how to become a better leader essay

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Learn the essential tips and techniques to write a compelling and impactful leadership essay that captures the attention of your readers.

When it comes to composing an outstanding leadership essay, there are several key insights that can greatly enhance your writing. By delving into the complexities of leadership, exploring its various dimensions, and weaving a compelling narrative, you can captivate your readers and leave a lasting impression.

Effective leadership goes beyond conventional definitions and involves a unique set of qualities and skills. A truly remarkable essay on leadership should not only provide a comprehensive overview of these qualities but also offer insightful perspectives that challenge traditional notions. By incorporating strong examples and relevant case studies, you can shed light on the intricate nuances of leadership and inspire your audience.

A truly exceptional leadership essay not only discusses the importance of leadership but also encourages self-reflection and personal growth. By exploring your own leadership journey and highlighting key lessons learned along the way, you can infuse your essay with authenticity and make it relatable for readers. Additionally, delving into the challenges and obstacles faced in your leadership role can demonstrate resilience and the ability to adapt, further enhancing the impact of your composition.

Identify your personal leadership experiences

One of the key aspects of crafting an impressive leadership essay is being able to identify and reflect upon your personal leadership experiences. These experiences can come in many different forms and may not always be obvious at first glance. It is important to delve deep into your past and consider all the times you have taken charge, made decisions, and influenced others.

Reflect upon your experiences in school, work, extracurricular activities, or any other area of your life where you have had the opportunity to take on a leadership role. Think about times when you have successfully led a team, solved a problem, motivated others, or made a positive impact. These are the moments that will serve as the foundation for your leadership essay.

Consider any leadership positions or responsibilities you have held, whether formal or informal.
Reflect upon any challenges you have faced as a leader and how you overcame them.
Think about the values and qualities that you believe are important for a leader to possess and how you have demonstrated these traits in your own experiences.
Consider any instances where you have been able to inspire or influence others to achieve a common goal.

By identifying and reflecting upon your personal leadership experiences, you will not only be able to provide examples and evidence in your essay, but you will also gain a deeper understanding of your own leadership capabilities. This self-reflection will help you to articulate your leadership style and philosophy, and ultimately make your essay more compelling and impressive.

Highlight your unique leadership qualities

When writing a leadership essay, it is crucial to showcase your distinctive leadership qualities and what sets you apart from others in a leadership role. Your essay should delve into the qualities that make you a standout leader and how you have demonstrated these skills in real-life situations.

One key aspect to consider is your ability to communicate effectively. As a leader, you must be able to clearly convey your thoughts and ideas to your team members. Your essay should highlight instances where you have effectively communicated your vision and goals, and how this has positively impacted your team’s performance.

In addition to communication, another important aspect of effective leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others. Your essay should include examples of how you have inspired your team members to go above and beyond, and how you have motivated them to achieve shared goals. Whether it’s through leading by example or providing words of encouragement, showcasing your ability to inspire others will demonstrate your unique leadership qualities.

Furthermore, a strong leader is someone who can adapt to different situations and make sound decisions under pressure. Your essay should highlight instances where you have demonstrated adaptability and made difficult decisions that have positively impacted your team or organization. This showcases your ability to think critically and make rational choices, qualities that are essential for effective leadership.

A great leader is also someone who values collaboration and teamwork. Your essay should discuss how you have fostered a collaborative environment and encouraged your team members to work together towards a common goal. Highlighting instances where you have successfully collaborated with others and achieved results as a team will showcase your ability to bring people together and leverage their skills and strengths.

Lastly, don’t forget to include examples of how you have exhibited integrity and ethical behavior in your leadership role. A leader who acts with integrity and sets ethical standards for others is highly regarded. Your essay should highlight instances where you have made decisions based on moral principles and upheld ethical standards, demonstrating your strong character and unique leadership qualities.

Showcase your effective communication skills
Highlight your ability to inspire and motivate others
Demonstrate your adaptability and decision-making abilities
Emphasize your collaborative approach to leadership
Illustrate your integrity and ethical behavior

By highlighting these unique leadership qualities, your essay will stand out and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Use real-life examples to demonstrate your leadership skills

One effective way to showcase your leadership abilities in an essay is by incorporating real-life examples. Instead of simply describing your skills and qualities, providing tangible examples will make your essay more engaging and credible.

By using real-life experiences, such as situations you encountered in school, work, or extracurricular activities, you can demonstrate how you exhibited leadership qualities and successfully influenced others. These examples will give your essay a personal touch and allow the reader to better understand your leadership style and effectiveness.

For instance, you can discuss a time when you took charge of a group project and led your team to success. Describe the specific challenges you faced, how you motivated and coordinated your team members, and the outcome of your leadership efforts. This example will not only highlight your ability to take initiative but also demonstrate your skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

In addition to discussing your successes, don’t be afraid to mention times when you faced obstacles or even failure. Sharing these experiences and reflecting on how you tackled them can demonstrate your resilience, adaptability, and ability to learn from mistakes. It also shows that you are not afraid to take risks and rise to the occasion, qualities that are crucial for effective leadership.

When using real-life examples in your essay, be sure to provide enough detail to make it vivid and relatable. Use specific anecdotes, dialogue, and outcomes to paint a clear picture of your leadership skills in action. Additionally, make sure to tie each example back to the overall theme or thesis of your essay, highlighting the value and relevance of your leadership experiences.

In conclusion, incorporating real-life examples into your leadership essay can significantly enhance its impact. By providing tangible instances of your leadership skills in action, you can capture the reader’s attention, establish credibility, and showcase your unique qualities as a leader.

Focus on the impact of your leadership on others

When crafting an exceptional leadership essay, it is vital to focus on the influence and effect that your leadership has had on others. One of the distinguishing factors of a great leader is the ability to inspire and motivate those around them, fostering growth and success. Sharing how your leadership style and actions have positively impacted individuals and teams will not only showcase your effectiveness as a leader but also highlight your ability to create a supportive and collaborative environment.

Highlight instances where your leadership has empowered others to reach their full potential, overcome challenges, and achieve meaningful goals. Discuss how you have mentored and guided individuals, encouraging them to develop their abilities and become confident in their own capabilities. Additionally, emphasize the collaborative nature of your leadership, demonstrating how you have fostered teamwork, encouraged open communication, and facilitated the sharing of ideas and perspectives.

It is important to provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate the impact of your leadership on others. These personal stories will help bring your essay to life and allow the reader to understand the tangible ways in which you have made a difference. Consider discussing moments where you successfully resolved conflicts, motivated a team to exceed expectations, or supported someone through a difficult situation.

Furthermore, show how you have created a positive and inclusive culture that values diversity and respects the individuality of each team member. Talk about how you have celebrated the successes of others, recognized their contributions, and provided opportunities for professional and personal growth. By highlighting these aspects, you not only demonstrate your impact as a leader but also showcase your ability to create an environment that fosters the growth and development of others.

In conclusion, when writing your leadership essay, focusing on the impact of your leadership on others is crucial. By highlighting how you have empowered, supported, and inspired individuals and teams, you can showcase your ability to create a positive and collaborative environment that drives success. Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate these points and demonstrate the tangible ways in which your leadership has made a difference.

Reflect on your own growth and learning as a leader

As you delve into crafting an impressive leadership essay, it is crucial to take the time to reflect on your personal growth and learning as a leader. This introspective process allows you to explore your experiences and identify the ways in which you have developed and evolved as a leader.

Think about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them, the opportunities you seized and the successes you achieved. Consider the lessons you learned from your failures and the skills you acquired along the way. Reflect on the relationships you built and the impact you made on those around you.

It is important to be honest with yourself and recognize both your strengths and areas for improvement. Acknowledge the obstacles you faced and how you navigated through them. Highlight the moments of growth and the transformative experiences that shaped your leadership journey.

Identify the values that guide you as a leader and the principles that you consistently uphold. Reflect on the importance of self-reflection and continuous learning in your development as a leader. Consider the ways in which your leadership style has evolved and adapted to different contexts and challenges.

Sharing these reflections in your leadership essay allows you to demonstrate your self-awareness, growth mindset, and commitment to personal development as a leader. It showcases your ability to adapt, learn from experience, and inspire others. Emphasize the impact of your growth and learning on your leadership approach and how it has influenced your ability to lead effectively.

In conclusion, reflecting on your own growth and learning as a leader is an essential aspect of crafting an impressive leadership essay. By delving into your experiences, challenges, successes, and failures, you can showcase your self-awareness, adaptability, and commitment to continuous improvement in your leadership journey.

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Feb 15, 2023

Essays on Leadership for Students | 200 - 500 Word Essays

Are you writing an essay about leadership? Check out these examples!

Leadership is often defined as "the action of inspiring others to act in concert to achieve a particular goal." It signifies the harmony in actions that lead to a common objective. A genuine leader not only exudes confidence but also paves the way for their followers towards triumph. Over the years, various leadership styles have been identified and discussed by psychologists.

Qualities such as intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, innate self-awareness, and social competence often emerge as the hallmarks of impactful leaders. There's a consensus that these traits mold an individual into an effective leader. Interestingly, some theories suggest that extraordinary situations can thrust an ordinary individual into the spotlight, bestowing upon them the mantle of leadership. It's also believed that leadership isn't a static trait but an evolving journey. It underscores the belief that with dedication and the right resources, anyone can hone their leadership abilities.

True leadership goes beyond merely advocating for a cause. It involves taking responsibility, igniting motivation in others, and differentiating oneself from just being a 'boss'. A leader's essence lies in their ability to inspire and propel people towards grand visions, whereas a manager typically focuses on oversight and operational aspects.

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay falls under the category of student application essays and serves to provide student admissions officers with insight into your past leadership experiences. Despite appearing to be very specific, this type of essay acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can vary significantly depending on the individual and the context.

If you find yourself in need of further insights or a unique angle for your leadership essay, consider exploring an expert essay-writing tool designed to assist students in crafting compelling narratives by analyzing vast data and generating fresh ideas within minutes. In this article, we'll also delve into various leadership essay examples to offer a clearer understanding of the genre and inspire your writing journey.

4 Examples of Leadership Essays

Qualities of a good leader, introduction.

Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment and actions. How can people want to follow him if he doesn't even know what he's doing?

Every effective leader knows that they need to be an inspiration to their followers. A leader needs to set an example for his team. In addition, he ought to inspire them whenever feasible. A leader must also maintain optimism in trying times.

What qualities a good leader must have?

