Characteristics Of Becoming An Effective Leader

Becoming an effective leader does not have a clear cut or direct path to it, it involves many intricate parts. While there are many different beliefs as to what leadership is, in conceptualizing leadership, I see leadership as an integration of traits and abilities. I see leadership as a trait mainly because I think that it takes a special kind of person to be able to lead effectively. Leadership as a trait can be exemplified by great leaders such as George Washington, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and John F. Kennedy just to name a few. Each of these individuals had innate qualities that made them effective leaders, whether it was intelligence, determination, confidence, charisma or integrity, they all displayed traits …show more content…
Identifying a particular strength is not an easy task, with this being said, two of my greatest strengths are strategic thinking and relationship building. Strategic thinking is one of my greatest strengths because I like to examine problems before I deal with them and consider the various options that are available to me. Relationship building is my other strength because I am able to empathize and connect to others quite easily. An example of a situation in which I was able to demonstrate my strength in relationship building is, as supervisor in my previous job employees often came to me with problems they had, some were work related while some were personal. An employee came one day to talk about some personal matter she had with another employee that was also affecting her ability to conduct her job. I listened carefully because I did not want to be dismissive to the employee and after she had finished her story I informed her that I would help her in the best way possible. I then investigated whether or not the problem also affected the other employee. Since the other employee had no problems, I changed some of the first employee’s work responsibilities in order to help her cope with the situation while continuing to work. Throughout this time I was supportive and empathetic towards this employee. Through my motivation and support we were able to resolve her problems and a build a better …show more content…
Earlier in my career I was more of a Theory X than a Theory Y person. This is because the few people that I had worked with were lazy and unmotivated. They disliked work and only did so because they needed to, and wished they were not at work. However once I left that particular place of employment, my views changed over time and became more of a Theory Y person. With a few exceptions I realized that most people did not dislike work but instead they find pleasure in what they do. These are people who are responsible, they take on challenges without much need for direction and they thrive in their given environment. This change has also led me to adopt the democratic style of leadership where I perceive people to be independent, capable individuals, who under minimal supervision will take initiatives and get things