eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Choi Min Suk (10)

  To me, leadership is in everyone, but being a leader requires some
traits. Leaders are only able to lead if they have the correct traits.
I think that leaders need to have these 5 traits or qualities:

Honest
Competent
Intelligent

  With the leader being honest, his people would trust him, therefore
have faith in him and follow his lead. If he is not honest, he would
lose the trust in his people, therefore no one would do what he says.

  With the leader being competent, his people will see that the leader
has not lost faith and would follow him. In fact, the people would be
able to see that they can achieve higher potentials, therefore
following his lead.

  With the intelligence of the leader, the people would trust his
guide and trust the he will make wise decisions. With that relief that
the leader is able to make correct and wise decisions, the people
would follow his lead as they believe that he is the right man.

  These traits are achievable by anyone who tries, and that everyone
can be a leader in their own ways.

eLearning CE- Activity 3 Chio Jia Le (9)

Good leaders are a myth. Don't take me wrong, I'm talking about everyone. To even take up a leadership role, you must be able to lead yourself. If you're not able to do so, then this job isn't for you. Let me give you an example. How are you going to persuade your customers to buy a product, when you're not convinced yourself whether you want to buy it? Aside that, let's move on to the next level. When you're finally able to take up a leadership role, there are several things you would want to look out for. I'll stick with 5 for now, since it'll be easier to remember things when you have 5 fingers.

The first trait I'd like to talk about is being responsible. Because without this trait, one can forget about breaking the myth I set. Ironically, there are many people in this world that wants to be a leader, but at the same time, they don't. The reason's very simple: if you succeed, you get fame, money etc. However, if you do not, you get blamed for it, because you are the LEADER. Once you're able to face this reality, you're able to move on to the next trait.

The second trait here is very obvious; dedication. After picking up that leadership status, you must be strong enough BOTH mentally and physically to complete the task. Why? The logic is simple. If you're not dedicated to your task/work, why should your members be? A very good example would be a group project due one week later. If the leader does not delegate, assist and lead the team efficiently, no one will bother to work. So, when you pick up these two basic traits, it's time to pursue the aesthetics.

The third trait is openness, and what do I mean by that? To be able to accept criticism and suggestions. Active LISTENING is a significant thing you can do that will earn you respect and credibility. One of a tasks a leader have to complete is involve everyone in the team, because you'll never know that, one of them may hold the key to your success.

The fourth trait is creativity, and to be original. Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. It also gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. This can mean anything, from coming up with a solution to cracking a joke in tough times. Sense of humour is also a good characteristic to posses. Humour is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. Most importantly, one can use humour to energize followers.

The last and final trait is the art of persuasion. You've seen leaders who lead a country to success, you've also seen leaders who lead such huge army to war. However, have you thought of what made them so successful? They were able to persuade effectively, and gain the trust of their followers. You might not have a honey tongue or a dictionary in your head, but your choice of words, poise, tone etc are factors in the art of persuasion. Here are a few tips in helping you persuade more effectively:

- Relevance: Persuasive messages should be personally relevant to the audience. If not, they will switch off and fail to process it.

- Universal goals: In creating your message, understand the three universal goals for which everyone is aiming: affiliation, accuracy and positive self-concept.

- Avoid forewarning: NEVER open up a speech saying "I will try and persuade you that…" If you do, people start generating counter-arguments and are less likely to be persuaded.

- Repetition: Whether or not a statement is true, repeating it a few times gives the all-important illusion of truth. The illusion of truth leads to the reality of persuasion.

- Social proof: You've heard it before and you'll hear it again - despite all their protestations of individuality, people love conformity. So tell them which way the flock is going because people want to be in the majority.

- Positively framed: Messages with a positive frame are always more persuasive.

- Confidence: Not only your confidence, but theirs. The audience should feel confident about attitude change. Audience confidence in their own thoughts is boosted by a credible source and when they feel happy.

