Essay on leadership

Definition of Leadership

According to Webster’s Online Dictionary, leadership is well-defined as the status of a leader or the ability to lead other people. Even though there is a precise meaning of what leadership is, there are numerous ideas of what leadership can truly mean. People can have different perspectives as to what leadership is to them. An individual can feel leadership is embodying the ability to guide employees to reach a goal. While another person may feel the way to display leadership is always helping others. Some may say leadership is having the ability to problem solve. Last of all, leading to some believe having empowering, influential, and motivating characteristics. Leadership is very important in today’s society. This essay will display a leader, who exemplifies the leadership characteristics previously described. It will describe the leader’s qualities, characteristics, and how influential he is in my life. It will include a leadership scorecard evaluating specific traits a successful leader possesses.

Aim of The Essay

To finish, this essay will include a leadership profile of the chosen leader. In this essay, I will speak about someone in my life who exemplifies great leadership. Bishop Brandon Jacobs is the full-time Bishop of my church(1 church 2 locations), New Zion Temple Church – Hammond and New Zion Temple – Indianapolis, the CEO of Baji Ministries, as well as the author of All Eyes on Me: Lifestyle of the Young and Saved. As the leader of the church, Bishop Jacobs, not only, leads worship service through preaching and teaching to the congregation, but he’s also responsible for the business operations of the church. He has to supervise several auxiliary ministries and financial budgets, appoint leadership, counsel, and be a husband and father. According to Tracy, there are seven leadership qualities of great leaders. The seven qualities are as follows:

1. Vision–greatleadershaveaclearideaofwheretheyaregoingandwhatwhy.
2. Courage–theleaderiswillingtotakerisks.
3. Integrity–theleaderishonestinanysituation.
4. Humility–theleaderiswillingtoadmiterrorsorshortcomings; willrecognizeandacknowledgethevalueofothers.
5. Strategiclilanning–effectiveleadershavethealititudetolookahead
6. Focus–greatleadersfocusonresultsandstrengths.
7. Coolieration–greatleadershavetheabilitytogetlieoliletowork.

Leaders And Their Leadership Qualities

Bishop Jacobs has effectively been successful in his endeavors because he possesses all the qualities of a great leader as stated above. He demonstrates to all who truly know him on a continuous basis how being an effective and successful leader is possible. With those qualities and his strong faith in God, it is impossible to not be an effective and efficient leader.

Frank Sonnenberg customized a leadership scorecard I will use to rate Bishop Jacobs. This scorecard measures several qualities and traits a successful leader possesses. I rated each quality on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Based on the required practices in the classroom readings, I feel Bishop Jacobs exceeds the skills required to be an effective leader.

From personal observation it can be said that Bishop Jacobs has adapted to the challenges leaders face very well. One thing I admire about him is he does not mind admitting he may not understand something nor does he mind asking questions. He is not a micromanager. If he feels confident in someone else, he will allow him/her to use their expertise to advise him on steps to take. It was once stated by Theodore Roosevelt, “ The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants to be done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it”. Because Bishop Jacobs follows this practice, he has adapted well to the challenge’s leader face today.

Conclusion

In my honest opinion, there is nothing I would change about Bishop Jacobs’s leadership approach, philosophy, or style. Since I have been under Bishop Jacobs’s leadership, I have not only witnessed a smart, confident, and business-minded leader who has always reached goals he has set out to achieve, but I have been able to see him encourage, motivate, and pour into those following him allowing them to pursue their dreams and goals. When Bishop Jacobs was faced with adversity, he assessed the situation and thoroughly thought out the best solution to the problem. I have never witnessed distress or nervousness; he has only displayed positive behavior, even during the times I thought were some of the toughest times a leader could face. If I can embody the qualities and traits that Bishop Brandon A Jacobs possess, I know I will be a successful leader.