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Writing an Effective Leadership Essay: Tips and Examples

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Whether you’ve led a horse to water or led your team to a victorious championship, you’re probably more of a leader than you give yourself credit for. It turns out, college admissions officers want to hear about that horse and/or championship in your application essay. The leadership essay is one of the hallmarks of college essays, but what’s the right way to do it?

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a subset of college application essays that help college admissions officers understand your previous experiences as a leader. While that might seem extremely specific, it comes with the understanding that leadership looks and feels different based on the person and situation.

To give you a real world example: The president is ostensibly the leader of the United States. However, the president has a whole cabinet of other leaders for every other aspect of running a country. You might not be a leader of foreign policy, but you might be a leader on the football field or within your community volunteer group.

Leadership Essay Ideas and Topics

While you might see a few variations, almost all leadership essays go back to two main forms:

• What is your leadership style?
• Describe a moment when you showed leadership.

There’s inherently a bit of overlap with both of these. You’ll likely give an example of a leadership moment when talking about your leadership style, and you’ll probably talk about your leadership style when talking about a leadership moment.

In either case, the school will want you to use anecdotal evidence that demonstrates the idea. Go with what feels right, whether that’s leading a club or team in school or leading some ducklings across a busy highway. Even if your experience sounds cliché, it’s unique because it involves you.

How To Write a Leadership Essay

Probably the biggest trap that people fall into is “Well, I’ve never been a leader.” Even if you’ve never held some sort of leadership position at school or had an official title, chances are pretty high that you have exhibited some form of leadership at some point in your life. Beyond that, the actual writing of the leadership essay is fairly straightforward.

Formatting Your Leadership Essay

Your leadership essay will include an introduction paragraph, one or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Depending on the word or page limits, you can almost treat this like a five-paragraph essay .

• Introduction - Capture the reader’s interest, define good leadership in relation to you, and directly address the given prompt
• Body paragraphs - Give some background information using anecdotes to describe your leadership style or moment
• Conclusion - End with a compelling statement about your leadership qualities and how you hope to apply them to your education, career, and the world in general

How Long Should a Leadership Essay Be?

The length of the leadership essay depends on what the college or application system says. Thankfully, this is the one part of the essay that you don’t need to question. Nearly every school will provide a word limit, typically ranging from 250 words (for supplemental essays) potentially all the way up to 1,000 words.

In the rare event that you don’t see an obvious word limit, stick to a maximum of about 500 to 600 words.

Tips for Writing a Leadership Essay

Unfortunately, we don’t know your personal life, and we certainly don’t know moments where you exhibited leadership. So we can’t write your essay for you, but we can give you some tips to at least guide your writing process.

Define Good Leadership Before You Start

Before you begin writing your essay, think about what qualities make someone a good leader, at least in your opinion. What great leadership qualities do you have? What makes a “good leader”? Make a list before you begin writing your essay. 

Leadership qualities can include:

• The ability to motivate others
• Personal integrity
• Placing a value on relationships with team members
• Prioritizing the larger good over any individual

Review your list and choose the qualities you want to highlight. Write your own definition of what makes someone a great leader as it relates to the quality you chose. It should be one or two sentences long. Use that definition as the backbone of your essay.

Tell a Story About Your Leadership

It’s time to turn that list of potential leadership qualities into something meaningful and interesting. The best way to do that is with an engaging narrative.

You should obviously state good leadership qualities, but that shouldn’t be your entire essay. Tell a story about your leadership.

• Did you face a specific challenge?
• How did you overcome that challenge?
• How has your leadership style changed over the years?
• Was there a specific moment or experience that caused that change?

Really ask yourself questions and dig into the concept of leadership as a real thing that has had real effects on your life.

Write With Your Own Voice and Style

Although you shouldn’t be super informal in college application essays, they are also designed to help you display your own voice and personality. College admissions officers want to learn about you, and your writing style is inherently a big part of that, whether that means using humor or puns, maintaining a unique level of sincerity throughout the essay, or being invitingly verbose.

Don’t Be Down On Yourself

Whether it’s your personal statement , a supplemental essay, or this leadership essay, avoid being too down on yourself. Admissions officers want to hear about all your successes, trophies, and kittens saved from trees. They really don’t want to read a whole essay about you saying you’re a bad leader.

Humility is definitely an important leadership trait, but there’s a fine line between being humble and being hurtful to yourself. Even if you’re normally prone to some self-deprecation, try to keep it at a minimum for this essay.

Leadership Essay Example

If you’re not sure where to start, take some time to brainstorm ideas. Even the weirdest idea can blossom into something neat. If you need inspiration, one of the best things is to look at other examples of leadership. That could be from your favorite show, a good nonfiction book about sailors, or the essay below.

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Leadership Essay Introduction Example

The introduction should pull the reader in while directly answering the prompt. When in doubt, try to start with something concrete over something abstract. Or as writers and writing teachers like to say: Show, don’t tell.

The room was filled with the gentle hum of microphones and video cameras, cut only by the occasional cough or cleared throat. It was easy to feel out of place in this room full of wood furniture, leather seats, and powerful men capable of changing not just my life, but an entire sector of television programming as we knew it. I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I also knew that this was about something bigger than me, something that I could actually influence.

Leadership Essay Body Example

The body is where you’ll get more into the details of your narrative and connect it to ideas of leadership. Try not to get too hung up on the exact wording of what makes a leader. That can get far too abstract. Let your story speak for you.

I took a deep breath and began to talk. I wasn’t known to have a particularly commanding or powerful voice, but people always seemed to listen, including these men with their name placards and tall seats. They had been ready to cut funding for public broadcasting, which included programming that they had never seen. I was simply someone who lived in a neighborhood and cared about children’s education, beyond just math and reading. All I could do was be honest.

Leadership Essay Conclusion Example

Your conclusion considers the broader effects of your leadership. How might your leadership evolve or change? How can you apply that leadership to your education, job, or community?

To me, leadership is about connection. I know that I have a voice and an immense dedication to emotional intelligence in children. My ability to focus on other people goes hand-in-hand with my ability to speak through a tiger puppet. Both are about closing gaps and bringing people closer to a basic understanding. I hope to use my leadership abilities within the field of psychology to build more connections between people and communities.

Feb 15, 2023

Essays on Leadership for Students | 200 - 500 Word Essays

Are you writing an essay about leadership? Check out these examples!

Leadership is often defined as "the action of inspiring others to act in concert to achieve a particular goal." It signifies the harmony in actions that lead to a common objective. A genuine leader not only exudes confidence but also paves the way for their followers towards triumph. Over the years, various leadership styles have been identified and discussed by psychologists.

 Qualities such as intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, innate self-awareness, and social competence often emerge as the hallmarks of impactful leaders. There's a consensus that these traits mold an individual into an effective leader. Interestingly, some theories suggest that extraordinary situations can thrust an ordinary individual into the spotlight, bestowing upon them the mantle of leadership. It's also believed that leadership isn't a static trait but an evolving journey. It underscores the belief that with dedication and the right resources, anyone can hone their leadership abilities.

 True leadership goes beyond merely advocating for a cause. It involves taking responsibility, igniting motivation in others, and differentiating oneself from just being a 'boss'. A leader's essence lies in their ability to inspire and propel people towards grand visions, whereas a manager typically focuses on oversight and operational aspects.

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay falls under the category of student application essays and serves to provide student admissions officers with insight into your past leadership experiences. Despite appearing to be very specific, this type of essay acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can vary significantly depending on the individual and the context.

 If you find yourself in need of further insights or a unique angle for your leadership essay, consider exploring an expert essay-writing tool designed to assist students in crafting compelling narratives by analyzing vast data and generating fresh ideas within minutes. In this article, we'll also delve into various leadership essay examples to offer a clearer understanding of the genre and inspire your writing journey.

4 Examples of Leadership Essays

Qualities of a good leader, introduction.

Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment and actions. How can people want to follow him if he doesn't even know what he's doing?

Every effective leader knows that they need to be an inspiration to their followers. A leader needs to set an example for his team. In addition, he ought to inspire them whenever feasible. A leader must also maintain optimism in trying times.

What qualities a good leader must have?

Leadership is the ability to influence and guide individuals or groups toward a common goal. A leader must possess several qualities to be effective, including:

Communication skills: A leader must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. This requires excellent listening skills, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles.

Emotional intelligence: A leader must be able to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members. This includes being able to understand and respond to the emotions of others, and handling conflicts in a constructive manner.

Visionary: A leader must have a clear and inspiring vision of the future, and be able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates others to work towards it.

Strategic thinking: A leader must be able to think critically and creatively to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans and strategies to achieve their goals.

Flexibility: A leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to new ideas and perspectives. This requires the ability to embrace change, be innovative, and continuously learn and grow.

