goal without having a good leader is no less than shooting arrows in the darkness.

A leader can make or break all of your future dreams. So, it is very vital to choose a leader very wisely. But then a question arises in the mind; how to identify a good leader who can actually help us to lead ahead in life?

Well, there are some common personality traits of a good leader which can help in finding a good leader. First , good observation skill is one of the features of great leaders, they observe well before making a decision.

Second , they are action-takers, they do not waste their time on unnecessary activities. Third , they are good communicators. They have a great deal of sense of how to present views in a positive way. This quality enables them to influence and persuade each kind of person.

Fourth , Flexibility is another great quality of great leaders. They change strategies whenever they feel the need. So, pay close attention to who is leading you. Thank you!

A Speech On Leadership | 3 Minutes

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the ways and shows the way”. This is one of my favourite quotes which describes the meaning of leadership in just a few words.

Good morning! All of you. Before heading ahead to my speech on leadership, I would like to wish you all the best wishes and also want to pay thanks for giving me this valuable opportunity.

Who is a leader? The answer is “someone who can lead you somewhere is called a leader” and this kind of capability is called  leadership . Also, a good leader is also a great mentor. Thus, It becomes necessary for any kind of organisation to have a splendid leader.

Leadership is not a new idea. If we examine history, we will find It has been ruling the world since human civilizations came into existence. A leader possesses good visionary skills and risk-computing skills so that he can lead the organisation on the path of progress.

Whether a person, a business or an organisation, all of this desire to lead to new heights. There is no choice but to have a great leader who can show them the right path and help them get there. This is why leadership holds great importance in every sphere of life.

But choosing a good leader is not easy yet not even very tough. Great leaders show some common qualities which can help us select a good leader who can actually help us to achieve goals and accomplish success. Let’s talk about these qualities.

This is the greatest quality that a great leader can have. This quality his see the broad picture of the scene to decide what are the next essential steps to take and where these steps will lead to.

2. Inspiration

Planning without action is worthless. Similarly, having a vision not going to work unless you have the ability to convey a clear picture of your vision to the people. Hence, inspiring people by showing them their vision is another quality of a good leader.

3. Continuous Improvement

A leader strives for continuous improvements as they know that there is always room for improvement. They’ll always be ready to help the members to discover ways to develop new skills or improve upon a weakness,

4. Flexibility

If one strategy does not work, try the other one. This activity is called flexibility. Being flexible enables a person to find out the best way to achieve goals in less time.

If a person possesses these qualities, he or she qualifies to be a good leader. This is all I wanted to say. I hope you liked my thoughts. Thank you!

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Leadership Cannot Be Taught: True or False?

Is leadership something that can be taught.

According to a majority of leadership experts, the answer is no. “Leadership cannot be taught” is a phrase you’ll often hear leadership experts say when asked if leadership qualities are teachable.

Whether leadership can be taught is a question that has been debated for years. While many people believe leadership cannot be taught, others argue leadership can be learned through various leadership courses and programs. Is leadership something you are born with, or can it be learned?

We carried out some extensive research on leadership and leadership training to help you make up your mind about whether leadership can be taught or not. Let’s look at these two main leadership theories in detail below.

Leadership Cannot Be Taught: The Majority’s Theory

Almost every leadership expert you ask about leadership will tell you, without an iota of doubt, that leadership cannot be taught. Harold S. Geneen puts it this way, “leadership cannot be taught; it can only be learned.”

Now, it’s common knowledge that some people have leadership qualities right from birth. These are the people born to lead, and they continue to be leaders throughout their lives without any formal training or education in this field.

Just look at the last few U.S. presidents – Barack Obama is one of them; you’ll agree that they had exemplary leadership qualities right from birth, and they nurtured them. The majority theory insinuates that true leaders come naturally to a few people, and it is one of those God-given qualities that cannot be instilled by formal training.

Why is Leadership an Inborn Ability?

There is a reason why most people who rise to be leaders in their field rarely have formal training or education as the reason behind their success in leadership.

For one, there are many skills required to make a good leader, and these range from communication, visioning, time management, and problem-solving, among others. Attending leadership seminars cannot teach these qualities because they require specific traits and inherent abilities that a few words cannot define.

Another reason leadership is not something that can be taught is that there are many types of leaders in the workplace. It would almost qualify as an insult to say one could learn how to lead as another person or group does. For instance, people who lead with a strong hand and demand that everyone else follows them will not work well with those who lead by example or inspiration.

Also, it is crucial for people in leadership roles to know themselves very well before trying to teach others how they do things like:

• Leading teams effectively
• Delegating tasks, or
• Generating enthusiasm among employees

If someone doesn’t know themselves well enough to do these things, they can’t teach them because it would be a lie.

Leadership is Part of Your DNA, or it isn’t

Believers of the ’leadership cannot be taught’ theory believe majorly that leadership qualities are innate. You’re either born a leader or born a non-leader. A true leader with innate leadership skills develops them and yields outstanding leadership attributes admirable to his subjects.

As Kent Thiry puts it, “just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, leadership is in the eyes of the led.”

People can’t learn to become leaders if they lack the essential qualities of being a leader, like understanding the needs of followers, being accountable for their actions, and having the vision to lead them forward. Leadership can be developed, but it cannot be taught.

If we look at history, all the great leaders, like Abraham Lincoln or Nelson Mandela , had to fight their inner demons and overcome obstacles before becoming successful leaders. If they didn’t have these qualities from birth, it is safe to say that they developed them along the way through experience and practice.

Conclusively, this theory of ’leaders cannot be taught’ agrees that leaders are born with innate leadership qualities in their DNAs. They only work to develop these qualities to make them better leaders in the long run. The leadership attributes you’re born with (that can’t be taught) include:

• Confidence (bravado)
• Determination and commitment to the cause
• Visionary mindset
• Innovation, etc.

People born with these traits only develop and optimize them to become great leaders – they’re never taught these skills.

Leadership Can Be Learned: The Minority’s Theory

While this theory doesn’t entirely state that leadership can be taught in schools and seminars, it does imply that leadership skills can be developed by learning.

Those who subscribe to this theory believe leaders aren’t born with all the skills they need to become great leaders.

This theory agrees that leaders aren’t born with crucial attributes like self-esteem and have to intentionally and consistently learn and nurture such skills. Great leaders must have confidence in themselves, which means they must learn the crucial basic skills they need from an early age in life.

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” - Arnold H. Glasow.

A leader who lacks crucial skills like self-esteem and self-control, which are all learned as one grows up, can barely take the blame for someone else’s mistake or own up to his. This greatly agrees with what Arnold Glasow said.

Great Leaders are Failures Who Learned from their Mistakes

Numerous leadership aspects require consistent practice and nurturing. Great leaders of the olden and modern days didn’t just appear out of the blues. They were once where you are now, and they had to deal with similar problems as you do.

They failed, learned, and developed themselves into the leaders they became. These attributes, such as self-esteem and communication, cannot be taught experience since leadership requires a sense of maturity that only comes with age, experiences, and mistakes.

Poor communicators with innate leadership attribute poor communication as a hindrance to becoming great leaders. Those with low self-esteem become great leaders through positive thinking, self-belief, and action.

Leadership requires more than academic learning since you learn about the world by making mistakes. Every mistake made is a great chance to improve and develop leadership qualities. To be a leader, you have to be able to see it that way.

Leadership Attributes You can learn to become a Better Leader

You can consistently and intentionally learn about the leadership attributes you lack to become a good leader. This means there is only a specific set of qualities one can learn along their leadership journey. They include:

• Communication skills
• Flexibility
• Self-esteem
• Self-control
• Assertiveness
• Empathy and listening skills

While these skills are essential to help you grow further, they are not what leadership is entirely made of. You’ll still need innate abilities like confidence, charisma, and the ability to build rapport with others.

You can learn to unlock your full leadership potential, but it cannot be taught because a good leader needs these innate abilities. These attributes are developed over time through experience and not necessarily learned in school or at work. We all have them within us; we need to identify them and focus on developing them fully.

While it is easy to learn the skills, you will never be a leader without these inherent abilities. You can read books or take courses online, but that won’t work if you don’t have what makes someone an effective leader already within yourself.

Challenges Bring Out the Leadership Abilities in Some Leaders

Some leaders will have the ability to be effective in every situation. Some need a little push or challenge to bring out their leadership skills and abilities. However, some people are not born with them; they cannot develop these innate traits no matter how hard they try because it’s simply not who they are as individuals.

Because of challenges, people with leadership skills can learn their hidden leadership skills and nurture them to help others. For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic helped many leaders learn skills like resilience, adaptability, and flexibility.

Since leaders are expected to be a calming force, challenges can help them manage difficult situations and restore hope to their subjects.

You Can Learn to Be a Better Leader, But You Can’t be Taught to be One

While it is evident leadership cannot be taught, it’s also true you can learn some traits to become a better leader. One of the main ways to better your leadership skills is by reading helpful blogs and books about leadership skills.

We ensure you constantly grow and learn at our blog by offering leaders a wide range of educational opportunities.

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• Leadership Speech

Long and Short Speech on Leadership for Students

A leader is someone who has a powerful intellect and not mere intellect. Leadership is a skill that not everyone is blessed with, a skill that allows an individual to lead people for the greater good of society. Leadership can not be learned or taught but it is a skill that is developed through time. Leadership is all about guiding and leading the people in a group or organization which leads to the success of the group. Leadership is all about having a vision that will help in bringing a change in society.

We often see that many people claim they are leaders all based on the position they are in. They might be the managing directors or the CEO of the company. Does that mean having a good position is directly linked to being a good leader? And what are the qualities that make up a good leader?

Here we have provided long and short leadership speeches and along with that we have also given 10 line pointers about the leadership speech for students.

These speeches of great leaders will help the students to understand the qualities required to be a good leader.

Long Speech on Leadership Qualities

Good morning to everyone present here today. Today I am going to give a leadership speech and I hope it’s helpful. I would like to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to speak about leadership.

So who is a leader? and what is leadership?. A leader is someone who can think and question and does not merely follow the herd. A true leader has a powerful intellect and they impact the people around them to work hard.

Throughout history, the world has produced great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, and the list goes on. So what is common between all these leaders that makes them truly grateful? What is the quality of all these leaders that made people believe in them?. Well, the answer is that they could guide huge populations of people for the greater good. A quality leader will always think about people and help them in solving problems and that’s what all the great leaders in the past have done.

Mahatma Gandhi after being in South Africa for twenty years came back to India after witnessing the discrimination that was done by the white people against fellow Indians. He taught people about Satyagraha and the nonviolent ways through which everyone could fight back the British. During all the nonviolent protests he was not just commanding people, he walked with everyone, he led the movement and that is the true quality of a leader.

Similarly, Barack Obama after becoming the 44th president of the united states of America, helped the country to fight the recession. American people were suffering during 2008 because of the recession as the country's economy was falling slowly. The middle class could not pay bills, There were no insurance policies for the poor and the country's growth was declining slowly.

Barack Obama was able to understand the difficulties that everyone was facing and he did what every great leader does, he guided the country out of recession. He made sure to lead from the front and fight the difficulties that his people were facing and that is the quality of a true leader.

So after getting to know about great leaders in the past, how can anyone figure out a leader? Well, there are a few qualities that define a good leader. A great leader motivates you to be successful. A leader is a great influencer who does not force anyone to follow him but due to his actions, people follow him on their own. A strong leader is also characterized by having a strong personality. An aura that makes people listen to him or her. A good leader is not about commanding people to do their work but it is always about helping people to get the work done.

For example, if a task is assigned to a group, a good leader will always make sure to distribute the task equally within the group and will also make sure to help anyone if they are facing difficulties. He or she also makes sure that there are no loopholes in the process and he makes sure that everyone finishes their work in time.

Leaders are not born, they are made throughout time and leadership is not an easy task. It cannot be done by people who allow their emotions to take control. Leadership is all about having a good aim and vision. A leader will always think about achieving the goal even if there are many hurdles in the way. 

Leadership is always about impacting people in such a way that it will help them to reach their goals. It is about having the ability to decide on the worst picture possible. It is about seeing the bigger picture for a better future. Leadership is linked to communicating with the team and finding the answer. It is about showing determination towards your goal, it is about listening to the team and helping each other to find a solution, and above all leadership is about earning respect from the team and accepting the challenge without fear.

The qualities found in a leader are not cultivated in a day or a week but it is done after seeing a lot of failures and learning from them.  Does that mean you can never be a leader? Anyone can be a leader and it can be done by learning through failures. Leaders who possess great leadership qualities have earned and learned them with time. Leadership is all about thinking for the benefit of everyone even if it means you are at loss in the beginning. It is about thinking of society and how your leader's goals could help in the betterment of the country.

To conclude this speech I want to say that great leaders were not born great, they made themselves great by observing their surroundings and doing their best to change them. The real essence of leadership is when a leader pays attention to the needs of the followers and works in the direction to fulfil all those needs.

As I said before, history is filled with examples of great leaders, and one thing that is common in all leaders in the act of selflessness. They never thought about their gain but they always strived for the betterment of everyone. To be a great leader you need to have led people for the greater good. To be a great leader you have to be a good human first, show kindness to every living organism. So start cultivating the habits that will make you a good leader and I can assure you that the world will benefit from it. Thank you very much for listening. Have a great evening.

Short Speech About Leadership

Good morning to everyone present here. I feel grateful that I was chosen to give a small leadership speech for students. I hope my speech inspires everyone to be a good leader.

A leader is someone who is characterized by many qualities. Teamwork, hard work, calm, selflessness, help.

A leader is someone who always thinks and questions a situation to bring a solution. A leader never follows the herd but he or she is the one who is followed by people because of his or her ability to create an impact on people.

Great leaders in the past such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and so on have always thought of the greater good of society. They have always led by example and have always directed people in the right direction.

The qualities found in leaders are not formed within a day or weak but they are cultivated through years of hard work, patience, and learning from failures.

To conclude I want to say that great leaders are not born great but they make themselves great by being selfless. They always think about the bigger picture and will always try to help people who are in trouble. To be a great leader you need to be a good human first who shows kindness to every living organism around him or her. You can also be a great leader by cultivating these habits. 

10 Lines About Speech on Leadership Qualities

A great leader will always lead the people for a better future.

Leadership is all about selflessness. It is about thinking about the goals of society before personal goals.

A good leader will always lead by example and will always be focused on his or her goals.

Leadership is about understanding the followers and understanding them completely.

Leadership is about actively listening and adapting to the changes.

A leader is not born but anyone can become a good leader by applying constant efforts.

Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandella, Barack Obama, and many more great leaders have always thought about the better good of society.

leadership is linked to selflessness, determination, loyalty, teamwork, and efficiency.

While writing speeches of great leaders remember to always include examples of leaders in the past who have helped society.

Some of the famous speeches by leaders that changed society are Martin King Luther’s speech, Mahatma Gandhi’s speech, Barack Obama’s speech before getting elected as the 44th president of the United States of America.

The following points also can be used as a reference for the students to include in their speeches and have a better understanding of the features and styles of leadership.

Features of Leadership

Leaders play an important role in the growth of any organization. A great leader can establish and maintain good interpersonal relationships with subordinates or followers and motivate them to achieve their desired organizational goals.

Here we are discussing some important features of leadership that every good leader possesses.

Influence the Behaviour of People - Leadership is the skill of an individual that influences the behaviour of other people or employees in any organization so they can work together to achieve a common business goal.

Interpersonal Process - This process occurs between the leader and his followers. The relationship of the employees with the leaders determines how efficiently and effectively the business goals would be met.

Achieving Similar Organizational Goals - The objective of leadership is to provide a direction to the employees to attain common business objectives. The leader combines the people and their efforts for the same.

Continuous Process - Leadership is a time-consuming and continuous process. At every point, employees need guidance from the leader to ensure that they are working in the right direction and their efforts will pay them back. Moreover, a good leader makes sure that his employees are not deviating from the path.

Group Process - Leadership is certainly a group process. Imagine if there are no followers then to whom will the leader guide? Therefore, leadership involves the interaction of two or more people that allows them to discuss their issues with their mentors and get relevant solutions.

Dependent on Situations - A leader is dependent on the situations that he has to tackle in the current scenario. His leadership style changes when the situation changes. The advice which he gives to solve a situation will also be effective to tackle other problems.

Leadership styles

Leadership style refers to the approaches or strategies adopted by a leader for motivating his followers while trying to achieve common targets. As discussed above, leadership style is dependent on situations. This means that the way of handling a problem can change depending upon the present scenario.

Leadership styles are classified into three types. These are-

Autocratic Leadership Style - In this style, the leader takes all the necessary decisions by himself without discussing them with his followers.

Democratic Leadership Style - Here, the leader consults his subordinates before taking the final decision.

Free-Rein Leadership Style - It is also known as the Laissez-faire style. In this, the leader gives complete freedom to his followers to take the decision.

FAQs on Leadership Speech

1. What is the exact meaning of leadership?

Leadership is the quality or skill of an individual which helps the individual to lead people in the right direction, inspire them and build confidence in them. The person who has this leadership quality is known as the leader. With this skill, the leader takes steps for the good of society. 

Not everyone in this world is blessed with this ability. Leadership is the ability that is developed with time and cannot be learned. The people possessing this quality effectively influence people to reach their goals. In other words, it is the ability that turns vision into reality.

2. What are the best leadership qualities?

Some of the best leadership traits are listed below:

Trustworthiness - A leader must be honest and should not hide anything from his people. This trait creates a strong relationship between the leader and the group members.

Responsibility - It is the leader who is responsible for his actions. Also, the leader has the responsibility of his members.

Vision - It is the leader who has the vision and knows the methods to reach their goals. The leaders turn their ideas into actions.

Good Communication Skills - A leader must have this skill so that he can openly talk to his group members.

Self-Confident - A leader needs to be self-confident. This skill enables them to believe in themselves and gives success in most situations.

3. What are the major differences between a boss and a leader?

Underneath are the differences between a boss and a leader:

A boss is in charge of people or a company.

He is the person who takes away all the credit. 

The boss uses people for his and his company's benefit. 

He blames others for the breakdown.

He commands people to do the task.

A leader inspires and influences others to complete the goals.

He is the person who gives credit to his members. 

The leader helps people in developing their skills.

With the help of the members, a leader fixes the breakdown.

He asks people to do the task.

4. Give an example of any person who has the quality of leadership.

Barack Obama is the best example of transformational leadership. He was the first African - American president of the United States for 8 years. He saw possibilities and opportunities in every situation while others saw obstacles in those situations. He made a friendly atmosphere for his staff members so that they can share things with him. He was honest and transparent towards his people. 

He also organized a campaign named "Yes We Can". This rally inspired and convinced many people that there is a better future if they get united with him and trust the government. He was the best leader who thought and did well for the country.

Top 6 Speeches to Inspire Leaders

by Emily Waddell | Jun 14, 2018 | Explore , Quotes , Uncategorized |

While Merriam-Webster defines a leader as “the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country”, we can all agree that in the past few decades , its become a lot more than that.  Leadership has become a mindset that is praised in most every field of work.  Even more recently, leadership has gained influence in the context of an individual’s personality.  We’ve compiled some great stories and influences that can easily be applied to your day to day routine or leadership development journey that enables you to create broader change.  Sit back, but don’t relax. Prepare to be inspired.

Enjoy 13 minutes of suave feminist politics as Justin Trudeau addresses Davos at the World Economic Forum.  

The Canadian prime minister informs the public of the integral role women play in society.  The reason we like to include this at the top of the list is how Canadian politics and their cultural attitude towards women has been translated into the public.  First, Canadian universities have very progressive women’s activist groups and women’s communities are prioritized in most fields of education. It’s proof that Trudeau and the Canadian government mean business, and that government has impact on cultural shifts towards inclusion.  As a Leader and Prime Minister, Trudeau is using his platform for good, and the next generation of Canadian women have a voice because of it. Lastly, note his authority and compassion throughout; these can be tools you use as a leader in your community.

Malala Addresses the UN Youth Takeover

Malala Yousafz ai is the selfless and young Pakistani girl who stands up for children’s rights.  I think that there is a few really powerful things we can learn from her in becoming leaders in our own right.  First, Yousafz inspires a sense of intention that makes us question our own; she has a passion for children’s rights that she knows is beyond her, but that doesn’t discourage her from trying.  

In addition, she exhibits the forgiveness and compassion that is a maturity most people don’t ever figure out.  In conclusion, Malala uses her platform that she acquired with the utmost act of bravery to speak for voices that cannot be heart, in the name of universal peace.  The speech caused me reflect and evaluate why I try to lead, is it for a cause bigger than me? Is it for status? I urge you to do the same in your leadership development.  

3.David Logan on Tribal Leadership

David Logan addresses University of Southern California at a TEDx talk to preach about a very important component that isn’t always brought to mind when one thinks about in becoming a leader; others.  Then, he employs the natural “tribe” creating process that humans socially undergo to teach how individuals can be leaders by advancing the group, or tribe, or “nudging them forward”. In addition, Logan defines the potential influence of a group of people who share a similar passion and calls individuals to recognize, mindfully, how they communicate with their tribe in efforts to improve the human condition universally.  

4. Barack Obama’s Speech on Leadership and Power

Former president Obama’s focused on Leadership and Power in his speech, and highlights practical applications of what he’s learned.  A few of the main takeaways:

• Failing publicly can be liberating.  
• Empower others.
• Power is isolating.
• It’s not enough to be the squeaky wheel.  
• Know how to shape public opinion in the internet age.  

A you can see, Obama inspires listeners to stand up for a cause and affect real change and provides insight on the tools to do it. He holds a place on Google’s list of Top Orators, so it’s worth the watch.

J.K. Rowling 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech

When J.K. Rowling gave the Harvard commencement speech in 2008, she focused on the power of failure with a humble wisdom and authenticity.  In doing something worthwhile, failure is inevitable at some point. Next Rowling comforts us (or really, the Harvard graduates) in that inevitability and brings to light the role creativity plays in rebuilding one’s life after that failure.  It had very much the colloquial spirit of being at “rock bottom”; where Rowling had nothing left to lose. And at this place, she indulged her failure to emerge with creativity and build the Harry Potter series.  Failure is often recognized as in integral ingredient in leadership development, where one can improve.  Lastly, she bravely credits her accomplishments to failure, from that, we should learn how to turn our failure into accomplishment.

  6.Learning from Leadership’s Missing Manual by Fields Wicker-Miurin

Social Entrepreneur Fields Wicker-Miurin connects leaders around globe the for her job; thusly, she delivers a breadth of wisdom to a TED talk audience.  She argues that we need new models of what it means to be a good leader. Wicker- Miurin meets with communities around the world, “ people who see the world differently, who are asking different questions, who have different answers, who understand the filters that they wear when they go out into the world.”  In other words, s he understands the value of seeking advice from other cultures to become a more holistically successful leader.  Watch the full talk to understand the impact of this work for the next generation and how you can achieve this cultural influence in your personal development

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Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader

• Monique Valcour

You just have to put in the work.

