Effectual Leadership. It doesn’t take long to discover that today’s generation is faced with some very serious issues. On any given day, you can see them plastered as the latest headline highlighting a dire economy, record-breaking unemployment, financial meltdown, corporate bailouts, and the escalation of global terrorism and unrest. Yet, as serious as all of these issues are, they only serve as symptoms of a more pressing dilemma occurring worldwide, which is the lack of effective leadership.
It’s All About Leadership.
Nothing happens without leadership. Nothing changes without leadership. Nothing develops without leadership. Nothing improves without leadership. Nothing is corrected without leadership. Everyone, everywhere, every time is always being led. Every success and failure, victory and defeat, can be attributed to the effectiveness – or lack thereof, of a leader. Simply put, good leaders produces good results while poor leaders produce poor results. The reason why we are facing such challenges in the world today is because of poor leadership. People in positions of power and influence making bad decisions often due to self-serving ideals, and the preoccupation of power rather than being truly concerned for the welfare of others. A great leader lives with integrity; they are congruent in words and in actions, honest, trustworthy, authentic and compassionate.
Leadership which is one’s ability to get others to willingly follow but unfortunately many leaders today precisely in Africa are not able to influence their followers positively, a leader is a person who influences a group of people towards a specific result. It is not dependent on title or formal authority, every organization needs leaders at every level. We believe that an effective leader “is an individual with the capacity to consistently succeed in a given condition and be viewed as meeting the expectations of an organization or society.” They are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist, an individual who is appointed to a managerial position has the right to command and enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position. However, he or she must possess adequate personal attributes to match this authority, because authority is only potentially available to him / her. In the absence of sufficient personal competence, a CEO or manager may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenge his / her role in the organization or society and reduce it to that of a figurehead. However, only authority of position has the backing of formal sanctions. It follows that whoever wields personal influence and power can legitimize this only by gaining a formal position in the hierarchy, with commensurate authority. It would be beneficial to examine that most accounts of leadership over the past few millennia (since the creation of Christian religions) are through the perspective of a patriarchal society.
Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits. A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. A professional business mogul once said, “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.”
A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.
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The Leadership Dilemma.
Ironically, there is no lack of people occupying offices of leadership. The dilemma comes from the reality that many of them are simply not effective leaders. They are more concerned about maintaining the status quo than effecting change. Hence, we have the world’s ongoing dependence on technology, the growing chasm between the rich and the poor, and the continued moral degeneration of present and future generations. This is not to say all is bad. It can be argued that both the world in general and Africa specifically, has made mighty strides socially and politically.
Change, The Leadership Answer.
The only way to correct this dilemma is by discovering and developing ordinary people who are willing to use their gifts and talents to bring about extraordinary change. In essence, the answer is effective leadership. Leadership that provides real solutions, produces valuable leaders, and provokes hope for a better future. This is the type of leadership that is based on the biblical principle of being our brother and sister’s keeper and underscores the core beliefs of unity, prosperity and liberty for all. A leader inspires trust and action. One of the best things about being a leader is the privilege to share goals and dreams with members on your team. You can lead others with your words and actions, and earn your members trust, and inspire them to build their business, organization, society and develop needed skills for success. Your own actions inspire your members to believe in themselves and accelerate. A leader is also out in the trenches doing it every day. When your people see you out actually doing what you are advising them to do, they will then have more respect and trust in what you have to say.
This Noble Leadership is initiated for the desired exceptional Change and has genuinely taken lead by example, people believe what they see, not what they hear although what we hear has the ability to transform us. A leader offers the team hope and inspiration. Helping people to decide in today’s world to be the leader that offers a positive experience, and make a great difference in someone’s life and the society at large is fundamentally essential. When you do for others, you will also see a change in your own life and such is the quest which we premise our activism and merits. We are compelled to lead, encourage and train people to give hope to those who have no faith, offer encouragement to those who are afraid, inspire others by helping them discover their God given gifts and talents. A leader helps the team plan for success. It is impossible to know what direction to take, and how to know when you have reached your goals without a plan. A map or blueprint to see which direction and steps to take is essential to success. You have to decide where you are now in your life, and where you want to be. This is what we do and expect our proficient leaders to do for their team, organization, peers or society. Help them map out a plan for action. Leaders teach the team goal setting techniques, and how to develop a strategic plan for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual plans of action to help the team reach goals faster. We believe and advocate a move away from the scientific management approach towards a more humanistic one.
Leadership Analysis.
Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity. Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.
Dedication means spending whatever time or energy that is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.
Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the institution or organization. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership. Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god.
Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.
Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question.”
A Sense of Humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie. Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.
Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel that they are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.
Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader. Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness; it seems that being under-assertive or over-assertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.