Integrity: A leader must have strong ethics and values, and be willing to make difficult decisions that are consistent with their beliefs. This requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Decisiveness: A leader must be able to make tough decisions quickly, without undue hesitation or procrastination. This requires courage and the ability to take calculated risks.

Empowerment: A leader must be able to delegate responsibilities, give team members the resources they need to succeed, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among their team.

Conclusion 

These qualities are essential for effective leadership, and when combined with hard work, determination, and a commitment to excellence, can help leaders to achieve great things.

How one can be a Great Leader?

Leadership is the act of performing the duties of a leader. In the business world, for instance, it is essential to have someone in charge of a team to ensure everything runs well. Effective leadership is essential for any group that wants to maximize its prospects of success.

Leadership Comes from Experience

As we've shown, leadership can be innate in some cases but is more often learned through practice and exposure. Sometimes the best traits of a leader must be learned over a lengthy period of time, so that one can become a notable one, proving that leadership is not always about a person's innate qualities. Leaders should continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Nobody can disagree that experience is a key component of leadership. Numerous examples exist to back up this claim, such as:

Instance 1:

Our school's head boy or girl has traditionally been an older student who has been around for a while and thus has a better grasp of the ins and outs of school politics.

Instance 2:

When there is a vacancy for a team leader, it is common practice for the employee who has consistently put in the most effort and attention to the office job to receive a higher number of votes than their coworkers. 

“The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.” - John C. Maxwell

How one can be a Great Leader/Skills to be a Great Leader?

Effective leadership is a skill that develops through time. Developing into a leader with all the qualities that are needed takes a lot of hard work and potential. Being a prominent leader calls for a wide variety of traits. Some of these characteristics are addressed in further detail below:

One should be a Good Communicator

To be an effective leader, one must be able to convey his thoughts clearly to his/her/its subordinates.

Should have Confidence

The individual should have faith in what he says and does.

Give Credit to other Team Members too

A leader not only needs to impose his viewpoints and opinions instead he must also hear to the suggestions of other members of the team and offer them credit if their concept is appropriate.

Good Bond with the Team

A leader's ability to command respect from his team members depends on his ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with them.

Leads with Responsibility

A leader needs to be completely committed to his position. It's important that he takes on responsibility so that he can effectively deal with the various challenges he will inevitably face.

Any group or organization needs a leader above all else. Leadership development takes time and effort. One needs to have lived through a lot to be an effective leader. It's not enough to simply have years of experience in the field; one must also have the traits that make one an effective leader. You can't be a great leader unless you possess certain traits.

What makes a Good Leader?

Trying one's hand as a leader appears easy when viewed through this lens. Is that so tough? Of course not; leading is difficult, and not everyone aspires to be a leader. The vast majority of us have settled into well-established careers where we report to superiors and make a living. Still, not everyone is content to go along with the crowd. They become leaders in whatever field they pursue. A leader is an example to followers and will prioritize the needs of those around them.

Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

Many individuals resort to their leaders to vent their frustrations, therefore it's important for them to be good listeners.

A leader ought to be completely forthright; they can't play favorites or give anyone preferential treatment. One of the most essential qualities of a strong leader is the ability to make decisions with integrity.

They need to be aware of the bigger picture and understand what makes an individual stand out or become a leader. It's their expertise in addition to other distinguishing traits. Their awareness of current events and the results of recent studies is essential. In many ways, this is helpful, and it's the leader's responsibility to stay current.

Since some might not understand them, they should utilize straightforward, easily comprehended language. Leaders need to be able to communicate effectively at all times. In reality, what sets them apart is their exceptional communication skills. Adolf Hitler was such a gifted orator that his followers believed every word he said.

No matter how you're feeling or what's going on in the world, if you listen to a leader, they may make you feel energized. Since leaders are in charge of inspiring confidence in their followers, they can't afford to be wary or unsure of themselves. People tend to blindly follow their leaders.

Whether you're a leader or a doctor, you should devote yourself completely to your chosen field. Everything we do is for the benefit of others; engineers, for example, spend much of their time designing and constructing buildings for other people. So, take pride in what you do, and if you possess the aforementioned traits, you are also a leader who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed. No matter what you do, aspiring to leadership positions will always benefit others.

What is Leadership in Management and what are the weaknesses and strengths of a Leader?

Simply said, leadership is acting as a supervisor or manager of a group. Different mental pictures pop up when we hear the word "leadership" used in conversation. One might think of a political leader, team leader, corporate leader, school leader, etc. Leaders facilitate order and efficiency in the workplace. Teamwork and success are fundamental to effective leadership. Leaders utilize their managerial abilities to establish courses and guide their teams to success.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

Able to express oneself more clearly

Growth of character.

Self-awareness.

Possession of teamwork skills.

Gain assurance in yourself.

Weaknesses:

Acting favorably toward one's teammates.

Having no faith in the leader.

Thinks they're better than everyone else, but act hypocritically.

Not living up to the promised standard.

Insufficient morals.

Leadership and Management

Management and leadership are inextricably linked to one another. Leadership and management are both vital to the efficient operation of an organization; but, they accomplish very different things in the process. Leadership is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to be an effective manager. The terms management and leadership are synonymous with one another. In this manner, we are able to draw the conclusion that a manager who demonstrates the traits of a successful leader is, in fact, a manager who is effective.

Leadership in School

Leadership is essential in nearly every group, as we've seen above. That group includes one's educational institution. Every school needs an outstanding figure to serve as its head of school. Class monitor, assembly captain, cultural leader, etc. are all examples of leadership roles that can be taken on at school, but this raises the question of what makes a person a successful school leader.

Any student hoping to be chosen as a student body leader will need to demonstrate a wide range of competencies. He or she needs to be a consistent student who pays attention in class and does well in extracurricular activities. For the simple reason that no intelligent and hardworking kid would ever be considered for leadership. Student leaders are most often selected from among those who participate fully in all activities.

Leadership in Organization

Leadership in an organization, also known as organizational leadership, is the process of establishing long-term objectives that further the company's mission and help it reach its ultimate destination. This is a classic illustration of how Bill Gates often works with his team: they agree on a strategy, and Gates implements it. To the same extent, it is the responsibility of the leader in each given organization to determine what it is that the group is trying to accomplish.

Leadership in Politics

Leadership in politics, also known as political leadership, is the process of becoming actively involved in a political party in the role of a party leader. Knowledge of political processes, their outcomes, and the political agenda is central to the idea of political leadership.

An effective leader can be developed in anyone who has the determination and drives to do so. Both the strengths and the areas for improvement should be nurtured. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the political arena, leadership is always necessary. Therefore, one can exercise leadership anywhere they like inside their own organization.

What are the types of Leadership?

The ability to lead is a rare trait that not everyone possesses. The ability to do so is a gift, so count your blessings if you possess it. It's recommended that you hone it even more so that you can propel your career forward and serve as an example to people around you. However, it is crucial to grasp the various leadership styles before you go ahead and polish your skills.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership

In this style of management, subordinates are given a voice in decision-making. Although the subordinates' efforts are highlighted, the leader is ultimately held responsible for the group's actions. Many people find this type of leadership to be effective.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others to adopt new behaviors and ways of thinking in order to improve their own performance and that of their teams and organizations. A transformational leader is someone who encourages their team to strive for greater things and works to boost morale and output.

Team Leadership

A good leader fully incorporates his team into the task at hand. Members of the team are motivated to reach their goals and advance in their careers thanks to the leadership of the group.

Strategic Leadership

It requires a chief executive who doesn't restrict himself to brainstorming sessions with his superiors. He contributes on every level of the team. He is well-liked for his ability to unite the need for fresh ideas with the necessity of grounding them in reality.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader in a command and control structure is the center of attention. The chief executive has absolute power in this setting. He decides things on his own, without polling his staff. He relays this information to his staff and stresses the importance of swift action. The buck stops with him, and he alone must answer for his actions. Not much room for negotiation exists. It's no secret that this method of leading has its detractors.

Visionary Leadership

This kind of leader appreciates the abilities and requirements of his team members. He describes his ideal outcome and the teamwork that will be necessary to attain it.

Coaching Leadership

Leaders who coach their teams do so regularly in an effort to raise output. He inspires his employees to do better and works to keep them motivated. This approach to leadership has been much praised.

Facilitative Leadership

With occasional guidance, a facilitative leader ensures that the process runs smoothly for his team. As a precaution in case his team is ineffective. If the team is highly effective, the leader will take a hands-off approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The leadership of this type is necessary when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds. Because of the wide variety of cultures represented in the workforce across the United States, many managers and executives hold cross-cultural positions.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

The members of the team are given responsibility in this style of management. They are free to choose how they spend their time at work, with minimal oversight from the boss. It's not a good way to lead, according to experts.

Transactional Leadership

An interactive approach is integral to this kind of leadership. When team members successfully implement their leader's ideas and choices, they are rewarded with immediate, material benefits.

