gmburden

The answer is simple; anybody can be a leader and there are three key elements involved in leadership. According to Wren (1995), “leadership is a complex phenomenon involving the constant interaction of three essential elements: the leader, the followers, and the surrounding situation or context” (p. 125). In addition to the three essential elements leadership also needs to involve integrity, enthusiasm, communication, confidence, creativity, and hope also need to present. Without those key factors, the leadership process may not be auspicious. The following will examine what it takes to make leadership a success.

Opportunities

In an article written by David Halberstam, he compares leadership to dieting. Everybody is looking for the next new thing that promises to make the thinner, jumping from one diet plan to another. Similarly with leadership, people are looking for the one secret to becoming an adept leader overnight. In reality in both leadership and dieting, there is not one pill or secret that will instantly make a person thinner or a leader. To become a leader, a person needs to recognize their talents and take the opportunities presented to them in life and run with them. Dr. Richard A. Feinberg, professor of consumer science and retailing at Purdue University, describes what it is to be a leader:

 Experience yourself as being in the center of your own lifetime process.
 Experience life as abundant, filled with expanding opportunities available and appropriate for yourself and others.
 Make experiences and opportunities happen for yourself and others.
 Recognize that it is all right to exercise your power, to be competent and recognize your competence.
 Not to be afraid of your own power and not feel guilty about your desire for power.
 Take control of your own life and implement your present and life goals.
 Be at center of your own lifetime processes. (Feinberg, 2, 2009)
Life does not wait around for anybody and people have the choice to do one thing or the other. When those opportunities present themselves, it is up to the person to decide how they want to react to the situation. Just as it is important for the leader to recognize opportunities for themselves it is also important for the leader to be familiar with opportunities for their followers and help them grow; and become leaders themselves.

Before the leaders can help their followers, they need to recognize their own abilities. Part of the problem is people who have the potential to become leaders do not recognize their talents or are afraid others would perceive them as arrogant. The leader needs to overcome those fears and embrace opportunities. Leaders need to understand the power they have and use it to accomplish projects. If potential leaders never used power, it would become difficult to finish projects. It is sometimes looked upon negatively if someone has power because they tend to be seen as devious or ruthless (Cronin,29). Leaders need to embrace their skills and not shy away from opportunities that highlight their abilities.

Part of leadership is helping the followers grow and become better off. When describing the role between the leader and the followers, Tom Peters quoted Robert Altman who said, “The role of the director is to provide a space where people can become more than they ever dreamed of being.” Ultimately the leader is the director working to make the actors/actresses better from which they started out (Peters, 2008). Eventually, the followers can become leaders and help others to grow.

Who are Leaders?

The next question is who are leaders? Warren G. Bennis said:
The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born (Lewis, 2009).
People today still widely believe that leaders are born and they do not have the characteristics to lead (Cronin,28). With so many definitions for the word leadership, it is easy for one to assume leaders are born. It may appear that being a leader comes naturally to some people but the path they took to become leaders involved being a follower and recognizing their opportunities.

Recently, I went out to lunch with my undergraduate business professor, the former chairman of the business department, and an alumnus. During lunch, the conversation turned toward giving presentations and leadership. I was surprised to learn that the chairman was once incredibly shy and reserved. My first impression of the chairman is being a natural born leader and always an outgoing and charismatic person. When he walks into a room it seems as though he knows everybody and makes it a point to greet each person.

Another example of an unlikely leader involves the 1972 amateur Uruguayan Rugby team that was stranded in Andes Mountains after their plane crashed. When the survivors realized that help was not coming, they had to take extreme measures to survive. The survivors had to deal with tension in the group, defining goals, and keeping hope alive. Among the group an unlikely person stood up to the challenge facing the survivors. His name was Parrado, and before the crash, he was described as awkward and shy. He kept the other survivors motivated by being courageous, optimistic, and fair; providing emotional support; and helping the group make decisions (Hughes, 39).

These two stories prove that leaders are made, not born. Anybody can be a leader; they just have to rise to the occasion and use the skills that they have learned. It also may take time for the person to realize their abilities and have the confidence to lead. When a person starts to realize what their talents are and what their passion is in life, then there is not stopping that person from reaching their goals.

In an article written by David Halbestam, he argues that leadership cannot be taught; what worked for Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, and Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler, is not easily transferrable or the secrets to their success is not easily passed on in a book (Halberstam , 1). Halbestam main argument is that to become a leader is a natural process that comes with time. That people who are leaders have chosen the right profession and love what they are doing. Halberstam states:
Academic excellence, after all, rarely translates into professional success, and the special intelligence that makes leaders thrive in their field is not necessarily an intelligence that transfers well to other fields. They are extremely well prepared, and they push themselves hard. Most crucial to leadership, they give off a unique aura, the sum of their confidence, their tone of voice, their feelings for command. They are not people you want to fail (Halberstam,2).

