Why Focus on Leadership?

Leadership consists of influencing others with the intention of achieving a goal. Leadership has been studied for years because of the importance of the role of leaders. Because we live in functional societies, there will always be at least one person that will become a leader in that society. In my opinion, leaders can be born and can also be made. Some people are just born with a magnetic personality that attracts others to follow them, but having this personality is not always enough. It has to be shaped to agree with the circumstances. For this reason, leaders can also be made. There are different theories that provide different approaches to the study of leadership. Some of these theories are the Trait Theory of Leadership and the Process Theory of Leadership (as pictured at right).



Trait Theory of Leadership (left) and Process Theory of Leadership (right)



The Trait Theory explains that leaders have traits that make them appealing to others such as intelligence, charisma, and extroversion. The Process Theory explains that it is the interaction between the leader and the followers, which is in turn observed by others, that makes a person a leader. This theory is in accord with the idea that leaders are made from the situations. Communication is key. This is true both for verbal and non verbal communication. If the followers feel that the leader genuinely cares about them, they will be more inclined to work harder to achieve the goal. Also if they feel that their leader is trying to push them to achieve the goal, but knowing their limitations and without making them have to do something they cannot do with their current set of knowledge and skills, they will also try to fulfill their task. 

The workplace is greatly influenced by the capacity of its leaders. If the manager is a true leader and not just a boss, then there will be an inspiring environment and people will want to excel and improve. The concept of leadership is a key element of any successful organization. For this reason there are hundreds of leadership trainings and conferences, such as this one, taking place throughout the year. The Manhattanville College Annual Leadership Conference will take a practical approach to leadership in the way of giving participants the tools to succeed in the workplace and in life after graduation. We hope you will join us on Saturday, February 19th for a great day learning about leadership.

- Anna Gabriela Batlle Reyes, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee