The Priviledge of Responsibility

The question of what makes a leader can perhaps be answered with the acknowledgment that responsibility is a privilege. It would be relatively safe to say that not all people would agree with this statement, nor could all people accept the responsibility of leadership and be privileged to do so. The essential leadership qualities and individual components that make someone a star executive or perhaps a star general can be considered the authentic character traits one is born with. How the authentic character traits are developed can be attributed to a person’s environment beginning with heritage, heredity, family values, culture, traditions and life situations.

Respected leaders are not thought of in relation to their attributes, rather through observations of what they do and who they are. These observations demonstrate if a leader is honorable and trusted, or self-serving. Can a person be identified as a leader if their self-serving accomplishments are at the expense of others? Who would follow such a leader and could they really effect change? From a positional perspective some people would obey the commands of a figurehead and many would dismiss their intent as not credible.

Leaders spend their careers exercising the basics of strong leadership with an honorable character and selfless service. People will follow out of respect to a leader with a clear sense of direction. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. Good leaders build trust and confidence in their ability to lead through effective communication. Their ability to communicate effectively and to demonstrate through actions can be considered as critical leadership traits of winning the trust and confidence of the people.

Effectiveness and strength of character can be demonstrated through two-way communication, much of it nonverbal. When leading by example a leader communicates their willingness to do what needs to be done regardless of the situation. What and how communication is directed and received either builds or harms the trust between leaders and followers. Communication is considered as critical to motivating and engaging people to action. Directed communication can also be one of the fastest ways to get results.

Different situations call for different communications and actions. Actions taken in one situation may not work in another situation. Leaders are required to use good judgment in deciding the best course of action and the communication style needed for each situation. What an individual actually does is in large part dependent upon the situation at hand. Little focus has been given to leading people in a crisis. During times of crisis leaders often operate with understandable caution. Anxiety and fear runs extremely high in a crisis situation. The volatility during these times calls for a leader who can respond with decisive action.

If any theory applies to my own leadership style it would be Situational Theory. What an individual actually does is in large part dependent upon the situation at hand. There are certain characteristic traits of mine that dictate my style and actions. I do not ask anyone to do something that I would not do myself. I lead by example and have found that it works in most situations. I have a strong belief that right and wrong are absolute, and so is moral integrity. As a leader I have found through my own experiences in corporate environments that ideas are easy. However, implementation is much harder. Leaders must have the courage to do what is necessary, regardless of the situation.

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