Occupying a leadership position is not the same thing as leading. To lead, you must be able to connect, motivate, and inspire a sense of ownership of shared objectives. Heightening your capacity to lead others requires being able to see how you think and act, and how your behavior affects others. Leading well requires a continuous journey of personal development. Yet people in leadership roles often eschew the long and challenging work of deepening self-insight in favor of chasing after management “tools”— preferably the “quick ’n’ easy” kind, such as personality type assessments that reduce employees to a few simplistic behavioral tendencies. Tools can be handy aids to good leadership. But none of them can take the place of fearless introspection, feedback seeking, and committed efforts to behavioral change for greater effectiveness and increased positive impact on others.

When you’re an individual contributor, your ability to use your technical expertise to deliver results is paramount. Once you’ve advanced into a leadership role, however, the toolkit that you relied on to deliver individual results rarely equips you to succeed through others. Beware of falling into the logical trap of “if I can do this work well, I should be able to lead a team of people who do this work.” This would be true if leading others were akin to operating a more powerful version of the same machinery you operated previously. But it’s not; machinery doesn’t perform better or worse based on what it thinks about you and how you make it feel, while humans do .

• MV Monique Valcour is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and management professor. She helps clients create and sustain fulfilling and high-performance jobs, careers, workplaces, and lives. moniquevalcour

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Learn to tell a 2-minute leadership story

The hallmark of a good leadership story? Inspiring, motivational, memorable and short—like, two minutes short. In the age of Twitter, people don’t have time or patience for much more than that. How to build a 120-second narrative? Six tips:

• Draw from your real past and what you’ve learned from it.
• Be relevant to your audience, so your story resonates emotionally.
• Inspire your audience with your passion.
• Show the struggle between attaining your goal and overcoming the obstacles faced along the way.
• Illustrate with a vivid example.
• Teach an important lesson.

Task: Think of a story that ties in all the elements above. Share it with someone. When you’re finished, ask, “What impact did the tale have on you? Were you moved?” Use feedback to refine your tale, then tell it to someone else. Faster. — Adapted from “How a 2-Minute Story Helps You Lead,” Stew Friedman, Harvard Business’s Voices blog.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

Powerful 2 Minute Speech Topics: A-Z Guide (With 200+ Examples)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

It is often believed that giving a 2-Minute Speech is the most challenging form of public speaking because of the time constraint. But here I am to tell you that there is something even more challenging than giving a 2-minute speech. And that is finding a powerful 2-minute speech topic !

2-minute speeches are short, crisp ways to present your opinion, understanding, or study to others. It is short. It is simple. And it is convenient, especially from the listener’s point of view.

To know more about 2-minute speeches, check out this short video below:

Here is what you can expect from this blog:

What is a 2-minute speech.

• How do you find a 2-minute speech topic?
• 2-minute speech topics

How to make a 2-minute speech script?

2-minute speeches to memorize, delivering 2-minute speeches.

2-minute speeches are short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words.

Because 2-minute speeches are short, you can be assured of having constant attention from your audience. This means that you might have to come up with a 2-minute speech topic that is not only informative and interesting but one that stands out and makes the audience want to listen to it immediately.

So how do you find a 2-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways you can find a 2-minute speech topic that would suit perfectly for your next speech.

First is when you go about doing your research and then ideating or selecting a topic that is more in line with your purpose of giving the speech.

The second and the most popular way to find a 2-minute speech topic is to go on to google and type 2-minute speech topics. You shouldn’t be shocked at the number of topics the internet has to offer to you. You might not even have to go anywhere else, jump on to the speech topics section if you want to get straight into selecting a 2-minute speech topic for yourself.

Researching for your 2-minute speech topic

So, you chose not to select one of the many topics available on the internet? That’s great! Want to know why?

1. It would help you come up with a topic that is more personalized and less common.

When you come up with the topic yourself, you move from the very broad topics available online and can find a topic that caters more to your area of interest or understanding.

2. You would be able to narrow down on a topic of your choice or area of interest.

3. it would help you gain an understanding of the topic from various points of view.

In the initial ideation stage, as you try to research the topic and find a topic for your 2-minute speech, you would be exposed to various political, environmental, or social perspectives of the same topic which would further help you to not only narrow down your topic but also understand your topic from various points of view, thus helping you ace a question-and-answer round.

Process of Finding a topic

Before beginning straight up by researching your topic, there are a couple of things that you might have to take a look into which will help you navigate through the next step (that is researching for your topic). These include:

1. Understanding the event for which you’d be giving the speech

Understanding the event or occasion where you will be giving the speech is important as it would give you a brief idea of what is expected in terms of the content and tone of your speech .

So, for instance, if you are giving a speech at a conference, it would have a more formal tonality to it as compared to a speech that you might present at your best friend’s wedding which would usually be filled with a lot of slang, humor, and casual tone.

2. Understanding your audience

The next thing you should try to find a little more clarity on is your possible audience. Understanding who the majority of your audience will comprise will help you in finding a topic that would be more in line with their broad interest, thus attracting them to listen to your speech right from the very beginning .

3. Your interests and knowledge

Yet another thing that you must take into consideration besides what the event and audience expect from you is your interest in the topic. Having a tad bit of understanding of the speech topic you would want to dive into can also help you in navigating through your research better.

4. Your purpose for giving the speech

Establish your purpose for giving the speech even before you start researching. The reason is very simple, you’d be able to understand which kind of a topic you should focus on depending on the purpose of your speech.

Do you plan on providing the audience with detailed information on the topic? Or are you trying to sell your view or product to the audience within these 2 minutes?

In both cases, your topic, as well as the structure of speech, would be very different.

Once you have an idea of your audience, your interests, and your knowledge areas, you can then move on to researching your topic.

A simple google search can be a good starting point.

Take the help of news articles, journals, blogs, and much more to narrow down and come up with a 2-minute speech topic that you feel most excited about!

Selecting a 2-minute speech topic from the internet

A-z list of 2-minute speech topics, find some of the best 2-minute speech topics here:.

• Abortion: Should the government have a say in it?
• Art:  A mode of storytelling
• A day in the life of a (add your profession, organization, or ethnicity)
• Artificial intelligence: a boon or a curse?
• Art and Craft: a lost activity
• Benefits of Yoga
• Benefits of meditation
• Ban on Animal testing
• Bullying and how to discourage it
• Buildings and Aesthetics: An architectural standpoint
• Chronic Depression and its cure
• Cults: The secrets you know nothing about
• Cultural difference: The harsh reality of moving abroad
• Corruption: the hidden dirt
• Cricket: sport turned into a religion
• Climate Change
• Disaster Management
• Domino effect in real life
• Demonetization in India
• Dance therapy and its uses
• Dealing with daily hassles of life
• Environmental pollution and its adverse effects
• Education system of India
• Election ethics and rules
• Elocutions: Everything you need to know
• Everything we know about aliens
• FOMO (Fear of missing out) and how to deal with it
• Falling in your dreams: the meaning behind it
• Fat loss fads you must avoid
• Fitness and influencing
• Forced labor: An unfortunate reality
• Girl Education: The inspiring story of Malala
• Generation gap and how it affects communication
• Gender sensitization and ways of being more aware of it
• Growing a terrace garden
• Gaining muscles: everything you need to know
• Health and Hygiene: Two underrated
• Hacks to do well in your academics
• Habits that are ruining your health
• Hollywood: An insight into the world of glamour
• Hitchhiking your way to find peace
• Importance of reading
• Importance of following a routine
• Importance of kindness
• Importance of education
• Importance of sports
• The language barrier and how to overcome it
• Loyalty: An endangered quality?
• Land Pollution and ways to deal with it
• Less is more: All about Minimalism
• Legalization of marijuana: An opinion
• Moral Policing: is it ethical?
• Memorizing speeches and their disadvantages
• Making friends as adults
• Manifestation: A belief or a joke?
• Millennials: generation of environmental advocates
• Mental health
• Music and its power to heal
• Media and its effects on forming opinions
• My role models
• Noise pollution
• National integration
• Natural resources: A tragedy of depleting future
• Negating minorities and their impact on the overall development of the country
• Natural disasters: Can we tackle them?
• Online dating and its effects on self-esteem
• Online education and its authenticity
• Overcoming fear through exposure therapy
• Olympics 2021
• Organ donation: Progress made so far
• Our Environment, our responsibility
• Pros and cons of being a vegetarian
• Political ideologies that shook the world
• Poor scores and their effect on the success
• Parenting styles over the years
• Paternal leaves in Indian organizations
• Poverty in India
• Positive thinking and gratitude
• Punctuality: Through the eyes of different cultures
• Quarantine and increase in social anxiety among people
• Qualifying for Olympics: Struggle unspoken of
• Quran and its teachings
• Questionnaire: The best way of collecting data?
• Questioning and its importance in the workspace
• Racism:  An unfortunate view in the society
• Right to education
• Religion vs Spirituality
• Reasons why failure is important
• The reality of fast-food brands
• Should body-shaming be a punishable offense?
• Sneaker trends that would blow your mind
• Sustainable fashion brands to follow
• Shaping perspectives through conformity
• Time management: A necessary corporate skill
• Travel and tourism: A Course
• Technology and its growing importance in everyday life
• Tourism in India
• The best day of my life
• Unity: A quality that formed countries
• Unity in Diversity in India
• Unemployment and its impact on the mental health of the youth
• Understanding climate change
• Understanding the importance of compounding
• Value of Education
• Value of Hard work
• Value of Discipline
• Videogames and their influence on violent behavior
• Viral: A trend or a tragic accident?
• Which is better: Studying in the country or moving abroad?
• What does sustainability mean?
• What is the Bermuda triangle?
• Water pollution and its solutions
• Waste management around the world
• World peace: An idea that is achievable or too far-fetched?
• Xenotransplantation: Future of organ transplantation
• Xerox: A brand or name for photocopy
• Xbox and its evolution over the years
• X-rays and how it harms the human body

2-minute speech topics for students

What are the best topics for students.

If you have asked yourself this question but haven’t received an answer yet, check out the list below to find one now!

• Opinion on the New education policy
• Need for sex education in schools
• Overcoming the problem of Brain Drain
• Addressing the issue of child labor
• Pros and cons of online degrees
• Boarding school vs full-time schools
• Co-ed school vs gender-specific schools
• Liberty to choose your subjects in schools
• Ban on uniforms
• Curbing school shootings
• Grading system: Changes required.
• Peer pressure and the need to fit in
• Coping with academic stress
• Are scores a good measure of student’s intelligence?
• Importance of focusing on extracurricular activities

2-minute speech topics for MBA students

• Advantages of cloud kitchens
• Importance of understanding the market
• Best marketing strategy
• Hard work vs smart work
• The rise of entrepreneurship in India
• Importance of internships in skills building
• Reservation system: My honest pinion
• Pros and cons of working from home
• Everything about GST you don’t know of
• Stocks or Cryptocurrencies?
• Using reels to market products
• Understanding the importance of influencer marketing
• Assessing job satisfaction among employees
• Biggest banking frauds in the world
•  How movies influence fashion trends
• The insane E-commerce discounts
• Women in Business
• Why age is just a number when it comes to entrepreneurship
• Management lessons from mythology
• Make in India or Make for India?

