In this essay, I will demonstrate the attributes of a good leader and argue the impact they have on the prospect of an organisation. In the first section I will discuss the general idea of ‘goodness’ and the relationship of goodness with specific qualities of a leader. Then in the next part I would identify how significant a leader is to an organisation and the noteworthy influence they have on its future. To conclude I will refer to some example which are related to the influence of leadership in an organisational arena.
John C. Maxwell famously said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
However in order to define a “good leader” we first need to define what is ‘good’ and how we relate this goodness with leadership. Throughout history there have been many successful leaders in different times, fields and cultures. However not all successful leaders are considered good leaders. Influential leaders like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini etc are prime example of thriving leaders but they are not considered as role models. Contrary to this, people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Nelson Mandela and many successful entrepreneurs are regarded as great leaders and also considered as exemplary individuals.
In this context “goodness” is not easy to define but we can generally say it is something that benefits the greater population and is acceptable by majority of people. The leaders who follow this concept and conduct his duties ethically and became successful are generally regarded as good leader.
In reality there are many forms & styles of leaderships. Leaders can be different depending upon their approach on specific situations; such as task oriented Transactional Leaders, motivation based Charismatic Leaders and visionary Transformational Leaders. These various types of leaders distinguish their activities and