Tony At 10: LEADERSHIP:BLOG # 2122;FEB 02,2018

THE MESSAGE:

During my teaching career, I was very fortunate to have been selected to join the summer staff at the Ontario Student Leadership Centre as a councillor and later as camp director for a total of 10 summers. The camp, located on Lake Couchiching near Orillia, was developed to teach grade eleven boys and girls the skills required to become an effective leader within their own schools. Each school in Ontario was allowed to select a student to attend the camp. I taught at the Boys' Athletic Leadership Camp for five summers. After the Athletic Camp programs, I was moved on to the Co Ed Music Leadership Program for another five years.

The experience was a wonderful opportunity for myself to meet so many excellent and prospective young men and women leaders. It goes without saying that I learned as much as I taught at the programs. The Curriculum for the Camps was quite flexible. Students were addressed as 'LEADER' and could choose their own activities over a two week span. The theme was always centred around giving students the opportunity to teach, coach and participate in various ways.

THE BLURB:

A Definition of Leadership

What is leadership? A simple definition is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to work towards achieving a common objective or goal. It encompasses the ability to inspire others with the willingness and dedication to achieve an outcome.

What are the Characteristics involved in Leadership Abilities? From where does the power of being an effective leader derive?

COERCION often called 'big stick power'. This power may be exemplified by a school yard bully. Power is lost once the threat of the stick has been removed.

AUTHORITY as exemplified by a teacher or police officer who have power by virtue of a system.

AFFILIATION can be the result of a leader who belongs to a political party or sports team.

REPUTATION Power may be the result of a celebrity or movie star's popularity.

HUMOUR AND CHARISMA can persuade people to vote for and support a person who is handsome and charming and knows how to use humour effectively with promises, proper timing and an appealing delivery.

SOME HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS LEADERS

It is also helpful to present the particular characteristics of people who are recognized as having been great leaders. All of them had something unique about their style. They had different qualities and yet they achieved a greatness that helped them to lead masses to innovation or new ideologies.

George Washington

He is known as the founding father of the United States of America, leader of the American Revolution and the first president of USA. His greatness was rooted in foresight, vision, strategic planning and the ability to lead people to success.

Mao Zedong

Mao was the leader of the Chinese Revolution and the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. He successfully endured and repelled the invasion by Japan during the World War II and subsequently transformed the economy of China into one of the major industrialized economies of the world. Because of him, China is a world power and a potent rival to the dominant United States of America.

Mahatma Gandhi

If he was a Canadian he may have made the list

After completing a law degree in London, he led the freedom struggle in India against colonial rule. His policy of non-violence and protest through civil disobedience eventually succeeded when he led his country to freedom in 1947. His main characteristics were resilience, knowledge, people-skills, motivational approach and leading by example.

Margaret Thatcher

Born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England, she became Britain's Conservative Party leader and in 1979 was elected Prime Minister, the first woman to hold that position. During her three terms, she cut social welfare programs, reduced trade union power and privatized certain industries. Margaret became known as 'The Iron Lady' and although somewhat unpopular Thatcher was able to achieve greatness because of her undeniable belief in the importance of self-help, charitable work and personal authenticity. Through the course of her decisions over the years, she was able to lean on those values as a moral and foundational compass. Her strength also lay in her confidence and resilience.

Muhammad

Muhammad inspired the spread of Islam throughout the Arab world. It has become the second largest and the fastest growing religion in today's world. He united a nomadic society through teachings in morality and led his people out of severe persecution and mistreatment. His greatest leadership qualities were his courage, his motivational approach and his persistence and decision-making.

Martin Luther King

His charismatic and peaceful approach to the problem of racism inspired millions to rethink their values and perceptions.

TODAY'S LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD MUST HAVE:

AWARENESS Leaders understand the difference between management and employees and accept it. This shapes their image, actions, and communication. They conduct themselves in a way that permits them to retain an objective perspective on everything that's going on within their organization.

DECISIVENESS All leaders must make tough decisions. They understand that in certain situations, difficult and timely decisions must be made in the best interests of the entire organization. Effective leaders don't hesitate in such situations.

COLLABORATIVE WISDOM Good leaders know when not to act unilaterally but instead foster collaborative decision making.

EMPATHY Good leaders guide employees through tough challenges. Rather than making things personal when they encounter problems, or assigning blame to individuals, leaders look for constructive solutions and focus on moving forward.

ACCOUNTABILITY Extraordinary leaders take responsibility for everyone's performance, including their own. They follow up on all outstanding issues, check in on employees, and monitor the effectiveness of company policies and procedures. When things are going well, they praise. When problems arise, they identify them quickly, seek solutions, and get things back on track.

CONFIDENCE A leader's confidence is contagious. Employees are naturally drawn to them, seek their advice, and feel more confident as a result.

OPTIMISM A leader must always seem to have a solution, and always know what to say to inspire and reassure. They avoid personal criticism and pessimistic thinking, and look for ways to gain consensus and get people to work together efficiently and effectively as a team.

HONESTY Strong leaders treat people the way they want to be treated. They are extremely ethical and believe that honesty, effort, and reliability form the foundation of success. They embody these values so overtly that no employee doubts their integrity for a minute. They share information openly, and avoid spin control.

FOCUS Extraordinary leaders plan ahead, and are supremely organized. They think through multiple scenarios and the possible impacts of their decisions, while considering viable alternatives. Their processes, and routines ensure high performance and are tangible, easily defined, and monitored. They communicate their plans to key players and have contingency plans in the event that last-minute changes require a new direction.

Put it all together, and what emerges is a picture of the truly inspiring leader: someone who communicates clearly, concisely, and often, and by doing so motivates everyone to give his or her best all the time. They challenge their people by setting high but attainable standards and expectations, and then giving them the support, tools, training, and latitude to pursue those goals and become the best employees they can possibly be.