What makes a good leader?

The clock was winding down in the football game, and the stakes were at an all-time high with only ten minutes remaining. The field buzzed with intensity as beads of sweat trickled down the player's face. In a crucial moment, the opposing team was awarded a penalty kick due to a handball. The fate of our intra-class tournament rested on this play, and as the team captain, the responsibility fell fully on my shoulders. 

The referee blew the whistle, signaling the commencement of the kick. I instinctively dove in the right direction in a split second, determined to save the incoming shot. This save proved to be the turning point – we defended the penalty and scored a last-minute goal, clinching the trophy. The resilience and teamwork displayed in those final moments, guided by my encouragement as the captain, were instrumental to our success. This experience, a testament to the transformative power of leadership, remains etched in my memory. Beyond the realm of sports, one of my main inspirations is Steve Jobs, the visionary former CEO of Apple. Jobs played a pivotal role in revolutionizing technology, particularly through his influence on the design of fonts synonymous with Mac computers. Interestingly, the device on which I compose this essay owes its aesthetic appeal to fonts inspired by Jobs' passion for calligraphy, a field he explored after dropping out of college.

What qualities distinguish a great leader like Steve Jobs? Effective leadership requires empathy, good communication skills, integrity, delegation, and self-awareness. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a leader is “a person who leads a group of people, especially the head of a country, an organization, etc.…”. However, I would like to further emphasize that a true leader guides a group by prioritizing collective needs over personal aspirations. Servant leadership, which champions the needs of others and fosters a supportive culture, is critical.

Effective communication is a hallmark of leadership. A leader must articulate a clear vision and goals,  encouraging open and transparent communication within the team. Empathy, a critical skill, enables leaders to connect with their team emotionally. Adaptability is essential in a dynamic corporate environment, where leaders must navigate change with resilience and flexibility.

In a nutshell, being a good leader demands qualities such as empathy, effective communication skills, delegation, and self-awareness. These traits, exemplified in leaders like Steve Jobs, are critical for steering teams toward success. Jobs' famous quote, "Stay hungry, Stay Foolish," encapsulates the essence of a true leader – remaining open to unconventional opportunities and ideas. The only criticism of Job's leadership style is that he used to take credit for other people’s work and inventions. However, despite his pitfalls, he remains a visionary leader. To quote Jobs once more," The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." This reinforces the idea that true leaders often challenge the status quo and change the world for the better. Celebrating those who dare to dream, innovate, and lead acknowledges that effective leadership inspires collective greatness.

References:

Gaechter, S. et al., 'Who makes a good leader? Social preferences and leading-by-example,' SSRN, (2009), Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1329552 (Accessed: 02 November 2023).

 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Leader, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/leader?q=Leader. (Accessed: 03 November 2023).

White, S. K., What Is Servant Leadership? A Philosophy for People-First Leadership, Published on February 28, 2022. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/in/executive-network/insights/servant-leadership-philosophy-people-first-leadership#:~:text=Servant%20leadership%20is%20a%20leadership,thrive%20as%20their%20authentic%20self. (Accessed: 23 November 2023)

Deal, J., Stawiski, S., Wilson, M., & Cullen, K., What Makes an Effective Leader? Generations in India Weigh In (Center for Creative Leadership, January 2014), https://jenniferjdeal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/WhatMakesEffectiveLeaderIndia.pdf. (Accessed: 17 October 2023)

Gulati, R. and Fink, L., Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies (2022) (UK, NA: Penguin Random House)

Okorie, V. N., O.I.O., Exploring the Qualities of a Good Leader Using Principal Component Analysis (2019), https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334442439_Exploring_the_Qualities_of_a_Good_Leader_Using_Principal_Component_Analysis. (Accessed: 12 October 2023).

Yurkofsky, M., From Compliance to Improvement: How School Leaders Make Sense of Institutional and Technical Demands When Implementing a Continuous Improvement Process (2021), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0013161X211053597. (Accessed: 10 December 2023).