ESSAY ON LEADERSHIP

ESSAY ON LEADERSHIP
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Leadership is a quality that gives you an edge over others. Leaders are public figures and guide and inspire the people around on various things. A great leader possesses a number of qualities that make him popular. Leadership is one quality that is possessed by a selected few. While it is inherent in some, others acquire it with little efforts over a period of time. Here are essays of varying lengths to give you an insight about this quality and to help you with the topic in your exam.
ESSAY ON LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP ESSAY 1 (200 WORDS)
Whether you are planning to start your own business or ready to take up a leadership role in an organization or simply want to be a good role model for your children, you must possess certain leadership qualities in order to create a positive impact on others and take your personal/ professional life in the right direction.

Here are a few leadership qualities you should possess in order to lead others and be successful in your venture:

Listen Attentively
Be thorough with your work
Be passionate about your work
Maintain two-way communication
Talk Less, act more
Hone your decision making skills
Be consistent
Identify Your Strengths
Know Your Weaknesses
Don’t Play the Blame Game
Be Encouraging
Don’t React Just Respond
Stay Organized
Be Rational and Reasonable
Improvise
Be Flexible
Provide Feedback
Don’t Play Favouritism
Be a Problem Solver
Learn to Forgive
As a leader you must not judge and form an opinion about your team members, instead provide your valuable feedback to help your team learn and grow. Also somebody who displays volatile behaviour is likely to leave his team perplexed. Your actions should match your words.

Though the leadership qualities are innate in many; however, you do not have to worry if you are not one of those gifted ones. You can acquire these qualities with constant efforts.

LEADERSHIP ESSAY 2 (300 WORDS)
Some people are known to be born leaders. The quality runs in their family; it is in their genes. Others are inspired by such people and work upon embedding this quality. Some fail at achieving it others are successful in attaining it through continual efforts. While leadership is a powerful quality, leaders possess various other qualities in addition to it that make for their popularity.

Qualities of a Good Leader

Here are the five main qualities of a good leader:

Honesty
Honesty is one of the main qualities of a leader. A leader leads by example. So, if you want your team to look up to you, have faith in your ideologies and follow fair means in the tasks you assign them, it is imperative for you to be honest yourself. A deceitful person may attract people by way of manipulation; however, he will soon lose his credibility.

Communication
A leader does not think of himself as superior to you and thus does not believe in maintaining a distance. He rather ensures a flow of two-way communication to share ideas, discuss issues and maintain a cordial relation.

Self-Confidence
The level of self-confidence leaders possess is impeccable. They are sure about themselves and know exactly how to put their point across to inspire their audience. Good leaders also have confidence in their team.
Transparency
Good leaders do not hide facts or plays games. They maintain transparency while dealing in both personal and professional relationships. This is one of their traits for which they are highly trusted and respected.

Patience
A person who is impatient loses temper frequently and can never qualify to be a good leader. Possessing patience is one of the main keys to becoming a good leader. Only if a person is patient can he understand the mistakes of others and help them evolve.

Conclusion

A good leader has the ability to inspire others and instil leadership qualities in his subordinates to generate future leaders.

LEADERSHIP ESSAY 3 (400 WORDS)
Good leadership springs from a bunch of several qualities including confidence, honesty, commitment, integrity, patience, transparency, creativity, positive outlook, open-mindedness, the ability to delegate responsibility and the ability to communicate effectively. While leaders are often looked at as an inspiration for others, being one has its own set of pros and cons.

Pros of Being a Leader

Let us begin by looking at the pros of being a leader:

Respect
People look up to you as an inspiration. You are a source of guidance for them and they may come to you to seek suggestions on different issues. They develop a sense of respect for you.

Increases Self-Awareness
You try to analyze your positive and negative aspects in an attempt to improve as there are several people who look up to you. This increases self-awareness.

Broadens Your Mind
A good leader tries to understand the strengths and weaknesses of people in his team as well as their situation in order to bring out the best in them. This does not only help the people around him but also helps in broadening his own mindset.

Decision Making Skills
As a leader, you require taking decisions not only for yourself but also for your team. Your decision making skills thus enhance over a period of time.

Nurture Dreams
As a leader you guide those who look up to you and thus help nurture their dreams. Good leadership can also lead to the success of a business/firm.

Downside of Being a Leader

Mentioned below is the downside of being a leader:

Accountability
Since you are the leader, you are responsible for the acts of your team members. You are accountable for all their actions.

Isolation
No matter how close you are to your team and how much you encourage two-way communication, those who look up to you often make you sit on a pedestal and this can lead to a sense of isolation.

Dealing with All Kinds of People
As a leader, you may have to deal with both good and bad people. They might challenge your patience and this can be quite frustrating at times. The key is to stay calm.

Conclusion

If you possess leadership qualities, you may take up the role of a leader. While you should be comfortable handling this position if you have the required qualities; however, beware about the downside of the same before you take your final decision.

