FURTHER THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP TRAITS

Consider the difference in styles for these leaders:

LEADER STYLE

Mahatma Gandhi: Frail and softspoken;

Abraham Lincoln: ;Melancholy and thoughtful;

Winston Churchill: Fierce, and an indomitable bulldog;

Margaret Thatcher: Stern and tenacious, tthe “Iron Lady”;

Martin Luther King: Imapassioned and eloquent;

“The key to a leader’s impact is his sincerity. Before he can inspire with emotion he must be swayed by it himself. Before he can move their tears, his own must flow. To convince them he must himself believe.“

~ Sir Winston Churchill

Allowing for Drucker’s perspectives on leadership style, other authors on the subject, such as John Maxwell, Warren Bennis, Warren Blank, Burt Nanus, John Kotter, and numerous others have considered this topic and offer characteristics that cut across all styles; they include:

* authenticity
* decisiveness
* focus
* forward momentum
* personal touch
* people skills
* communicability
* integrity
* perpetual learning
* unflappability

Whilst the style of leadership is unique to every individual, the function must be to catalyse a clear, shared vision for the organisation. This should be inspiring enough to galvanise followers into vigorous commitment and pursuit of that vision.