Tag Archives: Leadership Coaching

Important Leadership Characteristics For Your Success

Effective leadership characteristics would determine the result of your project or goal in life.

It involves the way you act and react towards events and circumstances in life. It affects the way you handle and deal with other people.

Learn these valuable leadership traits you can develop in order to increase the rate of making better achievement with whatever you do.

Strong Purpose and Will

Handling yourself with whatever you face is first. You must understand and know what you really want to happen in life.

Similar to personal goal setting, this is vital for leadership characteristics so you’ll have a firm direction once you decided on doing something.

You should have the “strength of will” in order to continue what you have decided to do so that your plans will progress and you’ll make achievement through your best performance.

With this, you’ll have respect for your own self and so as other people like your team members if you’re leading a group of people.

Having dedication to your work and firmness to succeed despite the odds and challenges can influence other people.

Your team member will also be motivated and inspired to do their best when they see and feel your “spirit.”

Planning and Direction

Leadership characteristics would involve sufficient planning and a “sense of direction.”

It means you have to prepare yourself properly with the things you’ll do and condition yourself for it. It would be best for you to get organized with your actions so that you’ll not be wasting limited time and effort.

Planning includes listing your tasks and scheduling like using a structured planner for your days of the week. Daily planners, weekly planners and monthly planners can be handy.

You can also use the assistance of a time management software which you can buy or download from local or online stores.

It would be ideal for leadership traits to develop the habit of planning everything you must do before executing your activities.

This can eliminate unnecessary mistakes and unexpected problems along the way which would also give your team members a better sense of security and confidence.

A proper direction can be developed when everything is planned well. It will avoid confusion and productivity will increase dramatically when this trait is developed with your leadership characteristics.

Unity Through Stable Connection

In every social interaction, communication is important. Leadership traits would need constant and open dialogue with your team members.

You should build closeness within the group by being available to them.

You should be easy to talk with and have a “good attitude” towards your team members so that things will be clear and understandable as you do things together.

As part of leadership traits, sufficient communication promotes bonding and better performance when the group is working on something.

Problems and troubles cannot be fully avoided and this is where a stable connection within the group shows its benefits and strengths.

When there’s more trust and comfortable feeling with each other, most of the problems can be overcome with less stress and frustration.

Servant Leadership is Exceptional

While a lot of people would think that being a leader is about getting the following and admiration of other people, this should not be the case.

It is important in leadership characteristics to become a good example to your team members. You should not only give commands and expect results from them.

Servant leadership is about participating in the activities of your team, you should somehow work along with your members.

This way you can build a better bond with them and they’ll be able to see how things are done according to your perspective and ideas.

This could make it easier for you to lead because your members will develop a unique closeness to you and they will most likely follow your examples of action.

As part of leadership characteristics, you’ll be able to show your team that you’re active in participation with them in doing an activity or project.

Being a leader, of course you don’t have to do as much as your members because you have your own responsibilities like thinking and making decisions.

Yet somehow you were able to participate and help your team in a special way.

———————————————————————————–

Developing leadership characteristics can help you in many ways with your living.

It would be a remarkable part of your personal development and it will make you stand out from most people around you because you’ll be capable of leading and guiding common types of people.

You may also want to read “5 Great Leadership Traits” to improve your personal leadership.

Another article that is interesting to study is: “5 Dynamic Leadership Characteristics”

Thanks for your interest.

Sincerely,

Mervin
Webmaster

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mervin_G_Simpao/1476085

 

Engineering Your Leadership

Creating a multidimensional approach for successful leadership development is increasingly becoming a challenge in industries facing significant change. In my healthcare career, I have seen a great deal of shrinkage in the services healthcare centers and facilities offer. Just as consistent, administrative teams are reducing the expenditures of programs surrounding areas of staff development, both in a professional approach (such as for leadership) and a skills approach (OJTs). Leadership development is being left to minimal involvement with a growing focus on books, webinars, websites, assessments and articles. These things are great, so long as they are structured in a manner that strategically develops leaders.

When considering the topics of leadership development, there are a few core areas that should be reviewed. First, and foundationally, is leadership research. The focus and study of leadership research reveals a history of evolution of thought and approaches to leadership development. This includes strengthened assessments and models over time, as well as analyses on what successful and effective leaders have regarding traits, skills and behaviors.

As leadership research is broken down, the study of leadership styles can provide leaders with a great deal of information as they analyze their own leadership styles while considering the characteristics of other styles. This opens up expanded views and provides education to the leader on how to expand their own style. A lot of focus in leadership styles is centered on answering the question of ‘what style makes the most effective and successful leader’. Frankly, there isn’t a magic bullet style; it’s situational and individually based, which flows naturally into the next element of study in leadership development. Effective leaders have the finely tuned ability to apply situational leadership and contingency approaches, based on the situation, environmental variables, followers and tasks. The models in this area provide leaders with a pragmatic approach to the various situations that are frequently faced.

The next critical area of review for leadership development is understanding followers and employees. The key is to be able to identify follower and employee types, as well as understanding what traits, behaviors and characteristics that effective employees and followers possess. Understanding these items is like looking into a crystal ball; you can more accurately predict the likely success and struggles of an employee and/or group of employees.

The last, most critical, element is the alignment and optimization of the leader with the variables above. If a leader is able to develop the skills, traits, characteristics and behaviors of effective leaders while also developing their own leadership style, the leader’s development is immensely advanced. Stepping beyond these items, applying situational leadership gives the leader an entirely new level of transformative leadership through the ability to respond and effectively lead in rapidly changing environments. When you couple this with the understanding of individual follower and employee dynamics, the leader becomes deeply aligned with an effective leadership approach that is applicable in any environment. A great tool to address these areas is The Optimized Leader, as it is developed around these very topics, strategically structured to answer the challenges leaders face with a key approach: it applies to all leaders, individually more than (versus) all leaders, collectively.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Hesston_L._Johnson/1372491

 

The Christian Philosophy of Leadership

In the scenario described in Matthew Chapter Twenty, the mother of James and John approached Jesus asking that her sons sit beside Him in His Kingdom. This provided opportunity for Jesus to introduce three key attitudes in Christian leadership: Suffering, parity and service.

Suffering

The pressures of leadership are enormous. A leader must expect to suffer, often in secret, as part of his calling.

Parity

Ministers are equal in authority within the body of Christ. They relate to one another like knights at a round table rather than ranks in an army. Biblical government consists of ministers working together, with mutual respect as equals. Authoritarian hierarchies have no place in God’s Kingdom. They are worldly in their conception and lead to the very things for which Jesus rebuked the two disciples in this passage.

Service

Leaders have a servant rather than ruler attitude. People are the focus of their ministry, not merely tools for their own ambitions.

What were James and John seeking and how did they go about it?

They sought status and honor through manipulation. They mentioned nothing of actual work to accomplish, just ranks. They assumed the Kingdom of God would be set up just like any other government, with Jesus as supreme ruler, followed by a series of ranks.

We can imagine them plotting, “You know, Jesus can be a little tough on us sometimes. He’s really gentle with women, though. Let’s see if we can get mom to talk to Him. Maybe she can land a good position for us.”

This is politicking. Such manipulation typifies the world’s leadership. Jesus does not rebuke them for ambition because ambition is a good thing if it is for God’s glory. Instead, He warns against seeking one’s own honor.

Jesus makes it clear He is not in charge of promotions in the personnel department. The Father is. They were asking the wrong person.

From this, we see a hint of the first principle of Christian leadership in the New Testament: It is a gift from God.

Nevertheless, these sons of Zebedee had two laudable qualities, though seriously misdirected:

Ambition

This is a good characteristic if directed toward the glory of God rather than our own self-worth.

Confidence

There exists a self-confidence that is commendable if it is ultimately based on trust in God. Unfortunately, it was confidence in themselves rather than in God. “We are able.” They considered themselves eminently able. The garden of Gethsemane taught them otherwise. They abandoned Jesus and fled.

