Good leadership is a crucial characteristic in organizations of all kinds. Qualities such as kindness, sincerity, honesty, and credit-sharing encourage productivity among colleagues and subordinates and stimulate and flow of ideas that will accomplish the organization's goals. It is often said that a good leader takes people, not where they want to go, but where they ought to be. This is true in the business world because it is a leader's responsibility to direct others in a way that is beneficial for the organization and to inspire them to be as productive as possible. Doing so requires the synthesis of many good qualities. It is important to remember that leaders may not necessarily be managers, but may simply be a fellow employee, who through hard work has become the pillar of the company.
Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals” (pg402, Organizational Behavior, S.A. Judge and T.A. Judge, 2006, 12th Ed.). A good leader is one that is interested in the welfare of the people they lead. Just because someone has been placed in a leadership capacity does not mean they can lead and /or motivate employees. Not all leaders are managers and not all managers are leaders. To lead effectively requires the ability to influence people for the good, and to inspire someone to bring out their hidden talents and skills. Everyone has potential and value. A good leader can see this in their employee and help to nurture their potential. Once becoming a leader selecting the right people is the key to having a successful team. Good judgment is an important element in effective leadership. Other attributes of a good leader that differ from someone who is not leadership material are the personal qualities that they should possess. Leaders in this category focus on personal qualities such as integrity, conscientiousness, ambitious and honesty. All