Recruitment Practices

leaderships

Effective leaders are not born with the gift of knowing how to lead. Rather, they gain experience, they absorb knowledge, they see and listen to the world around them - both inside the organization and beyond. Effective leaders are also capable of assuming the leadership qualities needed for specific situations. There are many kinds of effective leaders -- among them are the charismatic leader, the transformational leader, and the pragmatic leader -- but these distinctive qualities can blend together in one person in different ways at different times.

Charismatic leaders seem to shine

A charismatic leader may seem to be born with a gift to inspire. Particularly during a crisis, people turn to this powerful voice for a grand vision and hope for solutions. Such a leader can clarify the situation for his people and instill the confidence they need. People feel safe handing off a problem to this type of leader.

What makes charismatic leaders such champions? They differ from the norm in greater self-confidence, energy, enthusiasm, and unconventional behavior. Charismatic leaders tend to:

• Have a clear, fresh, new, and creative vision

• Be completely devoted to their vision

• Make great sacrifices to achieve their vision, taking personal risks - financial, professional, social

• Create a sense of urgency among their followers

• Gain the absolute trust of their followers (and also fear)

• Use persuasion rather than forceful commands or democratic appeals for consensus to influence their followers

A charismatic leader is most successful during a crisis. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a charismatic leader who led the United States out of the Great Depression and readied the nation for World War II. On the other hand, Adolf Hitler was also a charismatic leader who gave his defeated nation a new vision of power and might. Thus, charismatic leaders can have great power and influence, but how they use it determines whether their inspiration works for good or not.

However, most organizations are not in a continual state of peril. A lofty vision for achieving a grand mission may not be attainable, and the value of inspiration may dissolve into a need for everyday, step-by-step progress. Thus, charismatic leaders are not always the best type of leader.

"[The charismatic leader is] supposed to have the 'gift of tongues' with which he [can] inspire employees to work harder and gain the confidence of investors, analysts, and the ever skeptical press."

--- Rakesh Khurana, professor

Transformational leaders focus on the people and the task

Unlike charismatic leaders, transformational leaders remold an organization not through the force of their own personality but by appealing to their people, gaining their trust and respect. Transformational leaders achieve results by paying close attention to their group or team as they

• articulate a clear and compelling vision

• clarify the importance of the vision's outcome

• provide a well-defined path to attain the vision

• use symbols to realize their vision

• act with confidence, optimism, and self-determination

• encourage their people to work as a team rather than as individuals to reach the organization's goals

• empower people to make good decisions for the benefit of the whole

What makes transformational leaders effective is their ability to make their vision a clear, identifiable goal that can guide their team's actions to meet the goal. They trust their people, provide the resources they need, and encourage them to move forward.

Pragmatic leaders -- from the ideal to the real

The most apparent characteristic of pragmatic leaders is their focus on the organization rather than on people. Pragmatic leaders face the realities of business environment; they listen to and understand the truth, whether good or bad, hopeful or daunting. They are effective because they

• have