Organization – An organization that is established as an instrument means for achieving defined objectives has been referred to as a formal organization. Its design specifies how goals are subdivided and reflected in subdivisions of the organization. Divisions, departments, sections, positions, jobs and tasks make up this work structure. Thus, the formal organization is expected to behave impersonally in regard to relationships with clients or with its members. According to Weber’s definition, entry and subsequent advancement is by merit or seniority. Employees receive a salary and enjoy a degree of tenure that safeguards them from the arbitrary influence of superiors or of powerful clients. The higher one’s position in the hierarchy, the greater one’s presumed expertise in adjudicating problems that may arise in the course of the work carried out at lower levels of the organization. It is this bureaucratic structure that forms the basis for the appointment of heads or chiefs of administrative subdivisions in the organization and endows them with the authority attached to their position.
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In contrast to the appointed head or chief of an administrative unit, a leader emerges within the context of the informal organization that underlies the formal structure. The informal organization expresses the personal objectives and goals of the individual membership. Their objectives and goals may or may not coincide with those of the formal organization. The informal organization represents an extension of the social structures that generally characterize human life – the spontaneous emergence of groups and organizations as ends in themselves. In prehistoric times, humanity was preoccupied with personal security, maintenance, protection, and survival. Now humanity spends a major portion of waking hours working for organizations. The need to identify with a community that provides security, protection, maintenance, and a feeling of belonging has continued unchanged from prehistoric times. This need is met by the informal organization and its emergent, or unofficial, leaders.
Leaders emerge from within the structure of the informal organization. Their personal qualities, the demands of the situation, or a combination of these and other factors attract followers who accept their leadership within one or several overlay structures. Instead of the authority of position held by an appointed head or chief, the emergent leader wields influence or power. Influence is the ability of a person to gain co-operation from others by means of persuasion or control over rewards. Power is a stronger form of influence because it reflects a person’s ability to enforce action through the control of a means of punishment.
Management – Over the years the philosophical terminology of “management and leadership have, in the organizational context, been used both as synonyms and with clearly differentiated meanings. Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted, and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by management experts between “transactional” leadership (characterized by e.g. emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and “transformational” leadership (characterized by e.g. charisma, personal relationships, creativity).
Group leadership, in contrast to individual leadership, some organizations have adopted group leadership. In this situation, more than one person provides direction to the group as a whole. Some organizations have taken this approach in hopes of increasing creativity, reducing costs, or downsizing. Others may see the traditional leadership of a boss as costing too much in team performance. In some situations, the team members best able to handle any given phase of the project become the temporary leaders. Additionally, as each team member has the opportunity to experience the elevated level of empowerment, it energizes staff and feeds the cycle of success.
Leaders who demonstrate persistence, tenacity, determination, and synergistic communication skills will bring out the same qualities in their groups. Good leaders use their own inner mentors to energize their team and organizations and lead a team to achieve success.
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These Group Leaderships or Leadership Teams Have Specific Characteristics:
There must be an awareness of unity on the part of all its members.
There must be interpersonal relationship. Members must have a chance to contribute, and learn from and work with others.
The members must have the ability to act together toward a common goal.
Ten Characteristics of Well-functioning Teams:
Purpose: Members proudly share a sense of why the team exists and are invested in accomplishing its mission and goals.
Priorities: Members know what needs to be done next, by whom, and by when to achieve team goals.
Roles: Members know their roles in getting tasks done and when to allow a more skillful member to do a certain task.
Decisions: Authority and decision-making lines are clearly understood.
Conflict: Conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to decision-making and personal growth.
Personal Traits: Members feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized.
Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as standards for everyone in the groups.
Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive and look forward to this time together.
Success: Members know clearly when the team has met with success and share in this equally and proudly.
Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills are provided and taken advantage of by team members.
Leadership Empowerment.
A Leader – At the most basic level, a leader is someone who lead others. But what makes someone a leader? What is it about being a leader that some people understand and use to their advantage? What can you do to be a leader? Here is my philosophy and how it can be achieved, we are set to guide the Africa’s future leaders on what they have do to become good leaders and perhaps direct the Nigerian society that is central in our campaign.
A leader is a person who has a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve that vision, and the skills to make it happen. Let’s look at each of those in detail.
The Leader’s Vision – A leader has a vision. Leaders see a problem that needs to be fixed or a goal that needs to be achieved. It may be something that no one else sees or simply something that no one else wants to tackle. Whatever it is, it is the focus of the leader’s attention and they attack it with a single-minded determination.
Whether the goal is to double the organization’s annual delivery results, develop a strategic plan or product that will solve a certain problem, or start an institution that can achieve the leader’s dream, the leader always has clear targets in mind. This is a big picture sort of thing, not the process improvement that reduces errors by 2% but the new implementing process that completely eliminates the step that caused the errors. Edison did not set out to build a better candle; he wanted to find a whole new way to illuminate the darkness. That’s the kind of vision a leader has.
The Drive To See It through.
It is not enough to just have a vision. Lots of people see things that should be done, things that should be fixed, great step forward that could be taken. What makes leaders different is that they act. They take the steps to achieve their vision.
