As you can see, the four definitions I have given differ in many ways and these differences have resulted in society’s viewpoints of leadership. There is no specific strategy in approaching leadership; it has to be appropriate for a specific or given situation. Many people plan their actions for a given situation. I believe that an individual’s personality, situation and organizational structure determine what is best for an individual applying their leadership skills. The ideas of motivation, influence, selflessness, leading by example and making a difference are also factors in defining leadership. These are common ideas that individuals or companies are capable of applying to a situation and turning it into a productive outcome.
I choose to apply my definition of leadership to the young American soldiers in Somalia in 1992 and not just one public figure. The soldiers were sent on an easy mission by their ‘leader’ to capture the head of the Somalia militia, a mission that would end 37 hours later. Commanders thought it was unlikely that the Somalis could shoot down helicopters or challenge the U.S. soldiers. Instead of a quick sweep through the town, what came was a battle that the Commanders had no way to lead their soldiers through, soldiers that trust their leaders not to risk their lives. I believe this is an excellent example because as Americans we generally assume that the general or major leading military troops are the leaders and in this case it was the Delta Force Commandos in the end that came out as the leaders.
A soldier named Sgt. Eversman found himself in the middle of a battle with no leader and suddenly he was faced with being in the leadership position. Forced into the leadership position meant Sgt. Eversman had to lead his team of friends into a battle that he had not been prepared for. Putting the safety and sanity of his troop ahead of himself in order to lead them through the streets of Somalia he was able to lead Delta Force out. Sgt. Eversman used many of the traits that were given in my definitions. He had vision, built trust among his friends or colleagues, influenced and motivated his troops to work together as a group and showed selflessness. Not only did he have leadership, but he also showed courage, respect, and strength; these are all things that a true leader must possess.
In conclusion the definitions of leadership are foundations that will help your effectiveness as a leader but they are no what make you a leader. Leadership is not something you can learn from a book, it is a skill that you gain and learn through experiences in your life. Leaders are people that use their leadership skills to make a difference in the world that can affect society as a whole or specific individual given the situation. Leadership comes in many different forms as I have shown, but they all have the same goal: to communicate effectively with people.
1998 Harper Collins Publisher
www.leadership.buffalo.edu
www.leadership.buffalo.edu