Bleez's Leadership Thoughts - Chapter 1

This is going to be one of many to be released if I receive good feedback. I simply ask that if you do not have any mature, professional feedback, do not bother in replying. Thank you.

Chapter 1 - Concepts of Leadership

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, training, and experience.

To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through hard work and study. Good leaders are always working and studying to improve their leadership skills.

Before we get started, lets define leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the team in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.

While leadership is learned, the skills and knowledge processed by the leader can be influenced by his or hers attributes or traits, such as beliefs, values, ethics, and character. Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the process of leadership, while the other attributes give the leader certain characteristics that make him or her unique.

Four Factors of Leadership
1) Leader: You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the team members, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your players that you are worthy of being followed.

2) The Players: Different players require different styles of leadership. For example, a new recruit may require more supervision than an experienced player. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your players. The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation.

3) Communication: You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you "set the example," that communicates to your players that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your players.

4) Situation: All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront a player for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

Total Leadership
When a player is deciding if he/she respects you as a leader, they does not think about your attributes, rather, they observe what you do so that he/she can know who you really are. Players use this observation to tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. Self-serving leaders are not as effective because their players only obey them, not follow them.

The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your team. In your player's eyes, your leadership is everything you do that effects the team's objectives and their well-being. Respected leaders concentrate on:

1) What they are: Beliefs and character
2) What they know: The mission, tasks, human nature
3) What they do: Implementing, motivating, and providing direction

The Climate
The climate is the overall feel of the team: The individual and shared perceptions and attitudes of the team's members. While the Climate represents the beliefs about the "feel of the organization" by its members. This individual perception of the "feel of the organization" comes from what the people believe about the activities that occur in the organization. These activities influence both individual and team motivation and satisfaction, such as:

1) How well does the leader clarify the priorities and goals of the team? What is expected of us?
2) How competent are the leaders?
3) Are leaders free to make decisions?
4) What is the system of punishment? What will happen if I break a rule?

In closing: What makes a player want to follow a leader? Players want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future of their team. The Leader is the beginning and end of his/her vision for their team. You decide how things will be accomplished. It is up to you now to apply yourself and get things done.

Stay tuned for more. I will see how the feedback comes in on this one and go from there. Enjoy.