To be an effective leader

In business parlance, leadership is currently viewed as a higher level skill than management. In every job interview I have attended, leadership is sought but poorly defined. I myself have sought to identify the essence of leadership so as to be able to articulate the correct response to the interview panel.

Defining the essence of leadership; I believe leadership is influencing people - by providing purpose, direction and motivation. As such, leadership is described as a social influence process whereas the leader enlists the aid and support of team members in the accomplishment of a common task.

Sue really nails what is required from leadership; coming from a training background, learning objectives are clearly described outcomes that trainees must achieve in regards to performance, standards and conditions.

All MBA outcomes are measurable, so MBA graduates are not only conversant in economics, accounting, finance, operations, decision-making, management, marketing, quantitative analysis and strategy; graduates are able to provide leadership to achieve desired outcomes.