Effective Leadership Traits: Power, Influence, and Followership

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership traits, focusing on how these traits are exemplified by various business leaders and how they inspire followership. It identifies key qualities such as self-confidence, optimism, emotional stability, accountability, decisiveness, passion, integrity, and visionary thinking, illustrating each with real-world examples. The essay also delves into the role of power and influence within leadership, emphasizing the importance of ethical leadership and dependency in achieving organizational goals. It further discusses how different leadership styles impact employee motivation and commitment, highlighting the need for leaders to effectively use their power to guide employees towards the organization's vision. The analysis is supported by academic references, providing a solid foundation for understanding the complexities of effective leadership.

Running head: LEADERSHIP TRAITS 1
QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP
Name
Student ID
Institutional Affiliation

LEADERSHIP TRAITS 2
Effective
Leadership
Trait
Name of
Person That
Exemplifies
Leadership
Trait
Company Job Title Description of How Leader Exemplifies
Leadership Trait
Describe if the
Trait Inspires F
and if so
Self-
confidence
and motivated
Naomi
Simson
RedBalloon Director By having an inward desire to do
something and upon accomplishment of
a goal there is rewarding
Trait inspires fol
motivating empl
diverse fields to
pressure
Optimistic and
positivity
Frank
Lowy
Westfield
Corporation
chairman By having positive mindset, constant
ideas and inspiration
trait inspires foll
employees are fo
creative and goal
Emotional
stability
Harry
Triguboff
Meriton Managing
Director
By handling stress and frustration times
in the organization
Trait inspires fel
solve workforce
Accountability
and
responsible
senior
executive
Rupert
Murdoch
senior
executive
By being accountable when negative
occurs in teams and solving problems at
right time
Followership is i
trait as stakehold
are responsible f
decisiveness Ivan
Glasenberg
CEO Glencore By making a decision, that improves the
performance of the company.
Followership is i
employees can m
of minor issues o
Passion and
enthusiasm
Raise
Foundatio
patron Raise
Foundation
By being energetic, impressive and
active
Leadership inspi
as they work in t

LEADERSHIP TRAITS 3
n towards targets.
Integrity and
visionary
Howard
Schultz
Starbucks chairman The leader exemplifier the trait by
having a clear picture of what an
organization needs to achieve. In
Starbucks, the chairperson printed a
display with organizational vision “to
inspire and nature human spirit one cup,
one person and neighborhood at the
same time” (Starbucks, 2018).
The leadership in
followership, as
inspired to work
achieve goals.
Leadership matrix

LEADERSHIP TRAITS 4
The Role of Power and Influence within Leadership
According to Bartel et al. (2013) leadership plays a key role to the success of
organizations, and leaders who are successful are aware that effective use of power results to the
commitment of employees towards the organization’s goals. Power and leadership allow
organizational leaders to motivate employees, implement plans, and provide employees with the
right direction, thus benefitting the organization’s well-being. Leaders tend to use power and
leadership in order to influence employees depending on the objectives (Michelson, 2018). For
example, authoritative leaders have a tendency of making decisions and formulating policies
independent of their employees thus discouraging working as a group and encouraging
employees in working freely and participating in goals decision making. Although leaders differ
in the methods they apply in the management of their employees, all leaders possess a power
which is a common factor and its leaders’ ability to command and controlling their followers in
regards to each party’s dependency. An important aspect of power in organizational leadership is
dependency which is critical for leaders to influence employees in the production of results. For
instance, the information technology department possesses some considerable power within an
organization since most workers and leaders including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
depend upon the IT department for the maintenance of the good function of networks and
systems. Organizational leaders should, therefore, ensure that they effectively use power,
influence and ethical leadership in order to ensure that employees in central departments are kept
on the right track (Monzani, 2017).

LEADERSHIP TRAITS 5
References
Bartel, C. Alexander, S. Haslam, Alexander, S. Reicher, Stephen, D. Platow, Michael, J. (2011).
The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence and Power. New York:
Psychology Press, 2010. 267 pp. $29.95, paper. Administrative Science Quarterly, 56(3),
477-479. doi: 10.1177/0001839212437539
Michelson. (2018.). Leadership and Power Base Development: Using Power ... Retrieved
September 25, 2018, from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/michelson.pdf
Monzani, L. (2017). A Model for Positive Leadership in Argentinean Firms. Authentic
Leadership and Followership, 115-137. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-65307-5_5
Starbucks. (2018). Truth Behind the Real Founders of Starbucks and Their Mission. Retrieved
from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/starbucks-mission-statement-2891826