Are you a leader or follower at work? Often in business it is widely believed that it is best to lead than to follow. Business does need positions of both types of people in order for a business to work successfully. A leadership position is usually identified by specific roles of managers and supervisors, hence given the definition of a leader. Followers tend to be characterized by someone who is given information and direction with the task of processing or completing an assignment with pre-planed productive results, they are the one who put the plan into action and create the results. Both positions are essential for success and completely dependent on each other, but is one more important than the other?
In a business organization, a leadership role is often characterized by a person who has the core ability to plan, implement, delegate, oversee, influence, and empower other employees toward a specific company goal. The character of a strong leader should have dominant personality traits to execute taught skill sets. For someone to take on a leading title they must not only be capable of taking on highly important responsibilities, but on average a successful leader is only eligible for the task when they can also easily influence others to follower their direction. A person must be able to persuade and influence people naturally, and the person is much more successful when they have confidence in themselves, and in their ideas and ability, all of which are visible. Additional skills are obtained through training to enhance the talent of instructing others in an effective manner.
A leader must be seen as an expert who has all the correct information and idea’s based on their vision. Envisioning opportunities may be one ...
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...must support the follower and followers must support the leader. A leader would not be a leader if there was no one to follow, and a follower would not be able to follow if there was not a leader. The line between the two roles is not an impassable line either. In most cases a leader was once a follower who decided they had the ability and desire to step out of their current role and take charge of assisting others to be more effective. The transition from a leader to a follower is made from personal and situational factors. Likewise a leader is usually also a follower of their leader at the same time as being a leader to other followers. The entire chain of command is completely dependent on the other parts and roles as a whole. One could a agree that for organizational success there must be someone to say “lets do this”, and others to agree and follow.
Leaders are meant to bring up loyal followers who can assume the lead if they are called to do so. A major driving force for leadership is a mutually agreed upon goal. This allows a smoother relationship between all parties involved because they are all working towards the same outcome. Leadership is not a position; it is a way one conducts himself. With that being said, there are times when a leader needs to function as a follower. A leader must be able to adjust accordingly to different situations, and be whatever is called for in the moment. Leaders and Followers feed off of each
Leadership can be defined as the ability of a superior to influence the behavior of a minor or group and persuade them to follow a particular course of action. A leader sets a course of action and ensures that everyone follows the action. Leading can apply to leading oneself, other individuals, groups, organizations and societies. The nature of how leading is done depends on the framework of the situation, one's point of view, and on the nature and needs of those involved. While leadership is learned, the skills and knowledge processed by the leader are influenced by their traits, such as beliefs, values, ethics, and most importantly character.
Leadership is a quality which cannot be acquired by any person from the other but it can be acquired by self-determination of a person. Leadership can best be called the personality of the very highest ability-whether in ruling, thinking, imagining, innovation, warring, or religious influencing. Leadership is practiced not so much in words a it is in attitude and in actions. Their actions leave a long lasting memory in the line of history and lead up to may events that occur today. To be a leader one will need many qualities. Leaders have a purpose and strategies to accomplish that purpose. They are driven and motivated. In the end they should be able to attain good results. These innate talents help to make up a leader that will succeed and be efficient in carrying out tasks. But, the purpose of this paper is determine what truly makes a leader successful. A successful leader should be considered more on their impact rather than their accomplishments of their organizations alone for they are not sufficient in determining the key to their success .
One may wonder exactly what it is that qualities a strong leader possesses. A strong leader is determined, and strong willed. They must be of good judgment, and without bias. They cannot easily be persuaded, and they are firm, yet at the same time, a good lead must also empathize with his subordinates, and have the best interest at heart for said subordinates, at all times. However, with that being said, a good leader cannot be afraid to discipline his subordinates when necessary. Unmistakably, being a leader is a very difficult feat – one which not everyone can accomplish. A leader must be an authority, a friend and a counsellor, all at once. They must be responsible, and always take into account the disadvantages of a situation. Not everyone is suitable to be a leader, whereas, just about anybody can be a good role model.
