Develop Yourself Through Leadership Training

Leadership is the ability to organize and influence others to achieve a specific common goal. Leaders emerge from within organizations. Their personal qualities attract followers who willingly accept their leadership. For decades it was assumed that leadership was a trait that was inherited. However, subsequent studies and research have shown that effective leadership can be acquired and developed through leadership training.

For management, a leader has done his job well if he has enhanced the team's effectiveness and cohesion by being active in his group's work, organizing their activities, coaching and motivating his subordinates. For subordinates, a leader is perceived well if he has been supportive and has shown concern for them. This would include being clear in setting standards and holding his subordinates accountable for meeting those standards.

There are different leadership styles. The autocratic or authoritarian style centralizes all decision making in the leader. He doesn't entertain suggestions from his subordinates. The leader is highly motivated because he gets all the credit and is therefore the star. The participative or democratic style encourages suggestions and individual input. It favors group decision making. A decision is only made after everyone is heard. In the laissez-faire or free rein style, the group is left entirely to itself. The group is given a free hand to make their own decisions. The leader does not care about the process; he is just interested in the results.

Different management and leadership styles may work in different conditions and situations. In a group of highly motivated members with homogenous expertise and experience, a free reign style can work. In a group with varied backgrounds, levels of experience and expertise that is under no time constraint, a participative style can work. But in emergencies and situations where time is limited and a quick decision is needed, the authoritarian style may be necessary.

The power to influence subordinates, other colleagues and employees can be enhanced by the leadership training a leader has received, his previous experience, his skills and talents or his leadership capabilities. He may even just have the right information needed by the company at the right time. But the effectiveness of a leader depends on how he skillfully uses these personal resources available to him.

Popular leadership training programs include goal setting, conflict management, communications and personal ethics. But learning the different leadership and management styles may not be enough to make you a better leader. Learning how to asses and analyze the different situations that call for leadership, knowing what approaches to apply, and leading by example are what will set you apart as a leader.

By: Jeremy C. Winters

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