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Introduction

Successful organizations need leaders at all levels. Leaders are winning individuals - people with ideas and values, and the energy and fortitude to do what needs to be
done. Organizations thrive because they have accomplished leaders, not just at the top, but at all levels. When organizations value leader development, they have cultures that expect and reward leadership, and they actively put time and resources into maturing them. Successful organizations are doing well because they have leaders, and they have leaders because they deliberately and systematically produce them. This is what separates the winners from the losers. Profitable organizations deliberately and systematically develop people to be real leaders, to be people with their own points of view, who motivate others to action. They use every opportunity to promote and encourage leadership at all levels within the organization, and their top leaders are personally committed to developing other leaders.

Leadership at all levels is the most important and possibly the least understood asset of any organization. Innovative ideas are the engines of organization's success and effective leaders are the driving force behind those ideas. Successful organizations understand that effective leaders, not just at the top, but all through the organization, from the CEO to the team members in each department, hold the key to the engines of creativity.

What is Leadership?

Leadership is the process where a person exerts influence over others and inspires, motivates and directs their activities to achieve goals. Leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people towards becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitments.

Leadership is not for People at the Top

Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the power that lies within each one of us to make a difference, and being prepared when the call to lead comes. Leadership at all levels means that we don't want to have a company culture where some lead and others follow. It should be like encouraging everybody to think and act like an entrepreneur.

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* Contributed by: -
S. Rajesh,
Final Year MBA Student,
SNR School of Management Science, Coimbatore.
Posted on August 4, 2008