Leadership, Credibility, and Personality - Essay Example

You’re Name Professor Course 20 November 2006 Reflection Essay 1. Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen. In this world that we live in there are those that are natural born leaders and then there are those that are followers. The perception that is gained about this statement is that the idea of leadership is meant to find solutions to various problems in the world in order to make the place that people live far better. Without leaders ideas would not be able to be developed to change problems such as overpopulation, global-warming, natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, crime, and other societal and natural issues in the world. It takes someone with inept skill, drive, determination, and a willingness to make a difference in the world for change to actually take place. Not only this but it takes an individual who has the power to magnify their voice so that the attention will be gained with the right people in order to have the changes discussed implemented in order to have extraordinary differences in life emerge. Also, leaders and leadership has to be filled by people who have good communication skills and who can work well with others. A leader is not simply someone who says something must be done but it is an individual who works well with others in order to find solutions to change circumstances that might be adverse to society. For instance, leaders normally have strong interpersonal skills and a good knowledge in many different fields so that they can develop strong and logical discussions, as well as attempt to implement strategies that will make a difference for life or even for just an organization perhaps. They work well with others and in group situations and they show empathy and consideration for other people. Without these characteristics leadership will change nothing, it is the individual who is the leader that makes all the difference. 2. Without credibility you can’t lead. A leader has to have a good past record with those that they have been affiliated with before. Their references and sources for change have to be credible because without credibility there is no one who will believe what they are saying period. Credibility in leadership revolves around the person’s character, their influence, their past, friendships, professional references, sources of reference for their ideas, and practically it encases their whole lives so they must live up to the standards that they present to society. For example, if a speaker is stating that immigration has to be controlled so that no more illegal immigrants can sneak across the border then they can’t somehow allow for certain immigrants to get through while preventing others access. If this were the case there would be no credibility to their statements or actions whatsoever. What would exist would be hypocrisy and no one follows a leader with this type of mentality. A leader has to show that what they state and what they do is credible by being able to prove it through irrefutable sources and other necessary means. Furthermore, every statement that they make and every idea presented has to hold validity which is the same as credibility. It is easy for someone to approach a podium with thousands of people looking and listening and state global warming has to be solved. It is their actions and their research that has to be proven to be credible and accurate in order for people to truly believe and thus make actions to change the course of their lives or the world in which they live. With no credibility comes no change and with no change nothing can improve and no differences to life will take place. It is almost like being stuck in a rut with no logical solution. Credibility is one of the most important attributes that a leader has to have in order to succeed. Again, without it they are simply a lost voice ultimately falling on deaf ears. 3. We lead from the essence of who we are as a person. Leaders present themselves to the public in the same way as how they should be living their lives. Many of the ideas that are presented are from personal standpoints that those who are in a leadership role want to see taking place. They not only want to see change for themselves but for the whole world, it is ultimately what drives them to make their points and to prove how valuable certain changes are to society. Who a leader is as a person is portrayed in their presentation to the world. Looking at the President we see that he is a very caring individual, someone who stands up for what is right and one that is not scared to take chances and make decisions that he feels will make a difference. In his personal life we see these same traits. He has strong moral values that are presented to society and of which are in his own personal character as well. He believes in the sanctity of marriage and not only discusses how important marriage is openly but he has these same moralistic ideas in his own marriage as well. So it is seen that leaders bring forth their personal ideas and want to take these to shape an organization, community, society, or even whole country. This is why in areas of the world where there is communism or other adverse problems people state that it is because of the leadership that exists there. Well this is very true, powerful leaders don’t gain the positions that they do without their own personal thoughts and judgments assisting them in getting there. They can change many minds and many ways of life if allowed. They can also cause many problems and promote heartache and sadness as well. This is why making sure that a person is credible in what they are saying is so important because if one does not examine how they are living their own life then they will miss the big picture and this can be a mistake. When you look at a person and what they have, as well as how they live you see how they would affect a society as a leader. They aren’t going to change their ideas because these are what make them who they are; it is the essence of the person in their entirety. Although individuals might be swayed by another’s thoughts, even if they are they will change or ask for change in not only society but in their personal family lives as well. 4. We lead by being human. We do not lead by being corporate, professional, or institutional. In order to be a good leader it has always been perceived that the one leading has to be able