Leadership is the ability to influence and guide individuals or groups toward a common goal. A leader must possess several qualities to be effective, including:

Communication skills: A leader must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. This requires excellent listening skills, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles.

Emotional intelligence: A leader must be able to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members. This includes being able to understand and respond to the emotions of others, and handling conflicts in a constructive manner.

Visionary: A leader must have a clear and inspiring vision of the future, and be able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates others to work towards it.

Strategic thinking: A leader must be able to think critically and creatively to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans and strategies to achieve their goals.

Flexibility: A leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to new ideas and perspectives. This requires the ability to embrace change, be innovative, and continuously learn and grow.

Integrity: A leader must have strong ethics and values, and be willing to make difficult decisions that are consistent with their beliefs. This requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Decisiveness: A leader must be able to make tough decisions quickly, without undue hesitation or procrastination. This requires courage and the ability to take calculated risks.

Empowerment: A leader must be able to delegate responsibilities, give team members the resources they need to succeed, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among their team.

Conclusion

These qualities are essential for effective leadership, and when combined with hard work, determination, and a commitment to excellence, can help leaders to achieve great things.

How one can be a Great Leader?

Leadership is the act of performing the duties of a leader. In the business world, for instance, it is essential to have someone in charge of a team to ensure everything runs well. Effective leadership is essential for any group that wants to maximize its prospects of success.

Leadership Comes from Experience

As we've shown, leadership can be innate in some cases but is more often learned through practice and exposure. Sometimes the best traits of a leader must be learned over a lengthy period of time, so that one can become a notable one, proving that leadership is not always about a person's innate qualities. Leaders should continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Nobody can disagree that experience is a key component of leadership. Numerous examples exist to back up this claim, such as:

Instance 1:

Our school's head boy or girl has traditionally been an older student who has been around for a while and thus has a better grasp of the ins and outs of school politics.

Instance 2:

When there is a vacancy for a team leader, it is common practice for the employee who has consistently put in the most effort and attention to the office job to receive a higher number of votes than their coworkers.

“The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.” - John C. Maxwell

How one can be a Great Leader/Skills to be a Great Leader?

Effective leadership is a skill that develops through time. Developing into a leader with all the qualities that are needed takes a lot of hard work and potential. Being a prominent leader calls for a wide variety of traits. Some of these characteristics are addressed in further detail below:

One should be a Good Communicator

To be an effective leader, one must be able to convey his thoughts clearly to his/her/its subordinates.

Should have Confidence

The individual should have faith in what he says and does.

Give Credit to other Team Members too

A leader not only needs to impose his viewpoints and opinions instead he must also hear to the suggestions of other members of the team and offer them credit if their concept is appropriate.

Good Bond with the Team

A leader's ability to command respect from his team members depends on his ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with them.

Leads with Responsibility

A leader needs to be completely committed to his position. It's important that he takes on responsibility so that he can effectively deal with the various challenges he will inevitably face.

Any group or organization needs a leader above all else. Leadership development takes time and effort. One needs to have lived through a lot to be an effective leader. It's not enough to simply have years of experience in the field; one must also have the traits that make one an effective leader. You can't be a great leader unless you possess certain traits.

What makes a Good Leader?

Trying one's hand as a leader appears easy when viewed through this lens. Is that so tough? Of course not; leading is difficult, and not everyone aspires to be a leader. The vast majority of us have settled into well-established careers where we report to superiors and make a living. Still, not everyone is content to go along with the crowd. They become leaders in whatever field they pursue. A leader is an example to followers and will prioritize the needs of those around them.

Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

Many individuals resort to their leaders to vent their frustrations, therefore it's important for them to be good listeners.

A leader ought to be completely forthright; they can't play favorites or give anyone preferential treatment. One of the most essential qualities of a strong leader is the ability to make decisions with integrity.

They need to be aware of the bigger picture and understand what makes an individual stand out or become a leader. It's their expertise in addition to other distinguishing traits. Their awareness of current events and the results of recent studies is essential. In many ways, this is helpful, and it's the leader's responsibility to stay current.

Since some might not understand them, they should utilize straightforward, easily comprehended language. Leaders need to be able to communicate effectively at all times. In reality, what sets them apart is their exceptional communication skills. Adolf Hitler was such a gifted orator that his followers believed every word he said.

No matter how you're feeling or what's going on in the world, if you listen to a leader, they may make you feel energized. Since leaders are in charge of inspiring confidence in their followers, they can't afford to be wary or unsure of themselves. People tend to blindly follow their leaders.

Whether you're a leader or a doctor, you should devote yourself completely to your chosen field. Everything we do is for the benefit of others; engineers, for example, spend much of their time designing and constructing buildings for other people. So, take pride in what you do, and if you possess the aforementioned traits, you are also a leader who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed. No matter what you do, aspiring to leadership positions will always benefit others.

What is Leadership in Management and what are the weaknesses and strengths of a Leader?

Simply said, leadership is acting as a supervisor or manager of a group. Different mental pictures pop up when we hear the word "leadership" used in conversation. One might think of a political leader, team leader, corporate leader, school leader, etc. Leaders facilitate order and efficiency in the workplace. Teamwork and success are fundamental to effective leadership. Leaders utilize their managerial abilities to establish courses and guide their teams to success.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

Able to express oneself more clearly

Growth of character.

Self-awareness.

Possession of teamwork skills.

Gain assurance in yourself.

Weaknesses:

Acting favorably toward one's teammates.

Having no faith in the leader.

Thinks they're better than everyone else, but act hypocritically.

Not living up to the promised standard.

Insufficient morals.

Leadership and Management

Management and leadership are inextricably linked to one another. Leadership and management are both vital to the efficient operation of an organization; but, they accomplish very different things in the process. Leadership is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to be an effective manager. The terms management and leadership are synonymous with one another. In this manner, we are able to draw the conclusion that a manager who demonstrates the traits of a successful leader is, in fact, a manager who is effective.

Leadership in School

Leadership is essential in nearly every group, as we've seen above. That group includes one's educational institution. Every school needs an outstanding figure to serve as its head of school. Class monitor, assembly captain, cultural leader, etc. are all examples of leadership roles that can be taken on at school, but this raises the question of what makes a person a successful school leader.

Any student hoping to be chosen as a student body leader will need to demonstrate a wide range of competencies. He or she needs to be a consistent student who pays attention in class and does well in extracurricular activities. For the simple reason that no intelligent and hardworking kid would ever be considered for leadership. Student leaders are most often selected from among those who participate fully in all activities.

Leadership in Organization

Leadership in an organization, also known as organizational leadership, is the process of establishing long-term objectives that further the company's mission and help it reach its ultimate destination. This is a classic illustration of how Bill Gates often works with his team: they agree on a strategy, and Gates implements it. To the same extent, it is the responsibility of the leader in each given organization to determine what it is that the group is trying to accomplish.

Leadership in Politics

Leadership in politics, also known as political leadership, is the process of becoming actively involved in a political party in the role of a party leader. Knowledge of political processes, their outcomes, and the political agenda is central to the idea of political leadership.

An effective leader can be developed in anyone who has the determination and drives to do so. Both the strengths and the areas for improvement should be nurtured. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the political arena, leadership is always necessary. Therefore, one can exercise leadership anywhere they like inside their own organization.

What are the types of Leadership?

The ability to lead is a rare trait that not everyone possesses. The ability to do so is a gift, so count your blessings if you possess it. It's recommended that you hone it even more so that you can propel your career forward and serve as an example to people around you. However, it is crucial to grasp the various leadership styles before you go ahead and polish your skills.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership

In this style of management, subordinates are given a voice in decision-making. Although the subordinates' efforts are highlighted, the leader is ultimately held responsible for the group's actions. Many people find this type of leadership to be effective.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others to adopt new behaviors and ways of thinking in order to improve their own performance and that of their teams and organizations. A transformational leader is someone who encourages their team to strive for greater things and works to boost morale and output.

Team Leadership

A good leader fully incorporates his team into the task at hand. Members of the team are motivated to reach their goals and advance in their careers thanks to the leadership of the group.

Strategic Leadership

It requires a chief executive who doesn't restrict himself to brainstorming sessions with his superiors. He contributes on every level of the team. He is well-liked for his ability to unite the need for fresh ideas with the necessity of grounding them in reality.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader in a command and control structure is the center of attention. The chief executive has absolute power in this setting. He decides things on his own, without polling his staff. He relays this information to his staff and stresses the importance of swift action. The buck stops with him, and he alone must answer for his actions. Not much room for negotiation exists. It's no secret that this method of leading has its detractors.

Visionary Leadership

This kind of leader appreciates the abilities and requirements of his team members. He describes his ideal outcome and the teamwork that will be necessary to attain it.

Coaching Leadership

Leaders who coach their teams do so regularly in an effort to raise output. He inspires his employees to do better and works to keep them motivated. This approach to leadership has been much praised.

Facilitative Leadership

With occasional guidance, a facilitative leader ensures that the process runs smoothly for his team. As a precaution in case his team is ineffective. If the team is highly effective, the leader will take a hands-off approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The leadership of this type is necessary when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds. Because of the wide variety of cultures represented in the workforce across the United States, many managers and executives hold cross-cultural positions.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

The members of the team are given responsibility in this style of management. They are free to choose how they spend their time at work, with minimal oversight from the boss. It's not a good way to lead, according to experts.

Transactional Leadership

An interactive approach is integral to this kind of leadership. When team members successfully implement their leader's ideas and choices, they are rewarded with immediate, material benefits.

Charismatic Leadership

In order to bring out the best in his followers, this kind of leader makes the effort to change their attitudes, values, and actions.

This article should dispel the notion that leadership qualities can't be further subdivided. It should also assist you in pinpointing your own personal brand of leadership so you can perfect it over time.

Final Words

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that involves various qualities and skills. Effective leaders possess traits such as integrity, vision, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They are able to navigate challenges, make difficult decisions, and lead their team toward success. Leadership also involves continuous learning and self-improvement, as leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and remain relevant. Effective leadership can have a positive impact on both individuals and organizations, fostering growth and creating a culture of success.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Membership is immediately available upon your free registration here.

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Find Out Your Leadership Style

Encourage Creativity

Serve as a role model, be passionate, listen and communicate effectively, have a positive attitude, encourage people to make contributions, motivate your followers, offer rewards and recognition, keep trying new things.

How would you describe a strong leader? One study cited leadership qualities such as assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence, and conscientiousness as the most important.

