Saturday, October 27, 2007

My opinion on Leadership


A leader should be a father when it comes to discipline. He/she should be a mother when it comes to caring. A teacher when it comes to imparting knowledge. A guide when it comes to showing the right path. A friend when it comes to personal issues.

A leader is someone who leads from the front. He should set an example so that people follow him with faith. If he expects his team to be sincere and committed to work, he will have to show the same sincerity and commitment towards work. If a leader expects his team to do whatever work is assigned to him, then he too should take up any task when the situation demands so that the team feels motivated.
A leader should be a great listener and a good observer too. He should be patience personified. He should be proactive in making decisions and solving problems. He should have a democratic approach towards decision making. When he involves his team in decision making, he makes them feel important. This will reflect in the way they approach their task.

When two people work together difference of opinion is bound to happen. So, just imagine a team of 10 or more people. The chances of misunderstanding and clash of views is inevitable here. Here the leader has to play a very important role. He has to bring about consensus within the team and make the team understand what the objective of the team is. He should be able to convince the team that the decision being taken is in the larger interest of the team and one that will help them achieve their targets. This would lead to a positive reaction within the team even if their opinions and decisions were not considered. If they know why their opinion was not considered, they will not react in a negative manner.

I would like to end with a nice quote on leadership:

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. "
-Dwight Eisenhower

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