congratulation !!!

My respected colleagues; Dear Bulcha Nuguse, Dear Behailu Bizuneh and Dear Endalaye Mulugeta the president, vise president and secretary respectively of jimma university students union in the upcoming year 2010 E.C; First of all I would like to say congratulation  for winning the election held in our campus last sunday. Saying this I would like you to bear in mind the following short and presize message so that you will be the best  leaders ever seen in the union.

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but where they ought to be. Leadership does not always have to come from a position of authority. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,do more, and become more, you are a leader"John Quincy Adams. A key characteristic of all great leaders is the willingness to serve as the leader.

It is important for leaders to practice effective time management.Time is the most precious resource, as it cannot be bought, saved, or stored. Thus, management of time is essential for a productive and balanced life for those in the organization.The effective use of one’s time is best done through a formal time management program to improve one’s ability to lead by setting priorities and making choices to achieve goals. The efficient use of one’s time helps to improve both productivity and quality of life.

leadership styles

There are six distinct leadership styles identified based on different components of emotional intelligence.

1 Coercive leadership:demands immediate compliance.This style reflects the command and control style . Excessive coercive leadership erodes team members’ sense of responsibility,motivation,sense of participation in a shared vision, and ultimately, performance.However, it is effective in times of crisis to deliver clear, concise instruction. This style should be used sparingly and is best suited for emergencies.

2 Authoritative leadership: embodies the phrase “Come with me,” focusing on mobilizing the team toward a common, grand vision. This type of leader allows the team freedom to innovate,experiment, and devise its own means. These leaders display self-confidence, empathy, and proficiency in initiating new ideas and leading people in a new direction.

3 Affiliative leadership: creates harmony and builds emotional bonds. This requires employment of empathy, building relationships, and emphasis on communication.it frequently gives positive feedback. This style can allow poor performance to go uncorrected if too little constructive critical advice is given. Affiliative leadership is most useful when motivating people during stressful circumstances or healing rifts in a team.

4 Coaching style leadership: focuses on developing people for the future. Coaching is leadership through mentorship.The coach gives team members challenging tasks, counsels,encourages, and delegates. Unlike the affiliative leader who focuses on positive feedback, the coach helps people identify their weaknesses and improve their performance, and ties their work into their long-term career aspirations.

This leadership style builds team capabilities by helping motivated learners improve. However, this style does not work well when team members are defiant and unwilling to change or learn, or if the leader lacks proficiency.

5 Democratic leadership: forges consensus through participation.This leadership style listens to and values each member’s input. It is not the best choice in an emergency situation,when time is limited, or when teammates cannot contribute informed guidance to the leader. It can also be exasperating if a clear vision does not arise from the collaborative process. This style is most appropriate when it is important to obtain team consensus, quell conflict, or create harmony.

6 Pacesetter leadership: sets high standards for performance and exemplifies them. These leaders identify poor performers and demand more from them. However, unlike the coach, the pacesetter does not build the skills of those who are not keeping up. Rather, a pacesetter will either take over the task himself or delegate the task to another team member.

This leadership style works well when it is important to obtain high-quality results and there is a motivated, capable team. However, pacesetters can easily become micromanagers who have difficulty delegating tasks to team members, which leads to burn out on the part of the leader. Additionally, team members can feel overwhelmed and demoralized by the demands for excellence without an empathic counter balance.

conclusion

Each of the above styles of leadership has strengths and weakness. Importantly, leaders who are the most successful do not rely only on one leadership style alone. They use several of them seamlessly depending on the situation and the team members at hand. Each leadership style is a tool that is ultimately employed to guide a team to realizing a vision or goal.

All forms of leadership require a vision and willingness-the willingness to assume the responsibility to lead, continue learning, practice effective communication styles, and resolve conflict.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,do more, and become more, you are a leader." yours; Getaneh Kassie

*Reference schwartzs-principle of surgery-10th edition*