Now that you've read through what I've said, do you still believe in a good leader? We are all a leader of our own, be it at Microsoft or at a coffee shop stall. It is how we carry out our jobs as a leader that defines us from the rest.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

To me, to manage under stressful situation is a very daunting task. However, if you'd follow these steps, it might help a little.

Step 1 - STAY CLAM. Never let that little boy in you take over your emotions.

Step 2 - Think what went wrong. This will help you to reflect.

Step 3 - Plan. Whenever you hear from a friend that they fell out in a  relationship, they always seem to brood over it. However, you should not do that and move on. Learn from your mistakes and turn them into lessons.

Step 4 - Crack a joke. At this point of time, everyone is stressed out. Make them feel that they're still in the team and are worthy too.

~Jia Le

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Tim Yap (23)

The traits of a leader are enthusiasm and passion for others. 

His role is alike to that of a catalyst - the one who ultimately gets people going. They move others out of their comfort zone by believing in them and providing the support those people need to take risks.

He also operates from a base of integrity and honesty. He can be trusted to do what you say you will do and people are convinced that he will act for the good of the situation, the firm, and/or them-depending on the circumstances. Others may not like what is happening but they know the leader is acting upon what he or she believes is the best option given the timing and situation. He will generally find that people will stand up with you and behind you for support. Telling people the good, the bad, and all the important details in between builds a base for them to share with you. Many times, an innovative suggestion will emanate from an unexpected source.

He also attempts to find small victories for the team to celebrate and motivate them to continue in their striving towards the main goal.

He also has an element of humour. Laughter often brighten ups the team in times of distress. But nonsense is prohibited.

Abraham Lincoln had humour. Here is a great story that was handed down to me (the author). I have not yet been able to find footnote verification of it that it was actually said by Abraham Lincoln, but it's the kind of story that he should have said, in case he didn't. It illustrates Lincoln's dislike for pomposity and people who put on airs.

The story goes that he had a particular General who liked to send dispatches that were always headed: "Headquarters in the Saddle." And everyday, or every other day, Lincoln would get one of these messages entitled "Headquarters in the Saddle." And he got quite annoyed with this, but he kept quiet, as he normally did, until, finally, one day somebody asked him about this General and about this habit of heading all these dispatches "Headquarters in the Saddle." And Lincoln said, "It seems to me that the General has his headquarters where his hindquarters ought to be."

On another occasion, he was confronted by a group of Washington officials who were complaining about General Grant and the fact that there was a rumor going around that General Grant was a regular drinker of alcoholic beverages. And Lincoln replied, "By the way, can you tell me where he gets his whiskey? He has given us successes, and if his whiskey does it, I should like to send a barrel of the same to every General in the field."

And slogans can motivate the team too.

Taken from the following sources:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Reeves1.html

http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/lincolnleader.html

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Cherin Tan (06)

These are the traits of a good leader:

1. Honest - A leader has to be a good role model to others and gain trust from their teamates, in order of them to work with the leader again.
2. Forward-Looking - A leader has to create visions (goals) for the team and progress brings people forward. A leader also must know where to go after that vision has been reached.
3. Competent - People follow someone that is competent, who they know that that leader can do the required outcome.
4. Inspiring - People need to be inspired. A leader has to be able to communicate with passion.
5. Intelligent - A leader who keeps learning and learning and never stops learning.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

I think that a good leader calms down, thinks through all the possibilities and chooses his next move wisely. He will give his teammates positivity(in terms of this words, actions) and will be responsible to make sure they get through the crisis.

