logo

Trait approach to leadership pdf

   

Added on  2021-04-17

11 Pages2818 Words333 Views
Running head: LEADERSHIP TRAITSLEADERSHIP TRAITSName of the StudentName of the UniversityAuthor Note

1LEADERSHIP TRAITSLeadership is both an art and science. According to Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube(2015, p. 10), Leadership is both an inbuilt quality and a development that a person canundertake. However, all leaders must possess certain traits and qualities which are extremelyessential to become a good leader. These traits include characteristics like Personality, Charisma,empathy, courage, confidence and perseverance. The given essay throws light on the leadershiptraits of one such inspiring leader named Michelle Obama. Lady Obama is the wife of the formerAmerican President Barrack Obama and the First Lady of White. Through her hard work,intellect and personality she has portrayed herself as a true leader at various occasion. The essayanalysis the various traits of a good leader and relates them to that of Obama. The latter half ofthe essay discuses two relevant theories related to the traits of a leader and how the qualities ofMichelle Obama justify the definition of those theories.The following section will be an analysis of the leadership traits and qualities of LadyObama along with practical examples in order to further build the argument of her being an idealleader.Michelle Obama was not like another first lady that the White House had witnessed, herstrong personality, capability to motivate and inspire was one of the most breathtaking pointsabout her performance. During various instances, she went against the odds and took a stand forthe correct action. For instance, during her speech at Tuskegee University she supported theblack students and reminded them to stay strong at all times .Michelle has always taken a stanceagainst various social issues without thinking about the various aspects of her status and that iswhat makes her of an extremely strong personality.

2LEADERSHIP TRAITS“All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do — that we have anobligation to fight for the world as it should be.”– Michelle Obama (Source: Inspiringleadershipnow.com 2018).One of the most essential qualities of being a leader is that the person who is a leadermust be compassionate. Compassionate does not mean being more soulful towards somethingyou love or do but being compassionate towards people from all walks of life (Bhatti et al.2012). Michelle was a lawyer before becoming the First Lady of America and fought againstinjustice through addressing various social issues. She understood the importance of compassionand empathy in the various relationships to build trust among all. The third critical leadership quality in Michelle Obama is confidence. She is extremelyconfident who portrayed her skill in various ways like giving inspiring inauguration speeches inorder to give rise to courage among women and enhance their self esteem. One of the bestqualities about Michelle has been that she has never shied away from expressing and rooting forwhat she believes. A leader without confidence will not be able to guide a team towards thesuccess of the given goals of the organization (Saltshein.com.au. 2018). With her skill of selfconfidence, Lady Obama has been able to set an example that voice matters and if someonepowerful raises his or her voice for the correct motive, they have the ability to change thescenario.Michelle Obama has a charismatic personality and the magic of captivating her audienceduring the various speeches she gives. The ability to engage the audience and make them feelimportant and motivated is the skills which are extremely important for a leader. She resonatedthese speeches using examples from her personal life and academic experience in a manner that

3LEADERSHIP TRAITSinspired thousands of other women to compete well in life and standup for what they deserve.During the reign of her husband, Barrack Obama she never lost her confidence and commentedon the sexist remarks given by other politicians (Inspiringleadershipnow.com 2018). Some of hermost engaging speeches have been the DNC 201 Speech, Internal Women`s Day speech and atMaya Angelou`s Memorial Service.“You should never view your changes as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you tounderstand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of yourbiggest advantages.”- Michelle Obama (Source: Inspiringleadershipnow.com 2018).The next important trait of a leader which is present in Michelle Obama is Perseverance.Difficulties are often a part of life and it is during these times that a person`s skills andcapabilities are tested (Donateand de Pablo2015, p.365). It is during this time that theperseverance of person is tested. Michelle Obama showed a high level of perseverance by goingagainst all the odds and achieving several milestones at the White House. She changed the normsby passing a bipartisan School Lunch program in order to provide free meals to poor children.She also launched a program like the Reach Higher initiate to encourage people to prioritize theireducation. Staying committed towards ones goals and determining the path of success is anessential quality of a leader (Matsa and Miller2013, pp. 144-146). The art of perseverance is aquality which helps leaders in succeeding their business.Another important quality in Michelle Obama is her inspirational aura. A leader shouldhave a personality that inspires other people to perform well and overcome political transcendedlines along with radical divisions (McKnight 2013, p. 103). Her career as the First Lady was

End of preview

Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.

Related Documents
From Greta Thunberg to Michelle Obama: Redefining Leadership in Organizations
|9
|2732
|75

Essay Leadership : Martin Luther King Leadership Style and Traits
|6
|1717
|476

Leadership and Sustainability
|8
|1804
|418

Jacinda Ardern Leadership Speech
|5
|844
|40

MAN 4143 - Leadership - Report
|15
|3927
|34

Maggie's Story of Hope Recovery & Healing Article 2022
|5
|866
|23