Leadership

Leadership defined

What is leadership? The term gets thrown around a lot, but what is it really? What do leaders do which makes them leaders? Can leadership be learned? I hope to answer these questions in the following paragraphs by comparing leadership traits and principles to an actual CEO, Larry W. Bonds.

Fortunately, leadership can be learned. This is good, because true leaders are in high demand and in short supply in every field. To be an effective leader, though, you must first understand what leadership is and what traits a leader exhibits. Contrary to popular belief, leadership is indelibly linked to character; without character, no leader can be truly successful.

Webster's Dictionary defines leadership as the "capacity to lead". The United States Army defines leadership as "influencing people--by providing purpose, direction, and motivation--while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization". Former President Ronald Reagan put it in a very practical way:

"A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets rough."

Purpose & goal are vital to successful leadership

Regardless of the definition used, leadership must have a worthwhile purpose. Without a specific goal, leadership can degrade into an exercise in self-enrichment rather than mission accomplishment. For example, you should not aspire to be an executive vice president for the large salary. Rather, you should aspire for high office in order to accomplish specific goals for the improvement of the company, whether financially or otherwise.

Vision is the ability to have "a clear sense of the future". It is knowing where you, as an organization, are going. Visionary leadership takes the concept of vision and couples it with leadership to produce a leader who inspires those following him to work toward the organizations goals. In essence, a visionary leader is the best kind of leader.

Background Info

Larry W. Bonds has been in the senior housing and long-term care industries for more than twenty years, first as a health care consultant with a large public accounting firm and then as a senior executive with prominent development and operating companies. He has been an independent consultant since 1992, and his company, Bonds & Associates, is an independent contractor to Eden & Associates, Inc. of Jackson, Wyoming. Mr. Bonds also serves as the Chief Executive Officer to Eden Capital, LLC. His experience includes finance, development, operations, marketing, and transaction negotiation. Mr. Bonds is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of South Carolina.

Larry is a top-level manager in every since of the word. But is he a leader? And if so, is he an effective one? I hope to answer these questions by comparing his traits, talents and styles to the basic principles of leadership.

Leadership traits provide foundation

All good leaders possess certain timeless traits. The following list of traits provides character guidelines that can be used to evaluate any leader. If measured against these ideals, anyone can improve their weaknesses and make the best use of their strengths.

The eight personal leadership traits are as follows:

1. Honesty & Integrity. The qualities of absolute honesty, trustworthiness, uprightness of character and high moral principles. Integrity can be practiced by doing the following:

* Tell the truth to both superiors and subordinates.

* Stand for what you believe in, even if the belief is unpopular.

* Use your power to work toward your organization's goals or for the welfare of your co-workers and not for your own personal gain.

Honesty is important for everyone, in every circumstance, to value. This is especially true for a leader. Larry W. Bonds strives to be honest in his business dealings at every turn. If a situation calls for confidentiality, he is sure to give as much honest detail as is possible. For the people who have worked with Mr. Bonds, they know they can always depend on Larry telling them like it is.

For instance, when one of the clients of Eden Capital, Oakwood Living Centers, began to perform poorly, Larry was up-front with the employees. He knew that employee morale and job security would falter if he did not confront the situation head-on with complete honesty. He told the employees of the various strategies that were being contemplated for pulling Oakwood out of its financial slump. One of these strategies involved the possible sale and restructuring of the company. Even though this news meant that the involvement of Eden Capital and its employees with Oakwood might one day cease, everyone was at least informed of what the possibilities were. By being up-front and honest, Larry set the stage for continued employee morale and unity.

Integrity is another essential trait successful leaders should possess. It is not, however, always apparent in their actions. Defined, integrity in leadership is "honesty, credibility, and consistency in putting values into action". A leader can be honest and credible without necessarily having integrity. Mr. Bonds is one such example. At times he is expressive in his values. He values success and a high societal standing. What he values with regards to his employees is knowledge, decisiveness and timeliness. A subordinate can exhibit the desired skills one day and they can be recognized as contributing to the ultimate goal . But, unfortunately, those same skills may not bring the same results the next day. Larry is sometimes unpredictable in what he wants and what he will applaud in others. An effective leader is consistent in his values and his treatment of coworkers.

2. Business Knowledge. Leaders will quickly gain the respect and confidences of their co-workers by showing them they are knowledgeable about their area of responsibility. Learning is a continual process. To develop and demonstrate knowledge, a leader should:

* Learn from experienced people by listening and studying.

* Ask questions when unsure.

Being in the long-term care industry for over twenty years has given Larry the expertise to manage virtually any situation that may arise with regards to skilled-nursing facilities. It is this expertise that has labeled him "The Deal Maker" in business dealings. The Board of Directors of