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What is leadership?
(Group and Organizational)

•Organizational leadership is the ability to articulate a vision, to embrace the values of that vision, and nurture a positive environment where everyone can reach the organization’s goals and their own personal needs.

What is leadership?
(Personal)

•Personal leadership is the ability to visualize a goal, to embrace the values of that goal, and maintain a positive perspective in a self-disciplined environment until the goal is attained.

Why is leadership needed?

•Leadership is the ability to effectively combine individuals and resources together to accomplish things that would be virtually impossible to achieve alone.

Vision

This is the meaningful articulation of the mission of the organization in such an appealing and intuitive picture that it vividly conveys what the organization can be in the future. Vision instills a common purpose, self-esteem and a sense of membership within the organization.

Mission Statement

This typically describes the purpose of the organization and outlines the types of activities to be performed for constituents and customers. It should also mention what unique value or services the organization offers as a byproduct of its work.

Values

These are the guiding principles that state how the employees, beginning with management, intend to conduct their business and their behavior. These values will determine what kind of an organization develops and they become the foundation of the organization’s culture.

Commitment

This is an employee's emotional investment to extend great effort toward the implementation of a decision, outcome or goal. Successful leaders need to be committed individuals and to solicit the commitment of others to achieve established goals, and the mission.

Motivation

This is the ability to provide an incentive or reason to compel others into action or a commitment. Since all individuals are different, successful leaders know that diverse people respond to different motivators. A wise leader also knows that money is not the strongest long-term motivator and cultivating an environment of fear is the least effective long-term motivator.

Teamwork

This is the ability of a leader to build a collaborative agreement among differing individuals within a group. A consensus usually occurs when various members of a group agree that a particular alternative is acceptable though it may not be the first choice of each member. Consensus building can create a greater degree of commitment among group members than a decision made by a simple majority.

Why is leadership

important to you?

It is important because the development of positive leadership skills can have a beneficial and powerful impact in virtually every area of your life! Acquiring, understanding and exhibiting leadership skills can have a constructive influence within your workplace environment, within your community and in your personal relationships with others.

“leaders” verses Leadership

•The term “leader” is often misused by referring to someone in a position of power.

•Many who are called “leaders” lack real leadership qualities.

•Most individuals who demonstrate powerful leadership qualities are not in formal positions of power.

Leaders vs. Managers

•Managers are people who efficiently strive to do things right. Focus is on mastering routines and systems.

•Leaders are people who effectively strive to do the right thing. Focus is on vision and judgment.

•The ideal person is one who can both manage well and has leadership skills.

Five Myths of Leaders

1. Leadership is a rare skill.

2. Leaders are born, not made.

3. Leaders are charismatic.

4. Leadership exists only at the top of an organization.

5. The leader controls, directs, prods, manipulates.

From: Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus – “Leaders”

Coercion is not
leadership, it is power!

•Loose uses of the word “lead” can mislead you about leadership.

•Example…a policeman can lead a prisoner to jail. In this case, he/she is not a leader but a captor. They do not share the same goal.

•Leaders almost never have a need to coerce or intimidate others to get things done.

What is followership?

•Followership is the individual desire to serve others and support a team in its task to complete a mission. Followers seek to perform their tasks well, maintain cooperative working relationships, provide constructive disagreement, share leadership functions and support leadership development.

Followership

The role of followers is not to be mindless lackeys. Their role is to help the leaders become more effective while remaining true to their own values and essential needs. Self-management skills allow followers to become effective individual contributors even in the absence of good leaders.

Followership

Recent cultural shifts in late 20^th century…

1.Followers now judge leaders more harshly.

2. Leaders now have impact only with credibility.

3. If leader is able to take the followers to a common goal, it is because they were all capable of that kind of response!

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