Leadership

Running head: LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1LEADERSHIP
Introduction
The word ‘leadership’ can bring to mind a variety of illustrations. Leadership is
understood in the process in which one or more individuals succeed in attempting to
frame and explain the reality of others (Northouse 2018). Leadership is the course of
giving constructive direction to shared initiatives and creating enthusiastic effort in order
to be expended to attain specific purpose. However, it is vital to note that while leaders
set direction, it is vital for them to employ management expertise to guide individuals to
the right destination in smooth and efficient way. The topic of leadership has drawn
important insights which state that leadership must be understood as process and not a
position. Beck and Cowan (2014) have noted that leadership occurs when individuals
tend to be leveraged to understand ethical and consistent actions aligned to
organizational goals. Moreover, there can be observed significant differences between
managers and leaders where leaders tend to create a vision, while managers focus on
establishing goals. Leadership as well as management are indivisible in character
where each functions with the other. Majority of times managers tend to play the role of
a leader at the requirement of the organization. A key element of effective leadership
has been found in the authority and influence that an individual has in order to influence
behavioural patterns of individuals and get them to act in specific ways (Ciulla 2014).
The paper is a reflection on the topics of leadership, values, power, ethics and attributes
and influence essential for successful leadership by throwing light on some of the
theoretical frameworks to understand underlying factors of leadership.
Discussion
Understanding effective leadership styles
Effective leadership can employ various forms of power such as legitimate,
expert, information, referent, and reward and coercive to accomplish desired outcomes.
As a student of management, I gathered inclusive insights regarding the topic of
leadership till the eleventh week of my curriculum. The first week of the curriculum
focused on various aspects of leaders and meaning of leadership and the way
managers, management tends to draw divergences in the field of management. The

2LEADERSHIP
course fundamentally emphasized on explaining that leadership must be recognized as
a process and not a position. Hillman (2014) has noted that individuals do not have to
hold formal leadership role in order to be a successful leader. Effective leadership is
regarded as the use of fundamental skills and competences accurately executed at the
correct time to facilitate organizations attain its utmost potential. Considering the above
factors, it is vital to link to one of the examples shared by my professor in the course
regarding issues encountered by Uruguayan rugby team which has been regarded as
an important narration of leadership skills performed in dynamic and challenging
circumstances. Such an example sheds light on the way effective leaders face
challenges in dealing with varied personalities and motives with an intention to attain
desired objectives in the arena of adversity which shows high complexities (Iqbal,
Anwar and Haider 2015).
To my understanding, leadership is not a role but a process which entails the
process through which an individual or a group leverages other individuals towards a
specific aims or objectives. On gathering insights from the course, I have understood
that leadership in its true forms is exclusively related to the establishment of
environment where each individual is perceived as a leader and is empowered to take
individual decisions and will be accountable for the same. Oostlander et al. (2014) have
claimed that while, hierarchies, processes and channels categorize and standardize the
way people work and further restrain individuals as well as their leadership capabilities.
This therefore impacts the process through which most effective expertise performs.
Moreover, it is necessary to note that without proper culture of leadership, organizations
often tend to encounter not only risks of losing talent but also risk losing clientele and
business. Thus, effectual way of forming leadership capabilities is to envision it right
from the foundation (Wang, Kim and Lee 2016). At this juncture, the capability to inspire
others is considered as a primary leadership competence and has well-established
linkages to build consistent, goal-oriented teams and accomplishing fallout from others.
Motivation Theory on Leadership
Delving into lecture notes and evidence-based resources based on leadership, I
have realized that the value of motivation is typically under-estimated and least

3LEADERSHIP
understood knowledge domain amongst people who view leadership roles and
expertise within an organization. Motivation is important basically as it allows leader to
accomplish and even exceed individual organizational objectives. Furthermore,
approaches directed toward the mission and objectives of organizations or the products
and services resulting from those behavioural patterns. According to McCleskey (2014),
these behavioural approaches tend to vary from efficacy, which entails making
judgments regarding the competence of behaviour in regards to certain criteria. Thus, a
satisfactory level of motivation is regarded to be essential but on the other hand
inadequate provision for performance and usefulness of any leader. At this juncture,
potential leaders must apply motivational theories to select the accurate theory which
will enable leaders to result in higher performing and engaged workforce (Cooper 2015).
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs tend to enable leaders shape their style to align to the
needs of their followers. In majority of circumstances, organizational leaders encounter
challenges regarding financial crisis or low remuneration wages. However, on the next
level up of Maslow’s motivational theories to develop worker safety, related to
accomplishing essential needs. Thus, to my understanding, by applying Maslow’s
theory, when a leader has accomplished all criterions to meet the needs of the lower
levels, they tend to commit to nurture personal growth. Thus, for instance, career
guidance, employees attain their potential by offering increased responsibility and
power. Contemporary leaders tend to focus on the upper level needs as mentioned in
Maslow’s hierarchy (Hillman 2014).
Understanding impact of power and influence in leadership
Meanwhile, our curriculum has explored the phenomena of power and influence
which sheds light on comprehending the differences between powers, influences and
further emphasizes on various sources of power (Wang, Kim and Lee 2016). On
gathering inclusive insights from various scholarly evidences I have understood that
effective leaders can utilize power for good and leaders’ personal standards and ethical
code tend to be amongst the highly imperative factors of the way leaders primarily
perform the various sources of power available. However, several events in recent
times have shed light on the elevated need for the observation of ethics of