While I do not fully agree with Halberstam, he makes a good point that must be taken into consideration. If leaders are not born or created then where do they come from? In reality it is a combination of life experiences and learning about key elements in leadership. If a person has never had any leadership experience or be taught leadership it is unlikely he/she would become a notable leader. Knowing what other leaders have gone through and learning about characteristics of leadership will help a person in becoming a strong leader.
Leadership and Creativity

One aspect of leadership that cannot be taught is creativity. In a lecture given by Tom Peters, on creativity, he says, “the in the long run the ‘A’ students work for the ‘B’ Students, the ‘C’ students run the businesses, and the ‘D’ students have buildings named after them” (Peters, 2007). What Peters is saying is the “A” students are good at following direction and learning facts but they lack creativity. Just because a student excelled in school does not mean they possess the creativity needed to be a successful leader. A leaders need to think outside the box to come up with solution that will give them an edge over competitors. A company cannot surpass their competitors by merely copying or using them as a benchmark.

An example of where a corporation was trying to be like their competitors was in the 1980’s during the Cola Wars. Coca-Cola market shares were staying flat; while Pepsi was experiencing a steady growth in their market shares. Coca-Cola’s management discovered people preferred Pepsi’s taste over Cokes. In an effort to gain market shares, Coca-Cola revamped their product so it would have a smoother, sweeter taste (Mikkelson, 2007).

The result was New Coke and it tasted very similar to Pepsi. When Coke released their new product in 1985, it upset millions of American. One of the main reasons for this failure was for the past one hundred years; Coke marketing had been convincing Americans that their product was an essential part of their lives and identity. After eighty days on the market, New Coke was pulled from the shelves and Coca-Cola Classic was introduced (Mikkelson, 2007). Although this story is an extreme example, it goes to show that benchmarking or copying competitors is the wrong way to increase market shares. Leadership needs creativity by both the leader and the followers.

Communication

Communication is plays an imperative role in the leadership process. Communication goes both ways between the followers and the leaders. Without proper communication, the leadership process would be a failure. The followers are not mind readers and neither is the leader. The communication process needs to take place daily and people needs to discuss what is happening in the project, regardless of how minor the situation maybe.
Michael Hackman said, “Viewing leadership from a communication perspective recognizes that leadership effectiveness depends on developing effective communication” (Hackman, 428). For the communication to be efficient one must understand how to properly communicate. This involves a person being able to read their environment and recognize subtle hints that are given during the communication process. In the communication, process humans use symbolism to connect with each other and the physical environment. Language is also used to reason and formulate hypothesis and humans use communication to persuade, command, advice, and plead to modify behaviors (Hackman, 429).

In order to be an effective leader, a person needs to recognize these subtle hints which will allow for each member of the group to communicate better. With better communication people will understand what is supposed to be done and how to do it. Through communication the leader can build group cohesiveness. As group members become more the comfortable with each other, they more likely to open up and share their ideas. A leader must also learn how to listen to the followers and try to understand their point of view.

Hackman also notes that influence is a key component of the communication process and lists several ideas for effective communication:
• Develop perceptions of credibility
• Develop and use power bases effectively
• Make effective use of verbal and nonverbal influence cues
• Develop positive expectations for others
• Manage change
• Gain compliance
• Negotiate productive solutions. . . . (Hackman, 429)
In addition to the list above a leader must show that he/she is confident in the direction that they are headed. Confidence can help in creating credibility, developing positive expectations, managing change, to gaining compliance, and to negotiate. When others perceive a leader with confidence then they will be more willing to listen to that leader. Having and leading with confidence will allow a person to succeed and prosper in all aspects of life (Gillette, 13). It is also up to the leader to show that they are trustworthy and build up the confidence in the followers.

If followers do not trust the leader then it will become extremely difficult accomplish tasks. Part of the leadership process is letting the followers know they can trust the leader. This is accomplished through communication and by keeping their integrity which is following through on promises. The leadership process is a delicate balance to keep everything running smoothly. To keep everything running smoothly the leader uses communication.

Management vs. Leadership

The main difference between managers and leaders is managers have employees and leaders have followers. The employees working for the managers do not necessarily want to work for the manager, while the leader has followers people who want to be there. It is also much more difficult to name brilliant managers than leaders. There are men who represent classic managers which include, Alfred P. Sloan, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller. These men understood the zeitgeist of their time and harnessed to create successful and efficient organizations (Mayo, 13).