This brings up the first key attitude Jesus taught them.

First key attitude: Willing to embrace suffering

You don’t know what you are asking, Jesus said to them. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? We can, they answered. Matthew 20:22

The call to Christian leadership is a call to suffering. The suffering involved, especially in the Western world, usually takes the form of psychological pressure and unique stresses other believers neither bear nor understand.

People often have high expectations of a leader that he is unable to meet. Some Christians may be looking more to a pastor than to Christ. When the pastor fails to meet their expectations, they may consider him incompetent.

Some under a pastor’s care may be insubmissive and will yield only when pressured. Sometimes the leader must hold the line on godly principles, risking misunderstanding and criticism.

Occasionally church leaders must apply biblical discipline when it may be unpopular to do so. When dealing with such, the leaders often cannot reveal the problem to the congregation. Members with incomplete knowledge of the case may draw wrong conclusions about the leaders’ decisions. They may imagine the leaders are too harsh or too lax in discipline. The leaders may find themselves suffering in silence. Yet, God has wisely arranged it so.

Titles and honors that accompany the office of leader are insufficient to compensate for the stress. Those who highly value titles or honors more than service, soon find themselves disillusioned.

Similarly, in his book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper attacks the attitude of professionalism in pastoral ministry that undermines the willingness to embrace suffering.

We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not… the mentality of the slave of Christ. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry… For there is no professional childlikeness, Matthew18:3; there is no professional tenderheartedness, Ephesians 4:32; there is no professional panting after God. Psalm 42:1.

Second key attitude: Parity

Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave Matthew 20:25-27

On the mission field, I worked with a newly ordained national who happened to be a medical doctor. He had some rough edges to his personality, independent and opinionated. Over time we became great friends and worked well together. Let’s call him José.

Eventually, José moved to another city to work with a team. A missionary from that team called me and asked, Roger, I’m having trouble getting along with José. I noticed you get along fine and work productively together. Can you give me some clues as to how to handle him?

This was my answer: Brother, in the first place, quit trying to handle him. Treat him as a colleague. Call him up once in a while and ask his advice. Ask him to help you. Think of him as your equal because after all, he has the same ordination as you. Do this and he will eat out of your hand.

The missionary paused on the phone for about twenty seconds. I don’t think I can do that, he replied. Then I cannot help you, I concluded.

Sadly, he could not consider a national, even a medical doctor, his equal. He saw himself on the rung of a hierarchy with the nationals a lower rank. Treating José as an equal would have contradicted his entire view of leadership, inherited from his corporate business culture.

Continue reading

Leadership Development Can Spell the Difference Between Company Survival and Failure

Technology and globalization have brought new and profound challenges never before seen in the corporate world. Companies built through decades of strong market domination crumble in just a matter of months, or weeks even. Emerging issues in politics and religion, disparities in population trends, even destructive weather patterns that are increasingly unpredictable – all these have a huge impact on corporations across the world, regardless of their core competency. The challenges are complex and daunting but one singular idea is fast gaining ground – leadership development is a secure solution to ensure company survival.

Management Versus Leadership

Many people often make the mistake of equating management with leadership when, in fact, these are two completely different concepts. Management is a function of processes and systems and how well they are used to maintain quality or achieve tangible targets. Leadership, on the other hand, is management and so much more.

A manager is defined by his authority vis-à-vis those above and below him in the whole corporate hierarchy. A leader is defined by his relationship to a group of individuals who willingly submit themselves to be his followers. Management depends on acquired skills but leadership relies on more abstract qualities such as behavior, trust, and inspiration. This makes leadership development about more than teaching market theories or communication skills.

Leadership Skills

Some people seem to be born more charismatic than others and are thus theoretically predisposed to leadership but this is not necessarily true. Leadership is much more than charisma, it is the ability to rise up to challenge. Regular people have been seen to rise from the ranks to emerge into a formidable leader. This continually happens regardless of educational background, gender, age or type of business but one thing is common among them – an unmistakable motivation and single-mindedness to bring their team towards a goal.

