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Ideal leadership traits
Traits of an effective leader essay
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In Jim Collins book, Good to Great, Collins discusses the difference between the different stages of leadership. A level 1 leader is a highly capable individual who makes positive contributions and has talent, knowledge, and skills. A level 2 leader builds off of a level 1 leader by bringing these positive traits into a team setting. Next, a level 3 leader is a competent manage that can organize people towards a positive outcome. Fourth, a level 4 leader is a leader that has an insatiable drive and commitment to a vision or goal and strives for professional success. However, in order to be a level 5 leader, one must have all these traits, plus the most important trait of all, personal humility. A level 5 leader is one that blends their professional will for success with an …show more content…
However, humans are not perfect creatures, we all make mistakes and have character flaws. This is where personal humility comes into place. A level 5 leader admits when they make a mistake or have a problem and by doing so, they are able to fix their problems more effective than a level 4 leader. You may have the most professional drive for success, but if you are unable to recognize what you may not be perfect in, you can not improve. Level 5 leaders do not focus around their own ego and instead focus on the larger goal of building a better company. Level 5 leaders take on the burden of blame when things go awry, while level 4 leader divert the blame to external processes. This is what makes a level 5 leader special. Personally, I do not believe I am a level 5 leader. Currently, I sit at around a level 2 leader, a competent team member. This is because I do not see myself having the ability to manage others in a way that a competent manager is able to do. Simply put, I do not have enough confidence in myself or my abilities enough to manage
Social change and charity have two different effects on the community in chapter one of Leadership for a Better World by Susan R. Komives. Chapter one discusses the differentiation in the ideas when one is more practical in a culture. Social change is defined as affecting the root of the social problem (Komives 11). An example of social change is the Civil Rights Movement, where Martin Luther King Jr. led groups of people to end segregation. King wasn’t just trying to help the problem of having sit in the back of the bus or drinking from different water fountains, his objective was to generate an equal society where racial segregation didn’t exist. Charity classification as donating food, money, and other kinds of goods is given to a community. An illustration of this is the local soup kitchen, where they provide food for the
Darwin Smith, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kimberly-Clark from 1971 until his retirement in 1991 has been identified by Jim Collins in his number 1 best seller Good to Great as “a Level 5 leader—an individual who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will” (p. 38) . Collins (2011) goes on to explain that the focus of Level 5 leaders is not on themselves or their egos, but rather on the building great companies. Darwin Smith earned his Level 5 designitaion by taking a company that during the twenty-year period (1951 – 1971) prior to his assuming the reins of Kimberly-Clark had under-performed the market by some
All of these traits begin with the individual realizing who he is and where he stands to become a leader. Like Jack Welch said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Works Cited Machiavelli, Niccol. The Prince of the Sea.
Central Theme: The most important trait of a great leader is humility. By definition to be humble means to be modest and free from vanity. Jim Collins explores the idea of paradoxical characteristics that make a Level 5 leader (Collins, p.116). According to Collins a level 5 leader is a person that combines “humility and professional will” (Collins p.116). What that essentially means is that the best leaders are humble and they care about making their business or work the best it can be even after they leave their position. Collins mentioned various leaders that combined traits like shyness, modesty, and calmness in combination with will, fearlessness, determination, and ambition. He also explains that these types of leaders do not motivate through charisma but through discipline and strategy. Some leaders, like Smith, tend to be seen as out of place but in reality their work and their ideas create a boost in a company’s success.
..., “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” (Romans 5:3, NLT). By keeping this verse in mind, I develop the ability to humble myself and trust God is only building my faith and allowing me to grow spiritually. Leaders will have to use values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations to be the foundation of their actions and management styles. Becoming Level Three Leaders will take dedication, implementing the moral foundations of leadership, advancing their level of strategic thinking and prayer.
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.
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.
Our leadership in this world has changed and affected us greatly. Leadership is being about to lead an organization with many people and to have control in the right way. “ The Leader of the Future” a book by Peter F. Drucker gives us information on why and how it is to be such a great leader. We need better leaders and we need them to guide us and help us along the way. Without leadership, our world would be in such danger and we America would be going through a lot.
According to Grossman and Valiga’s Leadership Characteristics and Skills Assessment, the interpretation of scores for perception of what makes a good leader gave me the following results: good perception of a good leader and the scores for perception of your own ability to lead resulted in low perceived leadership ability for myself (Grossman and Valiga, 2013). With these results, I have concluded that I have low confidence in my leadership skills and ability. This would be an area of improvement needing work on my part. Part of being a good leader is being confident in one’s abilities and skills. Who would want to follow a leader who has n...
I agree with Jim Collins when he states that people can develop into level 5 leaders. The main focus of a level 5 leader is not on themselves, but on the company and how they can make it great. People need to find that cause, work, or activity that pulls the level 5 out of them. If you're not doing something that you are passionate about, you can never become a level 5 leader. Level 5 leaders will do whatever it takes to make their company great, and finding that something special you care about will help you in becoming a level 5 leader.
Other attributes of a leader are selflessness, knowledge, organization, humility, and trust. Perhaps the most difficult part of being a leader is knowing that each decision you make will h...
A leader accomplishes this level when they have performed consistently, obtaining desired results, for an extended period. People hold the leader in high regard and defer their ultimate respect for the leader. This level is difficult to accomplish and Maxwell, (2013) reminds us that most leaders rarely accomplish this level. Holst, (1999) describes this stage of leadership, saying this is a leader who has enhanced their spiritual, physical, mental and moral faculties to their highest degree possible resulting in the development of integrity (p.
Personality as well as intelligence tells people a lot about an individual. Certain characteristics of one’s personality such as impression and reputation in a social environment may or may not be a good way to gain acknowledgement. In becoming a leader, work ethics must be strong, precise, and others must be able to feel one’s presence. The three abilities that successful leaders have are; the ability to get along with others and build teams, the ability to make sound and timely decisions and the ability to get things done. The mass amounts of leaders only possess one or two of these abilities and a smaller percentage having all three. According to the Five Factor Model (FFM), it is important for leaders to possess dependability, adjustments and surgency. (Hughes, Ginnett and Curphy, page 235)
A Level 5 CEO is the greatest leadership level. It is destined to build enduring business greatness through a combination of personal humility and professional will. There are many steps that someone needs to walk through until he or she reaches this level of leadership. The journey to Level 5 business leadership can be accelerated by mastering ones emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence consists of four parts: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Any CEO in progress must make sure that he has been practicing these concepts on a daily basis.
A leader’s morale is one of the most significant aspects of leadership. The level of morality that a leader possesses determines how others will trust and respect them. In our textbook, Kohlberg explains 3 levels of morality that leaders develop to make ethical decisions. The three levels of moral development include, preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. The level of morality I consider myself to operate under is level 3 of postconventional morality. I would also expect my leaders to behave under the same level, given they have a higher authority.