Source: http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Goh Jun Hong (13)

      One inspirational and influential leader is Adolf Hitler. Hitler convinced the Nazis to change their mindset against Jews. If he did not have this mindset of destroying Jews, he might be one of the best speakers ever lived. Hitler, just one person, has change the mindset of Germany against Jews. Even though he is quite bloodthirsty against Jews, he carries an air of authority around him like a special aura. He possesses three of the qualities of influential speaking (pathos, ethos and logos). He too has qualities of a great leader. Headstrong, inspirational, making decisions without hesitation or having to eat his own words. Those are qualities to be a great leader. Hitler uses his exceptional qualities to enhance his speech. He too presents himself greatly. Neat clothing, no slouching, no nervous behaviour, never show habits, loud and fluent in language, possesses great body language. Having all this, it makes him a very great speaker.

eLearning CE: Activity 3 Naveena Menon (4)

Traits of a leader:

Friendly and welcoming: A leader must be able to get along well with others and make others feel like they are a part of the team/ have a part to play in the team.

A good role-model: A leader must be able to set a good example for others to follow.

Able to stay calm when under pressure: A leaser must be able to work well under pressure and think carefully before making decisions.

Able to make tough decisions: A leader must be able to make tough decisions or any decisions for that matter that may not benefit all but benefits most or is the most beneficial for the rest.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

-He or she has to stay calm and not get so stressed and worked up so that they can think with a clear mind and so that they also will not make any rash decisions that have not been thoroughly thought trough yet. The leader must also be able to assure and calm the team members so that the team members will not be stressed and thus they will be able to concentrate on the task and be more efficient.

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Jonan Ling (15)

The greatest leaders possess these 5 qualities:

1: Honesty

- to convince those under him/her to trust him/her 

2: Forward-looking

- to keep morale high and always look towards the bright side

3: Competency

- to let those under him/her trust him/her to be a leader

4: Are Inspirational

- to inspire loyalty in those under him/her

5: Intelligent

- to let everyone who listens to take everything he/she says as being completely accurate

Under a stressful situation, a leader will calmly sort out the priorities and solve them in order to solve the crisis.

If not possible, the leader should try to make the crisis as harmless as possible.

Sources: http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Michelle Dapito (01)

What traits do good leaders possess?

1. Honest. A leader should be honest to gain the trust of his/her members. 

2. Enthusiastic. A leader should be enthusiastic so that his/her group members will get along with him/her well, instead of a boring leader, whom nobody wants.

3. Confident. A leader must be confident in speaking and choosing his decisions in order to get his followers convinced.

4. Orderly. A leader should also be orderly so that things are organized well and it is easy for the followers and himself to do things.

5. Calm. A leader also should remain calm in order to finish a certain job, instead of panicking uselessly.

6. Hardworking. A leader should also be hardworking in order for his team to finish a certain job. If the leader is not hardworking, the whole group will be in trouble.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

The leader recognizes the causes and symptoms of stress in individual team members, becomes aware of techniques for dealing with the different types of stress during a crisis, planning strategies for defusing stress after critical incidents in order to maintain a healthy and effective team. 

I think that good leaders try to remain calm under stressful situations and try to think logically on how to solve it instead of panicking, which is entirely useless. They also try to calm their followers down, and make sure they do not panic.

eLearning CE- Activity 3 Stacey Yip (05)

Good leaders will have to be good listeners. They have to listen to every member in the team and not think of their suggestions or comments as redundant and what he or she knows the always right. They must be willing to listen to other people's comments and views. They should also be trustworthy and honest in other for others to trust them and follow them. Good leaders have to act like role models for their followers, he or she must be committed to excellence and focused on the goal. All these qualities give the followers a sense of security and they in turn will give the leaders their trust and loyalty.

Under stressful situations, a good leader will have to be positive as he or she sets the tone of the environment. If he or she meets a problem and decides that all hope is lost, their followers will mirror them and just give up. They also have to be responsible for their actions and decisions, if a problem surfaces, they will have to face the problem and not push the blame elsewhere. If a member of the team makes a mistake, encourage and help the person, not demoralize them and push the blame.

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Benjamin Fheng (12)

What traits do leaders posses?

Well firstly, a good leader has an exemplary character. It is very important that a leader must be trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honesty and integrity. A leader also needs to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. 

A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well.

A good leader must also be able to remain calm in the worst of situations. This gives the group members confidence and motivation that they can solve the problem.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

A leader would remain calm in stressful situations and not panic as to give his other group members confidence to pull through and solve the crisis. A leader also has to be prepared and not lose their temper.

Sources: http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Personal-Characteristics-Of-A-Good-Leader&id=59305

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Preston (18)

Traits of a leader

There are some qualities that distinguish leaders from followers. Here are some of the more important qualities:

Honesty - Leaders do not lie. They face up to their own responsibilities and do not harm others. They always tell the truth

Determination - Leaders all around also must have determination, otherwise they will never get the job done. There will always be difficulties and challenges that they have to overcome. Without determination, they will be stuck there and will never advance forward

Inspiring - Leaders inspire both themselves and others. Leaders also get inspiration from others, and followers can be inspired by leaders. That's how leaders are formed. They are inspired by others.

At the same time, leaders can get inspiration for ideas from objects too. The MacBook packaging was actually inspired by a packaging of a cooking ware. Simple, yet elegant. Inspiration comes from everywhere.

Think differently from others - Off course, leaders think differently from others. They think in a way in which they can turn a difficulty into an opportunity, see the positive in the negative, and they know that there is always a way around hurdles in life.

Intelligent - What would leaders be without intelligence? Leaders must have knowledge and intelligence before they can lead others, or they will be leading others in the wrong direction.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

A good leader would look at a positive side of the problem and never give up. He/she will find a way to solve a problem. If necessary, they may rest and think os a solution.

An Example of a Great leader:

Steve Jobs is an excellent presenter, innovator and leader. He inspires others to change the world, just like him. He thinks differently, has the courage to sacrifice something for the company which would be beneficial, He does what he loves, and most importantly, he is willing to lead others. Many people want to learn from Steve Jobs, because he is a leader. Apple is one of the biggest Traits of a leader

There are some qualities that distinguish leaders from followers. Here are some of the more important qualities:

Honesty - Leaders do not lie. They face up to their own responsibilities and do not harm others. They always tell the truth

Determination - Leaders all around also must have determination, otherwise they will never get the job done. There will always be difficulties and challenges that they have to overcome. Without determination, they will be stuck there and will never advance forward

Inspiring - Leaders inspire both themselves and others. Leaders also get inspiration from others, and followers can be inspired by leaders. That's how leaders are formed. They are inspired by others.

At the same time, leaders can get inspiration for ideas from objects too. The MacBook packaging was actually inspired by a packaging of a cooking ware. Simple, yet elegant. Inspiration comes from everywhere.

Think differently from others - Off course, leaders think differently from others. They think in a way in which they can turn a difficulty into an opportunity, see the positive in the negative, and they know that there is always a way around hurdles in life.

Intelligent - What would leaders be without intelligence? Leaders must have knowledge and intelligence before they can lead others, or they will be leading others in the wrong direction.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

A good leader would look at a positive side of the problem and never give up. He/she will find a way to solve a problem. If necessary, they may rest and think os a solution.

An excellent leader:

Steve Jobs is an excellent presenter, innovator and leader. He inspires others to change the world, just like him. He thinks differently, has the courage to sacrifice something for the company which would be beneficial, He does what he loves, and most importantly, he is willing to lead others. Many people want to learn from Steve Jobs, because he is a leader. Apple is one of the biggest electronic company in the world, because of Steve Jobs' leadership. We won't be having these MacBook and ipods today, if not for Steve Jobs' leadership in the company. He changes the world and puts a dent in the universe.

Preston

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Gwendolyn Chee (03)

What traits do they possess?

Key Trait #1: You must have a vision. We've all heard the saying "You must stand for something, or you'll fall for everything." But what does that really mean? Standing firm when it comes to your company's policies and procedures is all well and good, but it doesn't speak to having a vision. As a leader, you have to learn to communicate your vision or the vision of your company to the people you want to follow you. But how can you do that?

Key Trait #2: You must have passion. Your employees want passion; in fact, they'll go to the ends of earth because of it, live and die for it. Think of the sailors who traveled with Christopher Columbus or Leif Ericsson to explore uncharted territory. Their leaders' passion inspired them to take on new and very dangerous challenges.

To build an extraordinary management team, you've got to light the "fire in their bellies," to get them to feel passion about the company and connect to the leader's vision. Passion is such a key part of being a great leader that if you don't have it, you simply can't be a great leader. Think of all the great leaders throughout the ages and try to name one that did not have passion.

And passion is infectious: When you talk about your vision for the company, let your passion for your vision shine through. Others will feel it and want to get on board with you. If you don't have passion for your vision, you need to recreate your vision or reframe your description of your vision so it's connected to your passion.

Key Trait #3: You must learn to be a great decision maker. How are major decisions made in your company? What is your process for making them? For instance, do you talk to your  management team and create a list of pros and cons to help you make the best decision? Maybe you conduct a cost analysis. Or do you create a timeline for the implementation strategy, process and timing?

In fact, here's a system you can use to become a better decision maker. It's called the Q-CAT:

Q = Quick. Be quick but not hasty.

C = Committed. Be committed to your decision but not rigid.

A = Analytical. Be analytical, but don't over-analyze (Too much analysis can cause paralysis.)

T = Thoughtful. Be thoughtful about all concerned, but don't be obsessive.

When you use the Q-CAT, it'll help you to decide when to bring others into the process and what steps need to be taken to help you make better decisions.

Key Trait #4: You must be a team builder. To become a great leader, you must develop a great team or, one might say, a well-oiled machine. But how do you do that? You can start by handing off responsibility to your team and letting your team to run with it. Don't breathe down their necks and don't micromanage, but make yourself available if questions or problems come up. Teach your team to use the Q-CAT decision-making system and give them the freedom to work through their own decisions.

When projects aren't on track or your team is falling behind on deadline, it serves no one if you start pointing fingers. This is when you need to rise to the occasion and inspire confidence in your employees, to let them know you support them and ready to help. Be ready to alter plans and make new ones. Don't forget to use humor to keep your team's spirits up during a crisis. When an emergency hits, your team will look to you to be a tower of strength and endurance.

Key Trait #5: You must have character. Without character, all the other "keys" are for naught. That's because your innate character strengths and limitations play a critical role in your leadership style. The real question is, are you aware of just what role they play? All great leaders have taken steps to learn about their individual personality and what part it plays in their leadership style.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

A good leader would keep calm, analyze the situation and come up with the most appropriate solution to the problem.

Resource: http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/leadership/leadershipcolumnistpattyvogan/article163590.html#

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Niklaus Teo (19)

Leaders are people who are able to lead a group. According to Kouzes and Posner's research into leadership that was done for the book The Leadership Challenge. They state that the the five leadership traits/leadership qualities that a sucessful leader should have are: Honesty, Being Forward-Looking, Competent, Inspiring and Intelligent.

Now for honesty, As a leader, showing people that you are honest even when it means admitting to a mistake, displays a key trait that people are looking for in their leaders. By doing so, you can increase your leadership influence and thus people will trust you and they will see you as someone who is worth following

For Forward-Looking, The whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from where you are now. Leaders can communicate their goals and vision for the future without making promises that they may not be able to keep. In order to be forward-Looking, a leader has to share his or her's goal so that the group will be able to work towards that direction of goal

For Competent, A leader need to be able to demonstrate competency. For a leader to demonstrate that they are competent, it isn't enough to just avoid displaying incompetency. Some people will assume you are competent because of your leadership position, but most will have to see demonstrations before deciding that you are competent. A way to show you are competent is to celebrate and bring attention to team achievements. In this way you indirectly point out your competency as a leader

For Inspiring, being inspiring means showing people the big picture and helping them see beyond a narrow focus and understand how their part fits into the big picture. A great example of inspiration is when Steve Jobs stole the CEO from Pepsi by asking him, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?" People want to be inspired, therefore by giving them the big picture, it can give you a significant improvement in this leadership trait.

Lastly, for Intelligent, of course a leader has to be intelligent in order to choose the direction of the group, but if you are embarking on a topic that is alien to you. It would be a good idea to do some reading up on the topic your group is doing. This is to increase your knowledge of that topic and show that you do know something. Another good way to increase general knowledge is to read the newspaper on a daily basis.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situation?
Ans: Well generally a leader has to calm down and evaluate his choices of what to do next so that it will produce the best result as possible.

Cite:
Mark Shead Five Most Important Leadership Traits
Retrieved from: http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/

eLearning CE: Activity 3 Lee YuChong (17)

http://timmilburn.com/leadership/when-will-the-leader-emerge/

http://e-articles.info/e/a/title/Tips-on-How-To-Manage-Crisis-Situations/

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadchr.html

Traits of a good leader

A leader must first be able to lead him/herself first before leading others and stepping up to the occasion when it arrives.

Taking the initiative

A leader is someone who acts when the opportunity arises, and does not wait for an additional push. The moment an idea comes, a leader acts on it with a goal, rallies the appropriate people and motivates. He is the one that seizes the opportunities to create something new or a new direction. 

Decision maker

A leader is someone who can make decisions, of which are good for the team, not good for just one person. The decisions must be good, and are announced in the shortest time possible. Sometimes, the decisions also involve risk. The leader must be able to handle and decide on the risky situations before making the decision. 

Honesty

Without honesty, no one will trust the leader and follow the leader. Without followers, a leader is no longer a leader, he is only taking a walk by himself. 

Critical Thinker

A leader is able to handle crisis well. The situation must be managed such that the crisis is solved as soon as possible, in the best way possible. That's why a good leader must be able to think fast and think good things at the shortest times. 

Handling Crisis

When crises comes, a good leader must be able to handle and manage the crisis 

appropriately without showing panic or distress, there-by worsening the situation. The leader must be able to look at things from different perspectives, asses the situation and make the final decision based on his resources suing very little time. 

eLearning CE- Activity 3 Christopher John (11)

What traits do they possess?

A good leader is one with good reputation and is one who "walks the talk". Good leaders are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty. When people come close to a good leader, they will feel that he/she has confidence. A good leader keeps in mind the main goal all the time and a good leader only wants success, if possible more, nothing less. A good leader is good at teamwork. A good leader is quick thinking and able to make good decisions. He takes responsibility on all the rights and wrongs of his team.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

A good leader is orderly and has a purposeful manner especially in crisis. A good leader does not show uncertainty. He/She is also enthusiastic about their work and they will do the required actions. 

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Johanan Teo (22)

These key points are important traits to what a leader should have :

1.) Having a vision to succeed -

     A leader which is determined to succeed is important.

2.) Having passion

     A good leader has to "light the fire" in his/her group members.

3.) Be a great decision maker 

      A leader must know how to make discussions at the right time, leading its members.

4.) Be a team builder

     A leader has to develop a great team which is well bonded together.

5.) The leader must have a good character

     Being a leader, you must have a good character, only then will your members respect        

     you and listen to you. 

When facing a crisis, a leader should not panic but keep calm. A panicky leader will frighten the team members and cause them to lose focus. The leader must act promptly, but not hurriedly. He/She should provide direction and respond to the situation. Leaders should also know how to mange the team and have control over the team. 

Cites:

Baldoni J. How a Good Leader Reacts to a Crisis (January 4, 2011)

Retrieved from: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/01/how_a_good_leader_reacts_to_a.html

Vogan P. 5 Key Traits of Great Leaders (April 17, 2006)

Retrieved from: http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/leadership/leadershipcolumnistpattyvogan/article163590.html

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Lee Si Yuan (16)

Traits of being a good leader:

Being Visible - By circulating around the workplace, you will appear more approachable and available. Take advantage of every opportunity to interact with co-workers. Be supportive of others and try to help out with the little things. Walk into the bay area and have a brief conversation as you help a co-worker with a customer's car. Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) works! Make sure to practice visibility upward as well as downward.

