Leadership and Management

Leadership is the quality and skill of influencing and motivating people towards accomplishment of a common goal. For an organization to realize it objectives, sound leadership skills are important. There is an unending debate on whether leaders are born or made. The answer would lie on the definition that someone gives to leadership. As the CEO and founder of Dodcom Systems, a leading Telecommunication and office solution company in the United States, I would echo the sentiments of Colin Powell that leaders are made and not born (Stanford Report, 2005).

Different leaders possess different qualities that define their leadership styles and their styles determine the success or failure of the group or organization they lead. Some leaders embrace autocracy, bureaucracy or even democracy. I believe democracy to be an effective style to drive a company to success and this is the leadership style I use to lead Dodcon Systems. In this paper, I will try to illustrate the leadership qualities that I use to drive this company everyday. Democracy is a leadership style that centers on people, engaging employees in developing their own decisions (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2009).

It involves viewing opposition as partners and challenges to make a leader better.

Dodcom system has always encouraged opinions from employees, whether their opinions are in line with our objectives or not. By taking into considering the pessimistic or optimistic views of all employees, we guarantee ourselves against overlooking any situation. For instance, when we launch a new product in the market and a competitor starts selling the same product, we take that as a challenge to lead and them to follow. This has always kept us ahead of the competition.

Communication is an important element in effective democratic leadership especially when communicating change. Empathy and taking into account the needs of others has been crucial in maintaining good relationship with our employees, especially when we were forced to cut down our workforce. We kept all our employees aware of the situation we were facing prior to downsizing. Though it was a tough decision to cut down our workforce, by regularly updating them on the situation and sending some home with a good package, we did not encounter any problems.

Being a leader involves more than just accommodating the opinions of others. It involves guiding and showing others the way. Renowned speaker and writer Stephen Covey notes that leadership is helping other find their own voice (Covey, 2009). Mentorship is a practice we constantly encourage at Dodcom systems. Every top executive and official of this company has mentees whom they help attain maximum output on the job. We also have mentors whom we look upon for guidance. As a leader and a manager, I have various mentors in various disciplines.

In addition, I derive most of my leadership qualities from most of our former presidents notably Bill Clinton, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow Wilson showed that not only could good policies affect the United States but could also be best beyond the shore of the US. A leader should also strive to effect positive changes in his community (Inc. com, n. d). In leadership, democracy should not however be misconstrued to mean weakness in decion making. Taking into consideration the feelings and opinions of different parties should also be taken with caution.

It would be impossible and chaotic to accept every issue raised by everyone. For the success of Dodcom system, we listen to every issue raised but as a leader I am required to make an intelligent decision that is for the greater good of the company. This is when a leader has to wisely strike a balance between ideal and pragmatic decisions. By being in authority, a leader has to understand that the success of the company becomes the success of all. Similarly the failure would also carry with it consequences on everyone in the company. References: Covey, S. R. (2009).

Leadership is a choice, not a position. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from: <http://www. business-standard. com/india/news/leadership-ischoice-notposition-stepen-r-covey/347764/> 10 Presidents’ Day Leadership Lessons (n. d), Retrieved June 1, 2010, from: Inc. com <http://www2. inc. com/ss/10-presidents-day-leadership-lessons> Pride, W. M. , Hughes, R. J. & Kapoor, J. R. ( 2009). Business. Florence: Cengage Learning. Stanford-Report. (2005). Effective leaders made, not born, Colin Powell says. Retrieved June 1, 2010 from: <http://news. stanford. edu/news/2005/november30/powell-113005. html>