Leadership in Business

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN BUSINESS 1
Leadership in business
Name
Institution

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Executive summary
In most aspects of life, leadership is essential for people to attain their goals. Good
leaders are defined in different ways, like for example what one is able to achieve, how one
relates with his/her followers and other aspects. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what
various dynamics concerning leadership, like for instance, what makes a good leader. The paper
will also discuss the leadership aspects of Robert Hawke, by highlighting his leadership style, the
effectiveness (or otherwise) of his leadership behaviors, the impact these leadership behaviours
have on the project across its lifecycle, and how the analysis compare to the concepts and
literature examined in this subject.
What makes a good leader?
A leader is a person who leads others during a project. The responsibilities of a project
leader include setting expectations for the team members and directing them during the work
(Yusuf, 2013). A project leader is also responsible for a day to day activities and ensuring that
every member work as expected. For one to be a good project leader, he or she must be a
problem solver. He should be able to come up with the solutions to the problems being faced by
employees to ensure efficient workflow.
A project leader should also have good communication skills. This plays a vital role in
achieving organizational goals (David, 2015). He or she should not show negative attitudes to the
team members because this can lower their work morale. Also, communicating well to the team
members regarding their duties and responsibilities helps in avoiding blame games at work. A
good project leader should engage employees in decision making and take their opinions into

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consideration. Leaders should also be creative and innovative. This include coming up with other
ways of doing work other than what employees are used to.
A good project leader should also have confidence (Semiha, 2011). An effective leader
should be confident enough to ensure that others follow your commands. If one is unsure about
his or her decisions and qualities, then the subordinates will not follow you. They will keep
doubting your leadership and fail to do what is expected of them. Having confidence in your
work helps a leader to be respected by the subordinates.
Robert Hawke was the 23rd Australian prime minister who served for the longest time as a
labor party leader from 1983 to 1991. The aim of having a strong leader in this party was to
minimize some of the anti-social issues which deprived the Australian right to make decisions
about their land (Marie, 2011). The previous party leader did not exercise his leadership skills
well and this brought corruption within the party. In his leadership, Hawke displayed good
leadership traits which enabled him to overcome these problems.
The style of leadership deployed by Hawke
One of the leadership styles used by Hawke was diversity. Hawke believed that having a
diverse leadership can help in minimizing anti-social issues in the party (Nunyuia, 2018).
Previously the party did not have a diverse top leadership and this made some people denied
their rights to make decisions about their land. He believed that having a diverse leadership
would enable Australians to receive equal treatment whenever they visited the offices for help.
Hawke also believed in democratic leadership. In his leadership, Hawke involved the
subordinates in his decision making (Lyndal & Louise, 2013). He also involved people’s
representatives to give their views on what they think should be done to minimize corruption in