Abstract
Leadership is the ability to connect with people and create an environment that unlocks the potential of individuals, groups, and the organization at large so that every member has the upper hand to make the best contribution to the success of the organization. Great finish resides on great leadership. Leaders are known for their remarkable success or a significant failure in their leadership endeavor. This continuum of success and failure makes it wise to ask what is the truth behind that curtain of the success and failure? What is the contributing factor that makes a leader great leader? Is the golden position left for selected few? There is an abundant volume of literature on the study of leaders and leadership, but little is said on first time leadership. The purpose of this chapter is to create a thorough understanding of the contemporary leadership empowerment.
TopIntroduction
In the era of globalization, volatile working environment, and break-through technological advancements it is demanding to think of leadership as much more than setting directions and organizing and monitoring work (Manuel London, 2002). Leadership is an act of switching on or off the breathing system of an organization. If the leadership goes right the life of the organization and of course the life of everyone and everything around goes right. Failure in leadership amounts to the collapse of everything. Unlike other things, leadership failure causes a massive destruction to an organization, to a nation, and the universe as a whole. We find leaders in every decisive corner of social, political, economic, and environmental environments or organizations. Hence, one can easily understand what leadership amounts to. Most importantly in leadership we are dealing with human beings – great creatures who can construct or destruct the world. For every failure and success in our universe leadership takes the lions share.
The explosion of interest in leadership underlines this truth. Each day the world discusses the remarkable successes and significant failures of leaders in every dimensions of human activity. Scholars are trying their best from past to the current to create a plate form to better understand leadership. The subject indeed deserves attracting the attention of scholars and practitioners.
This chapter is about shading light on better understanding of the leadership competencies that one requires to become an effective leader. It examines in some depth the developments in leadership studies that support leaders are made not born. In addition, the chapter provides a comprehensive set of skills, qualities, and knowledge that first time leaders need to acquire to become a successful leader.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Leadership Development: A combination of efforts implemented to enhance the quality of leadership and leadership potential in individuals, groups, and organizations.
Leader: An individual who has been given an institutional right to lead others. The right to lead includes the right to give orders, to deploy resource, to award, to punish, etc.
Leadership: It is the provision of the functions necessary for individuals and groups to act together consistent to the purpose of the organization. It is a systematic process of assessing current leadership capacities, identifying gaps.
Leadership Roles: Specific actions or behaviors expected of and exhibited by a leader.
Leadership Theories: Propositions that consists of concepts, ideas, and beliefs about a leader and leadership. These propositions try to figure out the development of the concept of leadership across time.
Effective Leader: A leader who is able to influence a body of people to follow a certain course of action using the art of controlling them, directing them and getting the best out of them.
Leadership Skills: Learnt abilities a leader requires to do something expertly and well.
First-Time Leader: An individual who takes a leadership position currently without an earlier formal leadership experience. First time leader is a leader who came to power for the first time.
Institution: An organization established formally with a clearly indicated objective, mission, and vision.