Leadership Class Book Review Management Assignment

Leadership Class Book Review
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Leadership Class Book Review
Leadership development goes through a number of episodes and themes to enable an individual to be a successful leader. When individuals are trained on elements and themes of leadership, it goes a long way in eliminating the vices that contribute to the decline of a firm (George, 2015). Personal and leadership development is crucial, with scholars such as Warren Bennis arguing that leadership does not have genetic attributes (DeLong, 2011). This implies that leadership skills are not born or inherited, but they are as a result of a lifelong process of self-discovery. Leadership is within every individual, and it is not a special trait which an individual is born with. Bennis argues that there is no genetic factor associated with leadership, and this implies that some individual tends to have certain forms of charismatic qualities. This paper reviews a book entitled “The Quest for Authentic Power: Getting Past Manipulation, Control, and Self-limiting Beliefs” by Ross Lawford (2002) and connects it with the course material “Discover Your True North” by Bill George (2015) and Corner Office interview to examine the significance of leadership development.
Lawford (2002) argues that a leader must develop skills that inspire others to work towards the achievement of the set goals. His argument are similar to those of George (2015) who believes that a leader should inspire other people to be successful. Bennis has managed to convince several business leaders to be fair when they are hiring employees (George, 2015). Studies have shown that the hiring process is one of the major places where the issue of racism is encountered, and s is because in countries such as the U.S., Whites tend to be favored in the hiring process compared to blacks. Studies have shown that most business leaders are adopting Bennis’ influence and his approach to leadership (Hill, Brandeau, Truelove & Lineback, 2014). A leader is an individual who has the capacity to convince other people to treat their colleagues fairly, even when they come from different ethnic groups. Individuals who are able to be effective leaders must ensure that there is an organizational culture that respects the rights of every worker.
Lawford (2002) argues that leaders should be innovative in order to inspire others. Since the 1990s, World Economic Forums have been organized to inspire leaders to develop skills that would motivate their employees to be more innovative and productive. Bennis argues that leaders should use practical approaches to lead their juniors to ensure that the entire organization is productive (George, 2015). This implies that workers should emulate the practical behaviors of their leaders. Therefore, if the organization policy states that employees should report to work before eight in the morning, then a leader should be the first person to arrive before the stated time has reached (DeLong, 2011). This would play a critical role in enabling all employees to adhere to the organizational culture of arriving at the stated time. Leadership is a vital role that allows an organization to be more competitive compared to others....