Leadership Issues

¶ … Perry M. Smith Ph.D. discusses several relevant issues of leadership in his work of non-fiction entitled Rules & Tools for Leaders. The vast majority of the concepts the author elucidates pertain to change efforts. In terms of leadership theory, there is a general motif associated with Perry's ideas that is in accordance with transformational leadership in which leaders attempt to effect change in a positive way.

The book spans issues of leadership from the intensely personal and innate characteristics of a leader to extrinsic qualities exemplified in leading entire organizations or enterprises. Perry presents a framework for leadership in which the requisite qualifications for inspiring and producing positive change in others begins within oneself. The author posits the notion that the first step towards leading others is having a full understanding of oneself.

Personally, then, individuals must analyze their own character and realize the sort of qualities that they first must exemplify in order to get others to follow them. Some of these qualities include integrity, honesty, alacrity, and motivation. By understanding these qualities and others that it takes to become a sufficient leader, people can induce a change within themselves at the most fundamental level to begin their journey towards the assertion of effective leadership.

The author never loses this emphasis on the importance of focusing on one's self in order to maintain the necessary perspective to lead others. Perry also propounds the notion that the initial level of leadership after creating the sort of change at an individual level is in fostering and inspiring the sort of trust which gravitates others to the leader. People must learn to trust a leader individually; the personal relationships a leader forms with others become the basis for the foundation of organizational and transformational leadership.

Again, the author indicates on numerous occasions that it is best for leaders to cultivate this knack on a one-on-one basis prior to attempting to do so with groups. In doing so they are functioning as mentors or coaches for others. Essentially, Perry advocates that leaders demonstrate the qualities that they demand in others. By showing that they are capable leaders, they can then inspire followers to similarly act in capable ways and therefore stimulate and properly cultivate change, which is an integral portion of transformational leadership.

The duration of this manuscript is based on leading others at the organizational level, in which a leader has numerous followers depending on his or her judgment.

The author's premise is that after mastering oneself and exemplifying the qualities that one requires of his or her followers and refining these qualities and one's leadership abilities at the mentor / coaching level, a leader will then need to depend on these facets of his or her character to properly guide groups of people on a team basis and then at the organizational level. While managing teams of people, one of the principle concepts is to foster a sense of community for the.