Leadership
5 November 2012

Leadership
Individuals’ views of leaderships vary with each person. Leaders may not be effective soldiers, civilian mangers and vice versa, there are differences. This presentation will explore the author’s personal views of leadership and discuss characteristics of an effective leader. Personal Views of Leadership
Many leaders exist within society. Leaders often relate to organizational, political, religious, personal, or social causes. Regardless of the environment, a leader is someone who can persuade, motivate, and inspire a group of people or individuals into sharing the same beliefs, values, and work ethic to achieve a common goal. Within the military, the lack of effective leadership can result in poor performance and compromise the soldiers’ safety. Characteristics of an Effective Leader
Effective leaders have distinct characteristics including integrity, charisma, and persuasiveness. Leaders are not restricted by rules. According to Azaare and Gross (2011), it is important that a leader supports the organizations mission by means of projecting attitude, values, behaviors and mission; this can be accomplished through role modeling and effective communication skills. Other characteristics of an effective leader include the ability to have insight into oneself. According to Batchellar (2007), self-awareness helps a leader accept responsibility for their actions and decisions; often actions speak louder than