Leadership

Leadership training - Leaders are not born, they are taught.

Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Leadership (nature and scope of leadership)
   • Defining Leadership
   • Leadership and Group Culture
   • Leadership & Accountability
   • Theories of Leadership
   • Leadership Styles
   • Situational Leadership
   • Contingency Theories
   • Style Theories
   • Informal Leadership
   • Inspirational Leadership
   • Path Goal Theory
   • Instrumental Theories
   • Four Framework Leadership Model
   • Scope of Leadership
   • Leader Responsibilities
   • Sources of Power for a Leader
   • Professional Leadership
2. Leadership Characteristics/Qualities
   • Good Leader Characteristics
   • Leadership Potential
   • Emotionally Intelligent Leadership
   • Cognitive Barriers to Leadership
   • Nature vs Nurture: Leader Qualities
   • Self Assessment
3. Interpersonal Relationships
   • Interpersonal Skills
   • Empathy
   • Influencing Others
   • Perception
   • Self Knowledge
   • The Thought, Feeling, Action Cycle
   • Developing Self Awareness
   • Self Disclosure
   • Assertiveness
4. Communication Skills
   • The Communication Process
   • Body Language
   • Basic Principles of Communication
   • Factors Affecting Effective Communication
   • Awareness
   • Intent
   • Listening
   • Providing Feedback
   • Paraphrasing
   • Reflective Responses
   • Summarizing
   • Preventing Ineffective Listening
   • Open Questions
   • Communication Barriers
5. Team Building
   • Benefits of Teams
   • Elements of a Team
   • Establishing a Team
   • Types of Team Members (Collaborators, Communicators, Challengers, Contributors
   • Team Leadership
   • Team Leader Responsibilities
   • Decision Making in Teams
6. Systematic and Lateral Thinking
   • Metacognition
   • Perception Formation
   • Bases for Perception
   • Information and Perception Formation
   • Gestalt Theory & Patterns of Perception
   • Schemas
   • Perception Formation Implications for a Leader
   • Lateral Thinking
   • Win-Win Negotiation
   • Systematic Thinking
   • Legal Liability
7. Applications
   • Explain the significance of leadership for a specific project or event.
   • Identify the role and tasks of leadership, in the same project.
   • Integrate factual information with theoretical information to derive a sensible solution to a leadership problem in a sensible timeframe in the same project.
   • Plan the development and building of the team to achieve these aims in the same project.
   • Plan actions for sustaining and motivating the team to achieve the aims.
   • Provide information on the plan of action to organize the event.

Aims

• Describe the nature and scope of Leadership.
• Determine the qualities which are required in a leader, in different leadership situations, including the workplace, recreation industries and developmental applications.
• Manage interpersonal relationships in support of effective leadership.
• Communicate leadership messages effectively to those you lead.
• Explain methods that may be used for effective team building by a leader.
• Select appropriate thought processes to follow in order to deal with different leadership problems.
• Lead teams through innovative and creative processes

Good leaders are not necessarily born with leadership qualities; however certain traits such as self-confidence and enthusiasm will certainly be an advantage. A forceful personality can also thrust some individuals into leadership roles, but as we have already discussed in lesson one of this course, good leadership requires other qualities than a forceful personality or ability to dominate others. To be an effective leader, a person must have (and be seen to have) certain characteristics that will result in a willingness to follow the lead they give. Not all leaders (in fact very few), are likely to have all of the desirable qualities of a leader, but when those aspiring to leadership or seeking to become better leaders recognise which qualities will contribute significantly to their leadership success, they can learn to develop them.

Characteristics of a Good Leader

General consensus is that a good leader possesses the following characteristics:

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  A genuine interest in people - Leadership is a person-to-person business that requires a positive attitude about people from the leader.
• Imagination and enthusiasm - Imagination allows the leader to adapt to situations that are continuously changing. Enthusiasm is contagious and a leader’s enthusiasm can increase the participants’ own enthusiasm and involvement.
• Sensitivity - Problems such as group disillusionment or pessimism, frustration, disagreement, or loss of interest will arise from time to time, and a good leader is quick to read cues or signals of problems before they develop and are more easily dealt with.
• Integrity - Integrity is an ephemeral concept that is a combination of honesty, fair dealings, keeping one’s word and matching actions to words. Without integrity, the leader will lose the respect and probably the confidence of the group.
• Respect - Self-respect projects self-confidence and inner strength and respect for others makes individuals feel more valued. Furthermore, the leader’s respectful attitude provides a model for group interaction that will facilitate group cohesiveness and processes.
• Patience and persistence - Patience allows a leader to accommodate group members’ different work styles and personality and to inevitable delays and obstacles. Patience and persistence are complementary qualities that keep a leader from being easily discouraged or from losing interest. Patience, in this context, is not mere passive acceptance but a reflection of inner resolve, commitment, faith and self-discipline.
• Honest self-assessment - Every leader will occasionally make mistakes, but a good leader will know his or her strengths and weaknesses and know the limitations of his/her abilities. Inaccurate assessment of one’s abilities will cause a leader to act in ways that eventually undermine the group’s confidence in the leader’s abilities and judgements.
• Decision-making ability - While not all decisions will be good decisions, indecisiveness or unwillingness to assume responsibility for making decisions will cause a leader to lose valuable time and opportunities, and undermine the group’s confidence and trust. It may sometimes be better to make an acceptable decision and act upon it quickly than to delay in the hope of making the best decision. Indecisiveness on the leader’s part can be seen an needless procrastination, and group members are likely to become frustrated or impatient.
• Administrative and organising abilities -  Although planning, organising and administering may be assigned to other persons, they are an integral part of a leader’s responsibility, and may sometimes fall under the leader’s list of tasks. In either case, the leader is responsible for ensuring these tasks are carried out in a manner consistent with the group’s agreed goals and priorities.

Leadership potential

A leader is not always the person who has more ability, knowledge or intelligence than others, and in fact, some of the best leaders are not at all exceptional in those areas. On the other hand, many of the most talented, skilled, knowledgeable or intelligent people in a field make poor leaders. Leadership is a separate area to performance, though the two can and sometimes do overlap.
While the above list identifies some key requirements of leadership, it does not help us decide who has the potential to become a leader; who will be most likely to develop leadership skills through learning and training.

Leadership is important in society

• Leaders are needed, and found in all aspects of our daily life, from the workplace to the school ground; and from the social club to government.
• When Leadership is good, there is an increased probability of things being achieved with greater efficiency, and a higher level of satisfaction amongst all concerned.
• Good leadership is however not something a person is born with.
• Certain personal traits, such as Self confidence, may give some an advantage over others; but effective leadership requires more than simply a forceful personality that is capable of dominating everyone else.
• A leader is not the same as a manager or supervisor!
• Managers & supervisors are able to cause things to happen because they have legal authority to enforce orders.
• Leaders do not cause things to happen because of any legal authority.
• People follow leaders of their own free will; and leadership skills are those skills that allow a leader to effectively communicate with, and influence the actions of their followers
• Leadership contributes to order, motivates productivity, and influences the way in which resources (human and material) are used.
• Leaders are people who are in a position of power, and who use that position to influence the environment in which they abide, and the others who share that environment.
• Positive leadership enables things to happen. The leader in effect influences the environment in a way that encourages certain actions.
• Negative leadership is disabling for those around them

WHY STUDY WITH ACS?

There are lots of reasons why you should sign up to do this course with us, including:

• The course is detailed to ensure that you have the level of knowledge required to apply the practices in the work place and make yourself an effective leader
• Within each lesson you have the opportunity to apply your learning to activities which enables you to practice different concepts 
• Knowledge of these key areas will enable you to stand out from other applicants when it comes to applying for jobs, it will also give you greater confidence
• Being able to demonstrate effective leadership skills will enable you to work in many different sectors and business types, giving you flexibility now and in the future
• Our subject specialist tutors will be there to support you throughout your course, they are only too happy to share their industry knowledge and experience with you
• When studying with us you set your own deadlines, meaning you study at your own pace enabling it to fit around other commitments

TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND ENROL NOW!

You can enrol on the course now, but if you have any questions about the content of the course or studying with ACS, then please get in touch with us today - use our FREE COURSE COUNSELLING SERVICE to get in touch with our expert tutors. They will be pleased to help you!