Transformational leaders are positive, empowering, and inspiring. They value followers and inspire them to perform better. So, what can we do to embrace these valued leadership qualities and become stronger and more effective leaders?

Transformational leaders are usually described as enthusiastic, passionate, genuine and energetic. These leaders are not just concerned about helping the group achieve its goals; they also care about helping each member of the group reach his or her full potential.

Start by Understanding Your Leadership Style

Understanding your current leadership style is essential. What are your strengths? Which areas need some improvement? One way to start assessing your skills is to take this leadership style quiz to get a general idea of how you lead.

Once you have completed the quiz, read about the major characteristics of your dominant style. Are these qualities helping or hindering your leadership? Once you've determined which areas need work, you can look for ways to improve your leadership abilities.

Intellectual stimulation is one of the leadership qualities that define transformational leadership. Followers need to be encouraged to express their creativity . Effective leaders should offer new challenges with ample support to achieve these goals.

One way to foster creativity is to offer challenges to group members, making sure that the goals are within the grasp of their abilities. The purpose of this type of exercise is to get people to stretch their limits but not become discouraged by barriers to success.

Idealized influence is another of the four key components of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders embody the behaviors and characteristics that they encourage in their followers. They walk the walk and talk the talk. As a result, group members admire these leaders and work to emulate these behaviors.

Research suggests that leaders are able to foster a specific belief and then transmit that inspiration to their followers. As a result, followers are optimistic and have high standards for performance and achievement.

If you want to become a better leader, work on modeling the qualities that you would like to see in your team members.

Would you look to someone for guidance and leadership if they did not truly care about the goals of the group? Of course not! Great leaders are not just focused on getting group members to finish tasks; they have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the projects they work on.

You can develop this leadership quality by thinking of different ways that you can express your zeal. Let people know that you care about their progress. When one person shares something with the rest of the group, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate such contributions.

Another important quality of transformational leadership involves a focus on providing one-on-one communication with group members. Transformational leadership is effective when leaders are able to communicate their vision to followers, who then feel inspired and motivated by this vision.

Good leaders should express sincere care and concern for the members of their group both verbally and nonverbally .

By keeping the lines of communication open, these leaders can ensure that group members can make contributions and receive recognition for their achievements.

Transformational leaders have an upbeat, optimistic attitude that serves as a source of inspiration for followers. If leaders seem discouraged or apathetic, members of the group are likely to also become uninspired.

Even when things look bleak, and your followers start to feel disheartened, try to stay positive. This does not mean viewing things through rose-colored glasses. It simply means maintaining a sense of optimism and hope in the face of challenges.

Let the members of your team know that you welcome their ideas. Leaders who encourage involvement from group members are often referred to as democratic or participative leaders . While they retain the final say over all decisions, they encourage team members to take an active role in coming up with ideas and plans.

Research has shown that using a democratic leadership style leads to greater commitment, more creative problem-solving and improved productivity.

Transformational leaders also provide inspirational motivation to encourage their followers to get into action. Of course, being inspirational isn't always easy. Fortunately, you don't need motivational speeches to rouse your group members.

Some ideas for leadership inspiration include being genuinely passionate about ideas or goals, helping followers feel included in the process and offering recognition, praise, and rewards for people's accomplishments.

Another important quality of a good leader involves knowing that offering effective recognition and rewards is one of the best ways to help followers feel appreciated and happy. It may also come as no surprise that happy people tend to perform better at work.

Who says leadership is a one-way relationship? As you work toward developing some of these leadership qualities, don't forget to look to your followers for feedback and inspiration. Pay attention to the things that have been effective in the past and always be on the lookout for new ways to inspire, motivate, and reward group members.

Cekmecelioglu, HG, Ozbag, GK. Leadership and creativity: the impact of transformational leadership on individual creativity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences . 2016;235(24):243-249. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.11.020

Hayati D, Charkhabi M, Naami A. The relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement in governmental hospitals nurses: a survey study . Springerplus . 2014;3:25. doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-25

Steinmann B, Klug HJP, Maier GW. The path is the goal: how transformational leaders enhance followers' job attitudes and proactive behavior . Front Psychol . 2018;9:2338. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02338

Amanchukwu RN, Stanley GJ, Ololube NP. A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management . Management . 2015;5(1):6-14. doi:10.5923/j.mm.20150501.02

Riggio, RE. The 4 elements of transformational leaders . Psychology Today . November 15, 2014.

Gillbert SL, Kelloway, EK. Leadership, recognition and well-being: a moderated mediational model . Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences . 2018;35(4):523-524. doi:10.1002/cjas.1477

Bass BM, Riggio, RE. Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Erlbaum; 2016.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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31 Aug 2018

The word “leader” tends to conjure images of that C-suite executive with a corner office and growing team of direct reports. But the truth is, leaders exist at all levels of an organization. You, yourself, can be a leader—no matter the stage of your career.

In a recent Facebook Live session with Ethan Bernstein, an associate professor of leadership and organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, Kirstin Lynde, founder and principal at leadership development firm Catalyze Associates, offers her advice to those looking to become leaders.

What Is Leadership?

Leadership "is all about influencing people,” Lynde said. “Leadership is something that you don’t actually have to wait until you’re a formal leader with five or 10 direct reports to practice.”

Anyone can exercise influence at work. According to Lynde, you can display leadership by being:

The go-to person on a certain subject within your organization
Someone who thinks creatively and frequently shares ideas in meetings
An active listener and consensus builder
The colleague who’s good at making everyone feel included and valued on the team
A person who’s effective at articulating how he or she thinks the organization should move forward

If you aspire to become a leader at work, here are some qualities of effective leaders to consider developing, and a step-by-step framework to become an effective leader.

Access your free e-book today.

Qualities of Effective Leaders

It’s true that anyone can be a leader, but there are certain characteristics that are common among successful leaders. Consider developing these relevant leadership skills and abilities.

1. Communication Skills

Successful leaders almost always have exceptional communication skills. By developing your leadership communication skills , you’ll be able to better articulate your vision and foster a more collaborative environment. You should also keep an open line of communication with your team to remain transparent about what you’re doing and what needs to be done.

2. An Innovative Mindset

Simply put, innovation in business refers to generating new ideas and approaches to solve existing business problems and meet organizational objectives. Great leaders foster innovation in the workplace and are always looking for new and improved ways to do things that will help the business overcome organizational change .

3. Decision-Making Capabilities

Effective leaders need to make strategic business decisions under pressure with a limited amount of information, both individually and with their teams . Following a specific decision-making process will help you guide your decisions and act in the best interest of your company.

4. Emotional Intelligence

To be an influential leader, you need to possess emotional intelligence , which is the ability to understand your own emotions and influence others'. Emotionally intelligent leaders also master empathy. Research shows that empathetic leaders perform more than 40 percent higher in coaching, engaging others, and decision-making.

To help develop these leadership capabilities and become an effective leader, follow the leadership self-development model below.

How to Be an Effective Leader

If you want to become an effective leader, you first need to evaluate who you are as a communicator and collaborator, and be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.

“We all have our behavioral styles and typical approaches that have been baked into us since we were young,” Lynde said. “Some of those styles and approaches work well when you become a leader, and some of them can hold you back.”

Once you’ve assessed your work style, it’s easier to determine which goals to set in order to grow as a leader. Perhaps it’s that you need to improve how you provide feedback , or that you want to become better at spotting business opportunities. Whatever your objective, it should directly relate to how you influence others. In turn, your boss and colleagues should be incorporated into the goal-setting process.

Bernstein and Lynde have created a unique leadership self-development model, called PACE . Each letter in PACE stands for steps you can take to become more effective in your organization—Pick, Apprise, Collect, and Elicit—and are outlined below.

1. Pick a Goal

It’s easier to pick one goal than trying to fix multiple areas at once. If you’re not sure where to start, turn to your colleagues for guidance. It could be as simple as telling your boss, “I have aspirations of advancing into manager-level roles. Can you tell me what you think are the two or three biggest skill sets I need to develop to get there?” Or, “I want to get better at my role and improve as a teammate. How do you think I could have a more positive impact?”

“If the goal of leaders is to influence others more effectively, you need to have conversations with other people about how you can do better at contributing to the group and interacting with others,” Lynde said. “You shouldn’t have to wait until someone signs you up for a leadership development program.”

2. Apprise Others of Your Goal

Once you’ve settled on a goal, share it with those you work most closely with whom you trust. Not only will the process hold you more accountable to achieving your goals, but it can elevate your professional relationships.

Research by Harvard Business School Professors Alison Wood Brooks and Francesca Gino shows that asking for advice makes a good impression. And the more candid you are about your goals, the more others feel comfortable asking for feedback in return—leading to mutually beneficial relationships that can grow your network.

By enlisting others in your professional development, it’s also more likely that your colleagues will recognize and publicly acknowledge the positive changes you make.

“It’s often hard to change other people’s perception of us,” Lynde said. “In order to break through and change perceptions, you often can benefit greatly by letting other people know what you’re doing, so that when you do it, they see it.”

3. Collect Ideas

Simply sharing your goal isn’t enough. You also want to collect ideas on how you can improve. If your colleague is strong in the area you’re trying to grow in, Lynde encourages telling him or her that and asking, “By next week, I’d love feedback. Can you tell me two ideas on how I can do better in this specific area?”

What you want to avoid is putting your co-workers on the spot. Give them time to formulate ideas. You should also avoid asking, “How can I improve?” Not only is the question too broad, but your peers might shy away from providing honest, actionable feedback out of fear they could unintentionally insult you by highlighting an unknown weakness.

4. Elicit Feedback

Once you’ve collected ideas and started working toward your goal, ask for feedback on how you’re doing. You should give yourself enough time to actually make some headway—rather, don’t ask for feedback within the first week. Regularly check in with those you shared your goal with, though, and chart your progress.

How to Become a More Effective Leader | Access Your Free E-Book | Download Now

Remember: It’s an Iterative Process

As you work through each step of the PACE framework, what’s important to remember is that this is an iterative and continuous process. You can’t take one workshop and say you’ve now learned how to influence others; every leader is a work in progress. What’s important is that you start developing yourself as a leader early in your career.

“It’s gotten harder to develop leadership abilities the longer I’ve waited,” Bernstein said. “Once you’re in the role, it’s much harder to admit the shortcomings than to admit them before you’re there.”

So start with that honest self-assessment and work from there.

“It’s all about building up your own self-awareness of who you are and how you come across,” Lynde said. “And then it’s about taking very real, tangible steps in your day-to-day life—starting immediately.”

Do you want to enhance your leadership skills? Download our free leadership e-book and explore our online course Leadership Principles to discover how you can become a more effective leader and unleash the potential in yourself and others.

This post was updated on May 13, 2021. It was originally published on August 31, 2018.

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Essays About Effective Leadership: Top 6 Examples and Prompts

Effective leadership is an essential trait that all people should strive to develop; here are 6 examples and topic ideas essays about effective leadership .

Many qualities make an inspiring and effective leader, such as vision, focus, and motivation. Like other skills, effective leadership can be innate or learned and practiced. When writing about leadership, include the strengths of an effective leader and how these qualities positively impact their team. You can also discuss weaknesses that can make a poor leader and how to combat these issues.

Here are 6 examples and 10 essay prompts to get you started on your next essay.

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1. What Makes an Effective Leader? by Tony Gill

2. a guide to becoming an effective leader by yashi srivastava , 3. leadership: 5 practices of effective leaders by yvette gyles, 4. 6 characteristics of an effective leader by lauren landry, 5. six leadership lessons by order of the peaky blinders by andrew denton mbe, 6. leadership and the quest for certainty by keith grint, 1. what is effective leadership, 2. what does effective leadership look like in the corporate industry, 3. what to avoid to become an effective leader, 4. habits of an effective leader, 5. studying the mindsets of effective leaders, 6. effective leadership and its benefits to an organization, 7. indicators of strong and effective leadership, 8. poor leadership vs. effective leadership, 9. real-life examples of effective leadership, 10. how perception creates effective leadership.

“Work at using leadership styles that do not come naturally, styles that you find difficult. By becoming a well-rounded leader, it is easier to adapt your leadership technique for different situations.”

Gill uses a research-based approach to answer the central question of his essay. He looks at various sources that tackle the topic of effective leadership and stitch them together to make a comprehensive guide to effective leadership.

“Leadership is not a mystical quality, and anyone can become a more effective leader by developing some important skills.”

The author, Yashi Srivastava, defines what differentiates leaders from managers first. Then, she provides some dos and don’ts of an effective leader and how people could apply them in different situations.

“Whereas as leaders, we need to be concerned about creativity and innovation, making positive changes, and seeking to challenge and push boundaries.”

Gyles specializes in leadership training for companies, so her approach to the essay is geared more toward company leaders. Nevertheless, it’s highly educational for all those interested in learning effective leadership meant for dealing with various people and guiding people to a direction or goal.

“Effective leaders don’t avoid the hard truths. Instead, they take responsibility for their decisions, maintain optimism, and focus on charting a new course of action.”

Landry’s essay focuses on her six top characteristics of an effective leader. Some of these characteristics are what you’d expect to see in an essay like this. Entries like transparency are less common but equally important in practicing effective leadership.

“Rolling your sleeves up with everyone else not only sets an example, it makes people want to follow you.”

Fiction mirrors life, and it’s one of the best sources to learn lessons that are otherwise too complex or vague to see in real life. Despite his penchant for crime and violence, Thomas Shelby is undeniably one of the most influential leaders on TV. This essay details the leadership skills used by a 1920s gangster character and how you can use them in modern life to become an effective and inspiring leader.

“Leadership is often associated with certainty; indeed, it is sometimes reduced to the decision-making process such that anything which smacks of uncertainty is categorized as weakness or a failure of leadership.”

Grint’s essay on leadership explores the factors around leaders’ certainty or confidence. Of course, not all leaders have a clear answer to a problem, which is fine. The important thing is that they have a mindset to look for solutions and a modicum of honesty about their lack of uncertainty.

10 Essay Prompts on Effective Leadership

It’s your turn to express and explore your view of effective leadership. Use these prompts to work out your approach or steps to effective leadership. Here are ten prompts about effective leadership to help you get started on your essay.

Defining effective leadership is one way to explore your understanding of the idea. Remember that your definition of effective leadership could vastly differ from the other essays you’ve read. It’s also a great starting point for new people who want to warm up to the habit of writing essays about leadership.

Essay writing tip: If you’re new to writing essays, consider simplifying your essay. Try shortening it down to a five-paragraph essay .

Essays about effective leadership prompts: What does effective leadership look like in the corporate industry?

You can find many leaders in the corporate industry, but some are more effective than others. Use this prompt to work out how you envision effective leadership in the corporate world. You can also apply the same idea to other fields, like at school, among friends or peer groups, or in the family. Consider carefully the field or organization you’d like to use for the essay.

You may have personal experience with a person who could have been an effective leader if not for their bad habits. You might have been that person and realized how your bad habits had held you back from practicing effective leadership. This is your chance to write about your experience, whether via observing someone else or through personal growth.

Practicing effective leadership goes beyond having direction and a vision for the organization. Becoming an effective leader also takes time and patience. Use this prompt to discuss the habits of great leaders and how these habits make them effective in their leadership.

Get into the mind of a leader and explore how such a person might become more effective in their leadership. This topic may involve discussing various people, whether real-life persons or fictional characters. Research how they think, handle their role and manage the people they lead.

Understanding the benefits of effective leadership is one of the best ways to drive someone to practice and adopt it. Use this prompt to detail how an effective leader boosts morale, productivity, motivation, communication quality, and confidence in the people they lead. It applies to all organizations, like businesses, teams, and networks.

How do you know whether a person’s leadership style and approach are effective or not? Use this essay topic to discover the different methods of measuring effective leadership. Read about the different measurements and indicators of leadership used in corporations and organizations.

Leaders can be good, mediocre, or bad in their leadership approaches and styles. This essay prompt will push you to compare bad leadership and effective leadership. You can also add methods of improving one’s leadership style to become more effective.

You can find a lot of excellent leaders throughout history. This idea focuses on discussing different leaders, their leadership styles, and levels of effectiveness.

Interpersonal skills are vital to great leadership. Perception of others’ feelings and thoughts can help you become an even better and more effective leader. Discuss how intuitiveness positively affects one’s leadership style.

Check out our list of great essay writing topics for students for more topics to improve your writing.

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Student Essays

Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders

Google Classroom:

Maya S. is a Muslim, Egyptian and student athlete who has lived in Saudi Arabia for most of her life. She is 16 and a junior at the American International School of Riyadh, where she is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program.

In this Student Essay of the Week, Maya talks about how building a platform for others to share their stories has helped her understand why welcoming diversity of thought and experience will make her a stronger, more empathetic leader.

Three steps forward and two steps back. That was my reality during the privilege walk.

In October 2018, I was selected along with 50 other high school students to attend a leadership trip to a farm outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We believed that we were all going to learn about how to become leaders with strong voices. However, the trip took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. Instead, we left knowing how to listen first and speak second.

At the farm, we participated in an activity called a privilege walk , where we were asked to step forward or backward in response to certain questions. From the responses, it became obvious that all of us were struggling with something that those around us knew nothing about.

I learned that the girl beside me once wondered where her next meal would come from. The girl beside her was afraid to leave the house at night because she had been assaulted. The boy to my left had been held at gunpoint. And the boy beside him had a mental disorder. This realization hit me hard. I was able to understand that although it’s impossible for us all to experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other’s differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view.

“Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It’s being aware of my surroundings, but lost in another world inside my head.”

During the summer of that year, someone I loved dearly was faced with medical issues, and my family began dealing with a lot of uncertainty. Even when it was all over, I felt lost and changed. I couldn’t explain it, but I wished that someone understood. I then began thinking of the people standing around me that day in Riyadh during the privilege walk, and everyone around the world like us. Did we all feel the same desire to be understood? How could we all feel seen and valued, regardless of our stories? I wanted to hear more about the stories of all those kids I met that day in line. I wanted to understand how we all ended up there, despite our different paths. I wanted to create something that would allow them to express their stories.

That summer, I started Voice of Change , a weblog that allows other teenagers to contribute writing that reflects the experiences that have shaped them. The first story I received was “Purpose,” from a girl struggling with depression. She wrote, “Purpose: a reason, a given, motivation , a point. We all live life because we have a purpose. We realize that there is a point, we have motivation and a reason to live. We look forward to things and create opportunities for ourselves. We see a future. Imagine living life feeling as though you have no purpose… That means no reason, no motivation, simply no point… the best way to describe this feeling is as if [you’re] dead. This feeling is depression.”

After I posted the article, which talked about how depression impacted the author’s life, I received comments, emails and texts from others saying that the article communicated what they needed to hear and couldn’t put into words. This initial response fueled the rest of my work. I began receiving other stories about challenging experiences, ranging from sexual assault and racial discrimination, to losing a loved one and struggling with body image. Here are a few powerful quotes from these articles:

“I’m not sure who or what I’m living for, but I’d never want to risk my family members feeling as I do right now. It’s okay that I’m suffering right now, because I have faith that it will pass, eventually it will.” – “Live On”

“I am not ignorant because I’m Arab. I’m not a terrorist because I’m Muslim. I am not a thug because I’m black. I am not who I am because of what you see on the news. I am who I am because of what I’ve been through, and what I have become.” – “Assume”

“Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It’s being aware of my surroundings but lost in another world inside my head.” – “I Choose Life”

I see my Voice of Change journey as having so much to do with becoming a better leader. It has helped me to see clearly the type of leader I hope to become. I have developed a stronger perspective by understanding the voices and stories of others. I have become more empathetic to other people’s struggles, a quality I will need when I run my own business one day. You can’t understand your customers’ wants or your employees’ needs if you don’t listen and appreciate where they’re coming from. Also, Voice of Change has shown me how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems. Each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way.

Conversation Starters

What is empathy and why is it such an important leadership quality? How is empathy related to storytelling? Use the Related Links with this article if you need to better understand empathy.

How have your experiences shaped you? Share your story in the Comment section of this article.

Maya writes that she has come to appreciate “how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems.” Diversity of thought is incredibly powerful in the business world. Why does it hold such value? How does it enrich the team dynamic and important outcomes?

7 comments on “ Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders ”

Hi Maya, Thank you for sharing your fantastic story with us. Being able to appreciate the people around you and, in first place, yourself is one of the major keys to success and, most importantly, happiness in life, at least according to my experience. We all come from different environments and experiences, the same ones which make us who we are, in our uniqueness and diversity, as you clearly and beautifully stated in your essay. Appreciation is one of those emotions, if that’s how we want to define it, I have learned to consider and embrace later in life, but it is surely the one all the rest comes down to: appreciation for life, appreciation for love from our beloved ones… Having dealt throughout life with friends who coped with depression and anxiety, I can say I have experienced the emotional upheaval that tends to follow this kind of acknowledgements. It gives you a completely different perspective on the world, on the people that surround you and on the way you look at your very own life. On the other hand, I’ve been lucky enough to feel the wonderful sense of relief and joy which comes after helping this people, which taught me the value of the word, indeed, appreciation. In the same way I’ve been able to help my dearest friends deal with these horrible feelings and find a way out of them, I find what you have done with this very same individuals awesome: not only giving them a voice through the blog, but giving their peers the chance to find sympathy and reassurance in their words. Keep it up! And take care.

