Leadership: Not for the Faint of Heart

This article is actually a speech that was given by Mark Ernsberger who is also President and CEO of Farr Associates. This organization is a “leadership and organizational consulting firm." His speech was articulate, easy to follow, and well organized. In his speech, Ernsberger describes the qualities and skills he believes are essential to becoming an effective leader. The speech is somewhat of an outline and broken into three main categories of leadership: Leadership Defined, Two Types of Leaders, and Characteristics of Leadership.

In the first section, Leadership Defined, Ernsberger states several factors must be present in order for an effective leader to emerge from the masses. First, he believes that an opportunity and occasion must present itself before a leader is even needed. Secondly, he states that leaders posses specific skills which are not found in the average person. Third, he explains that the time and timing of an opportunity are each crucial factors for the emergence of a leader. Finally, for a leader to be effective, his or her followers must possess a strong belief in their leader's capabilities.

The second section of Ernsberger's speech describes two different kinds of leaders. The first kind of leader is referred to as a “warrior" leader. This type of leader possesses
strength, courage, and individuality. He or she is not afraid to speak their mind or offend their followers or rivals. The second type of leader is called a participatory leader. In this kind of leadership, the leader tries to achieve a balance of power and seeks input from their followers. Participatory leaders take what they deem to be the best ideas and apply them to their own objectives to further a common goal. Ernsberger concludes this section by determining that a combination of both the warrior leader and the participatory leader is an ideal amalgamation of leadership methods.

In the final section, Ernsberger discusses the characteristics of sound leadership. He concludes that an effective leader motivates his or her followers to achieve a common goal. Strong leaders are also able to find common ground with their followers which enable them to finesse their way through difficult situations and conflicts. Effective leaders seek feedback from followers, even if the feedback is negative, allowing them to address areas which are in need of change. Finally, good leadership requires self-awareness on the part of the leader. Ernsberger believes that effective leaders possess the kind of self-awareness which permits them to identify both their strengths and weaknesses and then seek out the assistance needed to correct those areas of weakness.

This article relates to the assigned reading because it virtually restates the description of leadership given by Dessler. The sections on the foundations of leadership, and a vision for an organization, are found in Ernsberger's first section entitled leadership defined. Dessler's section on various leadership styles is nearly identical to the article's description of two kinds of leaders - the warrior leader, and the participatory leader. Finally, the section which details the “specific actions one can take to be a better leader"
is quite similar to the section on the characteristics of leadership, all of which I have previously summarized.

The concepts of this article relates to our organization in the area of how our sub-contractors are ineffectively managed. It was brought to my attention during a class discussion that our sub-contractors could be given incentives as motivation to fulfill their contractual obligations. I had never really considered that it would be a general contractor's duty to help maintain the motivation of their workers. I believed that because the subs were also self-employed, it was their responsibility to stay motivated - and that they would want to - because they are not a traditional “salaried" employees. However, ignoring the subs' need for motivation has not been the most effective, or lucrative, management decision for Hayden Construction.
My recommendation for our company would be to collectively develop a detailed outline of incentives and benefits available to our sub-contractors for their “perfect attendance" during the completion of a project. First, we would need to decide if the incentives would be monetary or in the form of vacation time. Secondly, we would need to develop a financial plan which details what Hayden Construction could afford in terms of incentives and benefits. Finally, this would need to be a group effort in order to avoid the complications which would arise from awarding different incentives to different people for the same job. I am actually considering presenting this idea to my father-in-law. I have learned that motivation is definitely an essential key to effective leadership and corporate prosperity.