Charismatic Leadership

In order to bring out the best in his followers, this kind of leader makes the effort to change their attitudes, values, and actions.

This article should dispel the notion that leadership qualities can't be further subdivided. It should also assist you in pinpointing your own personal brand of leadership so you can perfect it over time.

Final Words

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that involves various qualities and skills. Effective leaders possess traits such as integrity, vision, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They are able to navigate challenges, make difficult decisions, and lead their team toward success. Leadership also involves continuous learning and self-improvement, as leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and remain relevant. Effective leadership can have a positive impact on both individuals and organizations, fostering growth and creating a culture of success.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Membership is immediately available upon your free registration here.

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Home — Essay Samples — Business — Leadership — What Does Leadership Mean to You: Listen, Ask & Conducting Assessment

What Does Leadership Mean to You: Listen, Ask & Conducting Assessment

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Published: Sep 2, 2021

Words: 1105 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, define leadership in your own words.

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Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on  in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point  is  give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born. 

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions. 

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.  

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

• What are the main qualities of the leader?
• Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
• The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
• The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
• The role of female leadership
• What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
• How college helps students develop leadership skills?
• Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them 
• Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
• Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
• Top techniques for developing leadership skills
• The interconnection of creativity and leadership 
• Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
• Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
• Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
• The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
• Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
• Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
• Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
• The role of cognitive abilities for the leader 

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

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Research: To Be a Good Leader, Start By Being a Good Follower

• Alex Haslam

A study of Royal Marines suggests “stand out from your peers” isn’t always good advice.

Leadership is a process that emerges from a relationship between leaders and followers. People will be more effective leaders when their behaviors indicate that they are one of us, that they share our values, concerns and experiences, and are working for us. Seen this way, perhaps the usual advice for aspiring leaders — “stand out from your peers” — is wrong. Perhaps aspiring leaders would be better served by ensuring that they are seen to be a good follower. A longitudinal study of 218 Royal Marines recruits completing an arduous 32 week training course suggests that may be the case: the Marines who saw themselves as followers, and were simply focused on getting the work done, were more likely to be recognized as leaders by both peers and commanders. But there’s a caveat: Marines who saw themselves as leaders were seen by commanders (but not by peers) as having more leadership potential . This suggests that what good leadership looks like is highly dependent on where evaluators are standing.

There is no shortage of advice for those who aspire to be effective leaders. One piece of advice may be particularly enticing: if you want to be a successful leader, ensure that you are seen as a leader and not a follower. To do this, goes the usual advice, you should seek out opportunities to lead, adopt behaviors that people associate with leaders rather than followers (e.g., dominance and confidence), and — above all else — show your exceptionalism relative to your peers .

• KP Kim Peters is senior lecturer in organizational psychology at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on social influence processes (including communication and leadership) in social and organizational settings. She works closely with organizations to examine the role of psychological factors in organizational functioning.
• AH Alex Haslam is Professor of Psychology and Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland. His research focuses on the study of group and identity processes in social, organizational and clinical contexts. Together with over 200 co-authors around the world, Alex has written and edited 12 books and published over 200 peer-reviewed articles on these topics.

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Effective Leadership: What Makes a Great Leader

01 what is effective leadership, 02 developing leadership skills: how to be a better leader, 03 seven expectations for leaders, 04 how to be an effective leader, 05 leadership vs. management, 06 what makes a successful team, 07 creating a leadership development plan, 08 our best leadership resources.

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Introduction

There may not be an "I" in team, but there is an "I" in disengaged.

What does this have to do with leadership and development? Well, regardless of what, why and where you lead, you -- as the leader -- are directly responsible for the engagement of those who follow you .

And engagement is supported by your culture, which you are also responsible for as a leader. This is why it's vital for leaders to set the right tone for the organization -- for the sake of engagement, culture and the employee experience.

Whether you're leading a family, a class or a corporation, leadership means inspiring others to achieve certain outcomes. And it's up to you to decide whether you are leading positively or negatively -- and whether you choose to focus on engagement or merely output.

"Improving your leadership begins with a focus on improving what you're already good at."

Leadership can often be equal parts high confidence and self-esteem and worrying if you're doing it right while continually searching for answers . Whether you're a leader in an organizational setting or have high influence in some other capacity, improving your leadership begins with a focus on what you're already good at .

We would call that leading with your strengths: the things that come naturally to you and that help you succeed daily. When you intentionally apply your strengths as a leader, that's when your life and the lives of those you lead begin to change.

This page will provide you with new ways to think about your role or position as a leader. Legitimate improvement begins with a refusal to ascribe to one-size-fits-all solutions. Stay with us, discover why your strengths matter and then learn to use yours to become a transformational leader.

Improving leadership is an idea that can be difficult to grasp in tactical or practical ways.

The first step to improving it is to define it.

Our leadership definition , in its simplest form, means the act of getting individuals aligned and moving in the same direction toward a desired outcome.

Picture this: a world where every leader knew what goals they wanted to achieve, knew how to get their followers working toward that goal and knew how to use their strengths to get there. The world would be a much different place, wouldn't it?

Effective leadership has a lot to do with inspiring, aligning and then activating -- but it doesn't end there.

A key to effective leadership is the ability to define outcomes, but then help individuals put their talents to use to get there. The best leaders know their people and are more aware of those people's strengths than they are of their weaknesses. Great leaders aren't blind to their own or others' weaknesses; they just know that their competitive edge lies within their strengths.

Let's put this into perspective.

Consider the owner of a successful bakery.

Let's call him Jim.

When Jim was in culinary school, he wanted to open a restaurant, but there was a problem. He was terrible at cooking. He burned every pasta dish and dried out every chicken entree. However, when it came to the art of baking, he excelled -- nobody was better.

Jim also had a natural knack for leadership, often pulling other students into his projects and helping them learn through his expertise -- whether it was people or pastries, he knew what he was doing.

And even better, he knew that what he had originally desired had changed.

Now, his friends and family wanted Jim to follow his original dream. His instructors offered him extra cooking lessons because they knew he could get better. His peers told him to work harder, saying, "Jim, we know you're good at baking. You're the best -- a natural! But forget that. Your dream is to cook. Just spend more time on that."

But he didn't listen. Jim opened his own bakery, hired full-time staff and grew a successful business.

From an outsider's perspective, it was easy to see what Jim should do.

The advice from Jim's inner circle wasn't great. Their intentions were, but they were ignoring natural excellence and emphasizing weakness in hopes of mediocrity.

It's the type of advice leaders fall prey to often. "Spend most of your time developing your weaknesses to become a stronger leader" -- when really, you could acknowledge those weaknesses but use your strengths to make up for them.

Not focusing on weaknesses and focusing on strengths is countercultural -- but the best leaders don't follow. They are willing to stray from the way things have always been done and be open to better ways to succeed.

Clarify Leadership Roles and Expectations

Having clear expectations in your role as a leader is vital to success. Most of the time, understanding your role and the expectations that come with it begins with deciding what outcomes or goals need to be met. Whether you define them yourself or have an organization define them for you, they need to be clear, manageable and well-communicated.

When leaders lack clear expectations for their own roles and outcomes, it can create a lack of trust among their followers . They can come off as incompetent and lose buy-in from their team members.

Think of any leader you've had personal experience with. If you asked them, "What is the outcome of this supposed to be?" or "What is the purpose?" and they said, "I don't know," there would be an apparent issue with how they go about fulfilling the duties of their role.

Action item : List out the responsibilities of your role -- both those that were ascribed to you and the ones you took on yourself. Outlining the expectations and responsibilities of your role as a leader will help you know where and how to focus your energy.

Discover the Secrets to Success from Today's Top Leaders

As a growth-minded leader, you aim to boost your influence, strengthen relationships, unite teams, and make strategic decisions in a constantly evolving landscape.

To guide you, Gallup's Leading With Strengths shares insights from some of the world's best leaders, revealing how they achieve success, navigate their leadership paths, and leverage their top strengths to address the unique challenges of modern leadership.

Gallup Leading With Strengths

"It's my absolute belief that there is something more to the universe, that we are living in a benevolent universe and that I'm connected to it."

Watch Now Connectedness Video

Arianna Huffington Founder and CEO, Thrive Global Founder, The Huffington Post

"I maximize my own energy … I'm very responsible for my personal, emotional, physical wellbeing."

Watch Now Maximizer Video

Deepak Chopra Author and Founder at Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global

"I'm constantly looking for how do we craft a new narrative that fits. Maybe we're missing just one little piece."

Watch Now Strategic Video

Timothy Shriver, Ph.D. Chairman of Special Olympics  

A good leader takes responsibility for their leadership. They understand that everything they do directly affects the people they lead.

In other words, the best leaders lead with their followers in mind.

And one of the most important leadership traits is engaging your followers.

We've studied which leadership skills are the most important to a follower. What do you think we found? Maybe "good communication," "motivational" or "highly committed"?

While these are certainly important for leaders, what followers crave the most are trust, compassion, stability and hope .

Check out the descriptions below. Which one of these areas do you excel in? Which one doesn't come as naturally to you, and how can you lean on strong complementary partnerships for that need?

Chart depicting what followers need from their leaders. Trust - Building trust is the foundation for leading. Honestly, clarity and behavioral predictability all make up trust. Hope - Encourage people to believe in a better future. While stability focuses on today, hopefulness deals with future. People need to that their leaders have a clear direction. Stability - Ensure people can count on you. Providing stability looks like creating space where people feel psychologically safe, like they can depend on you to answer their questions, hear their ideas and address their concerns. Compassion - Bring positive energy and a willingness to listen. Being compassionate means caring about your followers holistically while seeing them as more than just their ability to perform.

To practically apply these traits, make them a part of your everyday communication. Every email, conversation, instruction, etc., should be building hope, trust, stability and compassion.

Learn more about these traits of a good leader (also called the "four needs of followers") from Gallup experts.

If you Google "effective leadership skills," "best leadership qualities," "qualities of a good leader" or anything in that ballpark, you'll notice a pattern: Almost every article, website or business leadership skills "solution" is geared toward trying harder and investing in developing weaknesses. Or trying to adopt certain leadership qualities that simply don't come naturally.

This isn't the right way. It doesn't produce long-lasting results.

Great leaders actually start somewhere else: They start with an awareness, of both themselves (through strengths) and their job (their role and expectations). They should begin with a goal in mind, communicate the desired outcomes and then identify where they've had success in the past -- and then consider how they'll use those successes to help them now.

Self-awareness is key in using your strengths . It's hard to use something you're not aware that you have.

Need a place to start for learning how to develop your strengths as a leader?

Check out The CliftonStrengths Podcast.

What all leaders need is a fresh look at the leadership behaviors that actually contribute to performance, development and success.

After you gain an awareness of yourself through your strengths, you need to learn how to apply those strengths to the expectations of your role. Here's a framework for approaching your role with these expectations:

1. Build Relationships.

1   Build relationships.

The concept of "leadership" cannot exist apart from a group of people who need to be led. Simply put, leaders can't lead unless someone follows, which means that building strong relationships is key . People need to connect with each other, share trust and have relationships to thrive. It is important to recognize the value of people, seek to know them for who they are and build lasting connections.

• 2. Develop people.

2   Develop people.

Do the people you're leading, coaching, teaching, etc., feel like they're growing? Most people know that if they're not growing, they're not getting closer to success. Then, it's only a matter of time before they leave -- your organization, your fitness class, your night class -- for someone who gets them closer to their goals. Every day, those people have a chance to either get a little bit better at what they do, or not. Development can, and should, be constant.

• 3. Lead change.

3   Lead change.

The keyword being "lead." Much is expected of you as a leader to keep moving forward, ensuring that the purpose, mission and vision remain the same. It's OK (and good) for you to charge your followers with some responsibility for change -- coming up with good ideas, better ways of doing things or smarter processes -- because it will help them take ownership for helping with the right kind of change. Every individual is able to see an opportunity and take initiative, set a goal and create a plan to get there, but it's your job to set an example for that.

• 4. Inspire others.

4   Inspire others.

Is this trait too "soft" to count as an expectation that's critical to success? Definitely not. Leaders should provide inspiration so that others can find greater meaning in a vision or purpose. Without meaning, and without connecting inspiration to the individuals who follow you, you'll find that those who follow will have a difficult time committing themselves to the greater purpose -- whether that's in your organization, classroom, small group or otherwise. This expectation helps people see that every little thing they do matters.

• 5. Think critically.

5   Think critically.

Aimless decision-making and feeble thinking have no place in leadership. Or, at least, they shouldn't be the type of thinking that influences final decisions. Evaluating plans, understanding risk, organizing thoughts and creating action steps requires leaders to bring their whole selves and think critically . Success requires establishing an aim and devising a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to achieving it.

• 6. Communicate clearly.

6   Communicate clearly.

Learn the best way you communicate , and then learn how others like you to communicate with them. Share information and ideas that matter -- because effective communication means you'll need to convey compelling information that leads to more informed actions and decision-making. Don't think of communication just as telling your followers things, but think of it as sharing information, asking questions, listening and brainstorming. These are all important forms of clear communication in good leadership.

• 7. Create accountability.

7   Create accountability.

Every person is accountable for something. But this is especially true for leaders. Responsibility is expected of you , just as much as it is of those who follow you. You expect the students at your fitness class to bring the right equipment, you expect that your employees are held accountable for their deadlines, and so on. A culture of accountability starts with you. In practice, this may look like openly committing to initiatives, plans or ideas so that everyone knows what you're responsible for. It may also look like you apologizing to those you lead when you drop the ball in a significant way. Accountability creates a better environment for your followers and allows them opportunities to become more efficient and creative through their own responsibilities.

These expectations work in any scenario where there's a leader. No, really -- think about it. CEOs? For sure. Professors or teachers? Definitely. The leader of your small group at church or facilitator of a book club? No doubt.

Being able to do these seven things well can be the biggest differentiator between average leaders and great leaders.

Want to increase your self-awareness and develop as a leader? Download this free activity to connect your natural talents to leadership outcomes -- and discover how you excel as a leader.

You may have wondered, "What type of leader am I?"

There are countless ways you could answer this question. But most people look to academic leadership theories or find a list of leadership personality traits and different leadership styles to try to answer this.

For example, there's transformational leadership or authentic leadership. Well, wait, aren't all leaders supposed to be these two things? Then there's transactional leadership and laissez-faire leadership, or you could be more autocratic or a coaching leader. OK, now I'm really confused .

With many ways to pinpoint your leadership styles or categorize your relationships with your followers, your attempts may leave you feeling discouraged or irritated. But if you're not sure what kind of leader you are, how are you supposed to find support or improve?

Instead, ask yourself a different question: Why and how do I lead?

Most leadership categories are all about how a person behaves when they're leading a group -- when really, you should be focusing on the things that you already know and that are easier to identify: your natural patterns of excellence. These natural strengths tell you more about why you lead the way you do and how you lead best than about what kind of leader you are.

Each leader is naturally drawn to different things, so you may find that more traditional ways of compartmentalizing leadership styles leave you feeling confused. Instead, answer the questions presented by the four domains of leadership below.

Traditional methods of leadership discovery say to choose the statement that best describes you to discover what one specific type of leader you are.

Top Left Quadrant: I am task-oriented and like to get things done. Top Right Quadrant: I can motivate others and can often be commanding. Bottom Left Quadrant: I am more analytical in my approach to leadership, always lost in thought. Bottom Right Quadrant: I tend to focus on relationships and can understand where my followers are coming from.

The four domains of leadership say, "You naturally do all of these things; you just do them differently than others. Let's discover your unique way of leading."

Top Left Quadrant: How do you make things happen? Top Right Quadrant: How do you influence others? Bottom Left Quadrant: How do you absorb, think about and analyze information and situations? Bottom Right Quadrant: How do you build and nurture strong relationships?

The four domains of leadership are a helpful framework because when you search for one specific leadership style, you wind up trying to spend more time categorizing than you do developing.

Traditional leadership styles establish strict boundaries, but the CliftonStrengths domains freely encourage you to cross those boundaries.

Each of the four domains encompasses a set of CliftonStrengths that fit that category. Leaders who know their CliftonStrengths become more effective leaders in a few ways. Knowing their strengths helps them:

• improve their decision-making
• boost their engagement
• increase their productivity

Those who know and use their CliftonStrengths are also:

Simply understanding your strengths makes your life better -- and who wouldn't want to have a higher quality of life and be more effective? Haven't discovered your strengths yet? Get started and take the assessment today .

At the end of the day, leaders and managers are both focused on two things: developing people and delivering team (or organizational) success.

Leadership : Traditionally, leaders have been responsible for creating the overall strategic vision.

Management : Managers are the ones who execute leadership direction and direct teams.

But as the workplace continues to change, the line between the roles of leaders and managers continues to blur.

Driven by the pace of change in globalized business and an evolving workforce that prioritizes development and flexibility, today's business world is agile and dynamic. As a result, a manager's role is far more than supervisory -- and Gallup finds that 70% of the variance in a team's engagement is influenced by the manager . Furthermore, the traditional role of a boss as a command-and-control function does not work for today's workforce.

The expectation is for the manager and leader to be more of a coach than a boss .

• My Paycheck
• My Satisfaction
• My Annual Review
• My Weaknesses

• My Development
• My Ongoing Conversations
• My Strengths

The biggest difference between a leader and a manager is where they fall within an organization. A manager is someone who is usually in charge of leading people, where a leader is in charge of leading the people who lead people. Leaders are more responsible for creating the strategic vision and are a little more removed from the front lines. Managers are more about getting the actual work done.

Success is measured and defined differently by all, which means that good information on how to lead your team to success or understanding what makes a successful team can be hard to find. Before you know how to lead, you need to know what a successful team looks like.

A successful team is a team where individuals are positioned to do what they do best and get the resources and partnerships they need to do their best work.

Leading a successful team requires you to identify the unique contributions that every person on your team makes -- including yourself.

CliftonStrengths makes this easier. Having team members discover, develop and lead with their strengths can lead to higher employee engagement and performance, which are outcomes of a successful team. However, they aren't the most important outcomes because giving your employees the opportunity to do what they do best is the greatest measure of a successful team.

Competition - Winning. Communication - Advocacy. Context - History. Activator - Catalyst. Achiever - Drive. Futuristic - Vision. Harmony - Alignment. Significance - Legacy. Focus - Goals. Analytical - Logic.

Harmony - Alignment. Arranger - Orchestration. Maximizer - Excellence. Relator - Transparency. Input - Resources. Includer - Connection. Analytical - Logic. Positivity - Optimism. Intellection - Reflection. Consistency - Fairness.

To lead a successful team, be willing to admit to your team that you're not great at everything. It's good to acknowledge, and it's even better for your team to hear.

Conventional wisdom says that to become a better leader, you should develop the areas where you are naturally weak. And to be a good leader, you encourage your team to do the same. But CliftonStrengths says you should invest in the places where you're naturally strong.

"Identify the unique contributions that every person on your team makes -- including yourself."

Here's a practical way for you and your team to understand each other's strengths and intentionally aim them at your goal -- the CliftonStrengths Team Grid.

As a leader, you could look at your team's grid to determine who would be good partners to:

• come up with ideas for a new solution to a process
• determine how to make an existing process more efficient
• help gather the latest findings in your industry and analyze them

Knowing the makeup of your team's strengths allows you to lead more confidently because you know how to set each person up for success.

Position individuals to do what they do best, better use each individual's strengths, build more effective partnerships and teams, and then mobilize the team to increase individual and team effectiveness.

For more information about the team grid and bringing strengths to your team, contact us .

If your attempts to develop in the past have fallen short, it may be because too few leadership development programs can clearly define the experiences that lead to excellence in leadership . They don't individualize, they can't match leader to experience at the time it's most needed, and they don't help leaders analyze their experiences so they can effectively apply them in the future.

Don't overcomplicate your development . Start with these three areas:

1 We believe that knowing your strengths is a great foundation for creating a leadership development plan. When you take the CliftonStrengths assessment, you will get a report with personalized results. Discover your natural talents, and then receive the CliftonStrengths for Leaders report with insights and advice based specifically on your results to help you become a better leader. The descriptions of your top strengths, and the order in which they appear, will be unique to you. Because just as we believe that no two leaders lead the same way, we also believe that no two people have the same strengths.

The descriptions of your top strengths, and the order in which they appear, will be unique to you. Because just as we believe that no two leaders lead the same way, we also believe that no two people have the same strengths.

Take the Assessment

2 Take a look at the seven expectations for leaders. If you truly want to develop, those are where you should begin. Start with a self-assessment. At first glance, which one of these core leadership competencies do you do really well? How can you get even better? Then determine which one doesn't come as naturally. How can you use your natural strengths to develop it?

• 1. Build relationships.

For more details, check out the Seven Expectations for Leaders section. And to get started right now, download this free activity to help you develop.

3 Learn to identify your own key experiences, both the ones that got you where you are today and the ones you want to have. Consider your past and present, and decide what you want for your future. Key experiences are some of the most critical components of leader success. Put simply, "Key experiences are events in a leader's life that result in learning, growth and/or increased capacity to effectively lead." Every role and every industry looks different, but key experiences are one of the foundational elements to leadership development anywhere.

Here are a few examples of key experiences that have helped develop leaders in the workplace:

• working on stretch assignments and projects outside of their expertise
• turning around a failing business or product
• leading a cross-functional team on a mission-critical organizational project
• experiencing failure and learning from it

Although those key experiences will look different for each person, you can notice a pattern or commonality between them all. Embracing new situations and being uncomfortable are important parts of developing as a leader . When things look tough, lean in. That's where growth happens.

Your time is best spent when you're sharpening your skills and honing your talents. Stop worrying about what you're bad at, and start working harder at developing what you're good at.

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What is a leader, what do they do, and how do you become one?

Jump to section

What is a leader?

What is the role of a leader, what does a leader do, what are the most common characteristics of a leader.

Leadership versus management—what’s the difference?

How can you become a better leader?

Final thoughts on the question, “What is a leader?”  

When you think about great leaders, who comes to mind?

Impactful figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., or perhaps Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela might come to mind.

While we’ve all experienced leadership in our lives, very rarely are we asked to define “what is a good leader.” Answers vary from company to company and person to person, making the qualities of leadership even more elusive to pinpoint.

Are you thinking about the next step in your career? This article explores the definition and qualities of leadership, how it differs from management, and tips for becoming a better leader.

Simple explorations of the question, “what is a leader?” include:

A leader is someone who inspires passion and motivation in followers.

A leader is someone with a vision and the path to realizing it.

A leader is someone who ensures their team has support and tools to achieve their goals.

A leader may be any of those things, but a good leader is all three. 

An effective leader has a shared vision aligned with core values and understands what it will take to reach their team goals . They inspire, manage, and support their teams to work creatively and confidently toward that shared vision.

A leader empowers their team members to embrace their own unique leadership qualities and act with independently accountable passion . And they inspire and motivate their teams to maintain long-term progress and excitement toward achieving their goals.

Now you have a better understanding of who a leader is, but might still ask, “what does a leader do?” The age-old answer of “it depends” is pretty relevant here. The specifics of each leader’s role change based on the size of their team, organization, or base. It also depends on their values and goals –– both short and long-term.

In general, the role of a leader is to coach, guide, and inspire others. They motivate teams through challenging times and guide individuals through their career progressions. A leader manages individuals to keep teams aligned and working toward shared goals. They foster a collaborative culture and lead by example.

As you can see, a leader has many responsibilities. But they tend to fall into the same three buckets:

A good leader strives to develop their employees and teams through coaching and mentoring. This can be through one-to-one meetings and asynchronous touchpoints. And most of their coaching ladders up into supporting the overall goals of the company.

A great leader will balance both the goals of the employee with those of the organization. Making each individual’s development a symbiotic relationship. Oftentimes the individual’s growth correlates with the company’s growth.

Alongside coaching, leaders also guide their employees. This comes through building and organizing teams, setting goals, devising ways to achieve those goals, and leading employees through the process.

A leader can guide employees through difficult conversations, for example, or various ways to solve problems.

One undervalued role of a leader is to inspire. A great leader can leverage their storytelling, empathy, and communication skills to inspire their employees and key stakeholders.

Whether they are vouching for a direct report’s promotion, pushing back on a strategy, or managing a team who missed its goals –– inspiring others is a large part of a leader’s role.

Leaders are bold but never leave their teams behind. Balancing vision with support that empowers team members to achieve shared goals, leaders embrace a number of leadership qualities and can’t be pinned down to a single style.

However, leaders across the board tend to exhibit seven major characteristics: 

• Purpose. Without a sense of purpose , it’s hard to motivate team members. Leaders empower people to see the intention behind specific goals, enabling them to take equal part. Making the day-to-day process feel more purposeful helps maintain team motivation and personal investment in larger goals. Leaders who incorporate a sense of personal purpose in the company’s overall mission inspire individual accountability in their teams . This motivates team members to embrace their own leadership qualities towards big-picture achievement. 
• Motivation. Leaders are great motivators and create value-aligned goals so team members feel personally inspired to work toward the company’s vision. Paired with consistent outreach, leaders empower their team members to work passionately beyond their responsibilities towards a common goal. Motivation goes beyond inspiring words . Great leaders talk to their teams, and listen to their ideas and questions. Being a leader isn’t about giving orders and managing results—it’s about listening, supporting , and inspiring the best from others.
• Vision. Leaders see the bigger picture and can unite their team members behind their vision. By incorporating team strengths and core values, leaders inspire their team with an end-goal that resonates with individual values and inspires action. Without a cohesive vision aligned with core values, companies often find themselves hitting goals that don’t progress their company in a specific direction. Staying afloat does not equal growth. Leaders are visionaries for growth and expansion.
• Empathy. Leaders empathize with their team members. It’s how they inspire people to work beyond their responsibilities toward a shared purpose. By listening and sharing their appreciation for their teams, leaders impart a sense of value. When leaders prioritize empathy and appreciate their team members’ efforts, they can empower team members to see the vision for themselves and act toward its achievement. Putting themselves in the position of their team members also helps leaders address critical concerns and provide solutions.
• Creativity. Whereas managers might feel inclined to stick to the status quo, leaders innovate in bold and creative splashes. Rather than being concerned with the chain of command, leaders encourage their employees to ask, “Why?” and think in new ways to realize a bigger picture. With a lofty vision guiding them, leaders embrace new ways of conceptualizing and strategizing. Nothing is off the table when it comes to providing imaginative and more effective pathways to long-term goal achievement and success. 
• Team vision. Although the company's overall vision may begin with its leaders, their vision will account for nothing if it doesn’t speak to team members. Exploring the values and individual goals that bring meaning to team members helps leaders thread their long-term goals through individually motivating and fulfilling achievement. When team members share their leader's vision and values, they’re inspired to work beyond their responsibilities toward their goals.  
• Always trying to improve. Leaders never stop bettering themselves. With an eye toward growth, leaders continuously seek opportunities to improve for themselves and their teams. This leaning towards personal betterment means leaders actively seek feedback and value ideas that favor effectiveness and improvement over defending their egos. When leaders create an environment where feedback isn’t just helpful but highly valued, they inspire team members to voice their thoughts and bring the best ideas to the table. This can lead to higher innovation and long-term success.