Sonder – n. The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness (The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows).

I believe that sonder, a short and simple made-up word to describe a complex feeling, perfectly captures the spirit of Maya and her article. Maya realized the complexity of the lives of those around her, that every stranger on the leadership trip had their own unique story to tell, filled with their personal struggles. She reaches the conclusion that “each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way.”

Sonder, and more broadly, empathy, is a crucial element of being a good leader. I had my own moment of sonder last summer when I had the opportunity to volunteer at my local Chinese senior center. I started volunteering there because I had to fill my school’s requirement for service hours but ended up gaining much more out of it than that. At first, I was wary of taking on the job because my Chinese conversational skills were acceptable at best and rudimentary at worst. However, I quickly found that the seniors were very welcoming and were just happy that someone was willing to sacrifice their time to help out. I performed tasks such as preparing and serving food as well as helped teach ESL and citizenship classes. I learned about the hard work ethic of the workers and volunteers around me while washing apples. I learned about the amiability and habits of the seniors in the lunchroom. There would always be those in the back table playing cards, the younger seniors chatting in the front, and the seasoned mahjong players upstairs. I even had the chance to hear some of their rich stories, stories of their journeys of emigrating from communist China, stories of their successful children, stories of their war experiences, and stories of their hope in America. I truly understood that these seniors, whom I would not have given a second glance on the street, lived such deep and meaningful lives, each of which would be a thrilling standalone novel.

Just like Maya learned to understand those from different backgrounds, I was able to empathize with these seniors and develop an appreciation for their experiences. We should all have empathy for each other in this world full of division and hatred. Sonder helps us have that empathy not only with those close to us but with everyone around us.

When I became the youngest Student Council President of my school, my idea of a strong leader was someone who could command and lead a group of people with total authority the way they like it. So, that’s what I tried to do during my early days as a leader. I thought I would be a strong leader by commanding the student council and demonstrating my full authority over the rest. But after the first month, like Maya, the experience of being a leader took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. I learned, like Maya, that you have to listen first and speak second. It is by listening to others that makes you a stronger leader because it is easier to command and display your authority. But it is harder to swallow your pride and listen to others when their opinions or stories differ from yours.

Therefore, in the Student Council that I am in, I launched an initiative called “Listen Monday” with the purpose of listening to everyone’s opinions and views in the student council and utilizing them for the betterment of the school.

By understanding the voices of others it has helped me develop a better perspective. I have become more empathetic to others. Listening to others has allowed me to see the full picture that I have never seen. And because I see the bigger picture, I realized that other’s experiences can help shape how I see the world and solve problems. As Maya said, each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective, all-powerful and important in their own way.

I want to thank Maya for inspiring me.

I want to thank Maya for inspiring me to become a better leader.

Hello L Dau K!

Thank you for sharing your experience and lessons as a student council president. Listening to your implementation of listening Mondays has brought me back to a time when I was the storyteller, pouring my life out, not to a student council president, but to my mother.

Before the story begins, I must tell you about my mother. She is a very successful corporate leader of hundreds of people. Of course, when it comes to life, she’s never lost her footing when it comes to parenting. Her dogma for me was always the same as that for her employees. She required me to write a time schedule and reflect on life every day and report my academic progress to her with a PowerPoint presentation every week. Similar to your listening Mondays, but coerced. Of course, these rules also apply to her employees. I argued with her countless times, berating her for treating me, at the time, a 12-year-old, as her employee. Perhaps you have already begun to detest my mother’s parenting philosophy, or that she is just another derelict mother who neglects her children’s emotional needs to give her career 100%. But she was a mother for the first time, and I as her oldest child witnessed her growth and how she became a leader, both to her employees and to me.

Where should I begin my story with this leader? As I counted the episodes that flashed through my mind, neither the long conversation in the evening breeze nor the laughing conversation in the dark living room seemed like the most appropriate beginning of the story. Puzzled, I put down my thoughts and sat down to recall the beginning of our conversations. There’s no longer nameless fear and tension when she approaches me, dreading to hear what she has to say. Instead, I always walked up to her when I found her alone, and the dialogue always began with a sigh. I told her many stories about young love, friends, hobbies, and self-reflection, all parts of me that I was reluctant to reveal in PowerPoints. She is busy all day but never said no when I started a conversation. I could feel that she valued every part of our communication, regardless of how nonsensical it was, taking it wholeheartedly. She would sit down and listen to every word I had to say, and she would take to heart every hint of emotion I tried to convey. She did her best to understand my passions, cater to my needs, and embrace my sentiments. And that’s one of the most valuable lessons she’s taught me as a leader.

My mother’s growth as a leader came naturally to her as she listened to every ebullient story and every heart-wrenching sob. She did what many leaders, even in family relationships, fail to do: give the most attention to her children and subordinates, dwelling on their stories, bringing herself into their emotions, and living their experiences. Simply receiving a comment differentiates from understanding the root of their feedback. Through sharing stories with my mother, as my thoughts became words and leaped out of my mouth, my thoughts received a carrier. The stories I told were imparted with meaning through the process of communication. These words made me who I am and marked every footprint of mine. Not only giving her a chance to guide me but giving me a chance to recourse, bonding two unknown souls by building emotional bridges rather than giving ice-cold PowerPoint presentations. I myself am walking on those bridges, and I will be learning to build them up. Through open communication, we can build bridges high enough to see the world from a bigger view, see the tips of Mt. Everest, hear the mumbles of rhinoceros and vaquitas, and unveil a side of the world that we have never seen before.

In her essay “The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders”, Maya S. quotes “I was able to understand that although it’s impossible for us to all experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other’s differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view.” This quote taught me that in order to be understood, one must learn to understand.

As an international student living in the states, my school days were certainly different from most of my classmates. There were a lot more plane rides, more hours of memorizing English vocabulary, and less people that paid attention to the struggles I went through. It was hard to focus on the upside of life when I knew that my comfort zone was about 6800 miles away. I felt like I was drowning in my own world, and was unsure of what I needed to do to get out of it.

As time passed, I did learn to embrace my new home. That started with a simple step: Learning about how people here lived. I added Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo to my playlist, started to watch the NBA, and reached out for corrections when I didn’t recognize an English word. As I began to understand and appreciate what was around me, it was way easier to fit in. My struggles started to pay off as I received multiple honors and varsity MVP awards. Apart from Academics, I also became much more active in the social circle. I learned more about life here from my new friends, and also taught them some parts of life that I left behind back in Korea. After these changes, I could proudly say that I’m definitely leading my own life.

Maya’s story of the privilege walk reminded me of the change in my perspective before and after trying to understand American culture. At first I was hesitant in getting to know the new environment, but now I see the hidden value of entirely different customs, just like how Maya was able to understand the children with more depth. Furthermore, something Maya did that I greatly appreciate is that she didn’t just stop from enlightenment and took action to advocate for her beliefs. I believe that Maya’s propulsion of creating the “Voice of Change” weblog exemplifies what leaders do to promote their voice to the world. As a person aspiring to be a global leader and a businessman, I was greatly inspired by Maya’s quotes of insight and her action to spread her words.

Our world today is heavily interconnected, and the effects of collaborating across diverse backgrounds have never been more apparent. As I reflect on Maya’s quote and my own understanding, I am reminded that true leaders are distinguished by their ability to seek harmony in differences. My journey from a foreign student drowning in isolation to a confident participant in a global community underscores the transformative power of understanding others to be understood. Of course there are still customs that I cannot resonate with, like pineapple on pizza. But as I step forward into a world of connections and communications, I carry with me the invaluable lesson that true understanding is the cornerstone of meaningful process.

My life has been quite secure from the start, so I can’t say that I very much connect with various problems like this. However, studying about various issues like in schools and textbooks has made me aware of the seriousness of the various social problems. Today, its funny how with increase in awareness and campaign to see how these problems have just been a thing to pass time and maybe get certificates for college without taking issue seriously and then chat-gpting few stuff to say how much gravely you understand the issue. I witnessed this a certain. person which made me wonder maybe this all has just become propaganda for achieving selfish desires instead of really addressing these problems. Instead of making jokes in friend circles do body shaming etc it is necessary to really respect and help others. There were many good quotes in the essay. People should if not participating in camping at least should help others and be aware of these problems around them.

Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author: Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point is give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born.

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions.

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

What are the main qualities of the leader?
Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
The role of female leadership
What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
How college helps students develop leadership skills?
Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them
Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
Top techniques for developing leadership skills
The interconnection of creativity and leadership
Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
The role of cognitive abilities for the leader

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

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August 8, 2022

Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]

Essays that ask you to write about significant achievements fall under the category of

what are known as behavioral or experiential questions . The basic assumption behind these questions is that past behavior is a great predictor of future behavior . They are all varieties on the theme of “Tell us about a time when you…” These questions are meant to take the measure of your managerial potential.

Let’s look at how one candidate effectively addressed this essay question from Stanford GSB (*this question is not from the current application):

Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

This writer avoids writing about leadership in any generic way and zeroes in on the specific aspects of his contributions and their impact:

Leadership essay example: The Change Agent

When I was invited to become the Vice President and General Manager at Third Way Associates (TWA)* two years ago, the company was in financial and administrative disorder. Employee retention was poor, and TWA took too long to pay vendors because of poor communication and accounting processes. Cash flow was managed based on immediate needs rather than by the logic of budgets planned by project and city. Sloppy expense reports that were turned in with no receipts were reimbursed to employees.

TWA founders Scott W ____ and Glenn L ____ had good intentions, but spent most of their time selling sponsorships and getting new clients rather than directing and managing the company. As we begin 20XX, TWA is much healthier in every way. Under my direction, vendors are paid in an average of 20 days from date of invoice, instead of 60 days or more. Our cash flow is better administered since I introduced very specific detailed area budgets with over 125 budget lines per city. Because I can give the company founders much better stability and macromanagement vision, the three of us are able to look more to the future rather than simply put out fires.