LEADERSHIP ESSAY 4 (500 WORDS)
Like various other qualities, leadership may also be gifted by birth. At times, we are so caught up by the influence of others (mostly parents and teachers) – how they want us to be or how they would react to our decision that we forget our true selves and begin to act in the manner they have taught/ expect us to. If you feel that you have it in you to be a good leader but are doubtful about the same then the following should help you gain clarity.

Seven Signs You Possess Leadership Qualities

You Can Empathize
One of the chief qualities of a good leader is that he can empathize with the people around. So, you possess leadership qualities if you have it in you to understand the issues of those around and help them solve the same by using different ideas. If your ideas and approach prove to be effective more often than not then you undoubtedly qualify in this aspect.

Effective Communication is Your Forte
Another key feature of a good leader is the ability to talk efficiently. A good leader knows when to intervene and communicate and how to put across his point efficiently. You are a good leader if you have these qualities and also have the nerve to listen to the others so as to maintain a two-way communication.

You Exude Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is something that not everyone possesses. If you are confident about yourself and are well aware about the thin line that distinguishes confidence from over-confidence then you have one of the main qualities of a leader.

You are Approachable
A good leader is aware about his qualities and yet does not wear an air of superiority. He is a people’s person and is easy to approach.

You Possess Analytical and Problem Solving Skills
You have a good sense of wrong and right and do not jump to conclusions. In any given situation, you try to look at the pros and cons by analyzing the things thoroughly and then take a decision. You are also one of those who try to find a solution to every problem rather than cribbing around or making excuses.

You have a Positive Outlook
You stay optimistic in every situation. You are one of those who look at the bright side even in problematic situations. You believe in yourself and often remind yourself that nothing is impossible if you have the will to do it.

You Possess Good Observational Skills
A leader requires dealing with different kinds of people. He is required to guide people, help resolve their issues, take major decisions related to them and is also answerable for their actions in many cases. If you are good at observing people and situations, you have a better understanding and will be able to make effective decisions as a leader.

Conclusion

If you have these qualities in you then what are you waiting for? Take up the role of a leader in the field of your choice to embark your journey of success.

LEADERSHIP ESSAY 5 (600 WORDS)
Leadership is a unique quality that not everyone can possess. If you have it in you then consider yourself lucky. It is suggested to hone it further in order to take your career in the right direction and also to be an inspiration for those around you. However, before you go ahead and hone your skills, it is imperative to understand the different types of leadership styles.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership
The subordinates are a part of the decision-making process in this type of leadership. This kind of leadership focuses on the contributions of the subordinates; however, the final accountability of their decisions and actions is that of the leader. This is considered to be one of the most preferred leadership styles.

Transformational Leadership
This type of leadership is about inculcating change in oneself, group members, organization as well as other factors impacting the performance to enhance the same. A transformational leader inspires others by setting higher goals and motivating them to increase productivity.

Team Leadership
A team leader involves his team wholly in the project at hand. The leader inspires his team to work hard and together they work to achieve the set goals and evolve the members professionally.

Strategic Leadership
It involves a leader who is basically the head of a firm but one who does not only shares ideas with the top management. He is involved with the entire team at all the levels. He is known to bridge the gap between the requirement for new possibilities and the need for realism.

Autocratic Leadership
This type of leadership style focuses on the boss. Here, the leader holds all the authority. He takes decisions solely at his discretion without consulting his team. He communicates the same to his team and expects immediate implementation. He is also the one who is held responsible for his decisions. There is no flexibility here. This kind of leadership has often been criticized.

Visionary Leadership
This type of leader recognizes the talent and need of his team members. He sets forth a vision of success and the collective efforts required to achieve the desired results.

Coaching Leadership
A coaching leader constantly guides and supervises his team members to enhance performance. He motivates his team members and encourages them to work harder. This style of leadership has received immense appreciation.

Facilitative Leadership
A facilitative leader helps his team members run the process efficiently by giving them directions from time to time. This is in case his team is low functioning. In case, it is a high functioning team then this leader employs a light handed approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership
This type of leadership exists when one is to deal with people from different cultural backgrounds. Many leaders working in different organizations in the United States are cross-cultural because people from different cultures are employed there.

Laissez-Faire Leadership
In this type of leadership, the team members are given authority. They are given the opportunity to work at their discretion with almost no interference from the leader. It is not considered to be an effective leadership style.

Transactional Leadership
This type of leadership includes an exchange process. The team members here are awarded prompt tangible rewards for implementing the leader’s ideas and decisions correctly.

Charismatic Leadership
This kind of leader invests time to transform his followers’ believes, values and behaviour to bring out the best in them.

Conclusion

If you believed that the leadership quality cannot be bifurcated further then the information shared here should help break the myth. It should also help you identify your unique leadership style so you can hone it further to master it.
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Shailesh Ramanuj