Tylyn Tarter

AEC3414
Spring 2020
Philosophy Paper

A leader is an individual who exhibits a set of skills and traits that are used in a group
setting to set an example. A leader is a person who is able to take charge in a professional
manner. That person is able to guide followers in the path towards success as well. A leader is
one who can be looked up to in any situation for guidance or advice. To be a successful leader,
one must be able to take initiative when needed. A successful leader is someone who isn’t afraid
to step up when others don’t, can handle responsibility and critique, and is open to helping others
along the way.
There are no set number of skills or behaviors a leader should have, but there are many
that a leader can have. I believe that a leader should be responsible and independent. This is
important because a leader has to be able to set the tone for others who look up to them. A leader
should also act in a professional manner and be understanding of other’s situations and feelings.
Taking other people’s beliefs and feelings into account is a trait that is essential for creating an
open and comfortable environment for all. Other skills a leader should encompass include being
a good listener, being able to provide critique or feedback if needed, communication skills,
having a positive mindset, and being a motivator to others. This variety of skills is important
because a leader has to deal with different styles of learning, teaching, and different people.
Having the ability to be flexible to each situation is important in being a successful leader. Being
flexible shows that you can be successful in any situation. Being able to adapt to different
environments is important because good leaders are able to set examples and guide the way in
any circumstance.
Leadership is the act of guiding and having influence on others in a positive light to reach
a common goal. I believe that leadership is crucial in any team setting or when you are working
with others. Exhibiting leadership amongst other people shows that you are responsible and
capable of taking charge and setting the tone. This is important because without effective
leadership, it is likely that the job either will not get done or won’t get done to its fullest
potential. Leadership is an important part to managing a business or managing others. Leadership
excels when members of a team are able to work together effectively and efficiently.
There is a process to leadership and how it can work in a productive way. The first step to
leadership would be to evaluate the situation and the needs of that situation. This provides a basis
to work forward from and sets the tone for how successful you can be. A leader would step up at
this time and express their concerns or vision for the workplace. A vision is what is hoped to be
achieved in the end and is the ultimate goal that the group should be working towards.
Objectives are to be discussed in the process of leadership to ensure that everyone is on the same
page and is working towards the same goal. Once objectives are created, it is important for a plan
of action to be set in place. This is where a leader has the opportunity to give responsibilities to
others and really express their expectations from here forward. A leader’s job is to motivate
others and really serve as a positive light in the situation. A leader should be motivated and
should have the ability to motivate others. In the end, the expected change should be made, and a
leader can reflect back on the process with others. This gives an opportunity for feedback and a
chance to look at the results to see if the process was successful or unsuccessful.
 I believe a leader should be responsible and independent. This is important to remember

because a leader undergoes many tasks and will most certainly have to guide others in those

tasks along the way. In order for a leader to be successful, he or she must be able to work

independent when needed. Since a leader is someone that others tend to look up too, it is

important for the said leader to be able to motivate themselves to get the job done and understand

what is asked of them before moving on to help others. Being responsible comes with the role of

being a leader. One must be able to accept tasks, spread the work evenly amongst other

employees, and be a voice for all in the end. If one is not responsible in this aspect, an efficient

leader is not there. An example of a leader being both responsible and independent reflects back

on my time participating in 4-H. My club 4-H leader was given the task of teaching students

about livestock projects and being available to answer any questions or to visit individual

animals and barns if needed. Because she had to look up information on her own, plan

workshops and meetings, and set time aside of her personal schedule for others, she exhibited the

leadership qualities of being responsible and independent. She was responsible in the sense of

maintaining an open schedule and planning successful events and was independent because she

had to work on these things on her own after finishing her day job. As mentioned in the

Northouse textbook on page 199, self-discipline gives leaders focus and determination. Someone

who is responsible and independent has a high sense of self-discipline. These skills together

allow leaders to reach their own goals and hold others and themselves accountable along the

way.

Another aspect of a good leader is being able to act in a professional manner. Leadership

and professionalism directly coincide with one another. According to an article from Rasmussen

College, “professionalism is one of the biggest factors in your level of career success.” A leader
should act professionally because they are looked at as a person who represents something such

as a company or a school. Having a good attitude toward your job, your peers, and the company

you represent is a sign of having good leadership qualities. A successful leader should be able to

represent themselves and others in such a way that people from the outside looking in realize that

they are a good role model for the company being represented. If a leader does not act

professionally it can show the employer many bad warning signs. Not being professional shows

signs of disloyalty, a lack of respect, and a lack of dependability. These are all traits that leaders

should not be recognized with, which is why it is important for a leader to be professional. An

example of professionalism can be given from my old job. At the calling center where I worked

there were multiple positions offered. Student caller was the lowest position and student

supervisor was one of the higher positions. After 1 year of working as a student caller with good

standings, employees were able to apply for a supervisor position. One young man applied, was

denied immediately, and wondered why so. After speaking with the manager, it came to the

conclusion that the young man was denied due to his lack of professionalism and seriousness on

the job as a student caller. This is just 1 simple example of how a lack of professionalism caused

someone to lose a promotion opportunity. A leader must be able to take things seriously and act

professionally so it does not cost them a job, promotion, or other opportunity.

