Over the ages, a great number of people have spoken and taught about leadership, where it comes from, how to lead within a company or an organization and how to achieve good results (Newsom, 2010). It is a process where a person socially influences another individual or a group to perform a task and achieve a goal. Although the principles of Leadership, the role of character, and personal qualities may be difficult to fathom, they are very important because they determine the performance of a leader. Therefore, leadership needs to be guided by principles. This essay will explore the principles of leadership in relation to President George W. Bush.
To begin with, a leader should build alliances by encouraging teamwork in an organization. President Bush in his leadership created the right structure of teamwork. He ensured that both his inner circle and his closest advisers had access to him (Ohansen, 2010). Therefore, building a relationship with the workers is important since it creates the value of teamwork. An ideal leader should train the organization to work as a team (Newsom, 2010).
Secondly, a leader must be disciplined. As a worthy example, Bush was known for discipline in and out of the office. Unlike Clinton whose ideas were subject to change, Bush’s ways were firm and controlled (Liu, 2010). He meant what he said or did and firmly stood by it. His work and schedules were timely and tight. It is important to note that great and quality leadership goes hand in hand with discipline. This becomes an admirable quality that customers, employees and even the public are looking for (Ohansen, 2010). Other qualities that a leader should add to discipline include prudence, humility, compassion and courage. If such a leader is in an organization or a company, employees will emulate him and draw inspiration that will propel them into good work. Many leaders today need the discipline to help them adapt to the competitive business environment (Ohansen, 2010).
Thirdly, a leader should use the departments and sections in the organization to their maximum capability in order to achieve results (Ohansen, 2010). A leader should be able to mobilize the departments to work harder and attain a goal (Newsom, 2010). Being a Republican, Bush knew that his policies and promises had to count for something and that he had to fulfill his initiatives (Newsom, 2010). This made him work harder to become the president. Similarly, leaders should adopt this system of getting results. They should know that the calculus of good leadership is about getting results. This characteristic should be passed on to the subordinates too.
In addition, another principle of leadership is to know how to bring in the right people for the job. Leaders need to be knowledgeable of the ability the staff they are hiring (Liu, 2010). It is important that every leader identify the areas of expertise and the abilities of their staff. In May 2003, Bush reorganized his staff, retooled them, and brought in his old-time Texas friends into his inner circle. This was a strategy that got him reelection in the year 2004(Ohansen, 2010).
Also, a leader should be organized. Clinton’s White House organization could be well described as oxymoronic (Liu, 2010). Unlike Clinton, Bush gave organizational strength top priority. He improved on the one that Clinton had. Likewise, a leader should be concerned about his day-to-day organizational activities and in so doing give them attention and respect.
Moreover, leaders must have a vision. Vision in this case would mean the ability of a leader to inspire (Liu, 2010). Unlike President Ronald Reagan whose vision as a president was focused on a handful of verities, Bush’s vision was strong in that it fully covered consistency of viewpoint (Newsom, 2010). Leaders must be visionary and should not adopt a Reaganesque kind of vision.
A good leader must display strategic intelligence. This is vital when a leader wants to create success out of a complex problem. Even though Bush’s press conferences had jumbled syntax, he was a genius compared to Reagan and Truman (Newsom, 2010). Leaders should maintain a standard of strategic intelligence that will make them effective.
The ability to display high quality of emotional intelligence is a prerequisite in leadership. Sometimes when things are not right in the organization or in leadership, leaders tend to display emotional mismanagement (Ohansen, 2010). They become predisposed to imprudent and impulsive behaviors because they tend to act on the spur of the moment.
Last but not least, leaders must display leadership skills in their areas of leadership. A leader is defined by his leadership skills. President Bush was defined by his political acumen (Liu, 2010). He was skillful about how to motivate, rally, and energize people. Leadership skills should be more than just a platitude. It should be deeply rooted in a person’s character.
In conclusion, a leader must have better communication skills. He must be eloquent and experienced. Leaders need to put a lot of effort, diligence, and discipline to master the art of proper communication (Newsom, 2010). Even though President George Bush was not an excellent speaker at the beginning of his leadership, he improved with time and his debating skills during his presidential campaigns were remarkable (Ohansen, 2010).
References
Liu, C. (2010). Leadership: Qualities, Skills, and Efforts. Interbeing. 4(2), 19-25. Web.
Newsom, T. (2010). Developing African-American Leaders in Today’s Schools: Gifted Leadership, the Unfamiliar Dimension in Gifted Education. Black History Bulletin. 73(1), 18-23.
Ohansen, B. (2010). Leaders Will Make the Future of Aging. Generations. 34(3), 20-22.