to show empathy and understanding to other people in society. Someone who does not have the ability to comprehend another’s pain and show human emotion is not ever going to be representative of a good leader. This is why it is stated ‘we lead by being human’. Human beings need a leader that they can relate to, someone that they feel they can depend upon and more than anything else an individual that they feel is fair and just and understands the ideals of humanity and what it is to be human. All people make mistakes and leaders in society need to be aware that there is faltering, no one is robotic and no one can make decisions based on just their personal feelings, they require observations as well. The only way they can gain what they need is by accepting their humanity and being equal with other human beings instead of being somehow supreme or steps above them. This is a false type of ideology and although it is stated here it does not make a good leader, it is something that transpires all too commonly in society and it is why many of the leaders today are criticized and not accepted fully. They are not like humans and they do not show the compassion that human beings would like to see in a leader. At this same time there are those who are in leadership roles who are very open to the concept of what it takes to lead and they understand the essence of humanity is what makes them. There are many examples that could be given to validate this statement and these would include leaders from the past such as Gandhi, to leaders of the present to include Tony Blair, and President Bush as well. These three leaders understand compassion, openness, communication, honesty, and more than anything they comprehend the true meaning in the statement, ‘to lead is to be human’. 5. And the truth of your experience can only come through in your own voice. When an individual speaks about experiences in life, the best thoughts and feelings are provoked from others when the person who has actually experienced them discusses the circumstances themselves. This is obviously because everyone is aware of how rumors get started and unless a person can hear the occurrences from the actual person or persons who were involved in them then somehow the truth gets lost along the way. Often times something might be stated about someone that is totally false and is instigated by another individual who simply doesn’t like them or wants to seek some type of revenge or retribution for the person wronging them in some way. This leads many down the wrong path of thought about some people, specifically about those who might be in leadership roles. Unless one seeks the truth themselves by going and talking to the main people who are a part of a certain experience then they will never acquire the actual truth to the matter. It will always be exaggerated, filled with colorful scenarios that didn’t happen, or blown entirely out of context period. People are simply this way, they gain some form of enjoyment by hearing stories that are incriminated and even fabricated to certain degrees. It is assumed that for some people this brings excitement to a dull and mundane existence. However, believing something that is not entirely true can hurt those who are the truth holders. It takes courage to speak the truth and it also takes faith in one’s self to be willing to speak about it in public. If a person does have this type of ability then they have the power to dispel rumors and fabrications and have their voices heard with pronounced clarity so the real truth will be validated by their own voice. 6. “We all have to ask ourselves, How do I go to work today and do something that will move the enterprise and myself another step in the right direction? The majority of people in a profession are motivated by their own goals and ambitions. They want to better the company or organization that they work for and for the majority it is knowing that the only way to do this is by bettering oneself as an employee. When an individual begins receiving recognition for the contributions that they make to a business then the business looks good, thus this improves the enterprise in its own way. It takes teamwork a lot of times, and attempting to better an enterprise or move it to transcend beyond what it already is takes more than one individual nine times out of ten. Unquestionably, when one goes to work they have to have the idea instilled in their mind that they are going to achieve more than what they set their mind to. Hard work, determination, willingness, and an unbridled effort to work as a group is ultimately the main point that one has to keep in mind in order to make momentous changes and to improve upon the organization. An individual has to have the fortitude within them to make a difference, and they obviously have to be willing to change if that is what an enterprise or an organization requires of them. The saying, ‘two minds are better than one’ is very true as when more than one person shares their thoughts on a subject great improvements can be foreseen for the future. 7. Do not think you are the best and that you can do everything all by yourself-only teamwork brings the best results. The mistake that many people make in life is thinking that they can handle everything on their own. The world does not work like this. When someone believes that they need no help from anyone else then shortcomings are sure to follow. Research that has been conducted and gathered over the years has proven that groups of people working together, with strong interpersonal relationships have made all the difference in businesses and in life in general. There is no truth to be found in the statement, ‘you can do everything all by yourself,’ it simply is not true. If this were the case then there would be no need for more than one leader in an organization. It has often been heard, ‘strong minds think alike.’ Well this is stated because it is well known that one thought leads to good things if it is positive but others who share in the same sentimentality can make wiser and broader impressions along the way. This is why teamwork is so important to any business or in any circumstance. When one does not know the solution wholly, another might know the other portion of it and yet another might have another of the solutions to the problem. So therefore, working in unison and in harmony with one another can make all the difference in the world. Read More