Reference no: EM132869120

The term "leader" often carries the connotation of a person with vision, confidence, courage, and the ability to motivate others. A leader falls "below the bar" when one or more of these attributes is missing. An individual can be recognized as a good manager while lacking in leadership qualities; and another person can be recognized as a good leader while lacking in some management qualities.

Some entrepreneurs, who are good leaders with the ability to bring their vision into reality when founding their companies, lose interest once the company is established. Maintaining a steady growth is not as exciting to some as is the exhilaration of creating something new and guiding its early rapid growth or the struggle against forces of decline. Not all business leadership is entrepreneurial.

Setting the direction of an organization, its goals, its plans of action, and motivating people to work and to strive toward achievement are also classified as leadership. No discussion of leadership is possible without reference to power: what it is, how it is used, and how the leader orchestrates power relationships within an organization. The use of power is fundamental to getting things done. Styles of leadership often are differentiated in terms of power usage. Leadership is often thought of as rising above the management level and providing direction to management. While this is often the case, the traits of a good manager should be clearly articulated in order to evaluate leadership objectively. Leadership is not synonymous with "good" leadership. Sound management skills are what is needed in some circumstances, rather than a new, driving vision.

Based on what you and others indicated as the characteristics of an effective leader - create a definition and/or theory of leadership?