Learn How to be a Leader
by John C. George
Why is the study of leadership so important for business? It is because if you lead a company or a project, success depends on your ideas that provide the intellectual ammunition that fire up the whole enterprise.
History teaches us a lot about leadership. Visionary strategists like Alexander could see what others did not see, and he led an incredibly small army of loyal men that conquered the mighty Persian Empire. Augustus Caesar out maneuvered and defeated his enemies building an empire that lasted for hundreds of years.
You do not have to make life or death decisions such as those of Alexander or Augustus Caesar but there are some basic rules used by them that will go a long way to ensure your success. Once you decide on action, you have to carry it through without hesitation so that others are inspired and follow you. While you must take into consideration the point of view of others, once you have made up your mind, everyone has to buy into your decisions. Your team must be supportive and speak with one voice to the outside world. Anyone who continues to disagree has no place on your team, because management is not a democracy
You must have a deep knowledge of what is involved and be able to transmit the importance to those who follow you. You must also maintain your integrity. Others will watch you and will expect you to follow the rules you have set for everyone. You must maintain a certain formality because keeping some distance helps to create respect -people do not want to be led by one of their friends.
You are the source of power that drives the whole thing, but you must be magnanimous and give credit where it is due. It is not a case of “I did it” when you succeed and “we did it” when you fail; it is more like “we did it” and “we succeeded.” Building up the team spirit is important and people like to belong to a winning team. Always identify and reward those who stand out, because you depend on them for your success.
There will certainly be battles that you will lose, but you have to accept these and regroup so that you will win in the end. You have to think outside the box, you have to look for new ideas and take your opponents by surprise. It is not enough to be willing to fight for what you believe in; you have to know how to keep the peace when you reach your goal. Napoleon won many wars but he destroyed France’s youth and in the end, the Alliance against him occupied his country.
About the author: John C. George was head of worldwide customer service and technical support for a high tech company. He has advised educational provider Visuteach at http://www.11plusexams.com and can be contacted at www.11plusexams.com/contact.
Article Source: Articlesbase
