On Leadership

Leaders have a responsibility for creating trust and cultivating cultural values

Leaders are the most important and powerful influence on the culture of an organization and are responsible for creating credibility and trust. It is obvious that members contribute more when they are working for something they believe in. Kouze and Posner (1987) put it well:

There is more to work than is commonly assumed. There is rich opportunity here for leaders

to appeal to more than just the material rewards. Great leaders, like great companies and

countries, create meaning.

The aim is to operate organizations in such a way that they achieve stated goals and do so in a manner that is consistent with the higher values of the organizational community. When members have no clear picture of the moral or ethical stance of the organization, they tend to operate at the lowest perceived level.

Creating and promoting institutional integrity becomes one of the most important functions of leadership. Moral and ethical stances need be consistently reiterated and clarified. An example, one of the most pervasive issues in the American workplace today is the justice of corporations paying millions in bonuses to executives and haggling over pennies with salaried and hourly employees. Until this issue is addressed and adjustments made, leaders will have a hard time rebuilding trust and credibility in organizational cultures.

Everyday leaders create symbolic messages to members about the organization's values of justice, fairness, and equality. If leaders fail to express and model these values, members will think that such things are not important. Members express themselves in absenteeism. Over time, members come to replicate the behavior and ethics of their leaders. Like it or not, leaders are teachers.

An analysis of the relationship between ethical behavior and effective leadership reveals that it is a matter of choosing both the ends and the means. A business enterprise must be profitable in order to survive. Service organizations must satisfy consumers' expectations. Government must meet the needs of its citizens. The ends are the very reason for existence of the enterprise. In our case it is to learn and grow spiritually, on our own paths, but ending at the same point.

At the same time, the means by which they achieve those ends are increasingly important. Placing value on short term gains at the detriment of long term results ends in disaster. The demise of a church is a tragedy because it affects the lives of its members. Members depend on the responsible decisions of the organizations leaders. At the core of all church decisions are moral and ethical principles. Failure to clearly state and uphold high standards has grave consequences.

To truly lead, do yourself, what you would have your followers do, before asking them to do the same.

True leaders are out in front, yelling back, \"Follow me!\"

when mel gibson said in we were soilders \" i will be the first on the ground, and the last to leave.\" now thats a leader i would fight and die for. or just simply follow.

I personally would also want to know what that Leader is fighting for. History has already shown us the example of too many despots willing to fight and leading others into a questionable death.

Yes, sad but true. People will often follow blindly (not saying you Dan) a person who is charismatic and knows, or at least acts very well like he knows what he is talking about. People in general trully are sheep. Even the wise can be persuade if the right carrot is dangle in from of his face.

Did I ever mention I love carrots? Especially carrot Cake...LOL

Ahaaa! Now I know you weak spot Master Tom! Lol.

LMAO, i love this site. Big *HUGS* all around.

Big Hug for you too Innocence!

Twsoundsoff wrote:

Did I ever mention I love carrots? Especially carrot Cake...LOL

lol o man i love carrots as well, as a boy on a farm in illinois where i grew up, we had a 5 acre garden and part of that was a long long row of carrots......mmmmm i used to pull them from the ground and eat them on the spot, so sweet....... o and i love carrot cake too with the sour cream frosting, mmmmmm....... dangit now im hungry

LMAO, okay, back to subject, what would make one follow a person, or what would be the qualifications of a good leader?

Innocence_Lost wrote:

LMAO, okay, back to subject, what would make one follow a person, or what would be the qualifications of a good leader?

Didn't I lay that out? hmmmm

Innocence_Lost wrote:

LMAO, okay, back to subject, what would make one follow a person, or what would be the qualifications of a good leader?

A good question none the less...Indeed, What are the Defining qualities of a \"good\" Leader? Any takers?

Someone who has/is/can...
- proved leadership in the past
- not only visions but can also portray these
- motivated by challenges
- constructively critical
- who looks to new horizons
- practical ideas
- willing to take responsibility
- able to finish a job
- mentally tough
- inspire others
- a quality that makes people listen to them
- Partnership and voice
- Vision and values
- Knowledge and daring
- Savvy and persistence
- Personal qualities (passion, humor, and empathy strength of character, general maturity, patience, wisdom, common sense, trustworthiness, reliability, creativity, sensitivity)

And willing to do everything they ask others to do?

This can apply but does not have to. A good leader can appreciate the gifts and qualities in another, just as he should be aware of his/her own limitations. A good leader knows how to construct a functioning team to achieve results.

Jon wrote:

This can apply but does not have to. A good leader can appreciate the gifts and qualities in another, just as he should be aware of his/her own limitations. A good leader knows how to construct a functioning team to achieve results.

Certainly, but you would not say that at minimum the \"Willingness\" is necessary?

Twsoundsoff wrote:

Jon wrote:

This can apply but does not have to. A good leader can appreciate the gifts and qualities in another, just as he should be aware of his/her own limitations. A good leader knows how to construct a functioning team to achieve results.

Certainly, but you would not say that at minimum the \"Willingness\" is necessary?

...certainly, for the simple reason that the welfare of his/her people is of concern.

when i fight for people they need three things, willingness to go the distance, no fear of death(for that becomes blinding if they do fear death). also they should never give in. basically like the movie three hundred when they all went for that fight, that who i would fight and die for. for the cause of freedom its worth it. if you are afraid of death than you will not understand. a list of great leaders well a small one,
Churchill
william wallace
king linidious, forgive the spelling
gorge washington
tim tool man taylor, lol jk
a leader must be karismatic but also willing to help his men as well, do things that seem unjust for the greater good. sometimes a sacrifice is needed for the peace to come out. you must take that into consideration. and a good example of a leader telling his men to do something he would do, is die for his country. just my thoughts, and just so you know i would be a sheep to the shepard of my choosing, to lead is great strength but to follow is something that has an even greater strength to it.