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Leadership research paper

By
Prasanth Periyasamy
700627977
IndM 4210 organizational dynamics
Instructor : Prof.William Ford

Abstract
In this study we are going to deal with the qualities of the leadership, traits, leadership styles, that
are need to be used in the organization and a brief description of ideal leader characterized and
his style of handling the leadership and his passion and goals on the way he achieved. The study
about the actions plans to achieve my leadership goals, objectives then my own principles and
portrait of an ideal leader, attitudes, modules, and characteristics.

Table of contents
Abstract..2
Executive summary4
Introduction5
Leadership..5
The traits, characteristics and behavior of effective leader....6
Leadership styles....8
Leadership managerial role . ......9
Five practices of effective leadership9
Portrait of ideal leader: Mahatma Gandhi..9
My Plan to achieve ..12
Conclusion.....13
References.....14
List of figures
Figure1. Traits of effective leader .6

Executive summary

The leadership is the person who is leading them and also being a part of them and able
to make correct decision and point others to achieve the goal. The traits, characteristics and
behavior of the effective leaders are drive and passion, honesty and integrity, self confidence,
emotional intelligence, cognitive ability and some more characteristics. The leadership style are
theory X (autocratic), theory Y (participative) is classified into types like consultive leader and
democratic leader, situational leadership, transformational leadership. The leadership managerial
role consists of three types interpersonal role, informational role, and decisional role. The ideal
leader is the Mahatma Gandhi who is known for peace and non-violence. The characteristics and
traits Gandhi are passion, honesty, self confidence, and 11cs character, conscience, courage,
conviction, commitment, compassion, consistency, contribution, consideration and charisma the
leadership style of Gandhi are transformational leadership which makes him succeed in his life
and his passion. My plan to achieve goal types of skills, behaviors, attitudes and other factors
that you need to focus on my achievement.

INTRODUCTION

Leadership is the capacity to translate the vision in to reality.

By Warren Bennis (Kruse.K, 2012.).
Leadership is the most valuable part of the business and organization in light of the fact
that it is the one overall subject that has the effect in the middle of success and failure. On
occasion it may appear to be overwhelmingly perplexing; yet by concentrating on a few
essentials you will find that you can lead your group with certainty and expertise. The team
leading is real skill which takes a time to bring in own way. The leadership is about developing
of the perspective, abilities and individual style to achieve the goal its not about the position of
the job alone. (Responsibilities of PI, n.d).
Leadership is a corresponding procedure that happens between a person and supporters
what's more, supporters, who assume a key part in helping the leader to achieve his or her vision.
Indeed, effective leadership can't happen without the team members. (Tucker, McCarthy, &
Benton, 2002). Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people
think. Leadership is not mystical or mysterious... it is not the province of a chosen few. Nor is
leadership necessarily better than management or a replacement for it. Rather, leadership and
management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. (Tucker, McCarthy, &
Benton, 2002, p.218).
Leadership
The leadership is the person who is leading them and also being a part of them and able
to make correct decision and point others to achieve the goal. Leadership is the ability to inspire
confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals.
(DuBrin, 2012, p. 346).

The traits, characteristics and behavior of effective leader

passi
on

self
confidence

desire to
lead

job relevant
knowledge

honesty and
integrity

intelligen
ce

Fig 1: Traits of effective leader

Drive and passion
A good leader must give full efforts for his job/work. Passion is the main source of
achievements. This makes the way for your goal which you put on your work and work
associates (DuBrin, 2012,).
Power motive
Power motivation exhibits in all successful leaders who have strong desire to control
communicate and makes influencing others to work on our behalf (DuBrin, 2012,).
Self-confidence

