Ozaeta 1

Submitted to: Anne Palacio

Class: English Grammar and Composition 2

Date: January 26, 2023

Name: Gissele Ozaeta

Leadership

According to Ms. Susan Ward, leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act

toward achieving a common goal. I like to think of leadership as more than that. Yes, she is

correct, but for me leadership means being more. More than just the usual leader. Leadership is

thinking, acting and being outside of the box of what is already expected. Taking a stand against

something for the better of other people and putting other people before yourself, going out on a

limb for the people you lead and inspiring them to be better for themselves and others is what

real leadership is to me. What are good qualities of a leader? What is the right way to exercise

your role as a leader? And how do you correctly manage people as a leader?

In 2022, Southern New Hampshire University published an article on the qualities of a

good leader. Dr. Jennifer Varney stated that good leaders must possess self-awareness. This is

very important for a leader as they need to be constantly aware of how they are acting around

people and the message their tone and body language is putting off. Imagine going into work or

school and your boss or teacher has an attitude and all the time. The energy is unhealthy and

therefore makes an unhealthy environment for the people around. As a leader, you are naturally a

role model among people so the things you do and show are what others strive to be. Along with

being self-aware a leader must also exhibit humility. Dr. Varney clarifies the meaning of

humility saying “humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less and
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others more”. As a leader you must always consider the people around you and how you plan to

affect them positively. Being authentic is also a vital quality for a leader, showing your real self,

relating and allowing people to relate to you encourages good relationships and provides for a

better working or learning environment.

Anyone can be a leader, but to be a good leader you need to exercise your role as leader

properly. Not just because you are a leader you need to rule with an iron fist and be feared to the

extent the environment crumbles. John Rutkiewicz said it best “A chief responsibility for you as

a leader is to help your people be successful. Help them be successful in achieving results…in

meeting expectations…in conducting themselves according to the values of your team and

organization”. Tying back in to the paragraph above speaking of humility. As a leader you

cannot live on a high horse but connect with the people you lead. Exercising your role as a leader

means giving respect to the people around and in turn receiving respect from them. If people

cannot relate to you or be comfortable around you, you need to revisit where you are as a leader.

Aim to make the work environment a comfortable place and production becomes easier for the

people in it. A Sagicor Advisor, Ms. Nicholas, recently told me that “when dealing with people

you need to bring yourself down to their level and connect with them.” Such advice should be

applied to leaders and how to exercise their role around the world.

Lastly, how do you manage people as a leader? I attended a Global Leadership Summit recently

and one of the speakers there said something that really stuck with me. Judah Smith said “lead

with pain”. First hearing this I was confused until he elaborated. Leading with pain for him was

giving up the appearance of control and being the real you. Let people know that you don’t have

control, own your mistakes and problems and you I turn show people that it is okay for them to

do the same. This builds a trust and understanding in your relationship with people. John
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Rutkiewicz speaks about the importance of your relationship with people as a leader “Leadership

by its very definition entails a relationship with others. No followers, no leadership. Yet too

many leaders at all levels focus exclusively on results and ignore their people and minimize their

relationships with them. That's too bad. Since without the people, how can you get the results?”

So, leadership is working on yourself so you can improve the people around you. As a

good leader you need to exercise your role properly by connecting with the people around you

and building relationships. Proper people management also makes a great leader. Relating with

people and building relationships ensure trust and respect within the work environment therefore

making leading a success.

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Works Cited

Varney, Jennifer. Southern New Hampshire University, 2022. January 2023.

https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/qualities-of-a-good-leader#:~:text=Good

%20leaders%20possess%20self%2Dawareness,models%20and%20are%20fully%20present.

Rutkiewicz, John. Living as a Leader, 2018. January 2023.

https://www.livingasaleader.com/Resources/Leadership-Blog/The-3-Elements-of-

Leadership.htm

Ward, Susan. The Balance, November 2022. January 2023.

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/leadership-definition-2948275

Smith, Judah. The Global Leadership Summit, November 2022. January 2023.