Speech topics for adults

• Are first impressions really the most lasting impressions?
• Importance of observing in everyday life
• Conforming vs standing out: What should you prefer?
• Impact of positive thinking in healing chronic diseases
• Importance of body language in public speaking
• Is buying luxury goods on a loan worth it?
• Why renting a house is better than buying it
• Why timetables never work
• How do colors affect the way we feel?
• How your brains are wired to think negatively
• Impact of childhood trauma on antisocial behaviors
• Love: Difference between what is real and reel
• Why being young is overrated
• Are you a victim of the fashion industry?
• How to easily start a conversation
• Savings in college could help you in your 40s
• Being happy all the time is an unachievable reality
• The advantages of taking calculated risks
• Dealing with stress on a daily basis
• How do you overcome obstacles?

2-minute speech topics for the Interview

• Understanding the future of the metaverse
• Hard work leads to smart work
• Effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction
• How to motivate the employees in no time
• Gender Equality in the Workplace
• How to get over stage fright?
• How to give a speech in an interview?
• How organizational culture affects motivation?
• Management strategies that can help in improving productivity
• Ways to essentially decrease production costs

Funny 2-minute speech topics

• Why I would rather go to jail than clean utensils
• If I could live my cat’s life for a day
• The most profitable mistake I ever made
• Tutorial on how to deny reality
• Tips on walking your dog
• Why you must never eat fish food
• Things you can do to irritate someone
• Evolution of my new year’s resolutions
• Adulting and falling in love with the idea of arranged marriages
• Dating in 2022

2-minute speech topics on any proverb

• Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
• Actions speak louder than words
• Health is wealth
• Joy of giving
• Don’t judge a book by its cover
• Knowledge is power
• Laughter is the best medicine
• Action speaks louder than words.
• A jack of all trades is a master of none.
• A good listener is a silent flatterer.
• All that glitters is not gold.
• Among the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.
• An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.
• As you sow, so you shall reap.
• What goes around comes back around.
• Curiosity killed the cat.
• Time is money.

Unique speech topics

• The tragedy of not being on social media
• Importance of taking a drop year
• Are scholarships always fair?
• Reasons teenagers start substance abuse
• Places on earth no man has ever been
• The most surveillance city in the world
• Why euthanasia is justified
• Formal schooling is important despite not being practical
• If the earth stopped rotating for a split second
• Benefits of boiling water

2-minute speech topics on famous personalities

• Mahatma Gandhi
• William Shakespeare
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Nelson Mandela
• Barack Obama
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Virat Kohli
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Winston Churchill
• Abraham Lincoln

Once you have decided on your topic for the speech, the next step is to come up with the speech itself or the script.

For this, you’ll have to understand the approx number of words you will be comfortable adding to your speech so as to not exceed the time limit of 2-minutes.

Next, you can go about the usual “ introduction, main body, and conclusion ” structure for structuring your script.

It isn’t necessary for you to frame the entire speech word for word, you can also frame it in a pointer format if that is more convenient for you.

How do you start a 2-minute speech?

As there isn’t much time in your hand, presenting detailed opening lines for a 2-minute speech would mean that you would have to cut down on your main content.

Instead, you can start by giving a very quick introduction like “Hi I am Nisha and I will be talking about the adverse effects of sleep deprivation today with you.”

You can also use other more fun and engaging ways to begin your speech and there are tons of ways you can do it. Check out the list below to find examples of a few:

1. Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are questions wherein you want to provoke the audience to think and not to come up with any specific answer . An example of the same is given below.

So from a glance, do I look like marriage material? Nina Donovan

Jokes and humor are almost always appreciated by the audience provided it isn’t even slightly derogatory or demeaning to anyone. Opening your 2-minute speech with a joke can in fact be a good attention grabber that would also not take up a lot of your speech time .

Example of a joke used as an opening line:

Do you know when brown kids get slapped? Every brown birthday party. Hasan Minhaj

3. Statistics or figures

What is the best way to make someone understand the reality of any situation you ask? Figures, numbers, or stats!

Because when the audience sees the number in front of them, they can no longer be in denial or in their own world of assumptions. Hence, using statistics in your opening lines would definitely help you reach your goal of spreading awareness (if that is what your purpose is).

Suicide happens to be one of the leading causes of death in United states with approximately one indivdiual dying to suicide every 11 minutes. The question is why are we still overlooking this grave issue?

To know more about effective opening lines, check out our post on 50 speech opening lines .

Following your brief introduction, as you dive into your topic, there are a couple of things that you must keep in your mind, they are:

• Stick to only one takeaway . Having many takeaways might not help you effectively reach the audience.
• Try to add short stories only if you plan on adding a story to your speech. Make sure that it isn’t taking up a huge chunk of your speech time.

How do you end your 2-minute speech?

In short speeches, your ending or conclusion is very important. It needs to be impactful. You can either summarize your speech in a couple of seconds or you can re-establish your takeaway at this point in your speech. You can try to end with a powerful quote or try to motivate your audience to take some action .

An example of asking the audience to take an action is,

“So as we reach the end of the speech on effects of sleep deprivation, I’d want you to go back home and think to yourself, is browsing for  a couple of more minutes really necessary over your precious sleep?”

To take a deeper look into the closing lines for your speech, check out our video below!

2-minute speech on Brain Drain

Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadela, Leena Nair, and Paraag Agarwal what do they all have in common?

You probably guessed it right! They are the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world but there is yet another commonality that they have. They are all Indian Origin CEOs who gained their initial education from some of the top colleges in India to hold such exceptional positions in world-renowned companies now. 

If this isn’t a good example of brain drain, I’m not sure what is. Brain drains, a concept that is very common to Indians when we lose some of the smartest people of our country to better opportunities abroad. These companies not only offer the individuals with better work ethos and environment but also provide them with a handsome paycheck and add to that the amount of appreciation they receive for the work they chip in. Something that is either too rare or alien to the Indian work environment. 

But the scenario in India is changing. With the coming of start-up culture in India where the employees are given just as much priority as the company’s clients If the companies encourage such open and collaborative culture where there is a fair opportunity for growth provided to all the employees, we might be able to see some considerable fall in the problem of brain drain in India.

Importance of education 2-minute speech

Do you remember how in school they asked us to prove whether the two figures were triangles when you could easily have concluded that they indeed were triangles just by looking at them?

So then why do we say that education is important?

For starters, to be able to live a decent life, the basic requirement for any job is for you to possess at least a diploma or degree. Apart from the theoretical learning that we get through education, there are plenty of other skills and experiences we are exposed to like broadening our perspective by interacting with peers, enhancing public speaking skills, understanding the basics of how the world functions are it the laws and rights that the individual possesses or the understanding of geographical division and economic conditions in the society. Education helps in enhancing the capacities, attitudes, interests, urges, and needs of the individual. And hence when the student or individual is deprived of education, it isn’t just the theoretical knowledge that they miss out on but they also miss out on having a holistic development of themselves. This is what makes education very important in everyone’s life.

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Final Words

2-minute speeches are short and crisp which can serve as a blessing as you are not required to go too much into detail. You can come up with a 2- minute speech topic either by researching one that fits perfectly with your interests or you can find one online.

The idea is to enjoy giving the speech. And for you to enjoy delivering your speech, it is important for you to first come up with something that excites you and interests you!

Keep following Frantically Speaking for more such short guides to help you with your public speaking and communication skills.

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Home Inspiring Leadership Now

30 of the best ted talks on leadership that every great leader should watch – 2nd edition.

Last updated: 4 March 2020

>> Pssst! Want to discover insider secrets from some of the most dynamic and inspirational leaders and entrepreneurs? Join our Leader’s Edge 14-day free trial to receive practical tools on how to be a leader, run a business and live a successful, fulfilling life!

Love inspiring Ted Talks on leadership? So do we!

That’s why we put together this list of our  crème de la crème TED Talks on leadership.

So next time you’re needing a little boost, take a 20-minute break to listen to one of these and learn from some of the most forward-thinking and innovative experts to discover what’s given them their little-known edge.

1.  How Great Leaders Inspire Action , by Simon Sinek

With more than 29 million views , Simon Sinek is now on the A-List of leadership gurus, after he gave this incredible talk.

As Sinek himself says, “As it turns out, all the great inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it’s Apple or Martin Luther King, Jr. or the Wright brothers, they all think, act and communicate the exact same way. And it’s the complete opposite to everyone else. All I did was codify it, and it’s probably the world’s simplest idea. I call it the Golden Circle.”

For Sinek, the difference between these inspirational leaders and everyone else is they start with “why,” which is the core concept of his Golden Circle . By asking why, how and what, you can set yourself on a trajectory of tremendous success that, statistically speaking, very few people attain.

2.  The Puzzle of Motivation , by Dan Pink

To be an effective leader, you need to know what makes people “tick,” and especially what motivates them in the workplace to give you their best. Interestingly enough, money only takes you so far.

In this compelling video –which has clocked over 13 million views – Pink (author of  Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us ) untangles the web of motivation in a way that makes sense for leaders. Here’s a hint : traditional rewards aren’t always as motivating as we think.

3.  Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders , by Sheryl Sandberg

Sandberg left Google to become Facebook’s COO in 2008. In this video, she looks at why so few women make it to the C-suite, and offers up three important pieces of advice to women who want to buck the trend and get there. The key, in Sandberg’s view, is ensuring women remain in the workforce.

As it turns out, having more women remain in the workforce has other positive benefits on society and households, such as equal earning and equal responsibility between partners. As Sandberg notes, households that demonstrate this equality also have half the divorce rate.

4.  The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding , by John Wooden

To be a successful leader, what better place to start than by defining exactly what you mean by success? The man affectionately known as “Coach” redefines success to be much more than merely winning. Coach James Wooden explains this difference with profound simplicity, and urges everyone to pursue the best in themselves. The Coach’s 17-minute talk is uplifting as much as it is inspiring.

5.  What Makes us Feel Good About Our Work ? By Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely is a behavioral economist who has gained a deeper understanding of human motivation than most economists could ever hope for. He even designed experiments that would help solve the mystery of motivation, which is what this video is all about.

As it turns out, money isn’t the only thing that motivates us to work. It isn’t exactly joy, either. The real motivation for going to work every day is to make constant progress and lead a life of purpose . Strong leaders care about the bottom line, but are about much more than that. They have a sense of purpose, and get out of bed every single day to fulfill it.

6.  Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe , by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek’s material is so good that he’s the only one to appear twice on this list. You know building trust among your followers is important, but actually doing it is another thing entirely.

Sinek’s video on the topic will take your understanding of trust to a whole new level. After all, humans are emotional species who struggle with insecurities and vulnerabilities. A good leader brings his or her employees into a circle of trust. This is especially important in today’s economy, where jobs are destroyed as fast as they are created. Leaders have a responsibility to make their workers feel safe.

7.  Dare to Disagree , by Margaret Heffernan

When it comes to forming your dream team, the last thing you should do is surround yourself with what Heffernan calls “echo chambers” who only tell you what they think you want to hear. Mastering the art of disagreement is essential to effective leadership. Leaders must also be willing to cope with others disagreeing with them. Only through disagreement are ideas challenged.

Hefferman outlines a rubric for avoiding echo chambers and allowing ourselves to experience what she calls constructive conflict.

