Leadership

Some believe that leaders are born, not made, while others think that leadership is a quantifiable set of skills and ways of thinking that can be taught (Messmer 1999). Concepts of leadership, ideas about leadership and leadership practices are the subject of much thought, discussion, writing, teaching and learning (Depree 1989). What is it that makes an effective leader? What are the attributes, skills and competencies leaders of organisations possess, and can these sets of skills be developed through training? Can some leaders perform below their potential, even becoming toxic leaders, and if so how is this occurrence recognisable? This report will investigate these concepts of leadership in order to provide a simple blueprint of the important aspects of what it is to be an effective leader in an organisation.

It is clear that effective leadership can make a difference to organisational performance. However, the determinants of leadership success are not as clear-cut. What is ...