Effective vs.

Ineffective Leaders: Be Cool or Be Schooled

In class, we learned about the different traits that effective and ineffective leaders possess. A
leader is a person who leads his people and works with them to achieve an ultimate goal. We
determine this person should generally be approachable, creative, and compassionate. On the
other hand, in our opinion, ineffective leaders can be manipulative, bossy and micromanaging.
There are many different criteria that make a leader who they are. Whether effective,
ineffective, or just a name on the door, leaders were created somehow. So how do you stack
up? How did you get to where you are today? Here are a few descriptions of different traits you
could possess as either an effective or ineffective leader.
Approachable
One very important trait for an effective leader to possess is to be approachable. This means
that they are generally friendly, easy to talk to, respectful to others, and agreeable.
Approachable leaders tend to give off a vibe to others that they are open to everyone and can
always step aside for a one-on-one chat if needed. You can be more approachable as a leader
by talking to people, listening to their ideas, and problem solving for betterment of the whole.
When everyone sees you as someone who has got their back, they are more likely to work
harder and see you as someone they can trust

Make sure you are open and inviting to others. Try not to give them death glares for taking your seat in the
cafeteria.

Creative
Another trait of an effective leader is being creative. Being creative can be a daunting task, but
if you work it correctly, there is no problem. Being creative means simply being imaginative and
original. Being creative in the workplace can lead to some amazing new ideas and a mainstream
vibe of a happy and fun environment. You can be creative as a leader by thinking outside of the
box and not focusing on being perfect all of the time. When a leader is able to publicly come up
with all kinds of new ideas and try them out AND not be afraid to fail, others tend to follow in
suit.

Think of new ideas and ways to approach situations. Seriously, never repeat an idea. So tacky.

Compassionate
A third important trait of effective leaders is being compassionate. Being compassionate to
others shows them that you care about things that have no effect on you or your life. To be
compassionate, a leader should listen to others problems, care about the people around them,
and be involved in others lives outside of the work environment. This shows other people that
you are empathetic, sympathetic, and overall understanding of them. They will feel more
comfortable around you and will appreciate your concern for their well-being and happiness.

Care about the other people around you. Actually care about them, don't just fake it and talk about them in the
break room.

However, being a leader is not a road paved with rose petals. There are always some negative
traits of a leader that can deteriorate the overall progress of the organization and the personal
growth of each member.

Manipulative
At some point of your life, you must have heard about a person who toyed with other people to
gain something. That is the simple definition of a manipulative leader. However, a manipulative
leader can be exposed in much more aspects. They usually consider their own ideas to be
correct and will try every way to follow them and achieve their goals. Therefore, they tend to
avoid discussions and debates. People who coax them and their ideas are their allies, while
their challengers are considered enemies and shall be put on the shelf. At meetings, they can
go great lengths to protect their opinions from being scrutinized. Lies and misleading
information are their weapons. Threats and humiliations are their shields. After being
successful in building barricades for their methods, they will rush to their goal no matter what
the cost is. Ignoring their members personal lives is one of their tactics. They will even
extinguish any chance for a person to develop skills because it simply takes more time. All these
manipulations may have arisen from their insecurity in their own leadership skills. They could
have felt too unconfident that they impose their methods on the members. The manipulative
trait can also be caused by pressure to reach the goal in time so great that they are willing to
take shortcuts. However, there are always ways to suppress the trait and become a leader. One
should learn to accept that they can never be right and their members can have better ideas
than theirs. That is accompanied by honing their ability to listen and respect others opinions.
At meetings, one should be prepared for debates and let members voice their ideas. An
unambiguous agreement at the end should be reached and not be altered by any persons sole
interest.

http://geoffreywebb.com/2011/02/15/leadership-or-manipulation/
Manipulative leaders are persuasive. Their words may seem coaxing, but they are their weapons to control
members.

http://meangirls.wikia.com/wiki/Regina_George
A perfect example of a manipulative leader is Regina George from Mean Girls. She is leader of the Plastics. With
her charming look, she controls almost EVERY classmates to maintain her status and ousts the seemingly innocent
Cady Heron.

