Traits of Leadership Vince Lombardi once said, “Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities; and while no one individual possesses all of the needed talents that go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader.” A person needs many qualities to become a great leader. Throughout history, four qualities have remained constant: vision, communication, fixed principles, and confidence. At their best, all effective leaders share a gift for defining a vision, and for moving people toward a direction for the future. For some, a crisis helps propel that vision. A president will only be effective if he has a compelling vision of the future of America. () By the time Franklin D. Roosevelt came into office as President of the United States, the Depression had reached such a depth that people were ready for change. The extent of the crisis had grown so much that Americans were clinging on to any sense of a new life. However, when there is no crisis that helps mobilize the public, leaders must find other opportunities. For instance, when America elected John F. Kennedy (JFK) in 1960, there was no overwhelming crisis. The Cold War had become a state of grinding normalcy, but by talking about poverty, about public service, he was able to lift expectations and make people feel part of a noble cause. Having the quality of vision helps mobilize external support for the leader's overarching goals, and chart out a national direction. The Moon Project was the most ambitious national scientific project in two decades, propelling the U.S. forward in the space race. JFK enunciated idea on peaceful cooperation with the Soviets in his 'Strategy of Peace' speech. In the speech, he pledged for a pa... ... middle of paper ... ...ired of patronizing politicians and distrustful of government. Reagan's strength of conviction, combined with his vulnerable style, communicated that he trusted the people and that he himself could be trusted. Works Cited http://www.vincelombardi.com/quotes.html Myatt, Mike. "10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders." Forbes Magazine. N.p., 4 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. http://www.ucg.org/character/lincolns-qualities-leadership/ http://www.mc.edu/rotc/files/4313/1471/9579/MSL_202_L10b_Leadership_Analysis.pdf http://hbr.org/2012/04/the-real-leadership-lessons-of-steve-jobs/ Hald-Mortensen, Christian (2007) John F. Kennedy -Leadership Qualities That Moved A Nation. Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh. http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=158 http://baldwintom.typepad.com/ignite_the_promise/2008/04/principled-lead.html
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States of America was the youngest man to ever win the Presidential election at the age of 43. He was a well liked president, known for his youthfulness, high spirits and the commitments he made to the Unites States (O’Brien). During his inaugural speech, he stated that the U.S. would pledge “to convert our good words into good deeds” by forming alliances with the countries that border us. In order to prosper as a nation (“The Avalon”). President Kennedy had several great plans for this country and knew they “will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin” (“The Avalon”). Unfortunately, these plans were not carried out to their full extent because while riding in an open parade car in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy was shot and killed. Kennedy did suffer hard times as far as international affairs go, but he is known for The Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress (“John”).
Welch, J.P, (1996). Eisenhower and Kennedy: Worlds Apart. Final Paper Research. The Presidency and the Executive.
Kennedy power in speaking to his audience. His speeches were not about facts, they were not explaining positions or the future of the county. JFK’s speeches spoke in terms of the people, they held underlying messages of empowerment, they gave the people a reason for action. One of his most famous lines, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is a prime example of this underlying message. JFK is giving the American people a reason for action. He is not telling them to work, he is not asking for help, he is telling Americans exactly what they want to hear. That is that we are unified, we need to work together, we are America. This initiative in his speeches, the underlying meaning behind his speeches are how he connected with the audience, he gave people a purpose and put their beliefs into
Richard Neustadt identifies three specific traits a person must possess in order to succeed as president of the United States of America. He stated that “the presidency is not a place for amateurs” and candidates must meet specific traits if they are to succeed at commanding one of the world’s largest and strongest nations. The three criteria he believed that a man must possess in order to succeed as president include the power to persuade, a professional reputation, and a public prestige. Herbert Hoover, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan are three presidents who were elected to power at three very different eras of American history. The following research paper will examine how each of these three men succeeded and failed at meeting Neustadt’s criteria of presidential greatness. In addition, this research paper will compare and contrast the successes and failures of the three men and finally, the paper will conclude by offering a personal consideration of what I believe makes a truly great president.
Pierce, Jon L. and John W. Newstrom (2011) 6th edition. Leaders and the Leadership Process.
Ronald Reagan came to the Presidency without any major political qualifications, but his victory in the Cold War was no lucky outcome. Dinesh D'Souza’s new book, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, just published by the Free Press, looks at how Reagan helped end the Cold War. Ten years ago Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and said, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and East...
Ronald Reagan's had more than just a vision. He had a plan on how to he was going to accomplish his vision. His plan consisted of a two pronged approach. His first vision to bring about the fall of the Soviet Union was based on his knowledge that the Soviet economy was struggling and weak. With this knowledge he believed that he could ruin the Soviet economy by forc...
