An Effective Leader

What makes a leader effective? Our world as we know it cannot run without leadership. From presidents and prime ministers to teachers and parents, we are always under the leadership of others, and often lead others ourselves as well. For such a fundamental concept in current society, it is surprising that many do not know what makes a leader effective. First of all, leaders need to be capable people. They usually have some sort of education in the area they are leading in, as well as talent or a skillset in that area. Often, what sets leaders apart is there experience. These factors all contribute to how capable a leader can be, and how effective they are in their role. Furthermore, attitude is very important in an effective leader. You …show more content…
Attitude does not just affect if you get a job or not, but also affects if a leader is effective or not. For example, some say that Hitler was an effective leader, because of all the Nazis that followed him, and his accomplishments of fulfilling his plans. However, looking at history it can be seen that Hitler and his Nazis were eventually defeated, and that there were many who were displeased with his leadership. Tyranny and brutality can only work for so long on any group of people, before there is an uprising as the majority overtakes the dictator. To be an effective leader, one needs to be able to listen to others. The most effective leaders are the best followers. No human can do everything alone, without support from others. It makes sense then that leaders should also need help and support from others, to make sound decisions. Additionally, leaders are seen as role models, so their attitude will rub off onto others. In a workplace environment, effective managers will have effective employees. Attitude is everything in making effective …show more content…
Capability often comes from education, talent and past experience. Without capability, leaders do not know or understand the specific needs their group has. Their credibility and trustworthiness goes down as well. Another important aspect is their attitude. As said above, attitude affects how willing people are to listen to you. Effective leaders are a strong role model to those around them, and their attitude allows them to have power without becoming proud or corrupt. Finally, how much influence a leader has over others is an indicator of the effectiveness of their leadership. The greater influence a leader may have, the more effective they will be. How do they gain influence? That leads back to the other two points of capability and attitude. Many leaders are only strong in one area of the three, some may be very capable but have a great attitude, or have a great attitude but no capability. Altogether, capability, attitude and influence is what makes the most effective