A quote by Gandhi reads, “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people” and that is what my interview has shown me. I have chosen to interview ________ Charles for my leadership presentation. She was my high school English teacher for three years. ________ Charles has been a leader from a very young age. As the oldest of eight, and with a sick mother in and out of hospitals all her life, she became a leader at a very early age. She has educated over two-hundred students independently and has always fought the education system by leading groups of parents.
The following passages are what I have learned from Mrs. Charles in my interview. At multiple times in all of our lives, we will all be considered a leader, maybe not an executive or CEO, but still a leader and still just as important. There are three main aspects of leadership that everyone should think about in everyday life and not just at work. The first aspect is incurable honesty. The second attribute of a competent leader is humility. The third, and arguably, most important is commitment. The most effective way to be a leader is to not create false optimism.
Honesty is a core component for a proficient leader to thrive. A leader needs to have proficient people skills: “Everyone should be a waiter at least once in their life because people skills determines how much money you make. ” People skills are acquired by being truthful because people know when you are not being honest an upfront with them. No one trusts a leader that lies. A group does not need to be coddled, but rather know where they need work and where they are expert in. Honesty is also linked with interpersonal relationships and the ability to relate.
Relating to people is accompanied with the art of persuasion which is a key part of being a leader. Honesty complements humility in leadership. A quote by C. S. Lewis reads: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less” which is a key component in leadership. Leading is motivating others in unison to a common goal with success. When leading others, one cannot think of their own personal feelings or emotions. Sympathy and compassion creates a bond with your team that helps every work in harmony.
A leader cannot be so full of himself that he does not see the talents in his team member individually. Relate-ability is the mother of motivation as a leader. Being able to understand your team is the best way to motivate. But what is all this worth without commitment? There is only one word that exemplifies leadership as a whole, and the most important part of being a leader; commitment. A person can have all the power in the world, but without commitment there is no push to help better delegate his or her team.
Knowledge of the job comes from the commitment to the team which creates an assurance that everyone works in sync. Never be stationary when it comes to knowledge. Being consistent is a key role in leadership. People need to be able to rely on their leader. Having the initiative to commit also shows that a leader will put in the extra hours to help staying organized. Being committed to ethics is just as important as being committed to the team. A leader has to be committed to setting goals and allowing his or her team to grow.
There are numerous different qualities to determine what makes a good leader great, but there is no absolute right quality. Some of the best advice ever given to Mrs. Charles was “A half of a truth is always going to be a lie, so if you lie to yourself you’re always going to set yourself up for destruction” which is a quote that every leader should take into consideration. Even if you are born with leadership qualities or learn them over time; honesty, humility, and commitment are universal and necessary traits.