Being Consistent - Don't be a tyrant one day and a pussycat the next. Flip-flopping between styles confuses employees. Stick with one style of leadership. Those who look to you for leadership must know what to expect on a daily basis. Also, make decisions consistently. It is important not to bring personal feelings to the workplace. When dealing with employees, stay focused on the situation or issue, not on the person. We connect with some workers better than others. Try not to let the relationship taint your response. Treat all employees equally. Enforce company policies fairly. It is more difficult with the co-workers who are different from you.

Being Initiate - Try initiating conversations to help find better solutions. Asking questions is a great way to initiate conversations. Try asking open-ended questions. For example: "What can we do better as a company?" Don't always dictate change. Initiate change by creating an atmosphere where creative juices can flow freely. Encourage suggestions for improvement. Set out a suggestion box and reward good suggestions. Continually strive to get better.

Being Responsible - Leaders accept challenges as well as successes. If an employee makes a mistake, it is your responsibility to help him or her improve. Employees will never respect a leader who deflects criticism toward the team. Successful leaders think of themselves as "we," not "I." It is a leader's responsibility to ensure that everyone shares in the team's success.

Being able to Communicate - Good leaders are good communicators. They clearly convey their message in a way that connects with the listener. Good leaders understand that you tailor your message to the needs of each worker. If someone is analytical, construct your message focusing on facts and data. If someone is more relational, construct your message in a way that conveys emotion and focuses on how the change impacts people.

Source: http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2005/manage.htm

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situation?

A good leader will always calm down when ever there are crisis. They will then think of a solution which will then solve the crisis. This requires patience, hence a good leader also needs to have patience.

Lee Si Yuan

elearning CE: Activity 3 - See To Yu Xiang (20)

The traits of a leader

Competency - Their actions must be based on reasons and moral principles, and they must not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings.

Visionary - Leaders must have in mind the goals that they have for the future, and also any future plans for the whole group.

Inspiring and Enthusiastic - It is extremely important that a leader motivates the whole group to be on task, and motivate them to do their assigned task well. If a leader isn't motivating and inspiring, the whole work-flow of the group may collapse, and possibly resulting in dire consequences.

Endurance - Being a leader that endures throughout the whole course of the project is also an important trait. Without endurance, a leader might probably stop and give up when he encounters any obstacles. But if he endures and perseveres, he will be a leader that will not give up, and motivate the rest of the group to move on and never give up, even if they encounter any obstacles.

Integrity - A good leader will also display sincerity and integrity. These traits are extremely important, as the followers will place more trust in their leader, if he displays sincerity and integrity. Integrity is thus important for moving the whole group, even motivating them to complete their assigned tasks.

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful conditions?

My response : A good leader will naturally manage crisis under stressful conditions, in a civilized manner, that does not affect the rest of the group members psychologically, and stress them further. A group leader will naturally solve problems that he encounters, with good logical thinking, and see which is the best way out for his whole group. 

Source : Clark, D. R. (1997), Character and Traits in Leadership. Retrieved March 22, 2011 from  http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadchr.html 

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Rayner Tan(21)

What traits do they possess?

1. Honest - People want to follow an honest leader. Years ago, many employees started out by assuming that their leadership was honest simply because the authority of their position. With modern scandals, this is no longer true.

   When you start a leadership position, you need to assume that people will think you are a little dishonest. In order to be seen as an honest individual, you will have to go out of your way to display honesty. People will not assume you are honest simply because you have never been caught lying.

2. Forward-Looking - The whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from where you are now. While you may know where you want to go, people won't see that unless you actively communicate it with them. Remember, these traits aren't just things you need to have, they are things you need to actively display to those around you.

   When people do not consider their leader forward-looking, that leader is usually suffering from one of two possible problems:

   1. The leader doesn't have a forward-looking vision.
   2. The leader is unwilling or scared to share the vision with others.

