What Makes A Leader - 981 Words

What It Means to be a Leader Successful collaboration requires strong and reliable leaders to guide individuals through decisions. Anyone can be placed in charge, but there are few people who can govern efficiently. A leader is a person who has been trusted with the responsibility of the group and is looked towards for guidance. A capable supervisor is just as important as a dedicated worker. Certain characteristics are required in order to fulfill the role of a leader. Knowing the characteristics needed in a leader will help people establish better cooperation among the people they work with. An effective leader has integrity, awareness, creativity, confidence, optimism, focus and accountability. The first and most important aspect of†¦show more content†¦Thirdly, creativity is needed to manage a group. It requires a certain amount of divergent and convergent thinking in order to be a leader. Divergent thinking is the act of coming up with multiple solutions to a problem while convergent thinking is carefully determining the single best solution. Both are essential when determining the correct course of action. Being able to determine a solution to problem is what sets leaders apart from followers. Along with having creative decisions, a leader has to have confidence in the decisions they make. They need to be able to decisively make a choice and then follow that choice with conviction. They should never be disinclined to make a decision. Also a leader has to have confidence in the actions of their group. He or she should trust that the jobs assigned will be handled in a timely manner. During stressful moments a leader remains placid so that others will stay calm. Furthermore, a leader needs to be able to inspire confidence in the people they lead. They motivate the people around them by communicating and teaching clearly.They are able to convince their followers that they are worthy to be followed. They set high, but attainable, goals to challenge the team to be great. When times are difficult, they are a source of reassurance and optimism. Additionally, a leader requires a strong focus on their goals.