“So what does that kind of constructive conflict require? Well, first of all, it requires that we find people who are very different from ourselves. That means we have to resist the neurobiological drive, which means that we really prefer people mostly like ourselves, and it means we have to seek out people with different backgrounds, different disciplines, different ways of thinking and different experience, and find ways to engage with them. That requires a lot of patience and a lot of energy.”

8.  Lead Like The Great Conductors , by Itay Talgam

You’ve no doubt heard leadership described through the metaphor of conducting an orchestra. Itay Talgam operationalizes that metaphor by sharing what leaders can learn from 6 different 20th-century conductors. Don’t worry, this TED Talk requires no formal background (or interest) in the symphony.

Talgam describes the “magical moment” when a conductor turns chaos into blissful music. It’s a very small gesture, “not very pomp, not very sophisticated.” And suddenly, out of the chaos, noise becomes music.

9.  As Work Gets More Complex, Six Rules to Simplify , by Yves Morieux

Everyone knows that a staggering number of people are disengaged from their work. Yves Morieux argues that our reaction to the unfathomable complexity of modern work has a lot to do with that disengagement. Traditional organizational management certainly doesn’t help, either. His antidote includes 6 refreshing ways to engage in what he calls “smart simplicity.” The first rule is understand what your colleagues actually do. This is especially important for business leaders if they wish to simply the workplace and boost employee engagement.

10.  What It Takes To Be A Great Leader , by Roselinde Torres

Roselinde Torres has developed a deep understanding of what makes leaders effective. She poses 3 laser-like questions that will spur your own thinking on what it takes to be a great leader.

In a world filled with executive leadership programs and expensive seminars, Torres argues the best way to learn leadership might be right under your nose. Torres’ 9-minute talk is candid and to the point.

11.  A Life of Purpose , by Rick Warren

His book, Purpose-Driven Life, has sold more than 30 million copies. The church he pastors, Saddleback Church, has more than 22,000 members. Clearly, Rick Warren understands a few things about leadership.

This video is an intimate presentation of his own thoughts and crises around leadership. For anyone who’s ever looked at their existence and said, “There’s got to be more to life than this” will certainly find solace in Warren’s 21-minute talk.

12.  Listen, Learn… Then Lead , by Stanley McChrystal

Stanley McChrystal is a 4-star general who spent decades in the military. What he gleaned about leadership that can build a shared sense of purpose among an incredibly diverse set of followers boils down to how well you listen and learn, as well as how you position failure.

McChrystal’s view of leadership can be summarized with the following quote:

“[A] leader isn’t good because they’re right; they’re good because they’re willing to learn and to trust. This isn’t easy stuff.”

13.  Got a Wicked Problem to Solve? First, Tell me How you Make Toast , by Tom Wujec

Making toast is simple, right? But what happens when someone asks you to draw how you make toast? Suddenly things get interesting, and complicated.

This simple exercise reveals much about leading solutions to complex problems. Tom Wujec invites listeners to run the exercise themselves while explaining what he’s learned from observing thousands of people draw toast. From this talk, leaders will learn some important truths about how to handle real-world challenges .

14.  Everyday Leadership , by Drew Dudley

Drew Dudley’s whole approach is to make sure everyone understands how to bring out the leader within. Too many people think great leadership is reserved for extraordinary people.

His humorous take will remind you of all the little things leaders do each day. Leadership may be self-taught, but certainly isn’t reserved to a special segment of society. Dudley reminds us that leadership is an everyday act that should be celebrated.

15.  Tribal Leadership , by David Logan

It’s easy to think that as a species we have evolved far beyond the days of tribalism, but management consultant David Logan argues that effective leaders understand the 5 kinds of tribes that still crop up naturally in nearly any setting. Logan’s talk takes you through the 5 tribes, or stages, beginning with “Life sucks” and ending with “Life is great.”

16. Learning From Leadership’s Missing Manual , by Fields Wicker-Miurin

If you missed the opening line of this article, Fields Wicker-Miurin will remind you that leadership is self-taught. People who are looking for the holy grail leadership manual will wait forever in vain.

Leadership comes from within , but that shouldn’t stop you from developing the qualities that people admire in a great leader. Instead of looking for a how-to manual, learn the inspiring story of a local leader in your community. They’re not as far away or elusive as you might think.

17. How To Make Work-Life Balance Work , by Nigel Marsh

Leaders may be workaholics, but they also value work-life balance. That’s Nigel Marsh’s main thrust in this 2010 talk. Marsh shows you how to share a balance lifestyle between family, personal time and productivity. He also drops some inspiration from his books Fit, Fifty, and Fired Up and Overworked and Underlaid (yes, he has a great sense of humor).

Achieving an ideal work-life balance may seem like a jigsaw puzzle, but isn’t nearly as hard as our productivity-obsessed culture makes it out to be. Through small changes, you can have a big impact on work, relationships and life in general.

18. The Key To Success? Grit , by Angela Lee Duckworth

Successful consultant-turned-teacher Angela Lee Duckworth reminds us that success requires hard work and grit. While this is nothing we don’t know, why are these characteristics so difficult to apply? As Duckworth says, “as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.”

Duckworth’s quick talk is an essential listen for anyone getting suckered into taking shortcuts. As it turns out, all the old adages about success and hard work are true.

19. The Secret Structure Of Great Talks , by Nancy Duarte

The ability to move others through motivational speech is one of the greatest qualities of a true leader. Author and CEO Nancy Duarte gets it, and that’s why she developed this 18-minute talk to help aspiring leaders take their presentation skills to the next level.

Duarte dissects the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Steve Jobs to uncover the essential qualities of a great presentation. If leadership is your passion, be prepared to spend a lot of time talking in front of people.

20. How To Start A Movement , by Derek Sivers

Don’t let the name of this short TED Talk fool you – Derek Sivers isn’t calling for revolution or political anarchy. Using interesting footage, Sivers shows you how surprisingly easy it is to start a movement. As they say, it takes two to tango. That’s all that’s needed for leaders to inspire a movement.

21. Got A Meeting? Take A Walk , by Nilofer Merchant

“Sitting has become the smoking of our generation.” – Nilofer Merchant

In her TED Talk, business innovator Nilofer Merchant offers a simple message about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle . Leaders spend a lot of time in meetings. Merchant suggests you turn your next one-on-one meeting into a “walking meeting.” Not only do you hit two birds with one stone – by meeting and elevating your heart rate – the simple act of walking allows your ideas to flow much better than they otherwise would sitting in a cramped office.

22. The Leaders Who Ruined Africa, And The Generation Who Can Fix It , Fred Swaniker

Africa has struggled to live up to its development goals, and its leaders are to blame, says TED Fellow and founder of the African Leadership Network Fred Swaniker.

Having lived throughout Africa, Swaniker highlights the vital role true leaders play in building a society, and what can happen in their absence. Swaniker’s description of the next great African leaders is anybody who wants to make a difference in their society, especially where strong institutions are lacking.

23. The Happy Secret To Better Work , by Shawn Achor

It’s generally assumed we have to work to be happy, but what if we have it backwards? That’s the argument psychologist and CEO Shawn Achor makes in this 2012 talk. Achor says we need to be happy independently of work , and only then will we be able to increase productivity and success in the workplace.

Searching for happiness in the workplace can be a deep rabbit hole that often leads to less happiness overall. This is an important message for leaders, who seek to inspire other people in their line of work. It just so happens that developing happiness outside the 9-5 hours is the most important for our health and success.

24. How to Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard , by Linda Cliatt-Wayman

You don’t have to be a teacher to appreciate Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s inspirational talk about her time as principal at a failing school in Philadelphia. It didn’t take long for her to realize that leadership was more than just “laying down the law.” We won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say she managed to turn around her struggling school. There were 3 key principles that helped her get there.

25. Trial, Error and the God Complex , by Tim Harford

If the title of Tim Harford’s TED Talk doesn’t pique your interest, nothing will. Harford, an economics writer who studies complex systems, talks about the importance of trial and error in achieving success. Except he doesn’t just “talk” about it, but presents the findings of his studies on complex systems.

As the title suggests, Harford’s talk centres on the concept of a God complex – refusing to admit the possibility of being wrong regardless of the complexity of the situation – and the importance of trial and error in achieving better results.  Go down the list, virtually every successful business leader used trial and error to perfect their craft.

26. The Surprising Habits Of Original Thinkers , by Adam Grant

“The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most.” – Adam Grant

Suffice it to say, all aspiring leaders want to be recognized for their creativity and originality. While creativity often lies within, psychologist Adam Grant studies the lives of “originals” – thinkers whose ideas transform the world. Over the course of 15 minutes, Grant explains the unexpected habits of original thinkers, and their fearlessness in the face of failure.

Fear of failure is one of the biggest inhibitors to success in all of life’s endeavors. While never easy, leaders must learn to overcome that fear. Studying the habits of original thinkers will teach aspiring leaders they “need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”

27. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are , by Amy Cuddy

Four years and more than 38 million views later, Amy Cuddy’s powerful TED Talk has resonated with many aspiring leaders. As a social psychologist, Cuddy explains how “power posing” – showcasing a posture of confidence even when you don’t feel confident – can affect your brain chemistry and move you to positive action.

While some of the findings presented in the study are controversial among social scientists, Cuddy’s talk is a great reminder of the importance of projecting confidence in every situation . Whether that holds up to tests of academic rigor are less important.

28. How to Get Your Ideas To Spread , by Seth Godin

If you think the answer to Seth Godin’s talk is “social media,” try again. This TED Talk took place back in 2007, a few years before social media became as ubiquitous as it is today. As a leader, getting your ideas to spread requires more than just a Twitter handle. Godin, himself an author and marketing guru, explains the importance of standing out, and why even the craziest ideas can become the most successful ones.

29. Secrets Of Success In 8 Words, 3 Minutes , by Richard St. John

Analyst and bestselling author, Richard St. John, managed to condense 7 years of interviews into an unforgettable 3-minute presentation about what it takes to be truly successful. Believe us, nobody is as cognizant of your time as St. John. This 3-minute talk is normally presented as a 2-hour presentation to high school students.

30. Why We Do What We Do , by Tony Robbins

No list of inspiring TED Talks is complete without Tony Robbins, the globally renowned life success coach who has spent decades helping people achieve their dreams. Robbins shattered many preconceived notions about his work a mere 36 seconds into his presentation.

“I’m not here to motivate you, you don’t need that, obviously. Often that’s what people think I do, and it’s the furthest thing from it. What happens, though, is people say to me, ‘I don’t need any motivation.’ But that’s not what I do. I’m the ‘why’ guy. I want to know why you do what you do.”

He then goes into detail explaining the “invisible forces” that make us do the things we do. He also high-fives Al Gore in the front row. With more than 18 million views, Robbins’ TED appearance is one of the most popular.

There you have it. More than 8 hours of pure leadership inspiration to help turn you into the type of leader others admire, respect and want to follow.

>>To discover more invaluable leadership lessons from some of the most successful and inspirational leaders and leadership experts, become a Leader’s Edge monthly member to receive practical tools on how to be a leader, run a business and live a successful, fulfilling life! Hurry, join now to take advantage of our 14-day FREE trial !

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Handbook of Business Strategy

ISSN : 1077-5730

Article publication date: 1 December 2005

Leadership is an art and, as such, requires talent. Talent can be enhanced but not taught. Leaders must be able to formulate inspiring visions and strategies for approaching them. Idealized design can be used for this purpose. In addition, leaders must understand the nature of social systems and what this implies, and the nature of the transformations occurring in our way of thinking. In this article the author explains how leaders, like artists, can be made more effective by learning about the relevant materials available and how to use them. Knowledge of the same tools and techniques may also improve managers, but it cannot make leaders of them.

