To defy all odds, an effective leader must possess the qualities of leadership. These qualities enhance friendly relations, and hence make leaders likable to their followers. No leader would want his or her social life to be characterized as a business that needs to be managed. Leaders who develop good relationships with their employees are likely to perform better than those that do not. There are several techniques of leadership that are of great help to a leader’s social life. When it comes to people’s judgment about who qualifies to be regarded as a leader, and who is not, a trait perspective is of the essence. However, as Northouse (2013) puts it, the description of leadership as a process is quite distinct, when described as a trait. As a process, leadership ends up accommodating more people, other than those that seem to have certain specific traits. As a trait, it is viewed as a situation in which one person seems to have influence over an individual group, to achieve a common goal.
With his great influence on the reforms of Kimberly Clark, Darwin E. Smith is a leader of great quality. A good example of leadership as a process is affirmed by Smith. This leader developed the company he was working for from a small company to one of the best companies in the industry. His blend of professional will and humility helped him to exercise leadership to its best core. He described his management style as an eccentric one. This shows that Smith had a unique way of leading, as he appeared to be self-driven, candid, as well as smart. He broke boundaries, challenged a status-quo, and was innovative and passionate. He was also a bold leader, who saw risks whenever one attempted to present them. He bred success and knew exactly what was expected of him. This drew his followers close to him.
Leadership is a process, which develops over time. Despite the board’s doubts on the leadership qualities that Smith possessed, he emerged as the best leader of all times. He developed a winning culture and imparted it to his employees. Smith was also a determined person, who influenced the lives of many people. Having come from a humble background, Smith had learnt to give more credit, as opposed to taking it all for himself. He recognized the good things that happened to his followers, and gave positive compliments. For instance, he helped his employees grow further, by praising and motivating them, whenever they did a nice job. To him, the growth of employees insinuated the growth of the company. Through this, Smith was able to achieve greatness, which enabled him to influence people to emulate him as a leader. All these make him a good leader.
Smith was determined in such a way that he could take a step to lead from behind, when great things happened to the organization. Additionally, he used to cover his staff from the front in times of danger. He also helped the organization cross a bridge during bad times. When leadership is viewed as both a process and a trait, it demonstrates the real character of a person, particularly in times of difficulties. By leading over a given time period, one gains an excellent experience of leadership that cannot be granted, if identified by traits only.
Reference
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.