by Glenice Lilje
Leadership
Leadership (/ ˈli dərˌʃɪp / ) the ability to lead; the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group. The ability to prepare and inspire others to achieve a common goal.
The foundation for efficient and effective leadership is based on ideas and experience. Good leaders can communicate in a way that engages others to act as the leader wants them act. They inspire change and must be personable for others to follow their orders. Critical thinking skills are a must as leaders need to know the best way to utilize resources. So how does leadership differ from management?
Previously, the terms leadership and management were used interchangeably. However, they are not the same. Leadership requires skill and traits that extend beyond management duties. Managers seek to inspire their team to meet goals while preserving existing organizational structures. They plan, monitor, coordinate, solve problems, and more. Leaders tend to operate more independently, giving them more room to be innovative, motivate people and visualize for the future.
How does one become a better leader? So far, there doesn’t seem to be a straight path to get there. We can always look to those who inspire us and try to follow in their footsteps. They can be a leader of a large organization, or someone who has shifted cultural norms. They can even be your favourite elementary school teacher.
Here are a few resources from our library for those looking to acquire new insights or looking to polish up their existing skills.
The Everyday Leader: How to Motivate, Empower and Influence Those Around You By John Cross, 2019.
Each and every one of us has the power to inspire change. It can be done through a person’s behavior or attitude. Individuals coming together can shift the culture, goals, vision or strategy of their communities and/or organizations. The Everyday Leader can help bring out the inner leader in you to bring motivation and empowerment in both your professional and social circles. Readers are guided through the main challengers leaders face and are provided with skill building recommendations to become more empathetic, influential, and more efficient at making decisions.
Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work by Peter Bregman, 2018.
Great leadership is said to align teams, inspire action and achieve results. Sounds easy, right? There are a great, many barriers one faces to accomplish these outcomes. Some people may be uncomfortable with the risks that come with their position, or can’t find a way to communicate efficiently. Leading with Emotional Courage… provides the reader with practical, real-world guidance to help build up one’s emotional “muscle” and learn to handle difficult situations while maintaining a calm, stable demeanor, and how to respond productively.
Available in both print and eBook formats.
The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance by Steven G. Rogelberg, 2019.
How many of us have thought, “That meeting could have been an email”? At one point or another, we may have been guilty of tuning out of meetings or even failing to participate. Steven G. Rogelberg hopes to restructure meetings and turn them into time investments. Drawing from extensive research, analytics, data mining and survey interviews across various industries, The Surprise Science of Meetings provides the reader with practices and techniques to help enhance the quality of meetings.
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