Leader is a word that has firmly entered our vocabulary. However, despite the widespread use, not everyone knows what a leader is, what qualities he should possess and why not everyone can become one.
Who is a leader
The word leader originates from the English leader, which means "first," "leading," "going ahead." Thus, a leader is a person who enjoys recognized authority and has the influence to perform managerial actions.
However, today this word has become used in a broader sense. So, the leader is the winner of any competition, a person who is trusted by others and has popularity, as well as just a successful person.
In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between formal leadership and informal. In the first case, we are talking about people in leadership positions, and therefore have an impact on others. Informal leaders are individuals with a certain charisma that allows them to convince others of their point of view, as well as the ability to take responsibility for their actions. An ideal leader is a person who has both options. However, such people are extremely rare.
The nature of leadership
This psychological phenomenon is inherent in human nature itself. Examples very close to leadership are also found in the animal environment. Here this phenomenon is called "proto-leadership." The essence of the leader here is the same - possession of influence. In each group of animals, there is a leader - an individual, distinguished by its strength and enjoying the authority of the herd. These are biologically programmed actions that are inherent in nature.
A psychological analysis of the essence of this phenomenon shows that it arises from certain human needs, which leaders satisfy.
The degree of clarity of leadership positions depends on the type of society. Where the level of organization is poorly expressed and there is a large degree of autonomy, leadership functions are not clearly defined. As the need for society for a structured organization of activities and collective goals grows, so does the leadership position. Thus, leadership is a phenomenon that arose in response to the needs of society.
Qualities of a leader - personal, managerial, psychological
Leadership skills - This is a whole range of knowledge, skills, and abilities from various spheres of life, which together allow a person to influence others. It is worth noting that, in order to attribute a personality to this category, it must have a combination of qualities, and not just one of them. There are three areas of qualities that a person must have in order to call him a leader:
- personal;
- managerial and organizational;
- psychological and social.
In each of these areas is a list of certain personality traits. So this is:
- self-confidence and self-confidence, which makes it possible to believe in the success of your business;
- active life position - the ability to always be in the center of events, communicate a lot and be the first to know all the news, which, ultimately, will allow you to be one step ahead of the rest;
- risk appetite, thoughtful and adequate;
- initiative - lack of fear of life changes;
- motivation - the ability to motivate not only yourself, but also others;
- honesty - it is very easy to lose the trust of others, therefore this quality is a must;
- consistency, drawing up a clear plan and its phased implementation;
- responsibility, the ability to answer for their actions and their consequences.
The managerial and organizational qualities of a leader are:
- ability to lead;
- vision of perspective;
- flexibility;
- diplomatic abilities.
Psychological and social properties:
- sociability - this means not only the ability to communicate, but also to find a common language with completely different people;
- justice - becoming a leader, a person must be prepared that they will turn to him to solve any issues and only fair decisions can support his authority;
- upholding the interests of their team - people following the leader need confidence in their continued support;
- creation of conditions for team self-realization - the leader must allow others to show themselves and fulfill themselves, and in no case to suppress anyone.
Only a positive attitude of people will lead them to follow the leader.
Thus, the possession of these qualities is mandatory for the leader. The absence of at least one of them will lead to short duration and further loss of authority.
Types of leadership
Possessing the listed qualities of people, in turn, can be divided depending on the nature of their activity, its direction and content. In the first case, these are the leaders:
- universal, which occupy this position in various types of activities;
- situational, a manifestation of leadership qualities in a particular activity.
The direction of activity divides them into:
- emotional, which regulate interpersonal relationships in the group;
- instrumental, taking initiative in areas of activity that require certain knowledge;
- intellectual, leading in situations requiring mental activity.
According to the content of their activities, leaders are:
- inspirers - this is such a group leader who only gives ideas and motivates the team, but does not take part in the implementation;
- performers who participate on a par with the whole team.
Manifestations of the described qualities are possible in various fields of activity, which will be discussed below.
Leader in politics
A political leader is a person who, thanks to his personality traits, as well as political and other capitals, can lead the state legal system of society as a whole and individuals in particular.
In this aspect, this is not a specific leadership style, but a way of organizing power in society. The characteristics of the named person are:
- the presence of his own political program, developed by himself or put forward on his behalf;
- ability to express and defend the interests of their ethnic group;
- high level of political culture;
- the ability to seek support from the masses.
This person is largely determined by such factors as personality and origin, as well as the way he came to power.
Party leader
A party leader is a person who owns the overall leadership of this group. Moreover, for the successful implementation of control, he needs to have a number of qualities.
First of all, a party leader is a leader at a strategic level who must be able to solve problems that do not have an exact wording and vary depending on external conditions. Such a person must feel the mood of society as a whole and his party in particular and behave accordingly. Moreover, he must not lose sight of the goal, see the future perspective and go to it.
The next necessary quality of a party leader is the ability to create a cohesive team that effectively solves emerging problems. And finally, he should be able to organize structured administrative work. These are qualities necessary for organizing the work of the party.
Another important quality that a party leader should possess is his favorable appearance. It must be borne in mind that voters see the whole party behind him, this is more an emotional impact on the electorate than a rational one. That is why this requirement is extremely important for a party representative.
Russian leaders
To date, 77 parties have been registered in Russia, but only 4 of them have regional branches in all subjects of the country, and their leaders are the leaders of Russia. This category includes the following:
- “United Russia” - leader V.V. Putin.
- “The Communist Party of the Russian Federation” - leader G. A. Zyuganov.
- “Liberal Democratic Party of the Russian Federation” - leader V. V. Zhirinovsky.
- "Fair Russia" - leader S. M. Mironov.
These parties have existed for more than 10 years and have a significant impact on the alignment of political forces in the country.
Market leader
A market leader is someone who selects a strategy of concentrated growth and achieves it in the following ways:
- expanding an existing market by attracting new consumers and increasing the distribution channel;
- increase in its share in the case when it comes to accelerated business growth.
In the latter case, the leader has to stand in the call position. To achieve his goal, he must constantly improve his competitiveness. There are 4 main ways to do this:
- Maintain leading positions in the creation of new products and bringing them to the consumer.
- Pay attention to consolidate their position by maintaining price stability and updating products through new forms and brands.
- Fast action in response to the steps of competitors. This may be, for example, a reduction in prices to attract consumers.
- Organization of criticism of the competitor, luring valuable employees and other actions aimed at exerting psychological pressure on the enemy.
How to become a leader
No wonder they say that each person makes himself. Almost every person with the necessary qualities can develop them in himself to the right degree. The result will be a new leader who can enjoy well-deserved authority and lead people.
At the same time, it is necessary to see the goal and perspective of the scenario for future actions, in order to have a clear plan for achieving a specific result. However, it is worth remembering that the leader is responsible for decisions that affect others. At the same time, just as he will be praised with the right decision, all criticism will also be directed precisely at the leader in the wrong decision. Thus, it is necessary to really assess your capabilities and future consequences before striving to occupy a leading position.
Conclusion
Which leader is necessary for each group depends on its goals and objectives. Today, in addition to the listed qualities, he must be able to adapt to the rapid changes in surrounding reality.
Modern life is fast and does not tolerate slowness, which is why those who have a high level of adaptation will be ahead. In addition, it should be remembered that a leadership position requires constant work on oneself.
