Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Leadership - Essay Example 2003). The purpose of this paper is to describe the topic of leadership through applications and theory. Leadership plays an important role in the political game. Barack Obama won the presidency of the United States due to the fact that he was a transformational leader. â€Å"Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate† (Cherry, 2013). A transformational leader cares about the needs of his followers. The four key components of transformational leadership are intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, idealized influence, and inspirational motivation (Cherry, 2013). A firm led by a transformational leader has greater chance to succeed due to the ability of this person to motivate and inspire others. Two important leader styles are charismatic leadership and transactional leadership. A transactional leader does the necessary tasks to ensure his subordinates perform their job to a satisfactory level. Charismatic leader involves crea ting an inspirational self image that makes people drawn to you (Changingminds, 2013). An example of a charismatic leader is Steve Jobs. The managerial profession requires leadership skills to successfully perform the job. Managers are responsible for their actions and for the actions of their subordinates. An important skill that a leader must possess to be effective is excellent verbal and written communication skills. A person that does not possess superb communication skills cannot be a leader. Communication skills can be developed through education initiatives and training and development. Another important factor that can improve a person’s communication skills is active listening. â€Å"Active listening skills are conversational techniques that enable better understanding and more productive communication† (Palkoner, 2013). Listening well to what others have to say can help a leader recognize the needs and concerns of the work staff. Employees that are heard bui lt a greater bond of trust with the managerial staff. The ultimate goal for a leader is to achieve synergy. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The performance of a company is enhanced if it has a good leader in charge of the firm. Bill Gates is an example of a leader that started out small, but due to his superb decision making and leadership skills he turn Microsoft into the market leader in the software industry. A good leader recognizes that teamwork and cooperation are keys to success. The greatest ideas are often hidden in the minds of the floor workers because they are constantly exposed to the manufacturing operations of the firm. Exceptional leaders obtain input from the workers to then use that input in the decision making process. Input can be obtained directly or anonymously. Direct input is gathered by talking to specific employees in private or openly during employee meetings. A way to collect indirect input is by placing a feedback box in the premises of the company. A feedback box is useful only if management seriously considers implementing the ideas of the workers. People are not born leaders instead they acquire leadership skills through experience and education. Unique work experiences such as serving in