ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP

Elements of Leadership

Elements of Leadership

Introduction

Given the wealth of studies and approaches to leadership, it is difficult to point out a clear concept that explains what exactly constitutes the core elements of leadership (Rost, 1991). For example, different schools of thought have differing points of view on managers or high-level leadership (Sharp, 2008). Although both types of leadership can occur simultaneously in an organization and even coincide in the same person, there are problems in considering whether the contributions of some theoretical approaches can be applied to both equally (Post, 2005). Some prefer associating specific elements for each type of leader. For example, classic authors point out the difference between manager and leaders while others suggest that whatever the starting point of the leader, the dynamics of the leadership process should be the same.

Discussion

There are some authors who undermine the difference between management and leadership, pointing out that management is just one of the important elements of a good leader. There are several points of view from which a leader has been defined (Rost, 1991). However, all descriptions, in one way or another, can be rephrased to form the following definition of a leader - “A leader is a person who influences a group to work efficiently and productively and frequently exerts a pattern of group management functions to his objectives” (Sharp, 2008).

The position of a leader is as empowering as it is exhausting. Regardless of whether it is a leader in a school or community or at the workplace, he is subject to a lot of expectations (Manning & Curtis, 2003). There is no formula that can help a person become a leader who can effectively meet these expectations. The quality of leadership is innate; it is reflected in the behaviors and attitudes of the leader (Sharp, 2008). However, it is common for a person having no leadership qualities to develop them and improve upon them in the years of training (Manning & Curtis, 2003). This helps him significantly in becoming a leader who is par excellence. The following are the elements of leadership:

Awareness

Awareness is a kind of knowledge. One dictionary defines "consciousness" as "being awake" or being “fully aware of the surrounding environment". Awareness is, therefore, one of the most important elements of leadership. It can be developed and applied to different areas - a leader must have an awareness of himself and the people around him (Sharp, 2008). Additionally, he must also be aware of the environments and situations within which he is operating (Noonan, 2003). Awareness is an integral element of leadership mainly because being aware of something creates a sense of meaning or understanding of it and this leads to action. Awareness also provides a leader with a deeper insight of things. A good leader is able to see things that others may not be aware of (Post, 2005). He may consequently be able to establish useful meaning to this information. Another major reason why leadership is one of the most important elements of ...