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Usernamenidhal_mahdhi
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I am from Tunisia, a 24 years old student of master ( agrégation) degree in english studies: literature, civilisations, linguistics, and translation. I am a civil society activist as well, member of JCI ( jeune chambre international ) and co-founder of Peace Lab club.
About leadership and what makes a true leader.
May 30, 2018 5 years agoDue to the chaos happening now in the country and in the arab world as a whole, especially after the arab spring, a great initiative and a great step must be taken to make the change. Not anyone can take the risk or has a particular vision of change. That task needs what we call him a leader. Facts are always correlated like that. Nowadays, the notion of a leader is misunderstood. Thus, a clarification of leadership definition is highly needed, as well as for the particular profile of a leader, in order to make the difference between him and a boss, as, apparently, the current situation mentioned above is full of bosses. A widespread definition of leadership says that is the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this. Of course, this is the very common, simple, and surface definition of the notion, but, it is really more than that. Wherefore, the literature debates various viewpoints, contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to leadership, and also, within the west, we could recognize a U.S and european approaches. U.S academic environments define leadership as “ A process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. Leadership, seen from a european and non-academic perspective, encompasses a view of a leader who who can be moved not only by communitarian goals but also by the search for personal power, Margaret Thatcher once said: “Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” Then, studies of leadership have produced theories involving traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision, and values. This would open the door to look into the particular profile of a leader. A leader is a well determined composition of features, as according to Sun Tzu: “ Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline...Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness. Exercise of humaneness alone results in weakness. Fixation on trust results in folly. Dependance on the strength of courage results on violence. Excessive discipline and sternness in command results in cruelty. When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its function, then one can be a leader.” Therefore, a leader is not only a person in control of a group, country, or situation. John C.Maxwell once mentioned that leadership is not about titles, positions and flowcharts, and that is about one life influencing another. Leadership is an attitude no more, no less. It does not matter whether you are a CEO of a company or you are 23 years old and you are just get started, if you have influence over one life, you are in a leadership. That involves establishing a clear vision and sharing it with others so that they will follow willingly. Also, to make things more practical, a leader is the one who provides information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision. Coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders, are what make a great leader. He steps up in times of crisis and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. That particular attitude distinguishes the leader from the boss. It is easy to think bosses and leaders are the same. However, they are nearly opposites. It depends on understanding and using the power, as “Power isn't control at all_power is strength to others. A leader isn't someone who forces others to make him stronger ; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have strength to stand on their own.” Leaders lead, motivate, and empower. Bosses just try to get the job done, and while they are focused on themselves, leaders look for ways they can help and encourage those around them. A leader understands that people working with him, are essential to a community success, treating them as equals and providing them with helpful direction. Bosses, on the other hand, give out orders and view others as disposable inferiors. Now, leadership is quite clear concept. So, a true leader is the only one who can make the change and lead the change as well. He will, definitely, create an atmosphere of inspiration and motivation which will be both the first impulse to make people think positively towards their communities.
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