Despite the difficult economy in 20XX, we not only retained our same clients but also signed several new client agreements for three years or more, including a two-year contract with Big Shoe Company worth $1.3 million. I’ve brought fresh accounts and industries into TWA, including ____ Airlines and Drink Y, among others. Combined, these accounts generated more than $500,000 in 20XX, and we estimate close to $1 million dollars in the following year.

Since my arrival, we have a much wider and broader sales menu which has been crucial to generate more revenue. I’ve expanded our most popular sports events to 25 cities, giving our clients new investment opportunities. These events range from recreational soccer clinic tours to professional soccer games broadcast on TV.

I also expanded our field staff, and at present we have 25 strong and reliable managers who report directly to me from each city. Despite the economy, 20XX was not a bad year for TWA, and this year promises to be even better if we continue our current strategy and continue to work as a team.

Leadership essay analysis

In every paragraph, this writer mentions concrete measures he took to introduce order to a chaotic company that was trying to grow. From instituting budgets with line items, an improved accounts payable system, and recruiting additional big-name accounts, the writer proves how his efforts strengthened the organization.

How can you maximize on your thought leadership experiences?

As you choose among your own experiences as essay material, think about these questions to help you frame answers of substance:

What was the obstacle, challenge, or problem that you solved in this accomplishment? A tight client deadline? A complex merger transaction? A new product launch amidst fierce competition?
What did you do to rise to the challenge you are writing about? Motivate your team to work overtime? Sell senior management on the deal’s long-term upside? Identify a marketing profile for your product that no competitor can match?
What facts demonstrate that your intervention created a happy ending? Did your team submit the project deliverables three days early despite being 20% understaffed? Your client approved the $500 million merger, the largest ever in its industry? Your new product has 20% market share after only one year? What was the impact of your leadership?

Don’t forget about your people leadership skills

What we’ve spoken about until this point revolves mostly on skilled problem-solving, or “thought leadership.” But respected businesspeople need to be equally or even more talented at something we didn’t have a formal name for: people leadership. By effectively leading the thinking of client firms’ problems as well as motivating them to work long hours to develop solutions to these problems and collaborate with clients on implementing them, these businesspeople prove to have what it takes to be exemplary leaders.

So don’t forget to include strong elements of people leadership in your essays. Here are several to keep in mind:

Rallying others around a vision. Did you convince your team or group to follow a specific path/solution? How did you do it? Successful clients have talked about handling dissenting opinions diplomatically or presenting their teams’ detailed quantitative evidence for a recommendation. The more you can show that you understood your audience and tailored the content and form of your message to them, the better.
Harnessing others’ strengths – and expanding them. Did you provide team members tasks they could handle comfortably based on their capabilities, as well as opportunities to broaden their skills? For example, you may have handed your quant jock teammate the most complicated operations analysis as well as responsibility for leading a key client meeting. In this way, you leverage teammates’ strengths while helping them develop new ones.
Getting through tough times. Did you model for your team enviable cool in pressure-cooker situations, maybe helping them keep the big-picture goal in mind or lightening the mood with humor? Did you reward teammates with praise, pizza, or both for working long into the night? Did you pitch in on others’ responsibilities as deadlines loomed? Helping your team handle stress while managing your own is a cornerstone of strong leadership.

Use your words

Another tip: Look for opportunities to incorporate strong verbs that illustrate your strengths in these areas. Good examples of leadership might incorporate several of the following:

Establishing a goal or vision
Obtaining buy-in
Taking responsibility

The old adage, “Show, don’t tell,” remains a classic bit of wisdom in the writing process. Make that a guiding principle not only in your leadership/achievement essays, but throughout your application.

For personalized advice tailored just for you, check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing services and work one-on-one with a pro who will help you discover your competitive advantage and use it to get accepted.

Download Leadership in Admissions today!

Related Resources:

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • Tone Up Your Writing: Confidence vs Arrogance • “I’m Smart, Really I Am!” Proving Character Traits in Your Essays

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A guide to becoming an effective leader

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Are effective leaders born or made?

Differentiating managers from leaders, what makes an effective leader, 4 signs that you are not an effective leader, tips to become a more effective leader at work, be the first to know.

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If you’ve ever worked with a leader who wasn’t very effective, you know that poor leadership comes at a cost.

Working with an ineffective leader can be demotivating or demoralizing, which may hamper your productivity and ability to reach your goals. This, in turn, can adversely impact business results.

Effective leadership , on the other hand, results in increased employee happiness, engagement, and retention rates. But that’s not all. An engaged workforce leads to 17% higher productivity, a 10% increase in customer ratings, a 20% increase in sales, and 21% greater profitability.

While few would argue with the importance of effective leadership, it can often seem like an elusive idea. What is effective leadership? What are the most important leadership qualities? Can anyone learn how to become an effective leader and, if so, how?

This article will dive into these questions, and more.

Let’s begin by addressing this commonly asked question about whether it makes sense to invest one’s time and energy in trying to become a more effective leader. Because if leaders are born with inherent qualities that can’t be developed, why waste time in fighting a battle that’s already been lost?

Fortunately, research indicates that leaders are “mostly made.” This means that while there are aspects of leadership that come more naturally to some people than to others, a majority of leadership qualities can be developed . In other words, anyone can learn how to be an effective leader. It requires commitment and hard work, but it is possible.

This is also good news because the most critical skills for leaders have changed over time.

What comes to mind when you hear the words “manager” and “leader”? Would you say they mean the same thing? If not, what is the important difference between leader versus manager ? While these words are sometimes used interchangeably, they point to different functions a person might perform.

It was once believed that effectively managing an organization was mainly a matter of managing its structures and processes. In 1977, Harvard Business School professor Abraham Zaleznik challenged this view, arguing that there was another aspect to management. That is, the one concerned with vision, inspiration, and the human side of things.

Building on Zaleznik’s work, John P. Kotter argued that effectively managing organizations required a balance between management and leadership , which are two different things.

Here are some of the key differences between a manager and an effective leader:

Managers follow processes and prioritize stability and control. Leaders are more willing to challenge the status quo and tend to be more patient with chaos and a lack of structure.

Managers are focused on specific processes, including planning, budgeting, organizing, and staffing. Leaders are concerned with creating a vision and effectively guiding people through change .

Managers usually have positional authority in organizational hierarchy. Leaders may have authority, but it’s not a necessary condition for demonstrating leadership. People at any level in the organization can be great leaders .

Managers exercise control to get their teams to deliver the desired results. Leaders encourage autonomy so that team members are self-motivated to do what is needed.

It is important to note that these differences don't make one approach better than the other. Organizations need strong managers as well as effective leaders. However, it has been argued that many organizations today are over-managed and under-led . This makes it important for more people to develop effective leadership skills.

There isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach to effective leadership. Research suggests that leading from one’s unique strengths yields better results than trying to emulate other leaders.

This makes sense, as effective leaders come in diverse forms, and fit the needs of diverse organizations. Retired general Colin Powell’s leadership style was undoubtedly very different from wellness advocate Arianna Huffington’s style. Each is effective because they know and embrace their strengths, while also acknowledging and managing their weaknesses, within a culture that suits them.

In its quest to find what makes the most effective leaders, Gallup analyzed decades of data gathered from thousands of leaders as well as their “followers.” They found that the most effective leaders exhibit three key qualities :

Focusing on strengths. The most effective leaders consistently focus on the strengths of their team members. This can help each team member feel empowered to do their best work and contribute to achieving the team’s goals. In turn, focusing on strengths usually leads to higher employee engagement and well-being, and gains in the organization’s bottom line.
Forming well-rounded teams. Effective leaders recognize that they can’t excel at everything. To overcome this challenge, they surround themselves with people who have complementary strengths, qualities, and skill sets. This results in well-rounded, high-performing teams.
Understanding their followers’ needs. Effective leaders understand and honor four basic needs that followers have: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. People are motivated to work with leaders they can depend on, and who genuinely care about them, provide a solid and reliable foundation, and inspire hope for the future.

A combination of these qualities, along with self-awareness, are important factors that make an effective leader.

Some other traits effective leaders have in common include:

Excellent communication skills. An effective leader can clearly communicate their vision, provide constructive feedback to team members, and negotiate with other company leaders for things their team needs.
High emotional intelligence. Great leaders develop their emotional regulation skills . They must be able to identify, control, and express their emotions in a productive manner, and guide their team members toward doing the same.
Empathy. The best leaders are able to empathize, or understand and share feelings, with their team members.
Integrity. Effective leaders live by strong values that guide their decisions and behaviors. They know right from wrong, are honest in their interactions with others, and practice ethical leadership .
Creativity. Effective leaders think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions to business problems and creative ways to reach business goals. They know that creativity is for everyone .

Every leader always has room for improvement, though some may need more development than others. Some signs that you may not be an effective leader include:

Your team members are disengaged. If your team is simply going through the motions, completing their assigned tasks, and nothing more, you may have a disengaged team on your hands. This could be a sign that you’re not properly inspiring, motivating, and enabling them to do their best work.
Your team is consistently failing to meet goals. It’s normal not to meet all of your goals, all of the time, but it is a problem when it happens consistently. This could be a sign that you need to communicate better with company leaders around more attainable goals or additional resources you need. Or, it could be a signal that your team is disengaged and that you need to lead them more effectively.
Nobody speaks up with feedback during meetings. Effective leaders encourage team members to share their opinions and ideas. If your team holds back during meetings, they might not feel comfortable doing so. This can hinder your team’s ability to solve business problems in a more efficient, productive way.
Your team has a low promotion rate. Great leaders develop their team members, help them build career paths, and sponsor them for promotions when the time is right. If your team has a low promotion rate, high time to promotion, or a high turnover rate due to lack of career progression, you may need to work on employee development.

