Leadership Update

Last week's definition:
Leadership must be based on an understanding of yourself, the group you're leading , the situation at hand, and a self-awareness of your own strengths and needs. A genuine calling can take a leader from good to great because others want to share in their vision (Barbuto 2007).Knowing and communicating this identified problem reduces the stress placed on the leader, making him more effective and able to impact more followers.

This week's definition:
Leadership must be based on an understanding of yourself, the group you're leading , the situation at hand, and a self-awareness of your own strengths, needs and the preconceived notions others "automatically associate" (Gladwell 88) with you based on numerous physical characteristics. A genuine calling can take a leader from good to great because others want to share in their goal to solve a problem. Knowing and communicating this identified problem reduces the stress placed on the leader, making him more effective and able to impact more followers.

Analysis:
This week's readings showed that not all leadership can be learned, but if you understand the limitations or perceptions, you can overcome the stereotypes and preconceived notions of others.

Barbuto, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2007). "Becoming a Servant Leader: Do you have what it takes?" Retrieved from www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1481/build/g1481.pdf

Gladwell, M. (2005). "The Warren Harding Error: Why we fall for tall, dark, and handsome men." Blink: The power of thinking without thinking (pp. 72 - 98). New York: Pushkin Enterprises.