Unit 3-Leadership is Power

With leadership comes power. In this unit we discussed the different approaches to leaderships and the challenges and advantages that come with being a leader. In another class of mine, Organizational Communication, many of our topics overlap and one important aspect of leadership that I felt was left out of these sections was power; the types of power, the way leaders gain power, and the way individuals keep power. Leaders are leaders because of the perceived power that they hold over employees. I believe that in order to be an effective leader, one must be granted power from their employees and be able to maintain that power with a sense of respect for the subordinates as well as the organization itself. I don't know about you all, but think of a time when a manager, a group leader, or even someone who thought they had decisive power over you abused that power and you lost a little bit of respect for them as a leader; many situations come to mind.