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Northhouse (2016) explains that leadership can be viewed as a trait or behavior to help us conceptualize leadership from a process or relational standpoint. Determining what makes a leader influential can be a challenge, but leaders who show resilience and durability even under stress are distinctive in terms of their skills, imagination, vigor, and accomplishments (Thomas & Bennis, 2002).
From a personal perspective, a former boss of mine certainly stands out as a leader. She fostered individual growth and provided opportunities to improve throughout my tenure under her. One of the ways I was able to grow as a leader under her supervision was her ability to empower others. Neck and Houghton (2006) describe this process as SuperLeadership or the process of letting people lead themselves in order to create self-leaders. This particular supervisor provided support while allowing room to fail. She encouraged risk-taking and allowed us to learn from our own mistakes. The learning process was emphasized which is one of the most important crucibles in leadership (Thomas & Bennis, 2002).
Another person that has influenced me personally, is Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com. Biography.com (2016) explains that Bezos graduated summa cum laude with a computer science and electrical engineering degree which certainly emphasizes his intelligence and ability to learn. However, what’s most intriguing is his risk-taking ability, which was shown in his venture to leave a lucrative finance career to start an online bookstore. Neck and Houghton (2006) point out that leaders focus on self-leadership strategies to develop successful outcomes while suppressing negative behaviors that lead to unsuccessful outcomes. While Bezos might not be everyone’s idea leader, his ability to continue to transform Amazon is a great example of how he has pushed his employees to keep their focus on goal attainment.
Who has inspired or influenced your leadership style?
References
Biography.com Editors. (2016). Jeff Bezos biography. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/jeff-bezos-9542209
Neck, C. P., & Houghton, J. D. (2006). Two decades of self-leadership theory and research. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(4), 270-295. doi:http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1108/02683940610663097
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Thomas, R. J., & Bennis, W. (2002). Leadership crucibles. Executive Excellence, 19(11), 3-4. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/204598102?accountid=27965