• Corporate strategy
• Transformational leadership

Ackoff, R.L. (2005), "What constitutes leadership and why it can’t be taught", Handbook of Business Strategy , Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 193-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/08944310510557459

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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1 Minute Speech on Leadership

Ai generator.

Good morning everyone,

Today, I want to talk about leadership. Leadership is not just about holding a position of power; it’s about inspiring and guiding others towards a common goal. A true leader leads by example, demonstrating integrity, empathy, and resilience.

Effective leaders listen actively, communicate clearly, and make informed decisions. They motivate their team, recognize and cultivate individual strengths, and create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. Leadership is about taking responsibility, embracing challenges, and being willing to grow and adapt.

Leadership also means being a role model. It involves setting high standards, staying committed to your values, and showing respect and fairness to everyone. Leaders inspire trust and confidence, and their actions speak louder than words.

We all have the potential to be leaders in our own right. By developing these qualities and striving to bring out the best in ourselves and others, we can make a positive impact in our communities and beyond.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

What Can Aspiring Leaders Be Taught?

An overarching theme of an unusually large number of responses to the June question of "What can aspiring leaders be taught?" was that of context.

That is, the suggestion that while it may be late to teach ethics and "distinguishing right from wrong" at the undergraduate or graduate level of education for leadership, such efforts should strive to provide a context in which individuals can draw their own conclusions regarding such topics of vital importance for future leaders.

Further, courses in functional subjects such as marketing and finance can provide a more practical context in which ethical dilemmas can be resolved than can separate courses in ethics or values. Further, how ethical and value-based dilemmas are taught may be as important as the inclusion of such subjects in the curriculum.

Rene Wentworth commented that " ... business schools (and law schools, medical schools, etc.) should attempt to teach students ways to reconcile their actions when ethics seemingly compete with profit or another targeted outcome." As Ken Coleman pointed out, "business students need to understand that decisions made in a vacuum with no weight given to broader success factors which are ethical and value centered, are or certainly can be detrimental to the society they serve ...."

A more acerbic point of view was offered by Mark Anton: "The area of ethics and values is so subjective and variable to individual perception that it will have little room and limited effectiveness in the classroom. Have the students read Dilbert instead."

According to Vuks Gwele, "Ethics and values are and always will be an integral part of our lives both in business and society... For that reason it is not advisable to teach business ethics and values in isolation from the functional areas of study needed for business success." While suggesting at times that a stand-alone course in ethics and values might have some use alongside such an approach, many others echoed this point of view.

Several suggested that instructional behaviors and settings could have as great an influence as the content itself. One respondent wrote, "...values should be modeled by the instructors in how they prepare and deliver content, the time and value they give their students, and the grading philosophy." As B.V. Krishnamurthy commented, " ... many of us do not practice what we preach... Unless we are willing to be role models for a generation of young people, an easy resolution of the question posed does not seem probable." Tammy Doty suggested that physical aspects of the setting could be critical, advising that "preaching/teaching ethics doesn't work, but a scared-straight approach does. Create posters featuring the handcuffed children of lapsed ethics ... and wallpaper the classrooms."

But does the responsibility rest solely or even primarily with business schools? Can on-the-job training deal with the shaping of values and ethical behaviors just as it does with various skills needed for the job? If so, does this suggest an added dimension for business school training, i.e., the preparation of leaders who can "teach" ethics and values on the job as well as demonstrate them by their behaviors? What do you think?

Original Article

Debates among business school faculties these days mirror those taking place on the business (and sometimes front) pages of our newspapers. The question: What are appropriate responses to the perceived breakdown in trust between leaders, those who work with them, those who advise them, and those who invest in their organizations?

The educational responses will take many forms. First, increased emphasis may be placed on the teaching of ethics—socially acceptable decision-making and decision-implementation behaviors—to those who will become leaders and managers confronted with alternatives that some would view as involving right and wrong, and others would view as involving a selection of the lesser of two or more wrongs. Taken to its extreme, this may involve some effort to effect moral change among those studying ethical issues.

Other approaches to instruction will place heavier emphasis on values—individual, organizational, or both. Here, more attention will be paid to the careful development of, and adherence by managers to, what in the past often have been meaningless organizational value statements. These may or may not reflect ethical values, but include preferred behaviors such as treating people with respect, exercising speed in decision-making, insuring transparency and the sharing of information, and emphasizing simplicity in ways of getting things done.

Just how these topics are to be taught will occupy a significant portion of faculty discussion and planning time as well in the coming months. Should the topics be addressed in separate courses staffed by those with substantial training in philosophy as well as management theory? Or should they be examined in courses primarily designed to address marketing, accounting, financial, human resource, and operational matters and taught by those only with strong functional backgrounds?

Of course, only a limited amount of time can be allocated in a curriculum to these topics, whether taught in stand-alone courses or as integral to all courses. Any school that cuts back on basic courses such as marketing, accounting, and the like does so at the risk of inadequately providing its graduates with the basics needed for success in the early years of their careers.

Do recent events warrant this reallocation of educational time and effort? What kind of emphasis should it have: on ethics, values, or something else? And just how should the instructional effort be carried out: in stand-alone classes, integral to all courses, or in some other manner (recognizing the shortcomings of any one approach)? What do you think?

• Partner, Range Management Consulting

Moral principles are formed early in life and very little can be done to teach them at a later stage. ... The focus of business schools should be to raise awareness of the consequences of unethical behavor and to influence policy makers on taking strong measures to indict and prosecute corporate executives who taint the profession.

• Business Development Manager, Poelmann Chan Group (Hong Kong)

Preaching /teaching ethics doesn't work, but a scared-straight approach does. Create posters featuring the handcuffed children of lapsed ethics from ImClone, Enron, WorldCom, etc. and wallpaper the classrooms.

The poster's tagline: "Will you be a Sam Waksal or a Warren Buffett?"

• Bela Barner
• Business storyteller

While the temptation for MBA programs to jump on the "ethics" bandwagon is strong, I would argue that most efforts would be misguided. Promising managers who have risen quickly in their organizations in part due to ethics-compromising, rule-bending behaviors are probably beyond the point of correction.

Their behaviors have already been rewarded to the point where academic experiences cannot alter them. It's up to the organization to recognize and stop such behaviors before they create serious problems. Obviously, this has not been possible for many organizations.

• Narendar Singh
• Team member, AXA (Insurance) Business Services, Bangalore

Business schools should teach MBA students:

1) ethical norms, and

2) about the character the students have. As an individual acquires a higher position in his/her profession, the soft skills become more important.

• Shaun Ridley
• Deputy Executive Director, Australian Institute of Management

It is essential that questions of business ethics are integrated into all subject-specific classes. This ensures that the business school can take a clear position on these issues and define what behaviors are appropriate. Having a separate class will almost ensure that the marketing professor will say, "Don't worry about the ethics until you do that class next semester."

All subjects, like all parts of business, should model an appropriate framework for making ethical decisions.

• Rene Wentworth
• Senior partner, Lebanon Law Shop

"Morality" (or lack thereof) is an innate part of a person's psyche, which becomes molded and engrained through childhood experiences. Although a "sense of ethics" cannot be taught in a classroom, business schools (and law schools, medical schools, etc.) should attempt to teach students ways to reconcile their actions when ethics seemingly compete with profit or another targeted outcome. Many times, there will be more than one way to reach the desired end, particularly long-term, and students should be taught how to find alternative, ethical routes.

This can be taught much more effectively (and convincingly!) in a subject-specific class, where various actions/results can be explored, rather than in a philosophical "ethics" discussion-oriented class.

• Morena Sithole
• Projects/Operations Manager, BP Southern Africa Pty Ltd

My take on this is that the study and/or philosophy of human conduct, with emphasis on the determination of right and wrong, is paramount to leadership. This is Ethics! It should not be confined to the business environment... In the bigger scheme of things, business exists or is a product of society. If ethical issues are not addressed at a societal level, we are bound to fail at business. And this is at the core of good corporate governance.

• Consultant, HP India

Aspiring leaders should be taught humility, ethics, empathy, communication, responsibility, and concern.

One thing they should NOT be taught is "success at ANY cost."

When we rate a person on his wealth, acquisitions, social status, corporate status, etc. this is an illusionary yardstick of measurement.

Leadership cannot be easily described. But the person who considers each moment as a "moment of truth" which lets him reflect on who he is, what he is, and what he wants to be, and who follows his conscience (as far as possible) and achieves greater peace of mind, would be a "leader."

• Mal Rudner (HBS MBA '73)
• owner, Enflo Corporation

The time is NOW. If family, society, K-16 and life haven't brought MBAs to a sufficient level of humanity, decency, maturity, understanding, and wisdom, then business schools need to take on this mission. Why us? Because Willis Harman and Peter Drucker tell us that this 21st century will see the global business community as the leading edge of massive change around the globe. Like it or not, products, sneakers, computers, services, advertising, and cars move around the earth with "attachments." These "attachments" include values, ethics, cultural characteristics, definitions of the "good life." We need business leaders who understand that every decision made has the potential to engender or endanger the planet's survival/progress. ...

In-house MBA students spend about two years in school with maybe 3-5 hours/day in the classroom. My suggestion is to take advantage of the non-class time for the learning of leadership, EI and the like. These students are adults. Tell them that some 80 percent of their success in business and fulfillment in life will have to do with their leadership, emotional intelligence, and character development/values. Then give guidance, experiential exercises, homework, action-learning, curricula, life tasks, self-initiated growth programs, simulation exercises, etc. as part of the two-year degree. ...

If one thousand future CEOs have their personal levels of consciousness raised to the point of even reasonable self-awareness, how many ego-driven, failed mergers and acquisitions could be avoided? ... Yes, it is difficult "for a rich man to pass through the eye of a needle" (let alone get to heaven). Yet, we have all seen leaders courageously stand in the "eyes of hurricanes." Often these individuals find riches in life in many spheres. But failing that, they inspire the rest of us and, more often than not, they experience lives filled with heart and spirit. ...

• Robert C. Mullins
• student, University of Central Oklahoma

Please help me. Teaching ethics in college!? This is something that should have been taught in kindergarten. Corporations have been cooking the books for a long time now, and still are today. What makes someone think that by providing an actual curriculum on ethical behavior it will produce ethical graduates? By the time students hit the campus they have already decided how ethical they are going to be. They will be as unethical as they can be until they themselves are actually affected by the consequences of their actions. Has anyone ever read Jonathan Edwards? Man is born unethical, and unethical he will remain. It is only a matter of how unethical he will allow himself to behave. Ethical behavior is not a matter of collegiate training, it is a matter of nature.

• James Ratcliffe (HBS MBA '01)
• Director, Strategic Mktg. and Planning, Narad Networks

Having sat through HBS's earlier efforts at ethics education (MBA '01), I doubt the new push will be any more successful. Business schools get students in their mid-to-late 20s, with 15+ years of school and several years of work experience behind them. If, by that point, they haven't learned that lying and stealing à la Enron are bad, then they certainly aren't going to have an epiphany in a business school classroom. These are values that are appropriately taught in kindergarten, not business school.

Business schools would be better served to teach their students not ethics, but rather law. Trying to convince b-school students that something they feel is ethical is in fact wrong is a difficult if not futile task. Teaching them that, regardless of whether they think X is right, doing it will bring on the wrath of the S.E.C., is a much more viable and valuable approach. The value of classes in business ethics is dubious, at best, but the value of business law classes is tremendous.