But can leadership skills be acquired just as management skills can be acquired? With the right specialized leadership development yes, it is possible to teach leadership skills including:

1. Listening. A good leader gains loyal following because he is perceived to understand the concerns of his teammates as well as their goals. Listening is tuning in and being keenly observant of the dynamics within and outside of the workplace.

2. Strategic Planning. Successful leaders know how to anticipate issues even before they arise and are able to maximize the company’s resources to resolve them. Leadership development centers on enhancing critical thinking beyond traditional management theories and practices.

3. Team Building. A good leader builds the company’s strength around its human resources. She does not take credit for successes but acknowledges that any achievement is always a result of a cohesive organization.

4. Management and Communication. Needless to say, a good leader must be well-informed about the company’s vision, objectives, and procedures to ably steer the team in the right direction. He should also effectively communicate these down and across the line so that everyone understands and works together.

5. Adaptation. The current corporate world is so dynamic it is easy to get lost in the complexities of issues and challenges. Sticking to traditional solutions will guarantee failure so an effective leader must be flexible and adaptable. She must be able to think out-of-the-box and turn difficulties into opportunities.

Leadership development requires specialized training to help future leaders realize their potentials. Professional development companies offer leadership training workshops to businesses who want to create a pool of leaders within their ranks. With the company’s survival at stake, it is important to match the challenge of the times with good leaders who can help you achieve your company’s overall goals.

Rob Jackson is President of Magnovo Training Group, a soft-skills training company focusing on corporate team building, classroom training and leadership development. Rob has been a speaker and trainer for over 20 years specializing in effective leadership, personality profiles, relational sales training, executive presence and team building. He has served as President and Chairman on several Executive Leadership boards. In addition to being a Certified DiSC Trainer, Rob has logged hundreds of instructional classroom hours. For more information please visit http://www.magnovo.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robert_C_Jackson/283640

 

Leadership: Why Define It? Can We Define It?

Warning… This leadership discussion his highly flammable.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. What? That can’t be because Webster defines it, Oxford brands it, and Google’s all over it. Right now, there are leadership “experts” calling me names. They mock me and call me an amateur. Ron Burgundy is calling Busch League. They say I’ve lost my mind. That’s fine. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. I’ll throw out some questions I hear that lead me to this premise that I keep repeating and experts keep denying:

Why are there thousands (OK, hundreds) of books on the subject?

Why are there so many different ingredients in leadership, many that people agree upon, many more that they won’t?

When you ask 10 people to name 5 traits that make up a good leader, you’ll get 10 different answers.

Is leadership a noun, a verb, both?

Is there good leadership? Bad leadership?

Are there poor leaders?

If I view leadership as a positive, how can you have poor leadership? Isn’t that like having dry water?

I could go on and on about the subject of leadership and how we can’t pin down it’s true definition. Why would we want too? Why do we constantly try and put leadership in this neat little box and package it as one size fits all? Why do we go back and forth on the makeup of great leaders, than try and construct one like were in the movie Weird Science? No thanks, I’ll pass on the Scud Missile in my living room.

Leadership. It cannot be defined. It’s “true” meaning changes colors like a chameleon as it adapts from situation to situation. Leadership was never meant to be defined. It’s a Unicorn, Sasquatch, the Lock Ness. It can transform like Optimus. We have faith in it and we believe in it, right? It can be surrounded by fog yet simultaneously crystal clear. It’s all around us but we can’t physically see it… or can we? It’s a ghost that whispers your name but you can’t tell which direction it’s coming from. If leadership falls in a forest and no one’s around, does it make any noise? Leadership is a Stealth Bomber, undetectable on radar. Lincoln and Washington were great leaders right? Why? I guarantee that someone’s answer can be applied to Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn… for arguments sake.

Now’s the time to stop defining leadership. It needs no definition. It needs no introduction. Leadership has no agenda and doesn’t play favorites. Leadership doesn’t play at all.

Let it be… it will find you.

[http://www.fogofleadership.com]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tim_Woody/207212