Someone in a leadership position should be a good listener to others. This quality is

extremely important because you must be able to listen to other employer’s concerns or

comments while on the job. As a leader-or higher up- you are the person people come to with

any problems. Being a good listener reflects back on being able to provide feedback or critique

to others if needed. By having an open ear and being aware of what’s going on in the workplace,

a leader would be able to provide solutions or suggestions if needed. Being a good listener and
having the ability to provide feedback relates to page 379 in the Northouse textbook. A leader

must have the ability to satisfy individual member needs. If the leader’s needs are met and he or

she has self-understanding, it will be easier to guide the way for others and help provide support

when needed. Once needs are met, there is room for a solution to be made. Being social with

other members of the workforce and showing interest in their concerns shows that the leader is

open to listening and working with others to determine a solution. While in high school, I was

actively involved with my FFA chapter. I served on the officer team and was looked up to as a

leader within the chapter. Because I held a leadership position, students trusted me as someone

they could share their concerns or ideas with. After those thoughts were shared, I reported to one

of my advisors and a solution was made. Since not all comments were negative, we used

feedback given to us from other students to make changes within our chapter. Overall, having an

open ear and mind, and being willing to receive or provide feedback has the potential to make

your team or company stronger than before.

One of the most important aspects to a successful leader is having the ability to

communicate effectively. Communicating is a way to provide a basis for a plan of action or a

vision for the intended goal. Being able to communicate in any way with others allows for

everyone to feel included and important. Also, having the ability to communicate via different

methods shows that the leader is capable of communicating with others regardless of platform or

style. In order for a leader to motivate others, they must be a good communicator. Motivation

and communication go hand in hand with one another. If expectations are communicated

effectively, motivation to reach the end goal would be more likely to occur. This exemplifies the

idea of wanting to get the job done in a persistent and timely manner. If a leader is not a good

communicator, an end goal might not be feasible. It takes a team effort to make a dream become
a reality. According to Northouse page 322-323, communicators have the ability to inspire

people at all levels, be influential, and are effective at gaining the support of others. I have had

many experiences with communication in a team setting. In a video production class I took there

were 2 large group assignments throughout the semester. Basically, we were given a topic and let

free to complete the projects on our own time. Because of this I had to step up and be the

communicator in the group. I was tasked with communicating with our interviewee and

providing a means of communication within the group members. Had I not stepped up to be the

communicator in our group, our project would have failed entirely. I was in charge of

scheduling, determining an end goal, and motivating other group members to do their part for the

project. This was an example of when communication was key to the success of a project. We

learned that without clear communication and a clear vision, most tasks aren’t as successful as

they should be. Through this experience, I learned that communication plays a critical role in

productivity, quality, and timeliness. These are all tribulations that an employee or leader in a

work setting can be faced with without clear communication.

A leader who is adaptable to the environment they are in is crucial to one’s success. In a

work setting it is typical to expect the unexpected. A leader should be capable of adapting to any

situation or environment and be successful in it. In times of uncertainty, people tend to look up to

the person in a leadership role for guidance. In this case, the leader must set an example of how

to react to the situation and motivate others to do the same. Being flexible shows that a leader

has the ability to change the plan of action to meet the reality of the given situation. This is

important because if a leader is adaptable, productivity can remain the same during a changing

time or environment. A leader who is flexible typically has the ability to work with people of all

styles of learning. In an article from the Consulting Psychology Journal, “being flexible and
adaptive often includes finding innovative ways to deal with new problems and opportunities.”

This is important to remember because a flexible leader is able to think outside of traditional role

expectations and influence people to change in order to fit what is appropriate and effective for

the situation. The COVID-19 pandemic in relation to universities is a perfect example of how

communication is key. Because of the pandemic, university professors and lecturers were forced

to change their courses from being in-person to entirely online. This shift happened unexpectedly

and suddenly. Lecturers were forced to communicate with their students entirely online and share

their expectations for the continuation of courses via email and canvas announcements. Speaking

in terms of my professors, every one of them has done a good job at communicating their

expectations, assignments, and concerns with each class. This is an example that many teachers

and students can relate to and it shows that our leaders are flexible and have the ability to adapt

to a new way of learning virtually. This is a new problem that they were faced with and many of

them have overcome it successfully.

 CITATIONS

Yukl, G., & Mahsud, R. (2010). Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential. Consulting

Psychology Journal: practice and research, 62(2), 81.

Brooks, A. (2019, August 19). Why is Professionalism Important? Expert Insight for Recent

Graduate. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/four-

reasons-why-you-need-to-be-professional/

(Northouse, 2016, p. 199)

(Northouse, 2016, p. 379)

(Northouse, 2016, p. 322-323)