Hello. Could you please help with a response to the below discussion post? I need at least 1-2 references.

The ability to demonstrate good leadership skills can determine the success of a company, a business or a project. Leadership skills involve steering an organization toward a vision, motivating and providing clear direction to the people in the organization ((Project Management Institute, 2017). A great leader must demonstrate that she can adapt to changes quickly, be resilient in the face to challenges, make quick decisions to solve problems where needed and communicate clearly and authentically to the teams without showing any biases.

Leadership and management are often used interchangeably (Project Management Institute, 2017), however, they are not the same. The latter requires more tactical skills. Leadership involves good interpersonal skills to guide people toward high-level strategic goals, while building trust and providing inspiration to achieve key business objectives. A good leader must understand how to inspire and motivate people.

Some of the attributes of a successful CEO include (Mckean, 2011):

• The ability to convey complex topics simply and clearly in the context of the business.
• To respond assertively when faced with tough questions and to get the point across clearly and persuasively.
• Showing a curiosity to learn and listen to new concepts put forward to them, and a desire to keep up with the latest technology and advances in their area of business.
• Using emotional intelligence to understand people and the ability to influence behaviors based on this knowledge.

According to the author Daniel Pink in his popular Ted Talk (RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us, 2010), there are three things that drive motivation - mastery, autonomy, and purpose. Leaders must understand how to leverage these drivers to inspire teams to bring their most creative minds to work. Money may not be the only motivator to achieve long-term more complex goals when influencing teams (Patmon Jr., 2016).

With an understanding of how leaders think and behave, the individual can also adapt their behaviors when interacting and engaging with senior executives. It is to the benefit of the employee or team member to consider how to approach certain work situations.

For instance, leaders want to build rapport with their teams. So workers should make an effort to network outside of the groups and consider skip-level meetings with senior leaders beyond their manager. Employees should put together a networking plan (Mckean, 2011), to identify key contacts in the organization, influential managers to build a relationship with, and people who can connect them with these key leaders. Part of career success and professional growth is having a good network of contacts (Mckean, 2011).

References

Mckean, D. (2011). IT Management. https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/115109-M_001150-01-2158/IT%20Management.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=3vs0GVW35Iea7t7HqIT53oVFw&ou=115109

Patmon Jr., C. (2016, July 16). The Candle problem. Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/FRtQNS5dFO8

Peterson, C. (2013). The Practical Guide to Project Management. UMGC.edu. https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/115109-M_001150-01-2158/The%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Project%20Management.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=3vs0GVW35Iea7t7HqIT53oVFw&ou=115109

Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)-Sixth Edition. https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE1OTUzMjBfX0FO0?nobk=y&sid=4c0085c9-ce7e-409c-a828-21c076bbabe7@redis&vid=3&format=EB&rid=4

RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. (2010, April 1). RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. YouTube. https://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc