I came across an interesting quote just now: So, what do you think? What makes a good leader? Clearly String is speaking of a leader in the business world. Is he right in that context? And does this assessment cross over to other contexts, like the military? What do you think?
Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower A leader is a dealer in hope. Napoleon Bonaparte If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. -Vince Lombardi
I especially like that one. There's nothing I hate more than being micromanaged. A boss telling me to do something doesn't bother me a bit. That's his job. But, for some reason, when the boss tells me exactly how to do it, it just pisses me off to an irrational degree.
In the business world, a good leader should be open minded, flexible, creative, and of course logical and precise. In the military world there are no leaders, they're all idiots. In government, a good leader (president) would be the one that stays out of your way From Ron Paul's words "What I want to be is the president that doesn't even have a goal of running your life, running the economy and running the world"
What Is Leadership? This has come up twice in another thread. So I think it might be worth a thread of its own. Maybe a better questions would be, "What is good leadership." But I guess asking about leadership itself is enough. This can be group, governmental, familial, corporate or religious. Wikipedia says: In my time as a very minor leader within a large corporation, I have found (as I mentioned before) that: The best leader is the leader who is someone different for each individual, while maintaining the same standards for everybody. I hate people who have the same act for everybody. This isn't about being "fake" or wearing little "masks" for people. But each person deserves a personal relationship with their leader (aka: boss). It accommodates individual needs and tastes. Another aspect that is essential to leadership to me is the ability to make tough decisions and ownership of those decisions. While making good decisions is obviously important, not all decisions need to be good (as much as I'd like them to be). The difference, for me, between a leader and a GREAT leader is about two heart beats (to quote "God Emperor of Dune"). A good leader can make a tough decision quickly, enter into the actions of that decision, make necessary adjustments as needed, and upon success or failure of the endeavor, will own up to that decision in the appropriate way. Bad leaders waffle. They wait for focus groups and look for ways to dilute the responsibility ("...well, it wasn't MY idea! It was a group thing..." or "So-and-so came up with that idea, not me..."). A good leader, listens, ponders the demands, and can make a decision (if needed) on the spot. Sometimes waiting is appropriate. Just as well, consulting various experts is also appropriate, but not all decisions can wait. When an immediate decision is needed, it can be rendered, owned up to, and learned from in a timely manner. Hell, there are hundreds of times I make decisions and put on a "I know what I'm doing" mask just to make people under me feel comfortable with the activity. During the course of the day/activity, adjustments are made to make whatever we're doing work. It's not always perfect, but it beats waffling and acting unsure of one's self in front of a hundred individuals. ~String
Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower A leader is a dealer in hope. Napoleon Bonaparte A good leader is many things...must have several attributes. But a good leader always inspires others to be more and to accomplish more than what the are and what they can do. Joepistole
what about Jim Jones. That man led a lot of people willingly to their deaths. He was their leader and they were more than happy to follow him.
Leadership = Muhammad, Hitler, and few others. I disagree with what Hitler did, but in context of leadership, he is a kind of definition of it. Genuine leaders have charisma.
You are right, Geoff Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! For me they are the opposite of two extremes, but still, they're legendaris leaders. Perhaps Genghis Khan, too. Kinda easier to mention names than to define it.