   When a leader doesn't have a vision for the future, it usually because they are spending so much time on today, that they haven't really thought about tomorrow. On a very simplistic level this can be solved simply by setting aside some time for planning, strategizing and thinking about the future.

3. Competent - People want to follow someone who is competent. This doesn't mean a leader needs to be the foremost expert on every area of the entire organization, but they need to be able to demonstrate competency.

   For a leader to demonstrate that they are competent, it isn't enough to just avoid displaying incompetency. Some people will assume you are competent because of your leadership position, but most will have to see demonstrations before deciding that you are competent.

   When people under your leadership look at some action you have taken and think, "that just goes to show why he is the one in charge", you are demonstrating competency. If these moments are infrequent, it is likely that some demonstrations of competency will help boost your leadership influence.

   As a leader, one of the safest ways to "toot you own horn without blowing it", is to celebrate and bring attention to team achievements. In this way you indirectly point out your competency as a leader. For example: "Last year I set a goal of reaching $12 million in sales and, thanks to everyone's hard word, as of today, we have reached $13.5 million."

4. Inspiring - People want to be inspired. In fact, there is a whole class of people who will follow an inspiring leader–even when the leader has no other qualities. If you have developed the other traits in this article, being inspiring is usually just a matter of communicating clearly and with passion. Being inspiring means telling people how your organization is going to change the world.

   A great example of inspiration is when Steve Jobs stole the CEO from Pepsi by asking him, "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?" Being inspiring means showing people the big picture and helping them see beyond a narrow focus and understand how their part fits into the big picture.

   Intelligent - Intelligence is something that can be difficult to develop. The road toward becoming more intelligent is difficult, long and can't be completed without investing considerable time. Developing intelligence is a lifestyle choice. Your college graduation was the beginning of your education, not the end. In fact, much of what is taught in college functions merely as a foundational language for lifelong educational experiences.

   For more detailed explanation go to: http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

Being honest to his/her team, look to the future and make plans for it, being competent, inspiring the team to carry on and also have faith in him/her, and making intelligent choices.

eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Hardy Shein Nyein Chan (14)

Traits of a Leader

Being visible - Some leaders go around their workstations to assist their colleagues. This will give a sense that one is approachable and helpful. This sort of of support given to followers is good. Interact with colleagues and followers.

Being consistent - Good leaders are consistent. They have a certain culture in which their followers can get used to. One must not change too much in his character and ways in working. 

Taking initiatives - A good leader gets creative juices flowing in his team and it will let his team spark thoughts on ways to improve themselves. 

Being Positive - A good leader puts up an optimistic attitude towards his followers and the challenge he or she is faced with. He will find multiple ways to work with his followers and will always continue on even though he or she has fallen.

Responsible - Leaders accept challenges as well as successes. If an followers makes a mistake, it is your responsibility to help him or her improve. Followers will never respect a leader who deflects criticism toward the team.

Listen - A leader is also a good listener. One who can accept feedback and can also follow others who might have better ideas too. 

How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

By practicing patience, positiveness and these other values, he will be able to help and get help from followers when solving problems. He takes responsibility for his team and will help them in the time of need. 

Source: http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2005/manage.htm

2011 eLearning Week: Instructions for ACTIVITY 3

Research on lives of a leader.

• What traits do they possess?
• How do you think a good leader manages crisis under stressful situations?

Submission of Work 

1. Post your research in the blog (as shown in the googlesite) via email.
• The class Character Education blog is newly created. You have not been invited as a co-author yet.
2. Craft your research findings in an email.
• Cite the resources that your referred in at the end of the write-up.
3. Set the Subject title of the email to be: eLearning CE: Activity 3 - Your Name (Reg number)
• Example: eLearning CE: Activity 3 Timothy Tan (25)
4. Email your research to the email address given in the Googlesite.
• Your post will be published automatically on this class Character Education's blog.