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
A leader needs to “believe” in oneself and have the confidence that whatever you say will excite and what you do can motivate others. You must be optimistic about what you do, do have some relevance for being in existence. Believe it or not, “leadership begins with you”.
In organizations aspiring for growth and continual improvement, relationships are more intricate and alternatives more numerous than the either/or imposition implied by the notion of leaders and followers. Practically no one leads all of the time. Leaders also work as followers; all in all, “everyone uses a portion of their day following and another portion leading” (Galie and Bopst, 2006, p. 11).
Many Scholars characterize the core qualities and skills necessary for an effective leader. Useem defines leadership as “Creating a vision and translating that vision into actions”. Historically, an effective leader was assumed to be exceptionally knowledgeable, authoritative, and dominate. Those leaders applied the command and control method to lead an organization. With the passage of time, this definition has been changed. The modern definition of an effective leader is honest, courageous, trustworthy, inspirational, and result-oriented. Today’s leaders create shared values and vision, and empower others to achieve their targets.
Finally, leadership results in the followers’ behavior, that is purposeful and goal-directed which must be in some organized setting (Leadership Theories and Studies, 2009). Some people believe leadership and management are one in the same; however, this
The thought that we must follow others at times revolves around two concepts (one relatively obvious, one not so obvious). The relatively obvious concept is the notion that we all have a boss and therefore will be required to follow another person at some point. Buchanan supports this idea when he says, “Every level of the organization reports to someone.” Squad leaders report to platoon sergeants; company commanders report to battalion commanders; brigade commanders report to division commanders; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reports to the President; even the President reports to the American people. Buchanan goes on to assert that effective followers are not simply “yes men” but instead “challenge the boss when necessary and share their opinions, even if they might be viewed as controversial.” The concept that is not so obvious is the fact that we are not always the expert. Our knowledge on a particular topic may be limited or even non-existent. In those cases, we must learn to step aside and “...
Leadership is trait that is extremely important in any society. Leadership is known as the way people attempting to make a difference in a situation. However, I believe that it is better said to be a way of influencing others actions. Leadership is usually connected to a great leader that affected his or her followers in a dynamic way. Throughout the semester for my leadership class, I have expanded the knowledge in numerous ways. I now have fully understanding of the purpose and process of leadership to a society. Being a leader one must maintain an image of being the role model. I believe that this is leader should be who is someone who has the ability to influence, encourage, listen, and nurture. They are able to inspire, stimulate, persuade, shape, and have an effect on others.
...process. Strong leaders seek the input of others in their organization, and strong followers seek to contribute whenever possible and appropriate.
As new Business Consultant in startup businesses, applying the role of leader and follower in my business and professional life, both roles would be fit my overall job duties. Before a person to really understand their roles in organizations, church, sports teams or professional office, one must define the word followership to truly understand the role that applies to one as leader or follower. Followership is the capacity or willingness to follow a leader within the organization (www.freedictionarydefinitions.com). Most of my job experience is in the field of social services, and it has always been easy to take on a leadership role. I knew the tenets of the job and what was expected of me, so it was easy to transition those expectations into
"A leader is an individual (or, rarely, a set of individuals) who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals” (Gardner, Howard 2012). An essential part of a leader lies in their ability to motivate and influence people to follow their lead. Leaders are both men and women who have the ability to influence others in a community, control situations, connect with others and persuade others to follow them or the goals they define. To be a good leader one must set a good example and make correct decisions for difficult choices. I myself am implementing leadership skills into my every day life. Leadership skills are all around us. They can be applied to any situation where one may be required to take the lead. This can be
Many people associate leadership with a specific job title or form of power within an organization. However, through personal experience, I have concluded that leadership can come in many forms and position as well as from multiple sources of roles and job titles both with and without power. Based on the definition of leadership, anyone can be considered a leader as long as they have the ability to influence people to achieve a particular result or goal which benefits the organization or group as a whole. Individuals with a secure sense of self and understanding, acceptance of diversity within an organization tend to be the strongest leaders that not only make others want to follow, but they also encourage other leaders to gravitate to their