Values should be taught in every existing course and not as a separate event. But even more importantly, values should be modeled by the instructors in how they prepare and deliver content, the time and value they give their students, and the grading philosophy.

I've seen too many classrooms where students have become customers and success is a marketing premise.

These short cuts, small deceptions, and minor value infractions are just the beginning of a new value proposition that begins to be formed. In effect, a bargain with institutions.

I've been in MBA classes where instructors don't want to say, "No, that's not correct." Even at this level we're still concerned about damaged egos and self-image. As a result, in business I now see lots of reports that only focus on the "upside" and ignore or minimize the real significant negative issues.

At some point we must learn that to succeed we also have to fail and that it's part of a process of learning, improvement, and ultimately success.

• Kathryn Yates
• Global Practice Leader, Watson Wyatt Worldwide

While ethics and values are fundamental to good (profitable in the long run) leadership, I'd place additional emphasis on the fundamentals of open communication--in fact, communication with integrity. Creating an environment where employees can and will share their knowledge and where they trust in the information from their leaders is a key success differentiator. In fact, there is research showing that companies that communicate with integrity have higher total returns to shareholders.

• Shaun Greene (HBS MBA '98)
• Regional Operations Manager, Recall

The good leaders LEARN! Trying to teach a person to be a better leader is pointless. The person must want to be a leader, which requires constant learning in all disciplines.

• Robert Briant
• Project Engineer, Pneutronics Division of Parker Hannifin

I think it should be taught both as a stand-alone class and then reinforced in the spectrum of the curriculum. Any good graduate program will have at least one leadership class in which many of the ethical issues facing all leaders can be brought to the table. Then they can be discussed in an open format, allowing these future leaders to understand all sides of these types of issues.

It is of value for all organizations to decide how they want to be perceived in the community. Thus understanding their "values" is important. Why schools and organizations have to teach this is a fundamental question that should be answered. Is it due to a lack of moral and religious teaching in the home or at the earliest grades? Is it the new society that supports "get it any way you can" that is really showing the true colors? Is general apathy of "me, myself and I" all that matters-thus if I do something that hurts another, that's just unfortunate? People usually know right from wrong; it's just whether they are willing to listen to themselves.

• Vivek Kochikar
• Principal Consultant, Infosys Technologies

The challenge facing business education is to take the next step in the evolution of the "maturity" of curricula—from equipping students with a toolkit of concepts, principles, and problem-solving techniques, to delivering an understanding of the more subtle aspects of the organizational mind. As with any other form of maturity, this transition cannot be rushed —its speed will be a function not only of the will and resourcefulness of the faculty, but also of the student's mindset. It is the latter that I want to address here.

Consider the organizational landscape perceived by the typical business student. The more egregious examples of Enron and WorldCom apart, what s/he sees is hardly inspiring when seen from an ethics/values perspective.

The external interfaces that organizations present can frequently be difficult to describe as entirely honest—promising customer benefits beyond what can be reasonably delivered, glossing over risks in shareholder communications, shackling competitors unfairly, using fine print and jargon to limit customer visibility into true commitments made.

Much the same is evident in the internal dynamics of organizations—overstating progress on projects; departments jockeying to take credit for successes and avoid it for failures; resource allocation that is based on clout rather than true need, top managers being overly generous in rewarding themselves.

Undoubtedly, the business student will see many of the above practices even among his or her fellow students in the pursuit of academic success.

A business curriculum cannot hope to be credible to its audience if it appears to pretend that the above practices do not exist. In fact, one of the basic strengths of a business curriculum is its ability to relate to business reality and ring true to its audience.

Hence, the recourse appears to be:

- Begin with the candid admission to students that the current notion of success--whether in business, academics, government, or any other field of endeavor—as the no-holds-barred achievement of goals, is broken. The "enlightened" notion of success must treat ethics and defined values as a given, much as the laws of physics or economics.

- Give examples of organizations/individuals that have thrived in the real world using this new notion of success. There are, fortunately, several.

- Dwell on well-known examples of organizations/individuals that failed due to an excessive, blinkered focus on the traditional notion of success.

This ought to set the mindset moving in the right direction.

• Director, Marketing, Diebold, Inc.

The clue is your phrase, "...the basics needed for success in their early careers." MBAs fresh to the workforce must have functional expertise, true. However, their first leadership challenge may be with first-line supervision. Are they graduating with the right level of useful people skills required for positions in their early career?

Second, I feel that basic courses in behavioral science (not philosophy) are appropriate, since at all levels in an organization today it is clear that motivating and leading people is vital for an ever-increasing pace of business. The behavioral science basics should also be applied throughout each area in the functional curriculum to reinforce practice from theory. This does not take too much time or detract from the area of study. In fact, it enhances study by allowing the student to make some "real world" connections in both application and also in relation to awareness of their own values. This also reflects a true level of training needed for their first positions. These values drive behaviors that are solidified in ethics.

Last, if the MBA is not an effective leader and motivator early in their career, it is unlikely that they will move up to areas of more responsibility--areas that move 180 degrees from functional expertise to jobs that require true leadership qualities.

• Eugene Booyens
• Ministry Leader, SQ Student Ministry

As for the content of a leadership course, I would always start with the heart. The heart of a leader is a furnace. It is passionate, it is burdened, and it is positive. Studying the great leaders of any time will bring any person to these same conclusions: that leadership starts and ends with people—serving people.

Method is always preceded with heart. The greatest leaders I know of only acquired some form of education, whether formal of informal, after they discovered their desire and passion to lead, feed and serve. That is the first and greatest principle of leadership, and deserves more time than any course or degree has to offer.

The second greatest principle I perceive in leadership is purposeful, lifelong, personal learning. You can start off where you like, but he who climbs the fastest in life will surely end up the highest. The essence to understanding growth and its value lies in understanding the difference between learning and growing. Learning encompasses the daily disciplines of reading, listening to tapes, formal education, seminars, building two-way relationships that stretch and inspire, and doing the hard work of thinking.

Actual growth is the fruit of such disciplines. What I have experienced in my life, and have perceived in the lives of so many other learning leaders, is that although learning may be linear, growth has actually been exponential. The keys to growth are humility, discipline, attitude, and application. Without these, we become philosophers and theorists who bear no fruit.

The last thing I want to say starts on the subject of method. In education the greatest truth is this: "I teach what I know, but I reproduce what I am" —Dr. John C. Maxwell.

• Diane Giansante
• Organizational Development Spc., Heritage Valley Health System

My current work involves deciding which topics and methodologies will best provide fundamental leadership skills to a management team that is otherwise technically and clinically superior.

As someone who has had the "luxury" of a liberal arts education, I marvel that leadership behaviors are issues that still need to be addressed in post-graduate education. There are numerous socioeconomic factors that cause this to be so, of course.

As an educator, my opinion is yes, of course these topics must be addressed in any business school curriculum, in an overview course and in practical application. Strong functional skills of instructors should not preclude leadership ability.

Business doesn't happen without people, and a Master of Business Administration needs to know how to get the best return on all company assets, including the people. Any school that cuts back on basic courses such as leadership behaviors and the like does so at the risk of inadequately providing its graduates with the basics needed for success in the early years of their careers.

• Director, Strategic Planning, a Fortune 250 manufacturer

I am unsure how effective college level "instruction" can be in turning back the tide of greed and corruption that seems to be infecting our institutions.

Whether it's business, government, or everyday human interactions, we seem to be becoming progressively more selfish, self-centered, and divorced from personal responsibility. By the time one reaches college, how well formed is one's character? How do you "teach" people that the guiding question is not "Can I do this?" but "Should I do this?" To me, it usually boils down to motives ... and leaders of tomorrow can be motivated by position, power, money, ideals, or a vision of a legacy they want to leave ... to have made a difference.

I suspect that many college-level students don't fully understand their own motives when they haven't been presented by vexing choices ... or intoxicated by money or the chance for promotion and power. It is then that motives emerge ... usually hidden by saying the right things. It is the challenge of organizations at those times to separate those of noble cause from the charlatans and abusers ... to find the real leaders within. And, our organizations and their clubby natures are ill-prepared to do that.

• Albert Ciuksza, Jr.
• Pharmacy Services Analyst, McKesson Automation

There is a point at which academics cannot solve a very real-world problem. While I am very interested in management and organizational theory, I also recognize the importance of practical application.

There seems to be a prevailing thought that leadership is lacking, a thought that I would tend to agree with. The unfortunate reality is that few people have the emotional intelligence or self-discipline to act as a competent leader. Leadership, as a principle, can be taught. The effective use of that principle is what truly divides those that are true leaders and those that are not. Until someone fully commits him- or herself to the principle, he or she cannot be a true leader. It also follows that, if someone were to commit him- or herself to the principle of leadership, he or she was probably a less-polished leader to begin with.

• Marc San Giovanni
• Regional Operations Manager, Sovereign Bank

I think that academic institutions should put greater emphasis on "strong functional backgrounds." It is quite difficult to convey business standpoints and views without actually been in live business situations. There are often many different dynamics to a business that seem to evade most modern writers attempting to address popular subjects in their books. Educators need to "sort through the tensions in corporate life vis-à-vis society, employees, and investors" before engaging students on such subjects. Many of us in the business force have learned as much (if not more) from experiencing success, failure, and hindsight in a real business environment as we have in our academic careers. You simply have a limited perspective if you are constantly looking from the outside in.

"Education does not mean just teaching people what they do not know; it also means teaching people to behave as they do not behave." —John Ruskin

• Flavius Chircu

It's very hard to think of ways by which school alone, especially as late as an MBA, can improve ethical behavior in a 1) culture that reveres loophole-finders 2) bubble when pressure from un-ethical competitors can destroy one's career well before justice is done.

• Puneet Sapra
• Associate, JPMorgan

Leadership is part of everything we do, and not a compartment separate from personal, business, social, or spiritual life. Therefore, I believe the fundamentals of leadership (values, attitudes, responsibility, accountability, etc.) should be integrated into the business school curriculum. Professors can take advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate the relevance leadership has to their subjects. What a powerful message.

• Brian Chamberlin
• President, Atigo, Inc

I believe the recent events show systemic problems in how businesses are run, and that addressing these problems will require an honest look at the systems we currently take for granted.

A prime example of this is the board of directors. A typical board gathers four times per year for an all-day meeting. There they get a one-sided presentation from management on the state of the company and any pending decisions. Given this environment, there is little more they can do than to rubberstamp what management puts before them. After all, most board members are running their own company and simply cannot invest the necessary time to research an issue. Perhaps if the board members spent a few days walking around the company talking with employees, they might gather enough information to make properly informed decisions.

If educators want to make a difference, I would prefer they spend their time creating new and better systems rather that the band-aids currently offered such as "more outside directors" and "teach more ethics."

The 'wise' forefathers of education in Australia modeled our institutions of higher learning on the University of London, i.e., no liberal arts prerequisite, just training for your functional specialty from day one. I personally encountered my first 'ethics' subject as an elective midway through my MBA. It was purely a chance encounter, a subject normally offered every 2 years, and advertised by a visiting speaker in another experimental subject titled 'corporate governance.' Personally, I found the experience very challenging, and truly felt my lack of studies in general philosophy.

Ethics, on the other hand, form an integral (if sometimes unspoken) part of Marketing, HR and Finance. I understand the MGSM is investigating the incorporation of Governance/Ethics as another core in their MBA, and would agree that the subject warrants this treatment. That said, it's also a useful adjunct to every other 'strategic' subject.

