SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, PUNE

Constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Pune

(Accredited by NAAC (UGC) with `A’ Grade)

SOFT SKILLS

2ND INTERNAL

ESSAY ON

IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

Submitted by:

Aaryan Dhar

PRN - 18010126105

DIVISION - B

B.B.A. LLB. (Hons.)

BATCH 2018
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INTRODUCTION
Before expressing my opinions and feelings about a topic it is very important to have a clear
understanding about the same. So, I would begin with defining what a leader is and then talk
about the attributes of a leader that I aspire to have in my life (professional as well as
personal).

“A leader is a person who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”1

This definition clearly states that the task of a leader is not only to direct or supervise people,
but one also has to have the required skillset and knowledge about the task at hand. You
cannot expect a person to lead an entire team if he has no knowledge about the task at hand.
Similarly, if a leader is extremely knowledgeable but is not good at communicating his
knowledge, he will always fall short as a leader. Thus, to be a good leader one has to have all
three attributes.

"Leaders do not avoid, repress or deny conflict but rather see it as an

opportunity." - Warren G. Bennis

Moving forward with the meaning of this quote. We have faced conflict since our
childhood. Everyone has grown seeing conflicts between their peers, parents, siblings,
teachers and other people around them. So, it is very evident that conflict will be a
part of our professional lives too.

Now conflicts arise out of disagreements and underlying issues between people which
needs to be solved immideately for them to move forward. In a professional
environment conflicts can be of many types. It can arise out of disagreements in ideas,
presentation of an idea, performance of an employee, way of implementing an idea
and other mannerisms which affect our professional lives. A lot of times the main
issue is hidden by other things when people argue during a conflict.

Now for a leader to solve a conflict between two people he has to open a dialogue
between them. When there is a dialogue started between the people the real issue
1
Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 By: John C. Maxwell
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surfaces and looks clearer. This can be seen as an opportunity by the leader to fix that
underlying issue in his team or with his fellow employee. There are two benefits of
doing this. One it resolves the conflict between the employees by rectifying the error
in the situation. Second it actually allows better and open communication between the
employees and the leader/manager. Thus, instead of repressing the conflict or by
compromising a leader looks at it as an opportunity to rectify the error and to have
better communication.

Heading into the legal profession whether it is corporate, civil or criminal there will
be conflicts in every environment. May it be with our clients, senior lawyers or our
bosses, we need to keep calm and look at it as an opportunity to deal with the issue at
hand.

e.g:-I have faced a similar instance in my internship, where there was a conflict of
opinion between me and a senior advocate in my firm. Instead of repressing the same
I decided to deal with it up front and solve it by communicating more openly. In the
end she appreciated that decision more and there was clarity between our thoughts
again. Thus, to succeed one needs to think like a leader and deal with everything
upfront.

b. "True leaders always practise the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others,
Responsibility for their actions."

There are certain other important characteristics of a leader which will be explained
through this quote. This quote states that to be a good leader one needs to Respect and
believe in oneself, respect and trust his teammates and should be held responsible for
their actions.

 Respect -Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important
things a leader can do. It will ease tensions and conflict, create trust, and improve
effectiveness. It is only through respect and trust that a leader can make his people
wilfully work for the common goal and lead them in the desired direction. Fear of
superiority and unwilful working are bad motivators for the employees and teammates
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working under the leader. The leader needs to command respect for himself and
should be respectful in speaking to his subordinates to have a cordial and peaceful
work environment.2
Eg. If your boss is rude to you and speaks disrespectfully, none of the subordinates
will be motivated to work under him. Similarly, in the legal field one needs to have a
good command over their language inside the courtroom and conduct oneself
respectfully in front of the magistrate. Disrespectful treatment in extreme cases can
lead to contempt of court or to the annoyance of the magistrate.
 Responsible- To be a great leader the person has to not only be responsible in
delegating the task but also has to show some responsibility in following up with the
employees and seeing that the tasks are executed according to the said instructions.
Thus, a leader is solely responsible for not only his own tasks, but also for the tasks of
his employees. It is his responsibility to ensure that all the delegated work is
completed according to the plan that he has set up and to solve any roadblocks that
arise during the execution.
 Ability to Delegate- The job isn’t just to give work, but to delegate work effectively
and efficiently to maximize productivity.3
 Communication- Effective communication is an important aspect of a leader. One
needs to transmit information and listen to everything at the same time to be an
effective leader.4
 Self-Awareness- self-awareness is paramount for leadership. This is because the
better you understand yourself, the more effective you can be with people around
you.5

CONCLUSION
Thus, these are all the essential qualities that are needed for a person to be a great leader. Its
not necessary for just a leader to have these qualities. These qualities should be there in every
ideal working professional if he/she is trying to do well and excel in his/her respective field.
2
https://www.michiganstateuniversityonline.com/resources/leadership/essentials-of-effective-leadership/
3
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlyfries/2018/02/08/8-essential-qualities-that-define-great-leadership/?
sh=739afeaa3b63
4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_style
5
Self-Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership,
By:  Ken Blanchard & Susan Fowler & Laurence Hawkins
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As a future lawyer I would try my best to inculcate these qualities and characteristics in my
professional as well as personal life to grow and excel in the legal field.