Six Qualities of an Effective Leader!

Once a King’s two sons had to build two large canals to supply water to the royal estates. The first son took part of his father’s riches and part of the army, travelled north where he ordered the people to work hard.

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He oversaw the work, paying the villagers fairly, and finished the project within time. Proud of his work he returned to the palace. But he was told that his brother had taken only one year to build his aqueduct in the south.

He investigated and found a few irregularities and informed his father about them.

“He built his aqueduct deviating from the plans. He created so many outlets that barely half the water arrives at the royal estates. He confronted the prime minister in front of the villagers, and he left without paying any of the workers. He even used your soldiers as labourers.”

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The King replied. “My son, what you say is true. Your brother had the initiative to modify the aqueduct to improve it; the wisdom to propose something, which would improve the lives of everyone. And so he convinced the villagers to work quickly and without pay.

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He had the courage to confront the prime minister to defend justice, and the charisma to get his soldiers to work even more hours than the villagers. His commitment was so great that he himself was the one who worked hardest on the project, forgetting his Princely status. This is why everyone adores your brother, and would do anything he were to ask of them.

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He is more than their King, he is their leader.”

(Identify the six qualities and practice them in your everyday life)

Leadership Skills

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• Leadership is ones ability to guide other people.

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• An organization is made of individuals and as a professional, one gets exposed everyday to situations where they work with people.

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• Leadership is an important quality that helps one to grow along with others in the organization.

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What does leadership mean?

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• Does it mean to command somebody or is it more intricate than that?

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• One of the foremost questions that a task brings along with it is who assumes the responsibility for the outcome of the action.

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• This is the person who ensures that the task is completed with its desired outcomes and also that a team of people decision-making around the task.

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• She/he takes full responsibility for the actions of the team and ensures that it gets all support & resources required to complete the task.

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• This person also assumes the responsibility of the failure of the task and takes full ownership of it without blaming anybody from the team.

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• Leadership does not necessarily always mean to be the person to initiate something, also means to be the first to stand for or against it.

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Types of Leadership

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• Instrumental Leadership – Leadership style that focuses on achieving goals. Leaders following instrumental leadership style ensure productivity at all times.

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• Expressive Leadership – Expressive leadership is one in which the leader maintains group cohesion. In this form of a leadership, group dynamics is given priority over goals.

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• Authoritarian Leadership – This is a leadership style in which the communication is top down. The leader takes major group decisions and a tight reporting format is set for the group.

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• Democratic Leadership – Group in which decision-making process is through consensus and where the leader gives full freedom to the group to decide its course is said to follow a democratic leadership style.

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• Difference between leading v/s managing and which quality is appropriate at what time.

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• How should be an ideal leader and the qualities of that particular leader they admire the most?

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• What qualities would you like to develop in the course of life and why?

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• Some common qualities of leaders such as clarity, courage, clarity in communication, decision making, responsibility, far- sightedness, etc.

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Activity

• Divide the students into groups and give them a group activity of posing for a photography, Tell the team to select a leader. Post the activity inquire with the team about the functioning of the leader. Similarly, inquire with the leader about the team dynamics.
• What worked and what could be done better?

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Discuss a few inspirational leaders and their qualities.

Thank you!