Character And Traits In Leadership Philosophy Essay

Character And Traits In Leadership Philosophy Es wordManagers ar pack who do things right, bandage leading atomic number 18 people who do the right thing. Warren Bennis, Ph.D. On Becoming a Leader create Excellence. Leaders do non command h wizardsty, they build purity. Excellence is world on the whole you freighter be in spite of appearance the bounds of doing what is right for your organization. To reach probity you essential setoff be a drawing card of close function. You must do eachthing you argon supposed to do. Organizations willing non achieve excellence by figuring taboo where it hopes to go, then having attractions do whatever they have to in order to occur the trading make, and then apply their attracters acted with good share. This type of c both ining is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be conf utilise with accomplishing a job or project. When you do planning, you do it by backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence starts with leading of good and industrial-strength character who engage in the entire process of leading. And the first process is world a person of honorable character.Character develops over sentence. Many think that some(prenominal) of a persons character is formed untimely in life. However, we do not know exactly how much or how early character develops. But, it is safe to claim that character does not change quickly. A persons apparent authority is an indication of her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or regretful. A person with strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve. She sees what she wants and goes aft(prenominal) it. She attracts followers. On the other hand, a person with weak character shows none of these traits. She does not know what she wants. Her traits are disorganized, she vacillates and is inconsistent. She will attract no followers.A strong person ca n be good or braggy. A gang leader is an example of a strong person with a bad character, while an outstanding community leader is one with two strong and good characteristics. An organization lacks leaders with both strong and good characteristics, people who will guide them to the future and show that they can be presumptioned.To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your mental imagery. Korn-Ferry International, an executive seem company, performed a survey on what organizations want from their leaders. The respondents said they wanted people who were both ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any organization, a leaders actions even false the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organizations continued vitality. one(a) of the dashs to build trust is to unwrap a good whiz of character composed of beliefs, values, clevernesss, and traits (U.S. phalanx Handbook, 1973)Beliefs a re what we seize dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is bad, what is serviceman nature, etc. set are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are meaning(a) as they influence a persons behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends to a greater extent than privacy, while others might be the opposite.Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person introduces doneout life. The expertness to learn a mod skill varies with each individual. close to skills come almost natur every last(predicate)y, while others come merely by complete devotion to study and practice.Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while charact er is the sum total of these traits. There are hundreds of character traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will focus on a few that are crucial for a leader. The much of these you display as a leader, the more(prenominal) your followers will believe and trust in you.Traits of a Good LeaderCompiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters crowdHonest vaunting sincerity, integrity, and candor in every(prenominal) your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust.Competent Base your actions on causal agent and moral principles. Do not make decisions establish on simple emotional desires or feelings.Forward-looking Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitu all toldy pick priorities stemming from their basic values. shake up Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual s tamina, you will inspire others to reach for tonic heights. guide on a leak charge when necessary.Intelligent Read, study, and seek challenging as reducements.Fair-minded Show second-rate treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and wholesome-being of others.Broad-minded Seek out diversity.Courageous bring forth the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.Straightforward Use pass away judgment to make a good decisions at the right time. fanciful reserve timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and regularitys. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovativeRetreat glare Weve just got here Attributed to several World War I devil dog Corps take awayicers, Belleau Wood, June 1918 (key ideal take a stand)AttributesAtt ributes establish what leaders are, and ein truth leader needs at least three of them (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973) well-worn Bearersestablish the ethical framework within an organization. This demands a commitment to anticipate and defend the climate and culture that you want to permeate your organization. What you set as an example will soon pose the rule as contrary knowledge, ethical behavior is learned more by observing than by listening. And in fast mournful situations, examples flummox certainty. Being a regulation bearer creates trust and openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions.Developers serve up others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This creates an exciting set to work and learn. Never get out an opportunity to teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests person who cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are less experienced. Employees who work for developers know that they can take ris ks, learn by making mistakes, and winning in the end.Integratorsorchestrate the many activities that take place throughout an organization by providing a view of the future and the ability to obtain it. Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort. Integrators have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make their presence felt during critical times. They know that their employees do their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework. cursed it, you will never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole Follow me Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, USMC, Guadalcanal, 13 January 1943. (key lecture follow me, NOT go)Perspectives of Character and TraitsTraits (acronym JJ did tie buckle)JusticeJudgment reliabilityInitiativeDecisiveness ingenuityIntegrityEnthusiasm rush liberalityCourageKnowledgeLoyaltyEnduranceThe Image of Leadership put-on SchoollandWhat benevolent of a leader are you going to be the kind who thinks he is the best?Or will you be one of the very few greatsWho attributes success to the rest.The U.S. Armys Eleven Leadership Principles Be tactically and technically proficient Know yourself and seek self-improvement Know your soldiers and look out for their welfare Keep your soldiers informed Set the example Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished Train your soldiers as a squad Make sound and timely decisions Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actionsOrganizations consist of three componentsThe structure gives the organization its form and dictates the way it will interact.The followers respond to the structure and the leaders.The leaders come across the net effectiveness of the organization as the character and skills that they bring check into the way problems are solved and tasks are accomplished.U.S. Army 23 Traits of CharacterBearingConfidenceCourageIntegrit yDecisivenessJusticeEnduranceTactInitiativeCoolnessMaturityImprovementWillAssertiveness outspokennessSense of humorCompetenceCommitmentCreativitySelf-disciplineunimportanceFlexibilityEmpathy/CompassionAre managers leaders? Are leaders managers?Managers need to be leaders. . . their workers need vision and guidance On the other hand, leaders need to be good managers of the resources entrusted to them.Is Character Developed Via Nature or Nurture (Ridley, 2003)?I do not believe that the nature vs. raising debate is linear enough to put percentages on it on one incline of the fence we have nature and on the other side we have nurture. And while nature (genes) certainly has its influences on us, the milieu (nurture) normally determines the impact of a gene.For example, one of the classic examples for discussing genes is Konrad Lorenzs work on the form that occurs in baby geese they have it within them to strike whatever is moving near them, which is normally their mother. However, it could be anything else that is moving around them, such(prenominal) as a person. But no matter what they imprint on, rather it be their mother, a human, or an inanimate object, the piece of the environment that they actually imprint on is going to have a huge impact on their life. thusly genes provide the goal, but the environment provides the process. And it is what happens during the process that will determine the outcome.Piaget was probably the first person to think of children as species equipped with a characteristic mind, rather than as apprentice adults (little adults). He discovered they went through a series of five developmental stages that were always in the corresponding order, but not always at the analogous ratesensorimotorPreoperationalConcrete operationsIn adolescence they have Abstract Thoughts andDeductive logical thinkingPiagets two contemporaries, Konrad Lorenz and B. F. Skinner took up extreme positions. Lorenz as a support of nature and Skinner as a ch ampion of nurture. Piaget, however, dived right pot the middle of this debate. He believed a genes meaning depends heavily on its circumstance with the skirt environment. That is, while a child goes through five stages of development (genes), it is the active engagement of the mind with the surrounding environment (nurture) that ca implements development. The two chief(prenominal) forces of the environment are feedback and social interaction. From this, the child assimilates predicted experiences and accommodates it to unexpected experiences.For some time it was believed that animals grew no new neurons in the cortex of their brains upon reaching adulthood, thus their fate was basically sealed by their genetic nature. This was apparently proved by a Pasco Rakic, a neuroscientist. However, Fernando Nottebohm soon found that adult canaries made new neurons when they learn new songs. So Rakic replied that it was only adult mammals that could not dumbfound neurons. But soon afterw ard, Elizabeth Gould found that rats grow new neurons. So Rakic replied order Primates could not. Gould next discovered that tree shrews grew new neurons. Rakic that higher primates could not grow new neurons. Gould then found them in marmosets. Rakic zeroed it down to old-world primates. Gould then discovered them in macaques.Today it is almost certain that all primates, including humans, grow new neurons in response to new experiences, and lose neurons in response to neglect. Thus, with all the determinism built into the initial wiring of our brain, experience with our surrounding environment refines and in some cases rewires that initial wiring.Nature whitethorn be our internal guide (map), but nurture is our explorer that has the net say in what we do (destination).ReferencesRidley, M. (2003). Nature Via Nurture New York Harper Collins.U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership.Leadership StylesLeadership style is the manner and come on of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership. This early study has been very influential and established three major leadership styles. The three major styles of leadership are (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973)Authoritarian or autocraticParticipative or democraticDelegative or Free ReignAlthough good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick with one style.Authoritarian (autocratic)I want both of you to. . .This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it is when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well prompt.Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is no t the undemocratic style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called bossing people around. It has no place in a leaders repertoire.The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare occasions. If you have the time and want to gain more commitment and penury from your employees, then you should use the participative style.Participative (democratic)Lets work together to solve this. . .This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect.This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything this is why you employ knowledgeable and undecomposed employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit it allows them t o become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions.Delegative (free reign)You two take care of the problem while I go. . .In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still liable for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks.This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and confidence in the people down the stairs you. Do not be timid to use it, however, use it sagelyNOTE This is also known as laissez faire (or laisser faire), which is the noninterference in the personal business of others. French laissez, second person pl. imperative of laisser, to let, allow + faire, to do.ForcesA good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involve d between the followers, the leader, and the situation. Some examples includeUsing an authoritarian style on a new employee who is just learning the job. The leader is competent and a good coach. The employee is motivated to learn a new skill. The situation is a new environment for the employee.Using a participative style with a team of workers who know their job. The leader knows the problem, but does not have all the information. The employees know their jobs and want to become part of the team.Using a delegative style with a worker who knows more about the job than you. You cannot do everything and the employee needs to take ownership of her job In addition, this allows you to be at other places, doing other things.Using all three Telling your employees that a procedure is not working in good order and a new one must be established (authoritarian). enquire for their ideas and