Concept of Leadership, Essay Example

Introduction

Leaders embody many important characteristics that support their professional growth and their ability to support the growth of others. Leaders must be able to communicate with persons at all levels and support the success of the team, and they must possess the ability to develop new ideas that are likely to improve current practice methods. Therefore, leaders must be capable of bringing new ideas to the table and demonstrate a level of confidence that will convince team members that these ideas will be effective if applied to the current environment. Effective leaders must be able to share knowledge with others, listen well, and provide feedback in a collaborative manner.

Analysis

Leaders also provide support and guidance during periods of conflict that may emerge as a result of different ideas or expectations, as well as within relationships (Rahim, 2011). These concerns require leaders to be open and honest regarding conflicts, including their causes and possible solutions (Rahim, 2011). They must also be willing and able to intervene as necessary in order to minimize conflicts between people that could have a detrimental impact on work performance (Rahim, 2011). In addition, some leaders might recognize personality differences that have an impact on work-related productivity; therefore, these must be properly addressed in order to facilitate positive results (Johnstone & Manica, 2011). It the responsibility of the leader in charge of a group to be mindful of the challenges of individual personalities and dynamics and to recognize when changes are required in order to accomplish the desired objectives of the group in a cohesive manner (Johnstone & Manica, 2011). These opportunities will support the execution of the leader’s vision and mission to achieve success within the team environment.

Leaders must also possess a strong ability to empower others and to recognize the importance of motivating team members to perform the required actions at the highest possible level (Chen et.al, 2011). High quality leaders work in an empowerment role so that other team members are able to achieve success in these roles and in addressing the challenges of the team environment, using principles such as relational communication in order to achieve the desired results (Watt, 2013). This practice enables leaders to address large-scale issues that will have an impact on practice methods, while also making decisions that are ethically responsible and appropriate for an organization and its people on many different levels in order to achieve results that are timely, effective, and appropriate in a given work environment and business climate  (Watt, 2013). It is also important to identify the challenges that exist within the leadership spectrum and to take the initiative to address problems as they arise to minimize complications that may result from concerns associated with conflicts, roles, and other factors that will impact short and long-term outcomes.

Conclusion

With this course experience, I have become more open to the opportunities that are available in the leadership role and will strive to be successful in supporting my peers in their efforts to achieve success. Leadership requires expert knowledge, motivation, guidance, support, and understanding of primary goals and objectives, the potential for conflicts, team-based performance, and other factors that will result in the desired outcomes. Therefore, leaders must be able to support an agenda that emphasizes their own characteristics as leaders and their ability to be effective in communicating this vision to other team members. Most importantly, leaders must provide an example for others to follow that supports their primary mission and agenda to be successful in communicating ideas and objectives in an effective manner.

References

Chen, G., Sharma, P. N., Edinger, S. K., Shapiro, D. L., & Farh, J. L. (2011). Motivating and demotivating forces in teams: cross-level influences of empowering leadership and relationship conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(3), 541.

Johnstone, R. A., & Manica, A. (2011). Evolution of personality differences in leadership. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(20), 8373-8378.

Rahim, M. A. (2011). Managing conflict in organizations. Transaction Publishers.

Watt, W. M. (2013). Relational Communication: Principles for Effective Leadership. book review, 37.