Question

What do you think makes a great leader? Is a leader born or made? Give the class an example of a good leader in your life and why? Give an example of a leader that was a disappointment and why? (no names please) Most interviews will ask you about your leadership experiences, how would you answer this interview question?

Answer 1

Confidence is something that makes a great leader.

To be an effective leader, you should be confident enough to ensure that other follow your commands. If you are unsure about your own decisions and qualities, then your subordinates will never follow you. As a leader, you have to be oozing with confidence, show some swagger and assertiveness to gain the respect of your subordinates. This does not mean that you should be overconfident, but you should at least reflect the degree of confidence required to ensure that your followers trust you as a leader.

Leaders are born not made:

There are certain inborn features that predispose individuals to be leaders and to become leaders. There is a important distinction between "learning a skill" and mastering one, just as other people are born with incredible musical gifts or athletic abilities. Naturally, they will excel in these fields, but others would be like fish out of water and may struggle to reach the same point.

My father is the leader I understand most consistently, patiently and committedly. Life hasn't always been super simple for him, a high school educated, hard-working man. He usually reacts to life with a calmly assured attitude other than the pressures he internalizes when raising three children.

Former chairman of Volkswagen - He during most of the behavior that led to a disastrous scandal (which is far from over), as company engineers installed software that manipulated emissions on about 11 million diesel vehicles. He  asserted ignorance of any wrongdoing. Critics have been skeptical, given that he is known as a micro-manager. Then there’s the fact that the company has acknowledged that, at least in the latter stages, a warning of potential wrongdoing was sent to him. VW was known for a ruthless culture and, under Winterkorn, an ambition to become the world’s largest automaker. The combination proved toxic in the case of its emissions

GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME YOU UNEXPECTEDLY HAD TO TAKE UP A LEADERSHIP ROLE

"I was a sales partner for a big business at my last job. The general sales figures of our company were down from the past quarter, and our manager requested all sales partners to suggest ways to improve sales. I gave a short lecture on a solution that I developed, involving modifications in our marketing training method. The manager enjoyed my proposal and placed me in charge of implementing this solution by a task force. I resulted a team of six, and a fresh training method was created and applied.

This solution ultimately improved the abilities and confidence of our salespeople, and our figures exceeded our past quarter by 15 percent in the next quarter. I think my capacity to communicate my plan obviously to both my employer and my employees has led to my project's excellent achievement.