Leadership and the Qualities that Exemplify the Effective Leader

With American businesses facing such problems as sagging productivity, employee complacency, rising absenteeism and increasing foreign competitiveness, America is turning to its leaders for solutions. Yet the means to achieving this end is the problem, and that problem is a lack of effective leadership. Our organizations are saturated with leaders who have an operations analysis mentality. We have become so preoccupied with our techniques, devices and productivity programs that we have forgotten about people and what it takes to lead and motivate them. This thesis will address the concept of leadership and the traits or characteristics that have been shown to examplify an effective leader. In order to understand the significance of leadership and show its essential qualities I will give an historical perspective of leadership, and its increasing importance as a subject for study by managers and social scientists. Included in this analysis is a discussion of the situations or environments that confront a leader and the relationship of the various leadership traits to these same situations and environments. I then discuss the specific personality characteristics of effective leaders, giving illustrative examples of these qualities found in leaders in business, government, the military and in professional athletics. I continue this analysis by elaborating on a successful leader\u27s beliefs and the effect this has on his organizational goals and visions. Also important to this discussion is a look at the mental characteristics of an effective leader, citing the necessity for intelligence and logic. Throughout this thesis I will relate why these traits of effective leadership are an essential ingredient to America\u27s continued success as a world power. Finally, I will draw conclusions and give summary leadership comparisons between great leaders and discuss how they used their leadership traits within given settings to achieve extraordinary goals