LEADERSHIP

ContentContent........................................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................2

LEADERSHIP..................................................................................................................................................3

Attributes of a Leader...............................................................................................................................4

Leadership – Interpersonal Effectiveness.................................................................................................6

A LEADER AT WORK......................................................................................................................................8

The 3 Step Process – Leadership at Work.................................................................................................9

Leadership & Management Skills...........................................................................................................10

How to be a Leader....................................................................................................................................11

ETHICS........................................................................................................................................................13

How to create the ethics in companies?..................................................................................14

Personal Values and Ethics..........................................................................................................16

To be a leader for all, even to yourself................................................................................16

SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP.........................................................................................................................18

The Leadership Challenge- Sustainability?.............................................................................................18

10 guidelines for system leaders committed to sustainability....................................21

Sustainable Leadership- Case Coca Cola.................................................................................................22

The Leader in ME!!!................................................................................................................................23

CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................................24

INTRODUCTION

Leaders and the high level managers had never hard times as nowadays. In today’s

world, competition is so high, the wind in many aspects can change quickly in

business life; so that the high level managers need strongly true information more

than ever. They need to have the right information, right estimation for the future,

moreover they also should not to lose their own motivation and the road plan to

reach the goals. In this complicated environment todays leaders have to think in

many different aspects and they need to see the project as a global one which even

effects the natural environment.

Today’s leaders have to run! The word is changing quickly and yesterday’s rights

can be today’s wrongs. That’s why leaders have to follow the technology, science

and politics to forecast the tomorrow’s world. Today’s leaders have no time to

breathe, they always need to watch everything to fulfill the projects as perfect as

possible.

Although the leaders are going through hard conditions, they are also not allowed to

make any mistakes. Even one mistake can kill their whole career and can create a

big problem for the world. We know more than yesterday’s world, but there are still

unknown side effects of new technology. In this fall, the leaders are taking big risk.

In this work, I explained the definition of leadership, attributes of leadership and also

focused on sustainable leadership. As conclusion, I will give an example from a

worldwide company to show the importance of a sustainable leader.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership can be defined differently though the individuals. The author of the book

Leadership James G. Hunt demonstrates that leadership is immersed in a

complicated, dynamic, and interactive net, which he refers to as a "historical-

contextual superstructure." He asserts that conceptions of leadership are integrally

connected to various factors, which includes among others the nature of reality and

ontological issues, stakeholder and shareholder perspectives, and levels-of-analysis

issues. That’s why, the definition of leadership and researches will depend on

person’s conception of leadership. Hunt provides many examples of conceptions of

leadership (e.g., leadership as cognition, leadership and culture, leadership

development)1.

Studies of leadership have produced theories involving traits2, situational

interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values; charisma, and intelligence,

among others.

In this paper we will also see the different aspects of the leadership. There is two

different mindset for leadership. The first group is thinking that, people are born as

leaders and the education will empower these but if the person is not born as a

leader education will not make them leaders. The second group is thinking that,

people can improve their leadership skills though the education. I strongly believe

that education can help people to improve their leadership skills, that’s why I will

explain in below the attributes of leadership and how to be a leader at the work.

Besides, I also believe that some people are born with specialties and this can be

the specialty of leadership, but still education is a supportive asset to improve the

specialty so that they can be a leader who can lead the world.

Attributes of a Leader

1 PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA2 Richards & Engle, 1986, p.206

There should be a difference in the person to be a leader. Although we all have the

attributes in our personality, the leaders has to use these specialties to finish the

process with difference. Besides finishing the process, the leaders has to create an

inspiring value at the end. Moreover, the leaders should impress the other people

and encourage them in many ways.

There are many attributes that a leaders should have in their personalities but in

below you can find some of the most important:

Passion:

Effective leaders have to believe passionately in their goals. They have a positive

outlook on who they are, and they love what they do. Their passion for life is a

guiding star for others to follow.

Integrity:

Because they know who they are, effective leaders are also aware of their

weaknesses. They only make promises they can follow through on.

Honesty:

Leaders convey an aura of honesty in both their professional and their personal

lives.

Trust:

Effective leaders earn the trust of their followers and act on behalf of their followers.