There is no leadership without self confidence. The main components of self confidence
are emotional stability. Impression management makes the followers of self confidence which
shows our courage, confidence to everyone (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Honesty and integrity
These are the major qualities of the leadership. To become a good leader one must build
trust between the team members/followers is very much important. Trust is one of the major
attributes of leadership (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Cognitive ability
A leader must have knowledge about their resposible(bussiness,technical) and skills of
problem solving , creative thinking, academic and practical knowledge, good decision making,
able to think multidimensinally these are some of the essential skills of leaders (DuBrin, 2012).
The above five traits can be created by practices and experience this cognitive ability is difficult
to build (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Emotional Intelligence
Emotinal intelligence is most influence for the success of the leader who deals with
others situtation in their point of view and assit them to handle their situtations. EI deals or
develop many traits of leadership like visionary leadership,empathy, including the self
confidence. (DuBrin, 2012).
There are many characteristics of leadership like, good communication, delegator, open
to change, initiative, consistent, evaluative, and so on.
Leadership styles

Douglas McGregor was the management consultant who developed the theory of
leadership perspective this is known as the Theory X and Y leadership.
Theory X leaders
The theory X leaders are known as the autocratic leaders in this it clearly shows who is
the leader/ charge. They use their power they have occupied they will rewards or punish others.
They act like authority gives the order the workers/people should obey (Tucker, McCarthy, &
Benton, 2002).
Theory Y leaders
The theory Y leaders are the participative leaders they use only some authorization
control over the people they are interrelated with the people for getting the work done. This
theory is of two types they are consultive leaders and democratic leaders. The consultive leader
who encourages the employees decision but makes sure that decision is clear. The democratic
leaders gives the final authority to the group and accept the decision whatever they decide
(Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Situational leadership
Hersey and Blanchard developed the situational leadership in which the leader or the
authority should adjust this style of approach and go trying to develop the organization as per the
situation (DuBrin, 2012).

Tranformational leadership

Transformational leadership is a style of authority where the leader teams up with

workers to distinguish the required change, making a dream to manage the change through
motivation, and executing the adjustment in pair with conferred individuals from the
group(DuBrin, 2012).
Leadership managerial role
Henry Mintzberg who studied about the managerial role and identified 10 of them and
arranged in to three groups namely interpersonal roles, informational roles and decisional roles.
The interpersonal roles are which the leader will interact with the employees and provide them to
the organization like the way of encouraging the employee. The informational role is which
analyzing from the side of workers or people and transforming the information to the
management or to the organization. The decisional role is strategy making process using the
resources to achieve the organization goal. (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Five practices of effective leadership
Kouzes and Posner define the leadership as the art of mobilizing others to want to
struggle for shared aspirations. (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002, p.218). The effective
leadership practices are, challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act,
modeling the way, encouraging the heart. (Tucker, McCarthy, & Benton, 2002).
Portrait of ideal leader: Mahatma Gandhi
The leader is the person who is fixing the goal and makes other activity to focusing on
achieving the goal. The Gandhi was one of the influential world leaders who got the freedom for
India and left the enduring legacy for us all. The Gandhi's principle aim was surprisingly

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significant. This is particularly valid for Gandhi's aims and practices in the domain of
administration capabilities and self-improvement.
My Ideal leadership traits
These are some leadership traits of Mahatma Gandhi like honesty, self confidence,
motivation, emotional intelligence, passion, courage, creativity and so on some of them are
explained.
Self confidence
This is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi Men often become what they believe themselves to
be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I
can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning. (The Untrailed
path of man of wisdom, 2011). The salt march showed his self confidence in that he walked for a
388 kilometers from Dandhi Gujarat to the sea to make salt for himself mainly protesting against
the tax (salt march, 2010.).
Honesty and integrity
This quote is by Mahatma Gandhi for trust Truth stands, even if there be no public
support. It is self-sustained. The Gandhiji always says that truth is the powerful weapon. He
always keep his word when say anything and he will do it.(The Untrailed path of man of
wisdom, 2011).