A leader I have always admired and aspired to be like is John Franklin Kennedy. JFK is one of the most well known influential leaders in this world today. He was born on May 29, 1917 and lived life as a politician. JFK is most known for his accomplishments during his serving as 35th president of the United States, however, his term and life of leadership was cut short when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Many Americans consider JFK to be the greatest U.S. president of all time for a number of reasons. It was because of his hard work, dedication, charisma, respect, and understanding that made him such a great and influential icon. Through his military service, congressional career, and presidential career, JFK was able to motivate and influence people through a period of drastic change and to an extent hardship. His accomplishments and leadership traits will be forever considered and modeled for as long as humanity exist. In this paper I will discuss some of his most outstanding accomplishments I find to give his leadership career and title the most justice and praise.
Perhaps the most critical moment that had occurred to the United States and the world of the last century is the Cuban Missile Crisis. The significance of this event was that it had brought the world to the closest it could ever be to a nuclear war. Millions of lives, cultures and infrastructure would have been lost if it was not splendidly dealt with. Yet, a man was able to prevent this devastation, and he was none other than President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) of the United States. How was he significant to the event? This research paper will discuss it with the points that are based on JFK’s characteristics. Hence, to provide an overview of this paper; the outbreak of nuclear warfare was prevented in the Cuban Missile Crisis specifically by John F. Kennedy’s many distinguished characteristics.
Kennedy delivered has been considered to be one of the most moving speeches given by a president. He uses the emotions of the voters in his favor. Kennedy uses the fear that American’s have of going to war again, and promises them that the country will strive for peace. He vows to renew the peace with other countries, so that war and destruction will not occur again, trying to ease the mind of the weary. John F. Kennedy plays on the want that people have to help others, saying that the country will go aid covered countries. With the words of promise falling off his tongue, he tells the country that these hopes for a better tomorrow will take time. That logically that these plans will take time, that it will be longer than the people may hope for, but that he will start as soon as possible. John F. Kennedy also states SOMETHING ABOUT GOD
Throughout history, there have been great leaders: civil rights leaders, business leaders, and spiritual leaders who have inspired millions. Leaders and visionaries such as John Lennon or Martin Luther King Jr. fought for unity, love, and made an impact on people through their speeches or songs. Watching these great men touch the hearts of millions has brought out a desire for me to become a C.E.O. and an important leader in the life of others. Not only do leaders have knowledge in politics, in emotional values, and spread a certain message or “vision” to their followers or co-workers, but they have certain special characteristics which make them great leaders or heroes. So, what makes these people different from you and me? Could it be that they are better looking? Perhaps they speak in parables or give great speeches? People have often said to me that a good leader is a person who guides both physically and mentally. Going to the job shadowing program has given me an opportunity to broaden my view on how efficient and effective a good leader can be in the work place. Something that has been shown to me in my many interviews with the board of directors has been that every leader must have the capability to have integrity, listen, a vision, and must be responsible.
Throughout the twentieth century, there were vigorous leaders and inauspicious leaders. One of the top leaders happen to be John Fitzgerald Kennedy of the United States of America.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Is this a quote that you would believe to be some one that would be considered an effective visionary leader “ If you're afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.”. Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan was one of our nations most effective visionary leader of the twentieth century, evident by his vision of “beginning a era of national renewal” and his relentless pursuit for world peace and the end of the Cold War. I will begin by first explaining why I believe Reagan was an effective visional leader by his use of the Transformational Leadership style and how it reenergized US government and the American public, and then describe his ability to understand diversity and how it was the key in setting the foundation to end the Cold War and to promote world peace. To view someone as a visionary leader you might want to have a little background on them as a man or woman, lest look at Ronald Reagan as the man that became our Nations leader.
To become a truly effective leader, one must encapsulate the various behaviors related to the aforementioned course learnings in his/her persona and demonstrate such behaviors daily. This course has allowed me to identify four behaviors that all leaders must portray to be effective. The first of which is that a leader must be inspirational. To do so, a leader must set the appropriate vision and direction for the organization and provide a path to achieving defined goals. Additionally, a leader must induce the proper levels of motivation so that each employee has sufficient incentive to work towards the organization’s goals. As discussed in the class, motivation can be accomplished by factors such as rewarding hard work and providing the correct opportunities to employees. While these are motivating in that employees desire to be fairly compensated and to be doing work they deem valuable, inspiration comes more from organizational culture. A leader will be inspirational by setting a tone that appreciates each employee’s contribution, no matter how small in scale it is. Further, employees are inspired when they work collaboratively in a group setting and can capitalize on individual strengths to drive organizational goals.