Leadership versus management — what’s the difference?

We often hear managers referred to as leaders and vice versa . But while qualities of leadership might include managerial responsibilities, they certainly don’t stop there. 

Managers often work within a chain of command, limiting their ability to free the reins and innovate toward a large-scale vision. Managers ensure timely delivery of projects, project assignments, and facilitate interpersonal communication.

Leaders ask questions, embracing innovation and out-of-the-box thinking, alongside honest feedback and transparency. Leaders seek to empower their teams to embrace their individual leadership qualities . They foster a team of highly motivated and innovative leaders intent on achieving a shared vision. 

Leaders must manage their employees, keeping them on track to achieve goals and providing structure for work. But in addition to managerial duties, they're also charged with visionary thinking, creating work that feels purposeful and meaningful, and inspiring long-term commitment in each of their team members. 

There’s always room to become a better leader, and the specific steps you take may vary by experience level, personal attributes, and goals. But no matter where you are on your leadership journey , you can follow these three steps to become a better leader.

Step 1: Listen and learn

Leadership is about social skills, not power and control. The most effective leaders take time to listen and learn about their team members and the unique qualities of leadership they each have. 

Create opportunities for your team members to capitalize on their strengths and maximize their efficiency. Ask for feedback and inquire about employee ideas. The more team members feel personally valued, the more you’ll embolden them to work with passion toward goals they believe in and care about. 

Step 2: Create shared goals for the team

Leaders know where they want to go and take time to learn about team members’ personal goals and visions. This can help ensure everyone feels valued and encompassed in the company’s larger mission. 

Explore your team members’ core values and incorporate them into larger, team- and company-wide goals. You’ll help your team members find more meaning and fulfillment in their work, motivating them to work beyond assigned tasks towards innovation.

Step 3: Always seek opportunities to improve

Leaders are growth-minded and take every opportunity to better themselves and their teams. 

Who is a leader you look up to? What is a leadership role you can see yourself in, and who is currently in that role? Get to know those leaders better, and consider asking one of them to mentor you. 

You may also find opportunities for improvement from your colleagues and team members. Provide opportunities for open conversation and feedback across all levels of your organization. 

When providing feedback to others, pair transparent communication with additional resources for team members to sharpen their skills and maximize their strengths. This will enable them to bring their best to every situation, and provide more creative feedback.

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Final thoughts on the question, “What is a leader?”

Regardless of recognition or position in a company, leaders mark themselves by their abilities to envision, motivate, strategize, and support their teams toward achievement.

They are more than managers — they are innovative and inspire others to join them on their mission toward a greater vision. And they know there’s always room to improve their leadership skills, ideas, and output, so they rely on mutual support with their team members.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

Learn what participative leadership is and how to practice it

What is referent power your guide as a leader, top-down vs. bottom-up management: what is the best fit, what is a leadership development program and why do you need one, what is organizational leadership and why is it important, authentic leadership: why showing up as yourself matters, it depends. understanding the contingency theory of leadership, what are influencing tactics and how do you use them, how leadership coaching helps leaders get (and keep) an edge, similar articles, what it means to be a great team leader and how to become one, 5 key leadership behaviors you must have, the importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one, become a great leader with these 10 tips, inspire others and support their growth. 10 ways to make it happen, leader vs. manager: what's the difference, a guide to becoming an effective leader, 18 leadership qualities and characteristics of a successful leader, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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What Is Leadership?

Home » Resources » Strategic Leadership and Management » What Does It Mean to be a Leader?

What Does It Mean to be a Leader?

Last Updated April 19, 2023

Today’s business organizations continue to see a need for managers at all levels, and the need is even greater for managers who can cultivate the long-term mindset and skills of a great leader. Not every manager has the capabilities to become a leader, but managers who can grow into that leadership role are instrumental in driving long-term business success.

Different types of leaders are needed to help organizations perform at their highest levels. These include:

• Team Leaders: Responsible for a team of up to 20 members whose tasks are specifically defined.
• Operational Leaders: Oversee a key portion of the organization, including several team leaders.
• Strategic Leaders : Responsible for setting the vision and strategies for teams, departments and the entire organization.

4 Actions Areas for Leaders

Whatever the leader type or level, the most impactful ones are distinguished by their behaviors and actions in four areas: taking a people-first approach, the ability to communicate well, having a vision for the future and their focus on and development of impactful teams.

1. Put People First

Managers who are likely to move into true leadership roles understand the value of encouraging and cultivating interpersonal relationships. These relationships are not merely between customers and the company’s associates but among all associates as a whole. This helps unite your organization in the common goal of delivering the optimal customer experience based on service and respect.

Respect is a key calling card of great leaders when it comes to working effectively with people. They are fair in their dealings with their associates, rewarding successes, using failures as lessons to learn from, and can be tough without losing the respect of their teams . In fact, their perceived toughness can go a long way in earning the respect of those who work under them. They emphasize activities that will promote personal growth and satisfaction throughout the organization. For example, formal and informal mentoring programs are often used to help build workplace relationships, participants’ feelings of self-worth and level of confidence, and along the way they create a path upon which future leaders are created.

2. Communicate: Early, Often and Clearly

Communication goes hand-in-hand with people skills. Leaders are able to sharpen their people skills when they foster open dialogue, are clear in expressing their expectations, and spend as much time listening as they do talking. The most effective leaders understand and practice all forms of communication that create impact and buy-in. For example, verbal communication is critical, but when they are matched with non-verbal communications like hand motions and facial expressions, trust and believability can be more easily established.

Great leaders know their communication effectiveness sets an example for associates along all rungs of the organization’s ladder. Their style for clear and open communication will set the stage for a more cohesive business environment where misunderstandings and misrepresentations are infrequent. A leader’s ability to communicate what needs to be accomplished is vital to the success of any size task, according to Alan Cutler, author, and owner of U.K.-based consulting company Hospitality Leadership. According to Cutler, “A person holding a leadership position without a clear vision, or the ability to communicate one effectively, will be leading the team towards an uncertain future.”

3. Set a Clear Vision for the Future

The difference between a team member and a leader is perspective. Leaders don’t think of their position in the company as just a job and a paycheck, but rather a platform from which they can positively affect the business, its employees, and its customers. On one level, they have taken a deep understanding of their industry and applied it successfully to their careers. On another, in true leadership style , they have seen how their knowledge has created a clear vision of the future. As a visionary leader , they are now in a position to inspire others by making their vision a shared vision, representative of deeper aspirations. Success here makes it easier to attract and retain people who share a stake in the business’ growth and success.

4. Develop Team Leaders and Players

Leaders set an overarching tone for the collaborative teams that are essential to successful organizations . When team members work together it’s easier to avoid mistakes and issues that can lead to problems. Great leaders have learned to be good team players because that’s how they set the best example. This means they treat others as they’d like to be treated, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and celebrating the individual and group achievements for the contribution they make to the organization’s success. When everyone is working together toward a shared goal, the outcomes can have much more impact.

Education for the Next Generation of Leaders

Impactful leaders have the people skills, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, and with a clear vision for the future of their organization. They motivate and lead others to success. These leaders are needed in organizations across sectors and industries. Developing these essential leadership skills can turn an efficient manager into the leader who will guide their organizations on the path to solidarity, growth, and overall success.

Take your leadership development beyond training with instruction from the leading management faculty of Michigan State University’s top-ranked business school . MSU’s online Strategic Leadership & Management Certificates provide deep insights into strategy formation, career-specific knowledge, and targeted skills for leadership growth.

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Updated Jun 15, 2022

What Does Leadership Mean?

What is leadership, characteristics of a good leader , top leaders answer “what does leadership mean to you”, 3 tips for strengthening leadership skills, 3. make growth and development a top goal , effective leadership is not management .