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Emotional intelligence
The emotional intelligence is the one of the major traits who always thinks of developing
others. He has characteristics like courage, self-confidence, influencing others, inspiration.
Passion
He had the passion for the country to get freedom for the people and helping others even
though he was lawyer he was willing in the public services.
Leadership characteristics
The leadership characteristics of Gandhi are good 11cs communicator, character,
conscience, courage, conviction, commitment, compassion, consistency, contribution,
consideration and charisma.
Communication
Leaders express their thoughts, beliefs, and bits of knowledge and convince others to
follow them by communicational abilities. He was an incredible communicator who never traded
off with his standards yet communicated them obligingly and received them firmly (Roa. M.S,
2013).
Consistency
He maintained his policy of throughout his life by non violence and peace. He is the
leader who is an example for achieving anything through peace and non-violence (Roa. M.S,
2013).

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Conviction
This is the quote by Gandhi You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy
this body, but you will never imprison my mind (Roa. M.S, 2013). Conviction that takes
delicate leaders forwards their motivation to the people and pushes them to achieve their
objective and goals (Roa. M.S, 2013).
Charisma
The saying by Gandhi Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment
and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and
permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment (Roa. M.S, 2013).
Character
It is through their solid character they lead their followers by impacting and controlling
them. It is the key thing that separates great pioneers from others. Truth be told, great character
makes a man an extraordinary pioneer (Roa. M.S, 2013).
Leadership style of Ideal leader
He was a transformational leader. There are some of the main characteristics to be
transformational leader like inspirational, honesty, and influencing. He who inspires the country
to give his best and motivate them to be unique, and he took them in vision to succeeding. He
made the people confident and powerful under the British. He was along with the people and
makes them believe themselves and encouraged everyone to be self confident. Finally by a
transformational leadership style he succeeds getting the independence (The Pachamama
Alliance. n.d).

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My Plan to achieve
My plan is to develop my leadership skill to achieve my goals. The skills, traits and
behavior I needed to focus on
Cognitive ability: The first I need to be good in the core background where as the other skills
can be developed easily the cognitive ability is difficult to develop the good leader should be an
above average knowledge person with large amount of information must be very good in the
analytical and the technical background and also have to focus on the multidimensional thinking.
The e-business creates the leadership challenges so technology information is very important in
today position. The work force diversity should also be focused.
Ability delegate: This is the process of identifying the strength and weakness of the team have
to learn about encouraging others. Able to balance everything make everyone believe that trust
them.
Honesty and integrity: If I am responsible for the team or management then I should be truthful
for them and be honest to them and I should be able keep my word.
Communication: The communication is the main sources of leader the way of communication
decide the leader as an effective person and that makes vision clear to the people or the
followers.
Motivation: The motivation is the important skill for the leader he must be able to encourage
and motivate the follower /people and should also be self motive to work.

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Conclusion
The leadership is the quality or ability to manage everyone in a correct path to achieve a
goal without controlling them but by influencing through speech and motivation. The paper
teaches us a good decision making skill, motivation skills, inspiration, emotion intelligence and
other traits of the leadership. The leadership skill which does not from learning alone it should
be done through experience in the day to-day life.
By doing this paper I came to know about myself which was useful to develop my
leadership skill according to my goal.

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References
DuBrin, A. J. (2012). Essentials of management. (9th ed.).Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage
Learning
Kruse, K. (2012.). 100 best quotes of leadership. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/10/16/quotes-on-leadership/
Pachamama Alliance (2013). Protecting the source, inspiring the future. Retrieved November
2, 2015, from http://www.pachamama.org/transformational-leadership
Roa, M. S.(2013). Mahatma Gandhi Soft Leadership - UN Post. Retrieved November 2, 2015,
from http://www.unpost.org/mahatma-gandhi-soft-leadership
Responsibilities of a PI. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01,2015, from http://www.abdn.ac.uk/
develop/managers/responsibilities-of-a-pi-340.php
Tucker, M. L., McCarthy, A.M., & Benton, D. A. (2003). The human challenge:
Managing yourself and others in organizations (7th Ed.). NJ: Prentice
Hall.