Leadership Skills Essay

Introduction Leaders have difficult getting relevant feedback, especially when operating in powerful positions in an organization. Often times leaders need feedback more than others do. If leaders do not receive feedback, they will not learn from their leadership experiences. Creating opportunities to get feedback is critical especially with regard to feedback from individuals working for them (Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes, 2009). When it comes to open door policy leaders should not think they have open request for feedback. The oversight frequently made by leaders is assuming that other recognize them open to discussing things just because they are open to discussing things (Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes, 2009). Leadership skills can be look at as competencies that has learned and developed for an effective leadership. From the basis of people skills, a leader skill approach is as an extension to leadership traits, given that traits focuses on the character risks of a leader and to large extent (Curphy , Ginnett, & Hughes, 2009). Leader’s obligations are not determined on observations of what leaders do, but on what goals they anticipated to achieve. Researchers have focused on the personality, physical traits, and behaviors of the leader. Some have studied the relationships between leaders and followers. Others have studied how aspects of the situation affect the ways leaders act. Latter viewpoint suggest there is no such thing as leadership; there have been arguments that organizational successes and failures frequently get falsely attributed to the leader, nevertheless, situation seem to have a much better impact on how the organization functions than does any individual, as well as the leader (Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to explain how leadership skills are necessary for an individual to be an effective leader. In addition, discuss how these leadership skills will lead to technical competence by a leader. Evaluate the skills against my own skills. Develop a plan detailing how I will acquire and or strengthen these skills as I progress in my future. Leadership Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes defined leadership as â€Å"the process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals† (2009, p. 6). Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes say a way to understand the complexities of leadership is to see some other ways leadership is define: †¢Directing and coordinating the work of group members †¢An interpersonal relation in which others comply because they want to, not because they have to. †¢The process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals. Some definitions hold opposing views in numerous ways, and have resulted in various researches explore very different aspects of leadership. Researchers who define leadership as influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals would examine how Parrado managed to convince the group to stage and support the final expedition Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes (2009, p.4-5). Concepts of Leadership Process leadership is carry out by applying leader’s knowledge and skills. However, leader traits can influence others actions. This is call trait leadership, leaders were believe to born rather than made (Jago, 1982). Three Leadership Skills To be a sufficient leader countless qualities and skills are need. Nevertheless, there are nine essential traits or abilities reveal leaders from followers and they include someone who has influential, prioritized, integrative, a creator positive change, a problem solver, able to maintain good attitude, able to work with people, a visioning person, and be self-disciplined. I will only talk about three of the nine (Gupta, 2009). First, influence is important because in order to obtain followers you have to have the influence ability. Effective leaders have to understand what type of leader they are. According to the writer, there are five levels of leadership. Level one uses their title or position to lead. This level is the slightest effective because people follow you because they have to. Level two gets people to work for them that are not required to do so (Gupta, 2009). This level is lead by interrelationships in which each person or thing depends on or is affected by the others and at this level people will follow because they want to. Level three makes results and transform take place. At this level, individuals follow you based on what you have done for the organization. Level four empowers and motivates others as well  as themselves. At this level, individuals follow leaders based on what you have done for them. Level five is where leaders have proven themselves a true leader over the years. At this level, individuals follow because of who you are and what you represent. When influencing others its good to know where you stand in leadership the higher up the ladder you go, the longer it takes to go to the next level (Gupta, 2009). Second, integrity is an important trait in order to run a business leader to be complete and unified and employees should on the same page. Integrity is who leaders are and who leaders are determines what they do. When leaders can be depend on by others, with confidence and trust they will have in their vision, and this allows them to influence their lives. Integrity secret is growing and moving. Leaders need to exhibit: honesty, fulfillment, vision, and inspiration to get them to believe and trust in the decisions they make for the business (Gupta, 2009). Third, problem solving is important in a leader because problems are on going. Leaders’ responsibility is to correct the problem as effectively as possible. Perspective is something leaders have to change however, not their problem. Leaders need to understand they cannot choose their problem but their attitude towards solving the can be change. Leaders need to recognize a problem before it gets bigger and keep an eye out for signs of any up coming ordeal and fix it. For a problem to be, fix a leader need to define the problem. After the leader recognize the problem the best possible out come should be lastly, form principles and polices to prevent the problem form requiring (Gupta, 2009). As I progress in my future, I would strengthen these skills with the Hogan and Warrenfelz domain model watch allows me to see connections between seemingly different organizational competency models and make predictions about how easy or complex it will be to change a mixture of leadership behaviors and skills. The Hogan and Warrenfelz model will also point out what behaviors I will need to exhibit in order to build my team as well as get results through others Curphy, Ginnett, & Hughes (2009, p. 273-274). In closing, leadership qualities include several of the diverse skills and the qualities. Leadership skills are necessary for any interested individuals to succeed. Leadership skills take time, energy and commitment. Leaders become the best leader they can become, all the traits and skills need to be practice and applied to ones life. Leaders are needed without there dreams of a better  world and drive to succeed. Being influential, a problem solver and integrative will bring out the leader within a person allow them to become successful, and allow them to touch others lives. Reference Gupta, A. (2009, March 2). Leadership Skills [Part2 Leadership Skills Assignment]. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.practical-management.com Hughes, R.L. & Ginnett, R.C. & Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Jago, A. G. (1982). Leadership: Perspectives in Theory and Research. Management Science, 28(3), 315-336. Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.