Curiosity:

Leaders are learners. They wonder about every aspect of their charge. They find out

what they need to know in order to pursue their goals.

Risk:

Effective leaders take calculated risks when necessary to achieve their objectives. If

a mistake is made, the effective leader will learn from the mistake and use it as an

opportunity to explore other avenues.

Dedication:

The effective leader is dedicated to his or her charge, and will work assiduously on

behalf of those following. The leader gives himself or herself entirely to the

taskwhen it is necessary.

Charisma:

This may be the one attribute that is the most difficult to cultivate. It conveys

maturity, respect for your followers, compassion, a fine sense of humor, and a love

of humanity. The result is that leaders have the capability to motivate people to

excel.

Listening:

Leaders Listen! This is the most important attribute of all, listen to your followers.

Leadership – Interpersonal Effectiveness

Leadership is a direct function of three elements of interpersonal effectiveness

Awareness

Awareness is a state of consciousness. It is the ability to recognize yourself, others,

events and situations in real time. It is the ability to assess the impact of actions on

situations and others, and be critically self-reflective. It is a development process

that is a function of experience, communication, self-discovery and feedback.

Ability

Ability to learn and understand technical issues is the basis of our careers. Ability to

lead is a function of influence:

• Ability to communicate

• Ability to resolve conflicts

• Ability to solve problems and make decisions

As a member of a team, we influence others in a collaborative effort to find better

ideas or solve problems.

Commitment

Leaders will make the commitment to follow the way to reach the goal.

Movie example – Untouchables

Moment of truth for Elliott Ness

Jimmy O’Neil asks

“What are you prepared to do?”

Ness replies

“Anything I have to do to make this thing right.”

O’Neil says

“Everyone knows where the problems are, but no one is willing to do

anything. You said you would do anything you had to, to make it right. Now,

I’m willing to help you. You made the commitment.”

A LEADER AT WORK

There are leaders which are important in the history of the world. Some of these

leaders are: Adolf Hitler, Atatürk…

Adolf Hitler did so many things that he made millions of the people to follow him.

The most remarkable thing that Hitler made is, he said that all Germans have to be

blonde even if he was a dark German man. He did wrong things but he did the

things so right that’s why the millions could follow him.

In the workplaces we also need leaders but they should not be as strong as the

leaders in the history. The leaders at the work have to support the project teams

and they need to finish the projects on the time.

In below, there are some attributes of the leaders at the work:

• Leaders at work have to influence the attitudes of the people being lead!

• Leaders at work must be extra charismatic, inspirational, respectful, and

stimulating- make people wonder- when leading!

• Leadership is defined as influencing others to work diligently toward achieving

their goals.

• Leaders has to state clearly their vision.

• The leaders have to explaining their plan for the vision!

• The leaders have to instill confidence and optimism to their team!

• The leaders have to share the power & recognition. . . The leaders have to

lead by making others powerful

In below there is a table which is showing the leadership strategies in special

situations:

The 3 Step Process – Leadership at Work

There are three steps in overall to be leader in the workplaces. These are:

STEP 1: Self-Knowledge (Evaluation)

The leaders have to educate themselves so good, so that they will exactly know

what they are talking about.

STEP 2: Self-Discipline (Organization)

Leaders have to follow their plan to reach to goal and support the team to follow the

team.

STEP 3: Self-Sacrifice (Resolution)

The leader has to work a lot, be in the charge in the first line to have the

responsibility of the whole results.

Overall, the workers Must . . .

. . . Trust the leader!

. . . Have faith in the leader!

. . . Believe in the leader!

Leadership & Management Skills

The leaders and the managers have to share some common attitudes but there is a

significant difference between a leader and the manager. In below we can see the

differences in detail.

Leadership – soft skills

• Communications

• Motivation

• Stress Management

• Team Building

• Change Management

Management – hard skills

• Scheduling

• Staffing

• Activity Analysis

• Project Controls

How to be a Leader

There are two main idea about being a leader. One side is thinking that the people

are born as a leader and there will be no change in their abilities even if they

educate themselves specially.

There is also the other side thinkers who think that people can gain leadership skills

when they have the supportive education. I am also one of these people, so that I

searched how we can improve our skills in case we get interested in being a leader.

