| If your employees were given the opportunity to fire | | | | motivated by a leader who knows where he is going. |
| you, how soon will you be out the door? I think that is a | | | | As a leader, how has your vision for this year been? |
| food for thought. I believe before you finish reading this | | | | Are you working towards it or away from it? Have |
| article, you will be able to answer that question. The | | | | you caught a vision for the future (even though in the |
| ability to lead effectively and harmoniously harness | | | | present) which you can communicate to your people |
| your employee's strengths and abilities to become | | | | to prepare them ahead? The ability to communicate |
| better people makes you an excellent boss. | | | | effectively your vision breeds confidence in your |
| Remember, bad bosses aren't good for anyone's | | | | people. As Jack Welch said, "Building self-confidence in |
| health. Today's managers must be self-aware, | | | | others is a huge part of leadership". As a total leader, |
| observant, assisting and understanding in order to get | | | | your employees find refuge in you when you show |
| the best from their employees and achieve their | | | | the way to the future. |
| stated objectives. After all it is result that counts, and | | | | In an organization, a leader's action set the pace. They |
| not just being a boss. | | | | have the ability to study people and know what |
| Total leadership is the ability of a leader to give birth to | | | | motivates them. They give credit to others first before |
| "himself". Lion gives birth to lion, monkey gives birth to | | | | taking it for themselves. Most importantly, they are |
| monkey, and a true leader gives birth to leaders not | | | | prepared to ACT and act NOW because they are |
| followers. As a popular biblical verse says, "Every | | | | naturally "proactive" and not "reactive". This behavior |
| seed produces after its kind". Your leadership | | | | wins trust, loyalty and ensures the organization's |
| becomes questionable when people you are leading | | | | continued vitality. |
| are not following your path. Following means they take | | | | As stated earlier, one of the ways a leader can build |
| after your exemplary lifestyle and foot print. | | | | trust and influence the employee is to display a good |
| Leadership is a term that means different things to | | | | sense of attributes composed of beliefs, values, skills, |
| different people and in different contexts. But one thing | | | | traits and ethics: Beliefs are what we hold dearly to us |
| stands out, and that is, leadership involves people and it | | | | and are rooted deeply within us. They could be |
| has a lot to do with influence and sacrifice, even to | | | | assumptions or conviction that you hold true regarding |
| your own hurt for the good of others. | | | | yourself, people, concept, or things. Leaders hold strong |
| Leadership is a process by which a person influences | | | | positive belief about themselves and others. Values |
| others to accomplish an objective and direct an | | | | are those peculiar qualities that we hold on to our lives |
| organization in a way that makes it more cohesive | | | | that marks our individual personality and uniqueness. |
| and coherent, in the sense that the leader unifies, | | | | For instance, values like integrity, excellence, credibility, |
| solidifies and articulate its members through influencing | | | | trustworthy, service are all important to our lives. You |
| them to not only buy in to the vision of the organization | | | | can only pursue what you value. |
| but to also live it. Leaders carry out the process of | | | | If you are not excellence minded you can't pursue it. |
| influence by applying their leadership attributes, such as | | | | Your values can be expressed in your attitudes about |
| beliefs, value skills, traits and ethics, which we shall | | | | the worth of people, concepts, or things. How much |
| discuss later. Therefore, a leader does not boss but | | | | value do you place on yourself? A leader not only has |
| leads members to become better employees. | | | | a strong belief about himself but also attach strong |
| The basis of good leadership is honorable character | | | | value to others. Values are important as they influence |
| and selfless service to the organization. In your | | | | a person's behavior to weigh the importance of |
| employee's eyes, your leadership is everything you do | | | | alternatives. Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a |
| that affects the organization's objectives and their well | | | | person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new |
| being. Effective leaders understand that leadership is | | | | skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost |
| not a position but the life that we LIVE! Your position or | | | | naturally, while others come only by complete devotion |
| title does not necessarily make you a LEADER. Your | | | | to study and practice. Leaders devotes to continuous |
| influence in life has less to do with your position or title | | | | personal development. Traits are the distinguishing |
| than it does with the life that you live. As John Maxwell | | | | qualities or characteristics of person. It is innate and we |
| rightly said, it is not the education we get, but the | | | | all have a measure of it to function as leaders. Traits |
| empowerment we give that makes a difference to | | | | includes attributes like confidence, courage, charisma |
| others? | | | | etc.. Ethics on the other hand, is about |
| To be a total leader, your followers must have trust in | | | | morals--distinguishing between good and bad, right and |
| you and they need to be completely sold out to your | | | | wrong, and then doing the right thing. |
| vision. Kon-Ferry International, an executive search | | | | Effective leaders know that the choices they make on |
| company, performed a survey on what organizations | | | | a daily bases is crucial because they are continuously |
| want from their leaders. The respondent say they | | | | observed by their followers, and thus, they make |
| wanted people who were both ethical and who | | | | quality decision to set a high moral standard for |
| convey a strong vision of the future. Leaders can | | | | themselves. As a leader, you need all these attributes |
| clearly communicate vision because people are | | | | to be able to function effectively in leading others. |