• Ken Coleman
• Partner, Odyssey Group

I think it is vital that business programs place greater emphasis on ethics and values. I agree that business schools must maintain a high level of functional business curriculum—the basic tools of business management are fundamental to decision making. However, what requires expansion are the definitions of success. Business students need to understand that decisions made in a vacuum with no weight given to broader success factors which are ethical and valued centered, are or certainly can be detrimental to the society they serve—the society that puts an incredible amount of trust in the people who make decisions and govern. Business has to be viewed as a provider of intelligent and efficient goods and services that benefit all as opposed to a game where manipulation of information and spin geared to short term clouded gains benefit only a few.

As to the how: I think a portion of the business school program should be specifically dedicated to ethics and values and this should be facilitated on a stand-alone basis. However, and it is a big however, the ethics and values must be incorporated into the functional and strategic program. Strategic planning must broaden the scope of strategic planning incorporating an ethical and value-based standard—marketing should be tempered by an ethical and value-based template that ensures public good and health are integral in decision making.

All this being said, providing a larger portion of programs to ethic and value-based programs will be futile unless these principles are incorporated into functional programs.

• Umesh Gupta
• Sr. Dy. General Manager, BHEL, New Delhi, India

I remember somebody told me on my first day in the organization to treat human beings with dignity and care and you shall never fail. Value systems practiced in the organization to some extent reflect the value system prevalent in the contemporary society. Therefore, value education should not only be taught to budding leaders and managers but also to students in general.

I don't think you can teach a morally corrupt person to make honorable decisions. The personal values of a person are built over a period of time from childhood onwards. How can you change a liar or a cheat in to a paragon of virtue in a semester or year?

There are no angels in this world. All you can do is give people some small guidelines (integrated in the core courses) about right or wrong behavior. Don't go into too much detail, just the broad outline should be enough. It is the spirit of the thing that should matter, not the details. (An example would be the accounting profession.)

Finally, I would recommend teaching people when to speak out, even against bosses, and then helping the whistleblowers have a life.

• S. Balamurugan
• Manager, ICICI Bank, India

A soldier never decides where he has to fight. But the soldier fights and works to achieve the unthinkable. A leader motivates or leads others to achieve the unthinkable. There is one more person who gets the unthinkable done from others, and he is the politician. ...

There is a legendary epic called "Mahabharat" in India. The epic depicts some of the most exemplary leaders which this country has produced: Bhism, Arjun, Karna, to name a few.

A common thread that runs through all the leaders of this epic is is ethics and integrity. Leaders, I believe, should symbolize ethics and integrity. The success of a manager as a good leader can be measured by the number of people in the organization who emulate and aspire to follow in his or her footsteps. And people will follow the leader only when the leader is at the front. That is precisely what happened in all the wars fought by these leaders of the Mahabharat. These are not leaders who led their forces from their strategy rooms, but they participated in the war. They made themselves visible to their soldiers, and that brings tremendous inspiration and motivation to fight and win the good fight. Mahatma Gandhi led the people of India to freedom by leading them by example, and not only by strategy.

How to teach ethics and integrity in a business school? I think it would be very difficult to teach these vital qualities of being leader. The best one could do is to make the students aware of the same, through lessons from history, role-plays and case studies. Once the students become aware of the same, they should put the same into practice in their everyday life. It is only through conscious effort and practice in everyday life that one would be able to imbibe the qualities of ethics and integrity in oneself.

• B.V. Krishnamurthy
• Executive Vice-President and Professor of Strategy, Alliance Business Academy, Bangalore, India

Perhaps the most important dimension that needs to be ingrained into aspiring leaders is the fact, often forgotten, that they are human beings first and leaders next.

Management education has for too long focused on functional aspects. Thus, when young people graduate out of a business school, they are already in the mould of marketing or HR or finance or systems. Inevitably, this leads to a frog-in-the-well syndrome that prevents them from taking a holistic view of a problem. Therefore, aspiring leaders need to be taught the principles of synthesis [integration] as much as those of analysis. To an extent, this is done in the area of strategy, but then, how many fresh graduates start off their careers in strategy?

The second important issue that needs to be addressed is the process of value or wealth creation. While there cannot be any doubt as to the validity of the value creation concept, one also needs to look at HOW that value is created. Due to the proliferation of B-school ratings, comparisons of entry-level compensation, and profiles of the best companies to work for, students start dreaming about the number of zeros in their salary check while they should be concentrating on learning. It is time we gave some thought to avoiding this ratrace where there are no winners.

Ultimately, we cannot, and should not, avoid teaching students the distinction between right and wrong, by whatever name we may choose to call it. In my humble view, the greatest responsibility for this is with the teaching fraternity.

Unfortunately, many of us do not practice what we preach. We lecture for 90 minutes about empowerment and decentralization and exhibit autocratic behavior immediately thereafter. Unless teachers take on their duties with a missionary zeal, nothing much can be accomplished. Unless we are willing to be role models for a generation of young people, an easy resolution of the question posed does not seem probable. Do we have the courage to accept the challenge?

• Zbigniew Becker
• International Project Co-ordinator, Academy for European Integration

I think that more response is necessary on the part of legislation rather than education. It is somewhat naive to think that adding a module or two on ethics to curricula will fix the problem. Most business schools do already address the issues of ethical management in one way or another, so I do not see any reason for a dramatic change here and overreacting to recent developments in question. It's the politics and policy-making fields that need serious fixing in this respect, which may however be a theme for some limited series of specialized courses for policy-makers.

• Principal Systems Safety Engineer, Medtronic Arrhythmia Management

In 1977, the Hastings Center of New York (Power and Vogel, 1980) researched the area of ethics in the education of business managers. They believed that formal ethical consideration is necessary due to an erosion between management, institutions, and society (p. 7). They stated four basic factors contributing to this erosion: 1) the growth in size of institutions, especially corporations, 2) growth of legal business constraints and requirements, 3) public concern about externalities of corporate activities, and 4) new priorities of human dignity and the value of human life.

In 2002, business schools again are directly looking at the ethics of their students as discussed by Browning (The New York Times, 2002). He stated, "Now, as accounting and management scandals raise questions about the probity of executives, the schools are trying to check applicants for less tangible qualities: honesty, integrity and ethics." The discussion sounds new, but it is very similar to the research done by Power and Vogel 25 years ago!

What does this mean? Nothing new, nothing borrowed; the nuts and bolts are what companies want. They want their managers to have the basic business skills and the 'values' will be left for the individual company to decide and instill, which is exactly what companies desire.

Schools in our area (Minneapolis) are offering programs in the 'softer' side of leadership that have a stronger focus on ethics and values, but these programs offer little competition to the traditional MBA programs because of the current American business culture. In Lagace's (HBS Working Knowledge, 2002) article about Paul O'Neill, then-U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and former Chairman and CEO of Alcoa, she wrote, "As a new arrival in a private company after fifteen years in government, O'Neill was surprised to learn that his immediate colleagues were more worried about competition with each other than with other companies in the industry." This is the traditional American business culture.

Additionally, none of the schools have attempted to integrate the two focuses, which would seem to offer the best-balanced approach. Traditional MBA programs offer traditional companies the best chance for delivering traditional success, which is short-term financial success driven by external and internal competition.

The area of ethics and values is so subjective and variable to individual perception that it will have little room and limited effectiveness in the classroom. Have the students read Dilbert instead.

• Daniella Ballou (HBS MBA '02)
• Consultant, Bain & Company

A key thing to be taught (which gets almost no attention currently) is an understanding of the important roles that each sector of society (the public sector in particular) plays in ensuring that business is practiced in an honest and ethical manner. In sum, the key is respect—people need to be encouraged to respect the roles that government and nonprofit watchdogs play.

Government regulators and nonprofit watchdogs can play a key role in setting the rules of the game and preventing the corruption we have recently seen in the business sector.

Students should not be encouraged to recognize the important role of the public and nonprofit sectors, and to realize that self-regulation and market forces alone won't be enough to police industry.

• Quality Manager, HCL Technologies

What is actually strange is that we were unaware of this issue for so long. ... What is required is an understanding of what society and organizations put a premuim on. When a Forbes list of the richest people in the world is published, there aren't any equivalents in the ethics field. Even in B-school, the highest salary-earner gets all the attention even if, say, he has done something unethical. ... Please teach students that it is OK to be so-called mediocre but ethical. Ultimately, behaviour that is rewarded and glamorized is what gets emulated. ...

• Business Analyst, Isoyiso Technologies, South Africa

Ethics and values are and always will be an integral part of our lives both in business and society. No organization's core product or service is values and ethics, yet in a subtle way every organization is influenced and affected by values and ethics if it is to achieve (or fail to achieve) its functional and strategic objectives. The drivers for such objectives are embedded in marketing, accounting, financial, human resource, and customer service operations of the organization.

For that reason it is not advisable to teach business ethics and values in isolation from the functional areas of study needed for business success. An integral approach to all courses should be adopted. After all, the outcomes of ethics and values learnings will be demonstrated by attitudes and behaviors, which in turn will determine the predefined measure of success at functional and strategic levels. Whether the subject area is staffed by those with philosophy and management theory backgrounds or those with strong functional backgrounds, the context and content should be in line with the underlying course. However, instructional efforts should shift from a pure tuition and instructional style to a more coaching and mentoring approach. In this way, the student will understand both what business ethics and values are, and how to implement them, and thereby inculcate the organization's culture.

• Jonathan Slow
• Senior Executive, Scottish Enterprise

I believe it is the context that is important when considering the issues around (let's call it) "responsible leadership." In this case, it is actually extremely hard to differentiate between the moral, ethical, and socially responsible underpinnings and the finance and marketing operations of them. In fact, it would probably be wrong to do so.

I think the answer lies in developing a strong basis for decision making in its entirety with a number of dimensions to those decisions, but based in the realities of the operational decisions a manager/leader will face. In fact, the application of this variety of responses might be one of the key differentiators in the future between managers and leaders.

Of course, you can add at least one other dimension of difficulty in recognizing that the issues apply to leadership teams, too. This is another important issue to consider in leadership education: the role of the individual leader and the potential implications of their decisions on the corporate whole.

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2 Minute Speech On Learning In English

Good morning to everyone in this room. Sincere thanks to the principal, the teachers, and my dear friends. I’m here to give a speech on learning. Learning is a lifelong process that involves converting knowledge and skills from information and experience. My understanding of learning is that it includes both the student and the educator and results in the gain of both knowledge and capability. 

To be able to access more full ideas and enjoy the process of learning, students should become accustomed to understanding partial concepts. This is due to the possibility that prior knowledge may change as a result of learning the threshold ideas.

Students must thus be willing to acknowledge that they acquire transient understandings at each level of the learning process. This issue becomes more serious when knowledge of a concept now learned alters knowledge of an idea previously taught.

Because active learning helps students better understand the material and promotes the development of several abilities, including writing and reading, students always favor it over traditional lecture methods of instruction. Therefore, strategies that encourage active learning inspire students since they also learn more from their peers through dialogues.

To break up the monotony of the lecture technique of teaching, students participate in discussion groups or in-class presentations. The instructor and the student must both be active in the learning process since it is a two-way street.

As long as the student applies the best learning ideas, they may gain a great deal of information and knowledge. Additionally, different learners comprehend information differently. Some learn best by seeing, while others prefer hearing or feeling. Thank you.

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