The result is as in below:

If you want to get ahead, be a leader, you must assume:

• That everything that happens to you results in a situation that is in your

control

• That what you think and do in your private life is what you will come back to

you in your public or corporate life

• You are what you think and believe

• If you never meet a challenge you will never find out what you are worth

• Take control of your life

• Assume responsibility for who you are

• Convey a positive and dynamic attitude in everything you do

• Accept blame: learn from your own mistakes as well as those of others. Take

blame for everything that happens in your unit

• Give credit wherever it is due

• Be caring when you review your team members' progress or lack

• Think great thoughts. Small thinking is why companies go broke

• Turn disasters into opportunities. Turn every obstacle into a personal triumph

• Determine your "real" goals then strive to achieve them

• When you want to tell someone something important, do it personally

• Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty doing what you ask others to do. Make

coffee

• Listen effectively

• Encourage teamwork and participation

• Empower team members

• Communicate effectively

• Emphasize long-term productivity

• Make sound and timely decisions

• Treat each person as an individual

• Know yourself and your team

• Protect your team

• Have vision, courage and commitment

ETHICS

The values and the ethics are essential for describing the goal of a person or a

company. With the topic of leadership, ethics become more critical for defining the

goal of the leader.3 Because the said information has to be done though leaders to

gain trust from people so that these people will follow the leader.

When there are strong ethics that are also the basic of doing the things, the whole

work processes will be done easily. Even in the complicated situations, leaders can

find the right solutions with the ethics. The ethics are like a book which is not written

for the leaders’ culture. When the leader has own ethics, the ethics can make high,

mid-level managers to follow leader, the managers can empower the basic workers

with high motivation. As conclusion to strong ethic belief, the goals will be achieved

easily and quickly with high motivation.

To sum up, I can say that the ethics are priceless for the companies’ perspective.

For instance, Virgin and Pret A Manger are successful companies with unique work

processes and ethics. No one in the company is behaving fake. Virgin is the

company which has high responsibility against nature and they always try their best

to be the leader company in their market. Pret A Manger is taking care of the

employees in the first line. It gives special care for employees’ education. It

empower employees’ to help homeless people, to find donations etc.

If the ethics are just a written rule paper on the wall, the result of the processes will

be like in BP. There is a petrol issue in Mexico, and it is said that BP is about to lose

around 15 milliard pound. There is also a similar story in the English parliament who

had his name in a scandal and it came out that he took illegal money in somehow.

To sum up, I want to tell that the ethics should be the reality in the company and in

the leaders being. There is no expiration date for the ethics; these are sustainable,

non-changing rules. Ethics should create strong relationship between the crowds,

and empower them to create stronger cooperation. Beside all, ethics must taking

care of the nature, so that the people will also have positive feelings about the

leaders. Meanwhile, the ethics should create the awareness for the business

3 Jacki Orme, Personel ve Gelişim Enstitüsü CEO’su

environment so that the leaders can have support from nature saver groups too.

This is the most important skill for todays’ leadership.

In conclusion to ethics, if there is strong ethics, the leaders will always make right

decision not only to achieve the goal but also for everything and everyone who will

be effected from the goal.

How to create the ethics in companies?

Ethic rules of a company should not just stay in the written form. Ethics have to be

in every move of the company. When the rules are just in the advertisement walls of

the companies, they will never bring a result for the processes. To create the

commitment to the ethics, the employees’ and the leaders have to follow them from

their heart. To create this environment, ethics have to be created by taking care of

everything and everyone who will be directly or indirectly effected from the

companies processes. When everything has the optimal satisfaction with the results

that they will face with, company will definitely create a value with the goal that it

will reach.

In this fall; whole stakeholders, shareholders, employees’ and nature will be in same

basket and whole will have the same goal. That’s why the ethics will be priceless,

will have the support from all sides.

The support to ethic rules from the employees is one of the most important for the

companies. When the employees support, they can create new ideas and they can

do better than expectations when it is needed.

IIP have the success criteria’s though the ethics as in below:

The high level managers have to support companies to have ethics which will

conform the goal and the vision of the company.

The high level managers have to make the ethics to be main activity style.

Managers can be able to define the ethics for their own roles in the companies.

Managers can be able to define the main values of the companies though the

ethic rules.

