Leadership is not the result of positive qualities, morals, or values. A work setting requires honesty and integrity so educators tell us these are qualities of a good leader. The truth is that being a leader has nothing to do with being a good person.
A leader usually has some attribute the followers admire and respect, thus it's the followers who determine what's important in a leader. The colleges teach that in a work environment it's important to lead by example. We want our leaders to have a strong sense of purpose, show concern for others, be self confident, stabile, and demonstrate integrity. However, among thieves a highly skilled thief can be a leader. They might be a callous, cruel, and a corrupt person, all attributes of a bad leader, but among thieves they're respected and admired, thus other thieves look to them for leadership.
Charles Manson was a respected leader by his followers. Jim Jones was able to convince hundreds of followers to commit suicide. Hitler led an entire nation in the wrong direction. He murdered millions of people, yet he is generally thought of as possessing excellent leadership skills. He was charismatic. He was able to sense what the crowds wanted, and then tell them what they wanted to hear. He could energize his audience. But, Hitler was rigid, intemperate, callous, and cruel.
Remove the positive or negative qualities attached to leadership and we come up with a different answer of what a leader is. So what makes a leader? That depends on what the followers want.
Name: Thomas Christopher Howland, (Chris)
Birthdate: November 19,1955
Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration
Major concentration in Management
Occupation: Public Utilities. Currently holds a Texas class "A" water, and class "B" wastewater certificate.
Chris is an amateur writer. Writing is something the author learned to appreciate in college, and has continued as a hobby. Mr. Howland has been employed in the Public Utility field for twenty three years. He uses his experience in the field to write about topics that may be of interest to others.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
tweet this!