When a person talks about managers the image that comes to my mind is a factory. The supervisors purpose is to make sure work is completed a specific way and to keep employees in line. There is no creativity involved in the job. Managers tend to be viewed negativity because their primary focus is on productivity, enforcing rules, advancing to the next level, and focusing on the short term goals. Not all managers are in a factory setting but the same concepts apply to managers in all organizations.

Jack Welch is seen by many as a management/leadership guru and gives his secrets to being success also included value-added from Dr. Richard A. Feinberg (RAF):
• Keep costs in line (RAF -- be fanatically devoted to saving money)
• Prepare for the worst case
• Cash is king (RAF -- in business and in life)
• Leadership has to communicate like hell (RAF - what is the point and communicate like hell)
• Love your best people (RAF – hire eagles and let them soar . . . make eagles and let them soar . . . hire ducks and hear them quack. An eagle is worth 10x’s a duck . . . in this metaphor not on a menu)
• Buy or bury your competitors (Feinberg, 3)
When reviewing the list it seems as though it is geared more toward managers then leaders. The list also suggests that Welch is more of a manager then a leader. This list also suggests that mangers and leaders have more in common than originally thought. Managers and leaders can learn from each other and in each group they have overlapping characteristics and traits.

To be a successful manager and leader, it is important to plan ahead and try to predict worst case scenarios. By adequately planning for disasters, it will become easier to recover from them by allowing more time to complete a project or having extra funds. Communication is important for both managers and leaders in order to accomplish tasks and to insure employees are on the right track. Managers and leaders need to be aware of their competitors and to continually look for new ways to overtake the competitors.

Managers and Leaders need to recognize their best people and allow them to grow. “In business, this means that talented young executives, if they are treated like foot soldiers, will simply walk out the door” (Halberstam, 2). Basically, if talented people are not given the opportunities to use their talents they will become frustrated and go work for the competitor who will allow them grow. By holding talented people back neither party will benefit.
Managers also need to be confident in their work. If the managers are not confident, then they will not receive respect from their employees. The manager also has to gain trust from their employees or employees will be less likely to listen to the manager if they do not trust him. Managers and leaders have more in common than originally thought. While leaders and managers work in different settings, they use the same techniques to accomplish goals. There will be times when the manager will have to be a leader and the leader a manager.

Conclusion

Leadership involves a leader, followers, and a situation along with integrity, enthusiasm, communication, confidence, creativity, and hope. If a leader utilizes those characteristics and traits then the leadership process will be successful. The key element in the list is communication. A leader must be a good communicator, without communication it would become very difficult to finish project. The leader must also realize that the followers play an essential role in the leadership process. Without the followers there would be no leadership. It is important for the leader to remember it is not all about him/her, but about the followers too. The leader needs to listen to the followers and help them realize their talents so one day they can become leaders themselves.

It is important to remember leaders are not born nor are they created. It is a combination of potential leaders realizing their talents and seizing opportunities that will allow their talents to shine. The leadership process about both the leaders and followers realizing their potential and going further than they ever dreamed (Peters, 2008).
References

Cronin, Thomas E. (1984). Thinking and Learning about Leadership. In J.T. Wren (Ed.), The Leadership Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages (pp. 27-32). New York: The Free Press.
Feinberg, Richard. (2009). CSR 309 - Leadership Strategies Syllabus. Retrieved from http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/richardfeinberg/csr%20309%20spring%202009/.
Gillette, Jay E. Leadership for the Information Renaissance: Clarity, Challenges, Opportunity. (Handout). Center for Information and Communication Science, Ball State University.
Hackman, Michael Z, & Johnson, Craig E. (1991). Leadership Communication Skills. In J.T. Wren (Ed.), The Leadership Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages (pp. 39-43). New York: The Free Press.
Halberstam, David. (2004 September). The Greatness That Cannot Be Taught. Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/CSR/courses/csr309/The-Greatness-That-Cannot-Be-Taught-%20Printer-friendly-version.pdf.
Hughes, Richard L, Ginnett, Robert C, & Curphy, Gordon R. (1993). What is Leadership? In J.T. Wren (Ed.), The Leadership Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages (pp. 39-43). New York: The Free Press.
Lewis, Jone J. (2009) Leadership Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_leadership.html
Mayo, Anthony J. and Nohria, Nitin. (2005). In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Mikkelson, Barbara. (2007 March 13). Knew Coke. Snopes. Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/newcoke.asp.
Peters, Tom. (2007). Educate for a Creative Society. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_w4AfflmeM.
Peters, Tom. (2008). Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EJ0WD-rvU.