Insubortination

What is leadership? Leadership is having the ability to give guidance to those that will follow. Those that follow will help to complete the mission. Leadership is an immature science and the body of knowledge in the field has developed through a series of fits and starts. Leadership is a soft science, just as anthropology, sociology and psychology. It can not be proven exactly what it is. Leadership is an art; the skillful application of leadership behaviors beyond techniques is much the same as the skillful application of brushstrokes by a master painter. Leadership is both rational and emotional. It involves both sides of human experience. It includes actions and influences based on reason and logic as well those based on inspiration and passion. Leadership is a social process shared among all members of a group. Leadership development comes through experience. We all learn from our different experiences. Whether positive or negative, they are our tools for growth and development. What is management (in relations to the Marine Corps)? Management is a position of authority (examples Cpl and Sgt). Management says what need to get done and supplies the material to get it done. Management tends to be the more educated than the experienced. NCOs can be trained to hold a position. Management is a position of leadership. Can leadership and management be the same? Leadership and management are not the same. Anyone can be a manager and not have any followers. Being able to manage is knowing the aspects of a mission. A leader knows the aspects, has the knowledge and the skills to accomplish the mission. But leadership and management work hand in hand with each other. The management sets the stage and the leadership makes it happen. Leadership is a human relationship process. No scientific method can be used for testing leadership. Leadership is based on human factors and no two humans are the same. Managers are not only interested in status quo, but also production, expansion and growth.

One of the basic functions of leadership is to unite people: bring people together to achieve common objectives. There is truth in the statement, where there is unity there is strength. This essay will offer a working definition of effective moral leadership and discuss the function of leadership as it relates to followers, motivation and power. What is meant by leadership? Who leads? Most people have not asked those questions, yet the answers are important for them to know in order to develop quality leaders for the future. With a sense of leadership, no matter what path an individual follows, the person will think more closely about the actions he or she takes and assumes more responsibility for the outcome of those actions. The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.

Leadership is a dynamic or changing process in the sense that, while influence is always present, the persons exercising that influence may change. Possession of influence depends upon the situation and upon the relevancy of the individual’s skills and abilities to the situation. For example, if a particular individual has the expertise that is required to solve a problem, then that individual may be assumed to have some degree of influence over others.

Leadership, like love is difficult to define. Both mean many different things to many different people. By definition of leadership means that this is not a conclusive definition. It’s a definition in its developmental stages. It is also important to note that leadership is defined not only by what it is, but also by what it does. As a matter of fact, one can say that leadership is both action and being. Having said that let's then say that: leadership empowers, motivates, and organizes people to achieve a common objective, and provides moral guidance.