Employees can be able to understand the importance of ethic in their work.

Employees have to believe in vision and the ethics of the company and work

though these rules.

Managers have to employee the ones who can work though the company’s vision

and ethics rules.

High level managers can be able to explain their role model being though ethics.

High level managers have to explain how they can be leader for the company

though the ethics rules.

Employees can be able to explain how the managers are doing their job though

the ethics and how they are being leader to them.

Personal Values and Ethics

A leader has to have his/her own values and ethics. Because the people will firstly

want to understand where the leaders are staying before they follow him/her. The

people want to see the harmony between the actions and the behaviors in a leader.

When the personal goals are similar with the enterprise goals, there will be a win-

win situation and the success will be easier. Leaders have to be true and honest, if

not there is no possibility to be a leader.

The companies can be long lasting when the ethics and the values are clearly known

and followed from all employees. Though the hard time of the companies, values

and the ethics will help to make the best decision. With the common belief, people

will be working together for the common goals which will create win-win for all level

employees.

To be a leader for all, even to yourself

Leaders will need strong management skills. If the leaders want to be effected in

their roles, they will need to know how to have the followers who will support all the

time.

The leaders firstly know to manage himself/herself to have the followers. Leaders

have to show the attitude that they want to see from the followers. Leaders have to

be role models for them. Management and leadership have common attributes but

here we see the minor difference. When the leader have enough discipline to

manage himself/herself, then the leader can see the attitude that is needed from

the employee.

The manager of Ernst and Young have a good explanation about the situation:

“Leadership is needed in all levels of the each company. Everyone will need to be a

leader or a manager though the need of the day. You need to have these attitude

both.”4

4 Adrian Godfrey, Ernst&Young, Institute of Business Consulting and Partner Başkanı

SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP

The Leadership Challenge- Sustainability?

Nowadays the world is changing quickly, besides we can reach all the information so

quickly. The leaders from 90s, 80s, 70s would not be the leaders of today if they

don’t change their abilities they will not be success in 2010s.

The sustainable leaders have to have such attributes:

• Focus on the individual members and the team

• Provide employees and stakeholders the opportunity to develop and utilize

their talents and strengths

• Listen to employee’s concerns

• Allocate the right resources for the right project, at the right time

• Specify standards and expectations

• Delegate responsibility through empowerment

• Let employees and stakeholders identify their own interests and abilities

• Lead by example: set the standard for excellence

To deal with our collective problems we need to use style of leadership that will help

us collectively embrace fundamental changes in our underlying values and ethics

that affect our societies, communities and ways of living

As mentioned above, traditional leadership values will not be sufficient to facilitate

the transition to sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.

Sustainability leadership is focused on long-term, substantive changes toward

sustainability and promoting the common good.

Values are inherently dedicated to promoting the development of a just, sustainable

future leadership by values and leadership by teams and networks of committed

individuals.

We need to accept responsibility for the world we are living and the sustainable

leaders have to lead the work though this responsibility.

Sustainable leadership requires an in-depth understanding of the interconnected

and interdependent nature of the components which comprise our systems.

The sustainable leaders, therefore, need to be proficient in systemic thinking.

The sustainability approach to leadership requires special competencies compared

to traditional leadership:

• Knowledge about the challenges of globalization

• Capacity for innovation

• Dialogue and communication skills

• Systems thinking

• Global mindset

• Peer networking ability

• Strong capacities in Information and Communication technologies (ICTs)

In below, the picture will show the situation of a sustainable leader in nowadays

world. The leaders’ environment has to start from I and the project that they will

lead has to cover all the perspectives till the All level.

In sustainable leadership management, it has to be clear that the projects are not

ending. The results of the project will create the new input for the project level two

and the sustainable leader has to be aware of this situation and has to take care of

all the possible risks and end effects. In below, we can see this process in a picture.