Leadership skills and traits can — and should — be learned and developed. The skills needed to be an effective leader adapt with the times. BetterUp research has shown that being an inclusive leader has a positive ripple effect on the entire team . Hybrid work has changed how leaders lead inclusively across a hybrid team . Here are some areas you may want to work on:

Know thyself. One of the most important steps you can take to be an effective leader is to become more aware of your strengths, weaknesses, values, behaviors, and the impact you have on other people. Self-reflection is a good place to start becoming more self-aware, but it’s not enough. Actively seeking feedback from your team and your colleagues is also an important aspect of self-awareness . Many organizations use 360 assessments, which can be a great tool to have at your disposal.
Demonstrate honesty and integrity. Trustworthiness is an important quality in leaders. It’s crucial that you maintain the highest levels of integrity and remain open and honest in your interactions with your team. Can you think of leaders you find easy to trust? What makes them trustworthy? What can you learn from them?
Invest time in coaching and developing others. Effective leaders take a genuine interest in the growth and development of the people they work with. Take interest in learning about the goals and aspirations of your team members and play an active role in helping them grow and develop. This will help you better understand their needs and support them more effectively.
Develop and demonstrate emotional intelligence. Being able to effectively manage your own emotions—and those of the people around you—is an important skill known as emotional intelligence . This is a necessary skill if you want to offer stability and hope to your team, especially during challenging times. If you feel you are not particularly good at emotional intelligence, it might be worthwhile to invest time in developing this skill.
Learn how to have difficult conversations. As a leader, you will inevitably find yourself in situations where you need to share unpleasant news with someone or where you need to disagree with someone without offending them. Being able to have difficult conversations while maintaining—and even building—trust is an important aspect of effective leadership.
Focus on the whole person. People like to work for leaders who care about them as human beings—not just as human resources. Spend time getting to know your team members on a personal level and build relationships with them. If you are compassionate and care for their overall well-being, they are more likely to go above and beyond for what you ask of them.

Final thoughts on how to be an effective leader

Leadership is not a mystical quality and anyone can become a more effective leader by developing some important skills. Managing managers can also be more complex and complicated. But with coaching, you can develop thriving leaders that lead to a thriving workforce.

Lead with confidence and authenticity

Develop your leadership and strategic management skills with the help of an expert Coach.

Yashi Srivastava, MAPP, CPCC

Yashi Srivastava is a BetterUp Coach. She helps people find calm, clarity, and courage amidst the chaos, uncertainty, and stresses of everyday life. She is at her best when she is helping people grow — as professionals, but also as human beings. After spending most of her life in India and a few years in the US, Yashi currently lives in Canada with her wonderfully geeky husband and two delightful daughters. Yashi's latest aspiration in life is to find a sense of calm balance between cherishing the joys and challenges of motherhood while continuing to live her life’s calling to help others flourish.

Refine your approach with these 7 leadership theories

How to build a high performance team, according to patty mccord, what is a leadership development program and why do you need one, how to be an empathetic leader in a time of uncertainty, the most critical skills for leaders are fundamentally human, the key mindsets sales leaders need to unlock success: q&a with brad mccracken, global vp of sales at betterup, how do you develop leaders for the 2021 workplace, how leadership coaching helps leaders get (and keep) an edge, data shows since pandemic team performance hinges on this leader skill, leaders are prioritizing well-being over leadership skills in the post-covid workplace, what makes an inclusive leader these 6 behaviors are a good start, solving the leadership development dilemma, looking inward can make you a better leader, 5 top companies share their best leadership development practices, what it means to be a great team leader and how to become one, developing agility and resilience in the core of your organization, leading people as people, a conversation with cynt marshall, ceo of the dallas mavericks, reflections on shift: cracking the code to people transformation in the workplace, and beyond, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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A Full Guide On How To Create Good Leadership Essay

Attempting a leadership essay isn’t such a daunting task, provided you have a grasp of the necessary information needed for a leadership paper. To write this special essay, you’ll need to redefine what exactly an essay on leadership is, how to choose the perfect topic, what should be in the content, and how to organize and structure the paper. Let’s delve deeper!

What Is A Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a well-formatted, organized and specialized type of formal writing which elaborates on a generic leadership topic or a superior human figure exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals.

What Makes A Good Leader Essay?

There are some peculiarities needed to infuse in your write-up if, for example, you’re trying to learn how to write a leadership essay about yourself.

Also, if you’re just trying to produce leadership essays for college, then you’d first and foremost, learn how to structure an essay , among other skills needed for this type of essay. Here are some qualities which can be found in a good essay about leadership.

Choose a creative topic
Avoid the passive voice (the active voice sounds stronger)
Search for and study leadership essay examples
Follow the appropriate essay style
Focus on the essay structure
Review the essay

How To Choose A Topic And Make A Great Title?

To choose a topic for a paper on leadership, you need to do some research on the concept of a leader (whether in the corporate industry, political society or even in the criminal world). You have to know the current leadership tendencies in organizational groups or society. You can choose to make a leader the point of your reference by explaining the consequences of their leadership abilities or inabilities.

In the body of your essay, don’t forget to mention several types of leadership styles and point out which one the subject portrays. Finally, you should not rule out making comparisons of famous leaders in the modern world or in history. An example of a great prompt for a leadership essay that deploys the comparison technique would be the leadership styles of President Trump and The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte as both leadership styles have been subjected to political reviews in recent times since their emergence as president of their respective countries.

Outline For A Leadership Essay

When writing a college or professional essay such as -long and short essays on leadership, planning is the key to perfection. The general outline for any essay, including leadership papers, include an introduction, the body paragraphs (which must be properly linked with transition words and/or phrases) and a recapitulating or finding-based conclusions. Here’s what your outline should look like:

Introduction

Knowing how to start a leadership essay depends on your introduction writing ability. The introduction is the gateway to the essay. Aided by punchy opening words, which are the hook, the purpose of the introduction is to draw the reader’s attention. The introduction presents the thesis statement and leaves the body paragraphs to sustain the reader’s interest.

Body Paragraphs

Having informed the readers of the topic of the essay in the introductory paragraph(s), the body paragraphs follow immediately.

Here, you can elaborate on the concept of leadership and do a meaningful interpretation of the subject – the topic or the thesis statement. Don’t forget to talk about your leadership philosophies and leadership experience in whatever capacity you might have found yourself in. Remember, people are more interested in personal experiences. They are great in helping to sustain readers’ attention.

Remember to state a thesis or hypothesis in the opening paragraphs – which is the intro. In each of the body paragraphs of the essay, try to relate your points to the thesis and use each point to prove its validity.

The conclusion is the end part of any well-structured essay. Its purpose is a no-brainer. You don’t want to leave your reader hanging by ending the essay cold turkey. Any standard essay without a conclusion is just as useless as an essay with no purpose. However, be careful not to present new ideas not mentioned in the body.

As mentioned, the conclusion serves to summarize the developed points, restate the thesis and/or present the findings. It is your last opportunity to create an impression on the reader, and this is where they take the message away. If your conclusion is weak, then we might say the essay’s objectives are not achieved.

What To Include In A Leadership Essay?

Here are some tips on what your leadership essay should include.

Your Definition Of A Good Leader And Why He Or She Is Important

Since your essay revolves around leadership and the traits of a good leader, you’ll need to define what it takes to be one. You may also take this opportunity to trash some common myths on what a leader is (i.e., a manager being confused for a leader).

For reference purposes, the concepts of leadership and being a good leader are explained:

Leadership is the quality of a leader and is that person capable of exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals. A leader is a guide; someone with ideas and goals that can spread to a large group of people who still believe he or she can lead them in the right direction.

There are many types of leaders and therefore, of leadership since people generally always look for a person or group that shows them a direction to follow. You can find religious, political, social, or philosophical leadership. Leadership can be exercised in a traditional way. In many countries, there is a monarchy. The king or queen is a leader with limited political power, at least in western democracies, but still have the respect and consideration of the people. Their words continue to be heard and taken into account, especially in problematic times. There are other types of leadership that are not given by birth, such as legitimate leadership exercised by, for example, political leaders freely chosen by their people, or charismatic leaders.

In a way, charismatic leaders are what many understand as leaders since they are people who, by their way of behavior and characteristics, get many people to follow and adhere to their ideas. Some charismatic leaders can become legitimate leaders if they choose the path of politics. A traditional leader can also be charismatic. There have always been kings loved by his people more than others. But it can also be a person who prefers independent movements outside of power.

Charisma is the personal magnetism a person has. It is something very difficult to define but makes one capable of convincing others without too much effort, making people follow and trust the leading figure. Charisma can be used positively or negatively. The leaders of the most destructive sects are very charismatic people that are capable of convincing their followers of the eeriest ideas, including donating all their belongings or committing collective suicide.

Examples Of Your Leadership Style

In the content of your essay, you may consider giving an interpretation to your (or your chosen leader’s) leadership traits. Below are some examples of leadership qualities that separate a good leader from a bad leader.

What qualities are necessary for leadership

Communication
Emotional intelligence
Strategic thinking
Commitment and passion
Knowledge and experience
Leading by example
Active listening
Ability to enhance talent
Setting goals and expectations
People investment
Discernment
Concentration
Positive attitude
Problem-solving
Self-discipline

Leadership Essay Example

To know how to do essay fast, you’ll need some ready-made essay examples for the sake of guidance and inspiration. You may find below a leadership essay written by Oliver Smith useful in your leadership paper.

Writing a leadership essay should be easy. A good essay on leadership starts from the hook, and the thesis statement in the introduction. The points developed in the body paragraphs help affirm the hypothesis. Finally, the conclusion offers the reader a summary through the restatement of the essay’s main idea.

As required for every essay type, your essay on leadership has to follow a definite style and format. Examples are MLA, APA, Chicago and AP styles. Take your time in choosing a creative but new topic and also in writing the content. By following this guide, everything should be as perfect as possible.

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Build These 10 Habits to Become a True Leader (and Not Just a Boss) This article explores the distinction between being a boss and being a leader, outlining ten key habits that transform mere management into true leadership.

By Chris Kille Edited by Chelsea Brown Jul 16, 2024

Key Takeaways

Being a boss is easy, but being a true leader involves inspiring and motivating a team by creating a shared vision for the future.
Developing the key habits listed in this article can transform an ordinary manager into an influential leader who inspires and empowers their team.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You know what's funny? Being a boss is very, very easy. You tell people what to do, how you expect it to be done and when you expect it to be done. But being a leader ? That's a different matter. Leadership involves influence, mobilization of commitment and the ability to paint a picture of the future that people would want to be part of.

It's about creating the right patterns that make you grow into the kind of person others aspire to be around or collaborate with. Here's how to do it.

Related: If You Want People to Follow You, Stop Being a Boss — 8 Steps to Truly Effective Leadership

1. Vision, not just goals

When it comes to goal setting, anybody can do it, but when it comes to vision formulation, then one is talking of a leader. Think of Steve Jobs and his vision for Apple: forming products that are not only useful but also aesthetically appealing. Make sure you and your team are on the same page. Remind them why they are doing what they are doing and what it is that they are working towards. Once people have bought into the vision , they are more willing and ready to work hard and contribute towards its actualization.

