Basic

Leadership
Group 1
Upon completion of the Unit, the student will be able to:

01 Define O2 Enumerate the

leadership characteristics
of a leader

03 Differentiate 04 Enumerate the

leadership different
styles factors of
leadership

05 Identify the qualities of an effective

student leader
What is
Leadershi
p?
Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to
act towards achieving a common goal. Leadership is
about establishing a direction and influencing others to
follow. It is the ability to guide others to their maximum
performance to accomplish any task, objective or
project.
 Definition
of a leader
A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the
achievement of a goal. A leader by its meaning is one who goes first and
leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him. Leaders
shape our nation, communities, and organizations. We need good leaders
to help guide us and make the essential decisions that keep the world
moving. A simple definition is that a leader is the inspiration and director
of the action. He or she is the person in the group that possesses the
combination of personality and leadership skills that makes others want
to follow his or her direction.
Characteristics
of a Good
Honesty
Leader
Ability to delegate
Communication
Sense of humor
Confidence
Commitment
Positive attitude
Creativity
Ability to inspire
Intuition
Leadersh
ip Styles
 Styles
● DEMOCRATIC - Leaders encourage group
participation in all decision making. They work hard
to build consensus before choosing a course of action
and moving forward. The democratic leader is charged
with deciding who is in the group and who gets to
contribute to the decisions that are made. Democratic
leadership style is one of the most effective types and
leads to higher productivity, better contributions from
group members, and increased group morale. It leads
to higher productivity among group members.
Democratic leadership works best in situations where
group members are skilled and eager to share their
knowledge.
 Styles
● AUTOCRATIC - Leaders issue orders and assigns
tasks. These leaders typically make choices based on
their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice
from followers. People who abuse an autocratic
leadership style are often viewed as bossy, controlling,
and dictatorial. This can sometimes result in
resentment among group members. Group members
can end up feeling that they have no input or say in
how things or done, and this can be particularly
problematic when skilled and capable members of a
team are left feeling that their knowledge and
contributions are undermined. Authoritarian leader
risks alienating the workers.
 Styles
● LAISSEZ-FAIRE (French for “leave it alone” or
hands-off) - Leaders allow group members to self-
manage and make their own decisions. While this style
can work well with highly motivated and mature
participants who have clear goals and guidelines, it
risk situations where group members lack the
knowledge or experience they need to complete tasks
and make decisions. Some people are not good at
setting their own deadlines, managing their own
projects and solving problems on their own. In such
situations, projects can go off-track and deadlines can
be missed when team members do not get enough
guidance or feedback from leaders.
Importan
t Factors
of
Leadersh
ip
Leadership is vital to all teams and organizations. To become a good leader you must first be
self aware. You need to be honest, open and real with a confidence, and with this, successful
leadership skills will develop naturally. Draven McConville (2016) share a few of what he
believes makes an influential leader.
1. Be Inspirational
Leaders need to be someone that members can look up to. To be an
inspirational leader, one must project positivity and calmness in stressful
situations.

2. Be Decisive
Leaders need to be able to react quickly and make informed decisions.
Leaders may have others that he can bounce ideas off, but in general, being
the leader means that he will be the one to have final say and be the one
members rely on for the decision.

3. Control Emotions
It is the responsibility of the leader to manage his emotions and lead by
example. A clouded mind means a clouded judgment and sometimes it is
necessary to step away and take a moment to reflect on how his way of
thinking will affect the decision made.
 4. Be Empathetic
When dealing with a situation, a leader should put himself in his members’ shoes.
Empathy is crucial to a leader, being able to deal with all types of individuals, in
all situations and foreseeing the possibilities ahead. When a leader be able to see
things from another’s point of view, he will become a much better judge of
character, situation and be able to relate to those around him.

5. Seek Advice
A leader should know the value of good advice. It is wise to speak to members as
well those who may be able to help him in times of decision making. This can be
very valuable for a different viewpoint too.

6. Trust Your Instinct

Leaders are bound to make mistakes along the way, in a certain situation or
problem. Leaders should not be afraid to act on it by trusting his natural feeling
and or seek advice from someone who might be able to help. It is hugely
important through a leader experiences and situations, that will he will be able to
developed ways of knowing the right thing for himself and for his team.
 7. Be Authentic
The best leaders are the ones that are themselves. Whether a shy person, outgoing person,
comical or serious, leaders need to be true to who they are and gain respect from those that
follow them. This is true in both life and work.

8. Have a Vision and Share It with the Team

A leader should share his vision to his team so that his members can see it and do what it takes
to achieve it.Having a goal and motivation to get something done is highly effective and will
produce the most productive team he can have.

9. Embrace Change and Be Curious

As a leader, it is his role to drive, inspire and create a change. Leaders need to be flexible and
open to change. A flexible mindset and ability to react to experiences will help the members to
be able to cope and make the most of situations which arise.

10. Never Ask Someone To Do Something You

Wouldn’t Do Yourself
The team will have more respect and admiration for a leader who they know would go to the
same lengths as them to make something happen. Respect and credibility are key to being a
successful leader.
Those who ‘talk the talk’ but don’t ‘walk the walk’ are destined to fail – practice what you
preach and it will go a long way to becoming a successful leader.
 Important Leadership
Qualities
To become a good leader, you must have all these qualities. You will have to set a good example for others to follow. That is
where your commitment, passion, empathy, honesty and integrity come into play. Good communication skills and decision-making
capabilities also play a vital role in success and failure of a leader. Lastly, innovation and creative thinking, as well as the futuristic
vision, are a couple of key traits which make a leader stand out

1. Honesty and Integrity

2. Confidence
3. Inspire Others
4. Commitment and Passion
5. Good Communicator
6. Decision-Making Capabilities
7. Accountability
8. Delegation and Empowerment
9. Creativity and Innovation
10. Empathy
Qualities of a
Successful Student
Leader
Stay Reliable. Leaders who are reliable are trusted because
they are constant, especially when faced with the challenges of popular
opinion. Remember to always stay true to yourself and the values you
believe in.

Keep an open mind and always listen. Open

communication and consideration of all ideas promotes a creative and
mutual environment. A good leader is
someone who is comfortable handling suggestions
and get used to changing situations.
Qualities of a Successful
Student Leader
Know how to assign tasks to accomplish
common goals. A successful leader knows when to take the
leads. When it comes to important projects and deadlines, know when
and how to assign responsibility to those around you and be willing to
go above and beyond to get it done.

Learn from mistakes to improve for the

future. Be prepared for the worst, take responsibility for the
outcome, and stay optimistic. A quality leader
learns from experience and proactively plans
for the future.

Seek knowledge. Leaders should continuously develop

their skills so they can continue to inspire their constituents.