10 guidelines for system leaders committed to sustainability

These are:

1. The reality test (face the facts)

2. Moral purpose

3. Get the basics right

4. Communicate the big picture

5. Provide opportunities for people to interact with the big picture

6. Intelligent accountability (evidence based)

7. Incentivize collaboration and lateral capacity building

8. The long lever of leadership

9. Design every policy, whatever the purpose, to build capacity, too

10. Grow the financial investment in education

Sustainable Leadership- Case Coca Cola

Coca Cola company had a big issue in India. In 2000 the Coca-Cola Company opened

a bottling plant in Plachimada in the Kerala State of India on the invitation of the

Kerala State government. In 2002 a sit-in started at the plant demanding its closure

alleging the misuse by the Coca-Cola Company (CC) of local water resources. This

protest was mostly the work of a divasi women (tribal people, therefore outside the

caste system). The accusations being levelled at CC were an over-use of the

groundwater, from the use of more bore wells than permitted by their license, as

well as the discharge of toxic waste back into the ground water. The groundwater is

said to have fallen from 45m to 100m below the surface. Complaints from local

people where that the remaining water tasted and smelt bad, did not cook properly

(food went bad quickly) and gave people stomach problems and rashes.

There were other issues as well. CC was using 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter.

There were big protests against water consuming.

As a solution, Coca cola got a new CEO as a leader. He figured out all the pro and

contra in the situation. He created a friendly environment which consisted of many

sides of the case. Besides, the good communication with everyone, he also created

a big resource group to find a way to produce cola with less water in the production.

Coca Cola employed Jeff Seabrigt as environmental manager. He worked though the

GIS systems. As a result of GIS research, he discovered that %40 locations of the

fabrics were not suitable regarding to water sources. After discovering the reason of

high consume, the team created water risk schemas to find the optimal solution.

Meanwhile, the team took the ideas of the enemy groups such as Greenpeace and

World Wildlife Fund Cooperation. This positive attempt could change the enemy

behavior against Coca Cola, now it has the perspective of an environmentally-

conscious company.

With long researches and high investment, Coca Cola could decrease the level of

water in the production. They used to consume 3 liters of water for one liter of cola

but now the level is 1 liter. Moreover, the CEO could make the cooperation with the

people and the groups who were against the whole production. Also, the

environmental awareness became more important for coca cola.

To sum up, coca cola could solve the hard situation by choosing the sustainable

leader in this hard situation. They cleaned their name in the against nature groups

and showed up as supportive though a good plan.

The Leader in ME!!!

As conclusion, I want to give the example from a worldwide education company.

This company is mainly teaching the workers who are in midlevel management

segment in the companies. The educations company’s specification is mainly in soft

skills.

Though their education in all over the world in many companies, they figured out it

is needed to support to kids to improve their leadership skills. It is believed from the

company team that, if they can educate the kids from the year of 7, the kids will be

more successful in their whole life.

To prove this, the company started the case project work in USA. They trained the

teachers at the school, trained the kids and trained their families. After all training

process, it was obvious that the students were much more successful than ever and

the discipline problems were nearly zero at the schools.

After this case, this training also became worldwide. Now, the Turkish government is

supporting the project. The fist results are also remaking from Turkey. Teachers and

the familes are very satisfied about the education. Hopefully our kids will be more

successful in the near future.

CONCLUSION

Being a leader means to go the right goal. If you don’t know where you are going

and what your goal is; there will be no meaning to lead other people. Leaders have

to have a clear vision, afterwards they need to lead people though this clear vision

so that the followers can focus on their goals and they will move for the action.

Leaders are strong because they are trustful and respectful more than anyone. If the

leaders want to heritage their skills, they need to pay attention for the

communication skills. To reach the goal, the leaders need to be in communication all

the time. Though the communication, the leaders should not let anyone to feel that

they are better than the others but also they will never let anyone to act like the

managers of the leaders.

Leaders are going after their dreams. They put the dream in a concurrent plan and

they move though this plan. Though this plan, the leaders make positive effect on

the other people. Effective leadership means the total difference that they can

create in other people’s lives.

As Ken Blanchard mentioned in his book, leadership attributes has to be a heritage

in the companies so that the company culture can be in the future. Moreover, the

leaders should live though these leadership attributes.

Successful leaders know all the people that they are in touch with. Leaders can feel

empathy against these people. Meanwhile, leaders have to be clear about the goals

that they are running after with the followers. Even if there will be some unexpected

obstacle, they should be able to find the possible best solution.

Leaders have to think positive, love the work that they are in, furthermore the work

has to be the center of their lives. They need to make estimations about future with

the knowledge.