According to the Brandon Hall Group, more than 70 percent of employees feel their leaders cannot carry their companies into the future. The organization’s research shows a mere 18% of businesses render their leaders “very effective” at meeting their organization’s goals. This demonstrates a gap between being given the opportunity to lead and effectively leading. To amend this problem, those in leadership roles need to answer two questions: “What is a leader?” and “What does leadership mean?”

As referenced in Jim Collins’ best-seller, Good to Great , the benefits of understanding and practicing strong leadership is the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Leaders who dedicate their lives to growing their leadership skills inspire and motivate their team members to achieve a mission that accomplishes their vision of a better future. They create trusting teams full of individuals who feel recognized for their work and fulfilled by it. As a result, the organization and its people prosper. Employee turnover reduces, engagement levels increase, and profits experience an upswing. When this happens, executives have more time to focus on the work that matters most: providing the direction needed for achieving their vision and multiplying leaders who will implement these plans. 

To learn how to do this, find out more about what leadership is, the leadership traits all great leaders need, and tips for becoming a better leader. 

Leadership is an action in which one person guides those around them to move from one point to another. The word stems from the Old-English word lædan , which means to lead, bring, take, carry, guide, or conduct. Additionally, the Middle High German word leiten , meaning “to lead, guide, travel, or to cause to go,” also influenced the development of the word “leadership.” In the early 1800s, people added the “-ship” aspect, which created a new word denoting a leader’s “state or position of being.” 

While the simple leadership definition above might make leading sound easy, developing into a top-tier leader takes a lifetime. Employees need to believe in their leader’s mission, have faith in the person guiding them, and feel motivated, inspired, and supported by them. Great leadership is influencing people so much, they volunteer to get on their feet and march into battle with you. As explained by John C. Maxwell in 5 Levels of Leadership , these people spend decades developing their leadership styles , qualities, and skills in order to best serve those around them, which in turn maximizes their influence. 

Needed leadership traits include, but are not limited to:

• Emotional intelligence
• Decisiveness
• Time management
• Analytical thinking
• Strategic planning
• Flexibility 
• Directiveness 
• Communication skills
• Vulnerability
• Resilience 
• Vision-casting abilities 
• Dedication to growing and developing other leaders

Find out how to develop the top 25 leadership qualities . 

Organizations and their people are like fingerprints—no two are exactly the same. While those in leadership roles might share common beliefs about what leadership means, each individual will have a different experience that shapes their definition of the word. For this reason, it’s important to ask a wide variety of people who’ve been effective leaders “What does leadership mean?” and “What does it mean to be a leader?” This helps provide more perspective on what leadership is. 

Below are some of the top quotes describing the meaning of leadership: 

• “Leadership is an action, not a position.” —Donald McGannon
• “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” —Bill Bradley
• “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” —Peter Drucker
• “The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them.” —Carlos Ghosn
• “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” —John C. Maxwell
• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” —John C. Maxwell 
• “Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.” —Stephen Covey
• “Real leadership is leaders recognizing that they serve the people that they lead.” —Pete Hoekstra
• A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see.” —Leroy Eimes
• “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” —Warren G. Bennis
• “There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust.” —Klaus Balkenhol
• “True leadership lies in guiding others to success—in ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well.” — Bill Owens

Read more inspiring leadership quotes . 

Answering the question, “What does leadership mean?” is the same as asking, “What actions should I practice to become a better leader?” This is because leadership is an action. Think of becoming an effective leader in an organization as becoming a professional basketball player. You need the desire, passion, resilience, and talent to reach the highest level of the game. Still, these resources aren’t enough. You’ll need to spend day-in and day-out refining your technique and skill set, despite how naturally gifted you are. Greatness doesn’t present itself on a silver platter. Leaders who want to know what strong leadership means have to put in the work to find out for themselves. To start the journey of doing this, practice the tips below. 

1. Define Your Vision and Mission  

One of the first steps in learning what it means to lead is developing a clear vision. Without a vision, there is no direction, and without direction, a leader isn’t leading. To learn how to cast a vision, study transformational leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. who focus on communicating exactly what they’re striving to accomplish. King’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech is one of the best examples of describing vision so well, the audience sees the leader’s words playing out in action. By emotionally resonating with those who follow him, he blurs the lines between his dream and their dream, compelling all those listening to turn this vision into a reality. Once covering an inspiring vision, direct people on the mission—what they need to do in order to make this common goal a reality. This is how you get people to stand up and willingly act. 

Get additional tips for creating a vision statement and a mission statement . 

2. Work on Gaining Emotional Intelligence 

Emotional intelligence consists of self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. All these are critical leadership skills because, without them, relationships crumble. As the late Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric wrote in a column for The Wallstreet Journal, “A leader’s intelligence has to have a strong emotional component . . . He has to have high levels of self-awareness, maturity, and self-control. She must be able to withstand the heat, handle setbacks and, when those lucky moments arise, enjoy success with equal parts of joy and humility.” He goes on to say it is one of the rarest qualities in a leader, but one of the most important. 

To develop an increased level of emotional intelligence:

• Reflect on emotional triggers—what causes you to get heated, shut down, or respond out of character?
• Strategize on how to gain control of your emotions. For instance, this might look like doing breathwork, working out for 30 minutes, or spending an hour practicing self-care. 
• Develop a problem-solving strategy and a decision-making process to avoid dwelling on issues too long. 
• Practice active listening. 
• Meet one-on-one with employees to discuss goals and their career development.
• Gain empathy by considering others’ emotions, feelings, and thoughts. 
• Use time management skills to prioritize and complete the work that matters most to the business’s future. 

Learn more about developing emotional intelligence . 

There’s no such thing as great team leadership by coincidence. As mentioned earlier, it takes dedication, practice, and the hunger to learn how to serve to the best of your abilities. Whether it’s reading leadership books and articles, listening to business podcasts , meeting with a mentor, watching leadership videos, or becoming a part of a mastermind group for business owners and executives, reserve a portion of your day for growth. In addition to this, establish a time to practice or sharpen the skills you’re learning. Your knowledge of leadership is most useful when it’s put into implementation. In doing these actions, you’ll actively learn what it means to be a leader.

Discover the answer to, “ Why is leadership important ?”

It should be noted that there’s a difference between leading and managing. Leaders communicate their vision, inspire people to do the work needed to obtain this picture of a better future, and shift the team’s direction as needed. Managers control the workflow process and make sure employees meet organizational goals. They might also directly provide employees with the resources they need to work. For example, a manager would be responsible for measuring an employees’ performance levels. However, a leader would be tasked with identifying and communicating quarterly goals. Unlike leaders, managers do not have people who follow them, they have subordinates. 

With that being said, are you leading or managing? While the two aren’t mutually exclusive, it is important that people know the difference so they can focus on doing the actions that develop impactful, purpose-driven companies. Letting managers manage and leaders lead allows everyone to properly play their role without stepping on each others’ toes. Additionally, leaders who try to lead and manage will find themselves with little to no work-life balance . This causes work stress and burnout because both positions are full-time jobs.

Feel like you’re still stuck in a managerial mindset? Check out the list of articles below to learn more about developing into a leader. 

The Difference Between Leadership and Management

What is Leadership, and How is Influence the Answer?

Servant Leadership: The Ultimate Key To A Healthy Business

Situational Leadership: Flexibility Produces Positive Results

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Essay Sample on What Does Leadership Mean to You

Leadership – what it means to me.

Leadership is an essential quality to have in any facet of life. Whether you’re in the workplace, a team setting, or even at home, having leadership skills can make all the difference.

It is a complex concept, and there are many different definitions and aspects of leadership. By the way, each person has their own way of doing things. If you have some difficulties with writing an essay about this, don’t be scared to ask for help. An online custom essay writing service can help you with this. For sure, it’s good for your leadership skills – ask for help when you understand that something is beyond your control.

So, to some, leadership is about being the front-runner in a group and taking charge when needed. To others, it’s about inspiring others around them and helping them reach their potential. It could also be about leading by example or being the moral compass for an organization or team.

No matter what your definition of leadership is, it requires hard work and dedication. It takes courage to step up in difficult situations and take responsibility for your own actions as well as those of your team or organization.

Let’s explore the concept of leadership from various perspectives and discuss tips for writing an essay on this subject together.

What Does Leadership Mean To Me? (Free Essay Sample)

Leadership is a topic that I have always been interested in. I think it’s because of the fact that I am a leader myself. My role as a leader has changed over the years and will continue to change as time goes on.

To me, leadership means taking charge of my life and making decisions on my own behalf. It also means having confidence in what I say and do, even if other people disagree with me. Leadership also means being able to take criticism from others without getting upset or angry about it!

