Successful Leadership
The sixth president of the United States of America, John Quincy Adams said of leadership, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." (Wisdomquotes.com) The dictionary defines leader as, “a person who rules or guides or inspires others”. (WorldNet, dictionary.com) At its most basic level leadership is one’s ability to inspire and influence. Though leaders often lead others to accomplish more, poor leadership can be the source of extreme frustration and lead to subpar performance. The success of the workplace is contingent on good leadership. Many organizations are run smoothly and efficiently while others are swamped down in chaos and confusion. The difference is leadership. The workplace is an excellent setting that provides countless opportunities for the development and improvement of leadership skills. I believe successful leadership can be narrowed down to three essential factors in the workplace; concentration on people, clear communication, and leadership character.
PEOPLE
A good leader understands that he or she cannot accomplish anything without the support of followers. Leaders rally the support of their followers. MacMillan states in his book, The Performance Factor, “Leaders who must rely on positional authority and autocratic style to achieve their ends seldom see the levels of performance shown to leaders who see their role as one of service and support.” (MacMillan, 20) The best way to rally support and the best efforts of the people being led is by showing love, dignity, and respect. The secular leader can apply the principles of this model, but only a Christian can understand the reasoning behind it. ...