Develop your leadership skills- John Adair. -- 2nd ... - About University

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4 ■ Develop your leadership skillsWhat is leadership?1. ____________________________________________________2. ____________________________________________________3. ____________________________________________________4. ____________________________________________________5. ____________________________________________________One traditional answer to that question – which may bereflected in what you have written in the box – is that theperson in mind has certain leadership qualities. These traits,such as courage or tenacity, tend to make people leaders in allcircumstances. They are natural or born leaders.There are two difficulties to this approach. First, if youcompare all the lists of leadership qualities available in studiesor books on the subject, you will notice considerable variations.That is not surprising, because there are over 17,000words in the English language that describe personality andcharacter. Secondly, the assumption that leaders are born andnot made is not going to help you much. Remember that youngperson whose annual report stated that ‘Smith is not a bornleader yet’! Moreover, this assumption is not true. Naturally wedo differ in terms of our potential for leadership, but potentialcan – and should – be developed. If you work really hard atleadership, your skills will become more habitual or unconscious.Then people will call you a natural leader.
What you have to be ■ 5Some essential qualitiesYou cannot leave personality and character out of leadership.There are some qualities that you have to have. Basically youshould possess, exemplify and perhaps even personify the qualitiesexpected or required in your working group. I haveemphasised that because it is so fundamental. Without it youwill lack credibility. (Incidentally, here is one of the first differencesbetween leaders and managers: the latter can beappointed over others in a hierarchy regardless of whether ornot they have the required qualities.)ExerciseYou may like to take some paper and make a list of the five or sixqualities expected in those working in your field. Check it out withcolleagues. Having done this exercise myself many times – forexample, with production workers, sales staff, nurses, engineers andaccountants – I expect that you will not find it too difficult. Notice thatwords may vary – ‘hard-working’ and ‘industrious’, for example – butthe concepts of the traits, qualities or abilities remain the same.These qualities are necessary for you to be a leader, but they arenot in themselves sufficient to make you be seen as one. Forexample, you cannot be a military leader without physicalcourage. But there are plenty of soldiers with physical couragewho are not leaders – it is a military virtue. So what other qualitiesdo you need?
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Develop your leadership skills- John Adair. -- 2nd ... - About University

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