input on creating a new procedure (participative). Delegating tasks in order to implement the new proced ure (delegative).Forces that influence the style to be used includedHow much time is available.Are relationships based on respect and trust or on disrespect?Who has the information you, your employees, or both?How well your employees are trained and how well you know the task. knowledgeable conflicts.Stress levels.Type of task. Is it structured, unstructured, complicated, or simple?Laws or established procedures such as OSHA or training plans.Positive and Negative ApproachesThere is a difference in ways leaders approach their employee. Positive leaders use rewards, such as education, independence, etc. to motivate employees. While veto employers emphasize penalties. While the negative approach has a place in a leaders repertoire of tools, it must be used cautiously due to its high cost on the human spirit.Negative leaders act domineering and superior with people. They believe the only way to get things done is through penalties, such as loss of job, days off without pay, reprimand ing employees in front of others, etc. They believe their authority is increased by frightening everyone into higher levels of productivity. Yet what always happens when this approach is used wrongly is that morale falls which of course leads to lower productivity.Also note that most leaders do not strictly use one or another, but are somewhere on a continuum ranging from extremely exacting to extremely negative. People who continuously work out of the negative are bosses while those who primarily work out of the positive are considered documentary leaders.Use of Consideration and StructureTwo other approaches that leaders use areConsideration (employee orientation) leaders are concerned about the human needs of their employees. They build teamwork, help employees with their problems, and provide psychological support.Structure (task orientation) leaders believe that they get results by consistently keeping people brisk and urging them to produce.There is evidence that leaders who are considerate in their leadership style are higher performers and are more quelled with their job (Schriesheim, 1982).Also notice that consideration and structure are main(a) of each other, thus they should not be viewed on opposite ends of a continuum. For example, a leader who becomes more considerate, does not necessarily mean that she has become less structured.See Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid as it is also based on this concept.PaternalismPaternalism has at times been equated with leadership styles. Yet most definitions of leadership normally state or imply that one of the actions within leadership is that of influencing. For example, the Army uses the following definitionLeadership is influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization.The Army just goes on by defining influence asa performer of getting people to do what you want them to do. It is the means or method to ac hieve two ends operating and improving. But there is more to influencing than barely passing along orders. The example you set is just as important as the words you speak. And you set an example good or bad with every action you take and word you utter, on or off duty. Through your words and example, you must communicate purpose, direction, and motivation.While paternalism is defined as (Webster)a system under which an authority undertakes to supply needs or regulate conduct of those under its control in matters affecting them as individuals as well as in their relationships to authority and to each other.Thus paternalism supplies needs for those under its protection or control, while leadership gets things done. The first is directed inwards, while the latter is directed outwards.Geert Hofstede (1977) analyze culture within organizations. Part of his study was on the dependence relationship or advocate Difference the extent to which the less powerful members of an organization expect and own that power is distributed unequally. Hofstede gave this story to illustrate this Power DifferenceThe last transformation in Sweden disposed of King Gustav IV, whom they considered incompetent, and surprising invited Jean Baptise Bernadotte, a French general who served under Napoleon, to become their new King. He reliable and became King Charles XIV. Soon afterward he needed to address the Swedish Parliament. Wanting to be accepted, he tried to do the speech in their language. His broken language amused the Swedes so much that they roared with laughter. The Frenchman was so upset(a) that he never tried to speak Swedish again.Bernadotte was a victim of culture shock never in his French upbringing and army career had he experienced subordinates who laughed at the mistakes of their superior. This story has a talented ending as he was considered very good and ruled the bucolic as a highly respected constitutional monarch until 1844. (His descendants still occupy the Swedish throne.)Sweden differs from France in the way its society handles disagreement (those in charge and the followers). To measure inequality or Power Difference, Hofstede studied three survey questions from a larger survey that both featureored and carried the same weightFrequency of employees being afraid to express disagreement with their managers.Subordinates comprehension of their bosss actual decision making style (paternalistic style was one choice).Subordinates option for their bosss decision-making style (again, paternalistic style was one choice).He developed a Power Difference Index (PDI) for the 53 countries that took the survey. Their haemorrhoid range from 11 to 104. The higher the number a country received, the more autocratic and/or paternalistic the leadership, which of course relates to employees being more afraid or averse to disagree with their bosses. While lower numbers mean a more consultative style of leadership is used, which translates to empl oyees who are not as afraid of their bosses.For example, Malaysia has the highest PDI score, being 104, while Austria has the lowest with 11. And of course, as the story above illustrates, Sweden has a relative low score of 31, while France has a PDI of 68. The USAs is 40. Note that these scores are relative, not compulsive, in that relativism affirms that one culture has no absolute criteria for judging activities of another culture as low or noble. keeping the above in mind, it seems that some picture paternalistic behavior as almost a barbaric way of getting things accomplished. Yet, leadership is all about getting things done for the organization. And in some situations, a paternalistic style of decision-making might be required indeed, in some cultures and individuals, it may also be expected by not only those in charge, but also the followers. That is what makes leadership styles quite interesting they basically make pass along the same continuum as Hofstedes PDI, ranging f rom paternalistic to consultative styles of decision making. This allows a wide range of individual behaviors to be dealt with, ranging from beginners to peak performers. In addition, it accounts for the fact that not everyone is the same.However, when paternalistic or autocratic styles are relied upon too much and the employees are ready and/or willing to react to a more consultative type of leadership style, then it normally becomes quite disconfirming to the performance of the organization.