Is it a passion for the idea, an inner sense of drive, or some sense of commitment? Whatever it is, it is the strength that lets leaders move their vision forward despite all the obstacles, despite all the people saying it can’t be done, it’s too costly, we tried that before, or a dozen other excuses. The true leader perseveres and moves forward.
Trait & Skills A Leader Must Have.
There are things that set leaders apart from other people. Some people are born with these characteristics. Others develop them as they improve as leaders. These are not magic bullets. They are things you can do and be if you want to be a leader.
Traits of A Leader.
There are as many traits of a leader as there are lists of what makes a leader. Here are the fundamental traits of a leader from my perspective:
Has integrity. People have to believe that you are pursuing your dream because it’s the right thing to do, not just because you are ego driven.
Is a people person. Understands the differences that make people unique and is able to use those individual skills to achieve the goal.
Is positive. A leader encourages and rewards people and makes you want to do it and do it right. A leader is not a negative person and doesn’t waste time and effort telling everyone what they are doing wrong.
Leadership Skills.
Beyond the personal traits of a leader, there are specific skills someone must master if they want to be leaders and such is our commitment to improving the society we live in by empowering children and youths.
Effective communication – it’s more than just being able to speak and write. A leader’s communication must move people to work toward the goal the leader has chosen.
Motivation – a leader has to be able to motivate everyone to contribute. Each of us has different “buttons”. A leader knows how to push the right buttons on everyone to make them really want to do their best to achieve the leader’s goal.
Planning – the leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He / she doesn’t get too bogged down in the details, that is what managers are for, but rather uses a high level plan to keep everyone moving together toward the goal.
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Bottom Line.
Leaders dream dreams. They refuse to let anyone or anything get in the way of achieving those dreams. They are realistic, but unrelenting. They are polite, but insistent. The constantly and consistently drive forward toward their goal. You can be a leader. You will be – when it matters enough to you.
Trustworthiness.
Trust is the basis for all the relationships in our lives. Without trust, it’s impossible to create healthy and productive environments, either in work or personal situations. Be aware that others are watching you, assessing your values system and integrity. People want to be assured that their trust, followed closely by their respect is being placed in a safe place – your hands – and that they are indeed wise to follow where you lead. When people trust you, they are more willing to give their best, as they know that they always get your best. This leadership quality is sometime referred as integrity or honor, but all these terms have the same basic meaning: you say what you do and do what you say.
Be Self Aware and Insightful About Your Impact On Others.
This is one of the qualities of good leadership that you really want to master. The best leaders are really great at watching how others are reacting to them and fine-tuning what they are saying to ensure that they are building the relationship. This doesn’t mean that they change their minds every second to get people to like them. Rather it’s about finding other ways to say things so that the person they are interacting with wants to work with them and not against them. The master leaders’ know that the power is in the relationship, and all relationships begin and end with what others think of you.
Love To Learn, Grow and Expand.
If you are not learning, growing, and expanding then you certainly can’t expect the people around you to be either! One of the things that seems to set all the great leaders apart is their absolute commitment to stepping into their potentials and discovering ways to be the best possible version of themselves. I don’t know about you, but I have yet to meet a leader that is considered to be at the top of his or her game, which doesn’t read, listen to audios, attend workshop or talk about what they are learning. They certainly don’t sit around waiting to be sent on some corporate course.
And here is the biggest distinction I think I have witnessed. They seem compelled to learn, grow, expand and yet they also seem to be very content with who they are as an individual. It is kind of like they have this mantra ‘Happy with where I am at but not settling’. There is no sense of desperation or not being good enough. More it is an intense curiosity and that deep knowing that the reason we as humans are on this planet is to love, grow, learn, and expand.
Have High Self Worth and Self Esteem.
You might not think that how you feel about yourself has a whole lot to do with how others perceive you or how effective you can be at taking charge of a group situation. However, it would be a huge mistake to make this assumption. Every individual is either their own best friend or their own worst enemy. How you feel about yourself often leads to subconscious patterns. Those with a negative self-worth may have many other leadership qualities, but sabotage their own efforts with a deep belief that they are not good enough to carry the day. Dealing with self-esteem can seem like a touchy-feely waste of time, but that is absolutely not the case. It is crucial to your success and leadership ability.
It’s interesting but almost without exception the leaders that my role-model Apostle Joshua Selman has coached (and that is in the high hundreds in one-to-one coaching, and many in workshop situations) have at some point struggled with their self-esteem considerably the testimonies gathered. In coaching sessions time and again leaders have asked him to help them work through situations where their self-belief is hurting them. For most leaders this is just a momentary thing and not something that dominates their lives. But even those momentary lapses do make sure that you have the skills to recognize when it is your self-worth that is creating a problem and pick yourself up and get back into the game with a healthier perspective.
Leaders Are Excited By Life.
If you are not excited about the journey ahead how on earth will you excite those around you? Now this doesn’t mean you need to go all a cheer leader. But it does mean that you get out there with a spring in your step and a vibe of passion, urgency, desire, energy and animation that others just can’t help but be compelled by.