5 Key Chapter Concepts
Chapter 1
1. Human leadership is not predetermined as in the animal world; rather, it varies from situation to situation and from individual to individual.
There is no formula or specific directions to follow to be a great leader. A tactic that may have worked for another situation or person may not work again. To be a successful leader you need to be able to pull from others leadership experiences, as well as your past experiences, and be able to apply different combinations of tactics to the current situation.
2. The leader is more concerned with the ultimate direction of the group. Leaders are people who do the right thing.
When in a position of leadership you need to be able to make the best decisions for your organization. The book says managers do things right, whereas leaders do the right thing. The right thing to do may not always follow protocol to the letter. A leader needs to be able to make wise decisions for the betterment of the organization.
3. Leaders and followers function collaboratively.
When in a position of leadership it is important that all parties are working towards the same, shared goals. As a leader it is important to communicate the goals you have set to your followers, while not ignoring the followers opinions. Leaders would be nothing without their followers so it is important leaders make followers feel valuable and that they work cohesively together.
4. Effective leaders are skilled at sharing and responding to emotions.
As a leader you need to be able to channel your emotions to achieve organizational goals. You also need to be able to manage the emotions of others. When I was the captain of my cheer team I had to do this too often because my co-captain was not able to manage the impression others had of her.
5. To achieve your goals as a leader, you’ll need to manage the impressions others have of you.
In my experience, people respond better to someone they like. It is