The Qualities Of A Leader In Tim Grover's 'Relentless'

Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.

There are a variety of ways to define both leader and leadership. There is not, however, a clear definition of how to become one. There is no set list of mandatory traits, either innate or learned, that a person must embody to be considered successful or proved a failure. What I feel it takes is the right mix of strengths and weaknesses in a given situation to demonstrate effectiveness. No one person has abilities without accompanying deficiencies. It’s all in the way they are balanced. The balance in the way one uses his or hers’ abilities will ultimately determine the type of leadership one has throughout time. To support these claims I will examine a well-known leader throughout the military, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. This essay

Confidence is another trait a leader should possess. Both Odysseus in The Odyssey and David in the Books of Samuel demonstrate this quality. They have belief in their abilities to meet most challenges that come their way. Odysseus never believes a person initially, being it mortal or immortal. He always likes to be done in his way. Odysseus believes in himself rather than anybody else. He wants to figure what to do for himself and not someone else do it for him. For instance, he argues with Calypso and Ino because Odysseus did not believe them initially, but wanted things to be done his way (Book 5, line 180 & line 370). Moreover, David, another God-chosen King of Israelites, shows confidence when he tells Saul that though he (David) is young, he can fight the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath (1Samuel 17:32-37). However, David confidence is from the fact that God is on his side and will not let him down.

I think a leader should be open minded and should be able to accept new ideas and new perspectives. A leader should be more optimistic and have hope. Being trustworthy is a great quality a leader should possess and should be able to demonstrate. A leader also needs to be trusted.

It is easy to presume that that person is in the position they are in because of money, connections or an extraordinary intellect. We may suppose that any adversity or problems that this type of person has encountered are on another level to those that we face. Perhaps we don't imagine that there were private obstacles to overcome, personality traits that needed adjustment or adaptation, that private insecurities or personal failings had to be surmounted. It is simplest to assume that the role of leadership was cut out for him/her alone. More often than not, one imagines that the "leader" in an individual emerges early on in life, apparent from an early age: a bright child with above average intelligence, active in all walks of life, successful in anything that he puts his/her hand to, popular with peers and admired by elders. But nothing is that simple.

A sign of a great leader is having confidence in himself and the people with him.

Ultimately, it takes more than confidence and committed supporters to be a successful leader. Successful leaders accomplish their mission.

Leadership is multidimensional. There is no straightforward way to describe what a leader is or explain who makes a great leader. The description will be shaped by the purpose of the work being done and the followers one achieves. Dye (2010) states that leadership is a “living phenomenon” (p. 14) and supports the need to provide personalization to the leadership style. There is much discussion on the development of a leader. Some believe that you are a natural born leader who fine-tunes those skills through “persistence and perseverance of failures and successes” (Blanken, 2013, para. 5). Others, like Blanken (2013), feel that exposures early in life begin the development of leadership traits, and “education, jobs, and life experiences then shape the leader’s philosophy and psychology” (para. 7). A dominant style might be apparent in a leader; however, the adaptability in leadership approaches allows the leader to be focused on

Becoming a strong, influential leader is determined by an array of factors, as well as who we are as people. Our most inner being holds the key to whether or not we are destined to become successful leaders. Culture and society also play a powerful role in our leadership style. It is thought that various styles of leadership have varied effects on leadership practice and results. Regardless of our natural abilities, there will always be room for change, growth, and overall becoming a more effective leader.

Leadership is not a solo act, it’s a team effort the authors explain (p. 223). To enable others to act the leader needs to create a climate of trust by facilitating relationships. To start the process one must, “be the first to let go of control,” Kouzes and Posner explain and it requires self-confidence (p. 227). Just like Bass and Avolio (1980)

In order for a leader to be a leader he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able of affirmative influence “on others”.

LEADERS ARE BORN NOT MADE There have been an age long debate, and humans since beginning of time, have tried to come up with an answer to this question – Are Leaders born or are they made?. This question has generated an age long debate, which in turn has resulted in various school of thoughts, some believe that leaders are born, while others think otherwise. My contribution to this lifelong debate will serve as a pointer to my position on this issue. I strongly believe that leaders are born and not made. Who is a Leader? - “A leader is a person who guides others toward a common goal, showing the way by example, and creating an environment in which other team members feel actively involved in the entire process. A leader is not the boss of

Many clear traits that are found in good leaders which can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality .Leadership self-confidence is one of its major aspects that helps inspire confidence in the others who trust their leader and gets the best efforts and commitment from his team members. A good leader has the vision that allows him to anticipate, plan and create. It is of utmost importance that a true leader should also have good communication skills and be able to transmit what should be done and the way it should be done. Setting

For decade’s individuals, companies, and organizations have spent an unprecedented amount of money on researching, molding, modeling and working to define what a leader is and what characteristics make successful leaders. Despite all the research, there is not a quick answer or even full agreement as to what makes an individual an effective leader. The definition of a leader is “someone who can influence others and who has managerial authority.” (Robbins, Decenzo, Coulter, 2015. P.370)

To have great leadership, there needs to be a leader-follower relationship. The relationship can’t be effective without inspiration, involvement, and support from both participants. To develop this alliance, the leader must give extra effort to reach out to followers. The only way a leader can be successful is if the follower trusts the leader. The most important characteristic of a leader is to set a good example for their followers.