What is Leadership?

We must keep going! As promised I've returned to blog another academic piece. This time we are going a bit backwards to a course that is actually required during the first quarter of the program, LDR 5003 Leadership Philosophy.

The first assignment of this course was to create a leadership concept map showing what your idea of leadership is. After making the concept map a paper needed to be completed which explained each link in the map. What follows is the assignment for week 1.

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LDR 5003: Leadership Philosophy

Week 1 Assignment: Concept Mapping

Dawn M. Morris

June 7, 2020

What is Leadership?

The formal definition of leadership is the office or position of a leader… or the act or an instance of leading (Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2020); however, to truly understand what leadership is a more in-depth explanation is needed. While there are numerous ways that the question What is Leadership? can be answered it is best explained as being someone who expresses the following abilities:

Having the ability to translate ideas into actions.

Having the ability to create positive relationships.

Having the ability to lead by example.

Having an adequate degree of emotional intelligence (EQ).

These four main abilities together create a solid foundation to understanding what leadership truly is. Throughout the rest of this writing piece these abilities will be subdivided further into characteristic elements, following with a more thorough explanation on each element. All these abilities are equally important; therefore, they will not be discussed in relation to from least to most important or vice versa.

The first ability that will be discussed is the ability to translate ideas into actions. Being a leader who can create a transformational movement by turning an idea into an action is a daunting task. It can take a significant amount of time and energy to see the idea at work. The most basic characteristics a leader needs to begin exhibiting to showcase this ability are creativity, innovation, discipline, as well as organizational skills. While implementing a new idea might seem straightforward, often it is not, which means a leader can often be left feeling frustrated and stressed. Therefore, it’s necessary to be both organized and disciplined. Being organized will help the leader stay focused and on track. By practicing good time management, keeping things in order, and staying focused on the necessary tasks the total time between when the idea was instilled and when the idea was implemented will be shorter. A person who is disciplined will often be determined and committed. Additionally, it takes a significant level of discipline to be organized. Of course, it also takes a person who is creative and innovative to find solutions to any problems that may be encountered. If the problems happen to be due to personality or cultural differences, then the next ability that will be addressed can enhance the leader’s likelihood of remedying the situation.

Having the ability to create positive relationships makes being respected, trusted, and admired as a leader more of a possibility. To create these positive relationships a leader needs to be a team player. Each person, whether the work is done together or independently, contributes and plays an important role in enabling an organization to reach its goals. A person who is a team player at least contributes equally to a project and completes their task is essentially exhibiting the traits of a person being friendly and helpful. At times one person may need guidance and seek assistance from a team member. To ensure the success of the entire team it will be necessary to help them. Dr. John Townsend agrees that being friendly and helpful are some of the primary positive emotion’s leaders exhibit. He explains it this way, there is also value in understanding what warmth is telling you. Basically, warm feelings signal that this person is bringing you good (Townsend, 2009, p. 81). Simply exhibiting positive emotions is just the top of a complex matrix of characteristics needed to create positive relationships.

A leader who has an adequate degree of EQ often may find it easier when creating positive relationships when compared to those with lower EQ. EQ can be defined as the ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them (Akers & Porter, 2018). The five components that make up EQ are the following: empathy; motivation; self-awareness; self-regulation; and good social skills. All of these characteristics can be developed if they are lacking through a willful change in oneself. To express empathy, which is a necessary social skill, a person needs to be able to understand what another person is feeling. This means to not only recognize what their actions are, but what emotions might be causing them to act in that way. As a leader, being able to relate on such a personal level is essential if you want to create a truly trusting positive relationship. Of course, creating positive relationships outwardly starts from within. This is why self-awareness and self-regulation is also essential to developing oneself as a leader. Knowing what you are truly feeling is a fundamental part of being able to control your emotions when a situation beyond your control arises. Remaining focused and in control during a negative situation is not always easy; however, the more the person is aware of themselves the easier it will be to do so. Finally, the more motivated you are the easier it will be to accomplish any task. Some people are naturally more motivated than others, and most of the time people are more motivated if it is an activity that they enjoy. Motivation can also dwindle if a person becomes unhappy; hence, why it is so important to know oneself and one’s emotions in order to quickly realign and refocus.

The last of the four fundamental abilities is being able to lead by example. Far too often people who are in a position of power do not lead their subordinates and coworkers by setting the example they wish for them to exhibit. If a person in a position of power is only stating what needs to be done and how to do it, and not doing it themselves, this can ultimately cause confusion and discourse. Such a situation can then only lower the productivity of the entire team and organization. A leader who is motivated to accomplish whatever the goal or task is, is more likely to be actively involved in the entire process and lead by example. To effectively lead by example a leader should also be knowledgeable and have an adequate amount of experience and education in the industry or task at a hand.

While this is not a comprehensive list of abilities and characteristics that encompasses leadership, it does contain the basic components needed. To translate ideas into actions, a person must lead by example, and create a harmonious culture where all individuals involved in the project are motivated and feel respected. Being a leader is never easy and takes more self-control and self-awareness than other positions. They are driven, determined, and consistently reflecting on themselves, others, situations, and ideas to gain a great understanding of what is necessary to accomplish their goals.

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References

Akers, M., & Porter, G. (2018, October 8). What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Retrieved June 7, 2020, from PsychCentral.com: www.psychcentral.com/;ib/what-is-emotional-intellifence-eq/

Merriam-Webster, Inc. (2020). Leadership. Retrieved June 7, 2020, from Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadership?src=search-dict-hed

Townsend, D. (2009). Leadership Beyond Reason: How Great Leaders Succeed by Harnessing the Power of Their Values, Feelings, and Intuition. Nashville, Tennessee, The United States of America: Thomas Nelson, Inc.