2. Empathy over ego

True leaders realize that their good and bad performance means the good and bad performance of the team they are leading. Meet your team. Know their potential, their vulnerabilities and how they work. Be concerned with their lives. It doesn't just take technical brilliance to assemble Tesla and SpaceX; Elon Musk consulted his teams, comprehended their difficulties and guided them.

3. Relentless curiosity

Leaders are perpetual learners. They will not be afraid to state, "I have no idea; let's figure it out." Develop the habit of curiosity. It's important to read widely, ask questions and ensure all the members of your team do the same. Jeff Bezos has often spoken about the concept of Day 1, in which he emphasizes the need to always remain curious, innovative and eager to learn.

4. Empowerment through trust

A boss demands, but a leader empowers . Believe in the abilities of the people you hire, and let them perform at their best. Let them do things on their own, and make it a point to correct them when they are wrong. It is not about avoiding interference; it is about making them take responsibility. This creates confidence and promotes a culture that supports creativity in the organization.

5. Authenticity is key

Be real. Being genuine makes people trust and respect each other. Be ready to apologize, speak about your failures and discuss successes with colleagues. The formation of an authentic follower can only be initiated by an authentic leader . Virgin's Richard Branson is a great example here: While he is passionate and authentic about what his company does, people flock to the brand, and Virgin has a terrific organizational culture.

Related: 5 Winning Habits That Will Transform Your Leadership Skills

6. Constant communication

Leaders communicate. A lot. And it's not just a case of saying; it is also a case of hearing. Make sure your team is informed about what you are doing, get their feedback , and listen carefully to their complaints. Information sharing is a way of building trust and avoiding cases where some people are left in the dark about certain issues. Try to remember how Satya Nadella changed Microsoft's organizational culture by being more communicative and direct.

7. Lead by example

If you need your team to be dedicated, demonstrate to them what dedication means. If you require them to be creative, then promote and recognize creativity. It is the behavior that defines the situation. For example, Elon Musk slept on the Tesla production line to solve all the challenges. He is very dedicated to his work , and that's why his team is so motivated and dedicated as well.

8. Coping with affliction

Pressure refers to the force applied on a surface per unit area, and in leadership, this can be taken to mean that leaders do not give in easily. They may change direction, but they never stop. Consider the case of Netflix. It was initially a DVD rental firm and has grown into a streaming empire, changing with the market. Remind your team that failure is not the end of the world but a part of getting to the goal.

9. Celebrate the small wins

Larger wins are good, of course — but small, constant wins help to keep up the pace. Celebrate them. Always celebrate your team and the achievements that it has made, no matter how small these achievements may be. This keeps spirits high and enthusiasm intact.

10. Stay humble

Never let success get to your head. Remember that leadership is something special that one is accorded, not a guaranteed position throughout one's career. Humble people are easy to work with because they do not hinder collaboration between people. Some leaders, like Warren Buffet, have not deviated from this mindset, and they always give credit to their teams.

Related: 7 Ways to Go From a Boss to a Leader

In sum, leadership is more than merely guiding the organization or a team. It is about developing an environment that is respected, motivating and inspiring. Develop these habits, and you will not only improve your leadership skills but also your team. When leading with vision, empathy and authenticity, you are not just building a business that will sustain you but also one that transforms lives.

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Founder at EO Staff

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How to Rule The World: Effective Leadership

Categories: Effective Leadership Leader

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Words: 1229 |

Published: Jan 29, 2019

Words: 1229 | Pages: 2 | 7 min read

Introduction, what makes an effective leader, the role of ethics.

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How to Become a Better Listener

Robin Abrahams
Boris Groysberg

Sharpen these seven skills.

Listening is a skill that’s vitally important, sadly undertaught, and physically and mentally taxing. In the aftermath of Covid-19, particularly with the shift to remote work and the red-hot job market, it’s never been more important — or more difficult — for leaders to be good listeners. This article offers nine tips to help leaders become more active listeners, and a breakdown of the subskills involved in listening and how you can improve in them.

It’s never been more important — or more difficult — for leaders to be good listeners. Job switching is rampant, and remote work means we don’t get the nonverbal cues we’d pick up from an in-person conversation. Employers who fail to listen and thoughtfully respond to their people’s concerns will see greater turnover. And given that the highest rates of turnover are among top performers who can take clients and projects with them, and the frontline employees responsible for the customer experience, the risk is clear.

Robin Abrahams is a research associate at Harvard Business School.
BG Boris Groysberg is a professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and a faculty affiliate at the school’s Race, Gender & Equity Initiative. He is the coauthor, with Colleen Ammerman, of Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021). bgroysberg

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Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader
Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader. by. Monique Valcour. November 04, 2020. volanthevist/Getty Images. Summary. Occupying a leadership position is not the same thing as leading. To lead, you ...
Tips for Crafting an Impressive Leadership Essay
Demonstrate your adaptability and decision-making abilities. Emphasize your collaborative approach to leadership. Illustrate your integrity and ethical behavior. By highlighting these unique leadership qualities, your essay will stand out and leave a lasting impression on the reader.
8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders
8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders. Summary. Becoming a great leader is a journey of continuous learning and growth. It's a process — one that thrives on embracing challenges, seeking ...
Essays on Leadership for Students
Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment ...
How to Become a Great Leader: 10 Tips
Find Out Your Leadership Style. Encourage Creativity. Serve as a Role Model. Be Passionate. Listen and Communicate Effectively. Have a Positive Attitude. Encourage People to Make Contributions. Motivate Your Followers. Offer Rewards and Recognition.
Effective Leadership: What Makes a Great Leader
To lead a successful team, be willing to admit to your team that you're not great at everything. It's good to acknowledge, and it's even better for your team to hear. Conventional wisdom says that ...
To Be a Great Leader, You Need the Right Mindset
To Be a Great Leader, You Need the Right Mindset. Summary. If organizations want their investment in leadership development to more fully pay off, it is essential that they prioritize mindset ...
Writing an Effective Leadership Essay: Tips and Examples
A leadership essay is a college application essay that requires you to share your previous experiences as a leader. We've got examples to help you write one.
How to Become an Effective Leader
3. Decision-Making Capabilities. Effective leaders need to make strategic business decisions under pressure with a limited amount of information, both individually and with their teams. Following a specific decision-making process will help you guide your decisions and act in the best interest of your company. 4.
How to Become a Good Leader: Qualities of a Leadership
For example, Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba group, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in China. His success is inseparable from his perseverance and strong self-control. A good leader also should pay attention on others. Goleman pointed out that the empathy triad plays an crucial role for a successful executive.
Essays About Effective Leadership: 6 Essay Examples
Practicing effective leadership goes beyond having direction and a vision for the organization. Becoming an effective leader also takes time and patience. Use this prompt to discuss the habits of great leaders and how these habits make them effective in their leadership. 5. Studying the Mindsets of Effective Leaders.
Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders
In this Student Essay of the Week, Maya talks about how building a platform for others to share their stories has helped her understand why welcoming diversity of thought and experience will make her a stronger, more empathetic leader. Three steps forward and two steps back. That was my reality during the privilege walk.
Leadership Essay Writing Guide with Examples
Body Paragraphs. You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point is give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader.
How to Write a Leadership Essay: Expert Tips for Stellar Results
Share anecdotes. Another element that can really strengthen your leadership essay and take it from good to great is anecdotes. Yes, don't shy away from sharing anecdotes and personal experiences related to leadership. It adds credibility to your writing and justifies the points you have made.
Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]
Organizing. Establishing a goal or vision. Motivating. Managing. Obtaining buy-in. Taking responsibility. The old adage, "Show, don't tell," remains a classic bit of wisdom in the writing process. Make that a guiding principle not only in your leadership/achievement essays, but throughout your application.
How to Be a Servant Leader: 6 Qualities of Servant Leadership
The servant leadership theory puts an emphasis on facilitating the growth of people around you and serving the needs of others. It is one of many ways to make an effective leader. Robert Greenleaf published his essay "The Servant as Leader" in 1970, effectively coining the term "servant leader.". The essay details how there's more to ...
A Guide to Becoming an Effective Leader
The best leaders are able to empathize, or understand and share feelings, with their team members. Integrity. Effective leaders live by strong values that guide their decisions and behaviors. They know right from wrong, are honest in their interactions with others, and practice ethical leadership. Creativity.
A Full Guide On How To Create Good Leadership Essay
Here are some qualities which can be found in a good essay about leadership. Choose a creative topic. Avoid the passive voice (the active voice sounds stronger) Search for and study leadership essay examples. Follow the appropriate essay style. Focus on the essay structure. Review the essay.
Build These Habits to Become a True Leader (Not Just a Boss
3. Relentless curiosity. Leaders are perpetual learners. They will not be afraid to state, "I have no idea; let's figure it out." Develop the habit of curiosity.
Essay about How to become a better leader
Good Essays. 1255 Words. 6 Pages. Open Document. I believe good leaders have the desire and willpower to become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. I think one of a leaders' main goals should be to inspire their workers into higher levels of teamwork ...
(PDF) How to Become a Better Leader
guage that people use to describe one another. Starting with a master list of nearly 18,000 person-. ality descriptors, the list was eventually boiled. down to five fundamental factors: need for ...
How to Rule The World: Effective Leadership
Introduction. Leadership means different things to different people around the world, and different things in different situations. To a child a leader might be a heroic character, always over coming evil and helping to better the world.For a teenager this may be an explorer, surviving more realistic danger in the jungle, leading their crew to safety combining both knowledge and strength.
What Makes a Good Leader?
Leaders should continually strive to earn the respect, trust, and loyalty of their subordinates; this will come in time and not overnight. Respect should never come from fear instead it should come from the example that is set from that leader's actions. If the respect you are obtaining comes from the fear you have instilled in your ...
How to Become a Better Listener
This article offers nine tips to help leaders become more active listeners, and a breakdown of the subskills involved in listening and how you can improve in them. It's never been more important ...

Essay Papers Writing Online

Identify your personal leadership experiences

Highlight your unique leadership qualities

Use real-life examples to demonstrate your leadership skills

Focus on the impact of your leadership on others

Reflect on your own growth and learning as a leader

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Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

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Final Words

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Encourage Creativity

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Qualities of Effective Leaders

1. Communication Skills

2. An Innovative Mindset

3. Decision-Making Capabilities

4. Emotional Intelligence

How to Be an Effective Leader

1. Pick a Goal

2. Apprise Others of Your Goal

3. Collect Ideas

4. Elicit Feedback

Remember: It’s an Iterative Process

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