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Discussion Questions

Student’s Name

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Course

Instructor

Date
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Think about the best leader(s) you have ever interacted with (personally). What qualities

did they have or what did they do that made them so great? Share some key lessons you

learned from them.

I have had the opportunity to engage with a number of leaders that, in my opinion,

exemplify the finest characteristics of a good leader. They had a number of characteristics that

distinguished them from bad leaders and enabled them to succeed in their positions. Courage was

one of these characteristics. Because leaders are tasked with the responsibility of making tough

choices, they must have the guts to carry out their responsibilities. The bravery of leaders

motivates their employees, positions their companies in the competitive marketplace, and

energizes their consumers (Gayathri, 2020). Having courage allows business executives to rule

and lead their organizations and subordinates with values, and it allows them to retain their

position even as the pressure mounts. Leaders that have courage will be better able to deal with

any criticism that may emerge and take bold measures that will benefit both the business and its

workers, as well as the company's consumers.

I found that the most effective leaders find their mission by getting to know themselves

and their life passions first. Therefore, they are more likely to achieve their goals with sufficient

enthusiasm, therefore becoming great. The most effective leaders are guided by principles that

they maintain throughout their profession. Self-discipline leads the most effective leaders in their

personal lives as well as in their leadership positions, and it is this discipline that inspires their

followers. The most effective leaders continue to create linked connections with everyone,

including subordinates and stakeholders, and to build networks to promote their business. They

also identify what workers and consumers want and take steps to achieve their objectives. More
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importantly, I learnt that a successful leader can motivate subordinates to work together toward a

shared purpose and to achieve the company's goals and objectives.

Think about the worst leader(s) you have ever interacted with (personally). What qualities

did they have or what did they do that made you rate them so? Share some key lessons you

learned from them.

I had the opportunity to work with one of the worst leaders in the business. The leader

ultimately caused the firm to suffer from high employee turnover, deterioration in the company's

reputation, and a failure to gain a competitive advantage in the market (Hogan, Kaiser, Sherman,

and Harms 2021). The boss was unable to listen to his subordinates and instead chose to do what

he believed was best for the business and its workers. His choices, on the other hand, sometimes

resulted in catastrophic outcomes that had a detrimental impact on the company. More

importantly, the leader lacked the confidence to make difficult choices and would be afraid of

being criticized. As a consequence, he would make choices that would have a detrimental impact

on the business. The CEO also exhibited a lack of self-discipline, as shown by his misuse of the

company's rules and procedures, which included manipulating financial records, which had a

negative effect on the organization.

It was the leader's failure to include subordinates in decision-making that resulted in his

making choices without consulting them. Because of this, choices would have a detrimental

impact on workers, customers, and the business as a whole, resulting in bad results. I have learnt

that a lack of a sense of purpose may make a leader a loser and can result in the collapse of the

organization. It is still important to have a goal in mind and to work towards it. Poor leadership
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may cause a company to fail, decrease its profit margin, increase staff turnover, harm the firm's

reputation, and hinder the organization from gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
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References

Hogan, R., Kaiser, R. B., Sherman, R. A., & Harms, P. D. (2021). Twenty years on the dark side:

Six lessons about bad leadership. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and

Research.

Gayathri, N. (2020). Identifying the real leader: an insight into the qualities of a good leader, as

discussed by lord krishna in ‘the bhagavad-gita’. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(18),

1350-1353.