Discussion: Effective Leadership

Although leadership has been widely researched, there is no universal agreement on the definition of leadership or what makes someone an effective leader. Some scholars have suggested that effective leaders have specific, innate traits, such as charisma, that attract and inspire followers. Other scholars have suggested that effective leaders display specific behaviors, such as creating a vision and mentoring followers. More often than not, the most effective leaders have a combination of specific traits and behaviors that are especially useful in a given context.

In this Discussion, you will consider the characteristics of effective and ineffective leaders with whom you have worked. You will also develop your own definition of effective leadership based on your experiences with these leaders.

To Prepare

• Read this week’s Learning Resources.
• Consider the definitions of leadership and different characteristics associated with effective leaders.
• Recall an effective leader with whom you have worked and an ineffective leader with whom you have worked. Compare the leaders in terms of the characteristics each exhibited.
• Based on your comparison, consider how you would define effective leadership.