Most people are not at ease discussing the concerns of character since they perceive it as an aspect that is intensely personal and mostly unchangeable. So far, there has been no helpful model of Leadership that holds a sense of obligation to generate significance with the aim of making the world better.
The path to authentic Leadership starts with the experiences of leaders, which are not only distinctive to them but more powerful when judged against other sets of attributes or Leadership proficiencies that they hold (Leavy 20-22). Aspiring leaders have been found to put themselves psychologically in the shoes of resolution makers, and from that point of view, they have begun to have a better notion of how it feels to bear the burden of ownership.
Recent publications by distinguished writers provide insights into new ways that leadership advancement thinking and practice requires following, with studies emphasizing the significance of character, distinctiveness, and ideals, and not merely competence. In his book entitled “Return on Character,” Fred Kiel, an organizational psychologist, seeks to demonstrate that the strength of character in leaders is a paramount aspect of a company’s success and to assess the insinuations for leadership development (Leavy 23).
The book, “Discover Your True North,” by Bill George, Harvard University Professor, investigates the reasons behind the self-development progression of identifying one’s passion (dependability) and core ethics in Leadership being fundamental to becoming an empowering and appealing leader. Furthermore, the subject of Leadership is an all-time development issue that Robert Kaplan centers on in his book- “What You Really Need to Lead.”
The data in the books consulted in the article revealed an evident connection involving the power in the character of a leader and expressed the mastery of vital proficiencies, with virtuosos constantly surpassing their more self-centered peers. Behaviors that show integrity, for example, speaking the truth at all times, and defending what is right, assist in the generation of trust. Conducts that express responsibility, for instance, possessing personal preferences and inaccuracies, tend towards being inspiring (Leavy 24).
Pardoning and focusing on where to cheer rather than blame assists in cultivating advancement. On the other hand, demonstrating sympathy and care is the fundamental basis of empowerment. Such underpinning character practices with two of the main ones being responsibility and integrity and a couple of the core ones being compassion and forgiveness offer grounds for the assessment of the strength of a leader’s character.
One of the facts behind the character of leaders being vital is that a leader who more knowingly and determinedly searchers for great self-awareness in the course of the profession is capable of questioning the notions of other people. Moreover, such leaders tend to question their most cherished convictions, and consequently, their comprehension of life, market, business, and international forces that influence them to continue to advance and grow (Leavy 24).
Studies establish that the majority of self-centered CEOs noticeably overrate their expression of moral behaviors in relation to their workers and are susceptible to significant self-deception. This eventually hurts the performance of their companies, and, to some extent, jeopardizes the business’ survival. Successful business outcomes caused by Leadership are not the result of character alone but emanate from both character (behavior of the leader) and skills (proficiencies of the leader).
Research has found that the most valuable act of Leadership is arriving at disciplined decisions regarding the company and the workforce entitled to run it. The four fundamental skills entailed encompassing the creation of a vision, establishment of strategic focus and key initiatives in the organization, the formation and management of a talented workforce, and the definition and enforcement of a culture of answerability.
The most notable difference that exists between the leaders with excellent character and their self-centered counterparts points to self-awareness (Leavy 24-25). Leaders with excellent character were found to be correct in their self-awareness while the self-ratings on their application of the underpinning virtues were judged against the ones of their workers. On the contrary, most self-centered CEOs do not succeed.
For a leader to succeed, self-awareness is a vital tool for the task, and since the majority of self-centered CEOs lack it, they are at risk of staying stuck in a situation of arrested progress. In contrast, high character leaders have self-awareness, which ensures their sustained success and progress. Apart from self-awareness, trust acts as the coin of the realm in a company, and today, authenticity is progressively being identified as the gold standard for successful headship (Leavy 25).
A wide pool of studies asserts that authenticity has a couple of extremely strong and interrelated connotations, the genuine or factual as opposed to the counterfeit or false, and the imitation rather than the original. In this regard, the path to becoming a more reliable leader has two interconnected approaches, the manner in which leaders unfurl their sincere values and realize their potential, and the way they establish their leadership voices over and above enthusiasm to lead.
Leaders who are less confident of their core values or sentiment of a personal leadership task find it very difficult to resist the short-term pressure from outside, and the business’ remarkable recovery may be seriously compromised the process. Leaders who are less effective mainly do not reap the gains of what their life experiences may have to offer for numerous reasons (Leavy 26). A number of them do not wholly come to terms with their earliest and earnest emotional upsets and insecurities irrespective of the rate of success and esteem they later accrue. Most of them fail to build up any viewpoint at all.
Nevertheless, successful leaders at all times rise to the problem of finding approaches to continually empowering themselves in business settings and seize early possession of their development. Empowerment does not signify something that organizations do or fail to do. However, it revolves around leadership development and the capability of mulling over and acting as the owner while taking into consideration two major factors- service orientation and dedication to lifelong knowledge acquisition.
Work Cited
Leavy, Brian. “Effective Leadership Today– Character Not Just Competence.” Strategy & Leadership, vol. 44, no. 1, 2016, pp. 20-29.