To be a mentor

Also, having the power to influence people and help them achieve common goals. It’s about having the ability to create a positive atmosphere where everyone can thrive and work together toward achieving success. Leaders should be those who know how to bring out the best in their team and encourages them to reach their full potential. They should have a strong sense of empathy, be able to think strategically, and have great communication skills.

Be responsible

Leaders must as well be willing to accept responsibility for their actions, both good or bad. This includes acknowledging mistakes when they happen, as well as owning up to successes when they occur. Being accountable helps build trust between leaders and their teams, which is essential for any successful organization or group of people. This allows leaders to foster relationships with their team members, which can create a stronger sense of unity among everyone involved.

Be a role model

People with this skill should always strive to set an example for their team members with their own behavior and attitude. Setting the tone for others by displaying positive behavior can go a long way in creating an atmosphere of respect and cooperation within the group dynamic. A strong leader will also ensure that everyone is held accountable for their actions while maintaining morale among all members of the group or organization.

Be honest with yourself

Leadership means to me, being able to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and be willing to ask for help when you need it. It means knowing when to delegate authority to others and when to take charge of yourself.

I believe there are many different types of leaders out there today; some are good leaders while others are not so good at what they do. It all depends on how much time you spend studying leadership techniques and finding out what works best for you as an individual leader.

To be a leader is all of these things and more. To me, leadership is the art of getting things done through others. It is the ability to inspire and motivate others to work towards common goals. It is being able to effectively organize a group of people toward a single objective and then effectively directing their efforts toward that objective.

I think that management is something that comes naturally to some people but can be learned by others. This is a skill that anyone can learn and apply to their own lives, whether they are in a position of authority or not.

Famous Leaders Who Inspire Me

There are many famous people throughout history that have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. One leader that I find particularly inspiring is Nelson Mandela. His commitment to justice and equality was unwavering even when faced with extreme adversity. He used his platform as president of South Africa to promote peace and harmony among all people regardless of race or religion. His legacy serves as an important reminder that with hard work, dedication, and perseverance anything is possible!

Another leader that has inspired me is Mahatma Gandhi. He was a master at nonviolent resistance which he used in India during its fight for independence from the British Empire. His peaceful tactics gained worldwide attention which eventually helped India achieve its freedom from colonial rule without violence or bloodshed. He showed us how powerful nonviolence can be when used for good!

Finally, my definition of leadership wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Martin Luther King Jr., who famously said “I have a dream…” He used his platform as a civil rights activist to promote racial equality in America through peaceful protest and civil disobedience which ultimately led to the advancement of civil rights legislation in the United States. His words still resonate with millions around the world today.

In conclusion, I want to say that leadership is an essential quality that everyone should strive towards possessing in some form or another. For me, it means taking the initiative, being accountable for your actions, and leading by example in order to foster a positive environment within any given group setting or organization. It takes hard work but can be incredibly rewarding! With these qualities combined together as part of a leadership style, I’m sure everyone will be able to succeed no matter what challenges they face!

Tips for Writing an Essay About Leadership

When you are writing an essay on leadership, you can analyze personal statement essay examples . This can help you highlight writing tips by yourself. But if you are searching for easy ways, there are some important tips you should keep in mind.

Choose a specific example or story that illustrates your point about leadership

This could be either a personal experience or something you witnessed first-hand. Make sure that you focus on one particular event or situation so that your essay remains focused and concise.

Explain why your example is relevant

Once you’ve chosen an example or story, make sure you explain why it is relevant to what leadership means to you. What lessons did you learn from this experience that informs your current understanding of leadership? How has it shaped your beliefs?

Use concrete examples

When writing about any concept or idea, it’s important to use concrete examples that illustrate your points rather than abstract language or generalizations. Doing so will make your essay more engaging for readers, as well as more convincing in terms of demonstrating your understanding of the concept at hand.

Avoid cliches

While cliches can provide easy ways for expressing yourself in an essay, they can also make it sound generic and unoriginal — which is exactly what you don’t want! Instead of relying on cliches when discussing topics such as leadership, try to come up with unique ideas and phrases that capture what you are trying to say without sounding too similar to other essays written on this same topic.

That’s it! Go ahead and tell the world about your leadership!

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Effective Leadership: What It Means Essay

It is very imperative to bring a change in the organization and only successful leaders can bring this change in their organization and their team. Effective leaders have always a positive impact on their organization’s business and culture through their efficient leading style to bring prominent changes. An effective leader is well aware of leadership concepts and practices.

An effective leader honors his employee, give them credit on their hard work, learns from mistakes and try to change and overcome, never teases or criticizes his employee and try to develop a positive environment in which all work in a collaborative manner.

The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule————–Albert Einstein.

Leadership is not the same as management

Achieving a top is not an easy task or to rule someone is also difficult. Successful people always follow some rules to achieve the top. These rules make them different from others. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Powerful Lessons in Personal Change) By Stephen R.Covey book was first published in 1989. It is a self-help book and it gives a complete guide to those who want to be a successful professionals. Some rules must have to be followed in the path to success. This book divides principals into four sections: Paradigms and Principles, Private Victory, Public Victory, Renewal. Its chapters are dedicated to each habit. According to this book, seven habits for being a successful man are as follows”

• Be Proactive: the only activity which makes humans different from animals is self-awareness and this part of R.Covey deals with these characteristics. Gandhi said, “They can’t take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.”
• Begin with the End in Mind: Developing the target/mission in mind is one of the best habits of leaders.
• Put First Things First: Spend time on observing a proper balance between productions and producing production ability.
• Think Win/Win: Always be focus on the deal and try to win. If not then apply the “no-deal” formula.
• Seek First to Understand, Then to be understood: R.Covey described as the most important habit in building interpersonal skills.
• Synergize: try to solve the problem with mutual understanding.
• Sharpen the saw: Take time in solving issues, try to maintain a balance between physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

The above seven habits develop effectual changes in human personality. These seven habits are inside-out approaches to effectiveness. This book’s approach integrates personals and the paradigm shift from the personnel ethic towards character ethic. Every person’s character is a build-up of his habits. Habits make the person be judged. Most habits depend on three factors: dependence, interdependence, and independence. These habits build one’s personal productivity.

Ability, attention, and participation are the most important characteristics of authentic and successful leaders

Effective leadership always depends on the approaches, a leader carries in the path of success. People can be succeeded if they follow proper rules and possess some extraordinary qualities. The above-listed characteristics make the man perfect and able to rule. These seven habits create a balance between interpersonal and personal skills. If a person posses good and impressive qualities or habits then no one can indorse hurdles in the way and the person will directly reach the top.

Effective leadership is indispensable to learning, until and unless a person will learn, would not be able to lead. An effective leader must have some surplus and additional habits/skills for being a long-term leader. Leadership always depends on proper and on-time correct decisions. If a person posses above seven qualities then no doubt a leader can easily reach the top in this fast-moving world.

An effective leader is always determined, persuasive, and works for their best. It is well understood by them that there is always room for improvement. Excellence is what they want to achieve and whatever they do. They have a strong desire to do their best and perform outstandingly. The workforce they create is organized, unified, disciplined, cooperative, and very productive. They keep setting new standards and carve new ways to improve and bring change.

An effective leader always makes others feel honored and valued. He does not use his power to devalue others, never makes them feel bad for their mistakes, and never makes criticism. He brings changes only with optimistic thinking, a positive attitude, and words. He is always committed to helping others.

A leader is always an example for his employee and plays a role model for them. He tells others to do what he himself shows by his deeds. He is always a positive role model for others.

A successful leader is always productive, he must think and behave as a leader for a positive impact on employees, staff, and the organization. A leader is always aware of his strengths and weaknesses and keeps striving for his leadership role. The most important point is that before bringing any change in the organization and putting a positive impact on it, a leader must himself show by his deeds those positive attitudes and traits that he would like to implement in his organization.

An effective leader is always honest and trustworthy. He always deals honestly with others and develops trust with his employees and staff. He credits everyone. He admits their mistakes and tries to change and improve them rather than just blaming them for their errors. Honoring others is a very crucial point in his team leadership role

• Stephen R. Covey, Seven habits of effective people, 2008.
• Stephen Prosser, Leader’s effectiveness, 2008.
• Daniel P.Hallahan, Learning Disabilities, 2004.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 30). Effective Leadership: What It Means. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-leadership-what-it-means/

"Effective Leadership: What It Means." IvyPanda , 30 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/effective-leadership-what-it-means/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Effective Leadership: What It Means'. 30 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Effective Leadership: What It Means." September 30, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-leadership-what-it-means/.

1. IvyPanda . "Effective Leadership: What It Means." September 30, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-leadership-what-it-means/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Effective Leadership: What It Means." September 30, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-leadership-what-it-means/.

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Leader / What It Means to Be a Leader: Personal Statement

What It Means to Be a Leader: Personal Statement

• Category: Life , Education
• Topic: Leader , Personal Experience , Personal Statement

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