This is Yvonne Vee Parker from the hit TV series Orange is the New Black. She arrived in Litchfield when
everything seemed to have been under control. The lady then recruited other black girls into her family, causing
friends to turn against each other. She cajoled them into importing and selling drugs in prison. She also imposed
fear and used violence on her enemies. However, she did not earn a forgiving ending like Regina George did. In the
end, the other girls turned their backs on her. And when she escaped from the prison, she was ran over by the
awesome Miss Rosa!

Bossy
At many times, a child who likes to give rules to his/her peers or control them is called bossy.
Surprisingly, this adjective follows a person to their adulthood. Bossy is also a negative trait of a
leader. They lead by setting up a hierarchy and makes sure they will remain at the top of the
pyramid. By doing so, they cast on the members fears and humiliations. They force others to
strictly follow his idea and will mercilessly threaten or bully those who stand up against him.
Therefore, they have put people in their places, taken away their rights of development and
maintained his position as long as possible. To go along with the oppression is the pose of a
perfect and unattainable image of themselves. When a member achieves something, their first
reaction is to take away that persons credit. However, when they makes a mistake,their
superior status will never to be blamed. The bossy trait has a very strong relationship with the
manipulative trait, as they all try to control members to follow their ideas only. There are
names that can be given to this type of leader, such as tyrant, dictator, authoritarian, or
oppressor. On the other hand, in some cases, the bossy trait can be mislabeled on those who
enjoy practicing leadership or have firm leading methods. Anyway, there are steps that can be

taken to lessen this trait. Being an assertive leader is always appropriate, but having respect for
members is nothing less of importance. The ability to admit faults is also necessary and it is a
critical step in eliminating the trait. In addition, for the sake of the teams evolvement, a better
allocation of members is always crucial. They need to give opportunities to members to show
off and develop their best abilities.

http://scoutingmagazine.org/2004/10/scouters-speak-younger-scouts-resent-troops-bossy-juniorleaders/
If a person exhibits assertiveness and speak up his opinions, he possesses good leadership traits. However, it can
be taken too far to become bossiness, which is trying to take control and oppress others.

Micromanaging
Think of the animals in a biology experiment. They are put in a close surrounding, and are
watched 24/7 through the cameras by the zoologists. Imagine how the animals would feel, if
they were really bothered by that. That is probably how you would feel under the control of a
micromanaging leader (although you wouldnt be watched 24/7, because that would be illegal).
Basically, a micromanaging leader is the type of leader who tirelessly observe every behavior
and activity of a member. The obsessiveness comes from the fear of failing and distrust of the
members abilities. Therefore, they strive hard to have control in every aspect of the team.
They will most certainly take over every important roles in the group. They prevent others from
carrying out important positions. And for fear that the members will mess up with every
decision-making tasks, they decide to do them all. When reviewing works of the members, they
tend to scrutinize for even the most petty errors. For this trait, there are various ways to limit it.
The member selection process is vital because by selecting the best, one can feel more
confident in the team. For every assigned task, give the members detailed expectations so the
results can live up to yours. The leaders can also create a competitive workplace to bring out
the best in every member. They should hand tasks to the members that excel in that particular
skill, so the team can produce the best result. And if one is still unsure of the progress, they can
get frequent updates from the members.

http://www.tylercruz.com/micromanaging-vs-macromanaging-campaigns/
A micromanaging leader will go lengths to have control at everything because he thinks that his team members are
simply not good enough. Like on this comic strip, he will find even the smallest errors and will control every of your
activity, even your mouse clicks!

Sometimes you just have to tell that micromanaging boss this epic quote from, again, Regina George. Why are
you so obsessed with me? said Regina George. Thats right, you micromanaging boss, why are you so obsessed
with me? I am perfectly fine doing my job!

Based on the traits described above, what type of leader do you think you are? How can you
improve your habits to become a more effective leader in the different aspects of your life?
There are many ways for leaders to be both effective and productive with their people. If you
want to become more effective a leader, give yourself an evaluation. You will lead your team to
success and earn great respect from your members.