Answer

Effective Leadership

Power and influence are both referred to as naturally possessed traits that follow as a result of authority.  Power is the ability to get things done within an organization.  Individuals with power have the ability to influence other people’s behaviors in order to achieve specific objectives or goals. On the other hand, influence is the ability to affect other people’s perception and change their behavior in a specific direction. Notably, these two traits have important roles in providing direction by convincing and changing people’s emotions and behaviors to complete tasks. Between the two, influence is an important trait that can inspire several people. As put by Furtner  et al (2017), power is more of command and control which in some cases is ineffective of getting individuals what the leaders want. Yes, power is important but is commonly applicable and effective in specific circumstances while influence can be used and is effective in all forms of leadership situations.

One of the qualities I believe will foster effective leadership is the ability to influence others.  According to Hickman and Akdere (2018), leadership is about influencing others.  Gandolfi and Stone (2018) states that early in ones career, people may exercise authority; however, as one advances he realizes that influencing others is the best way to foster effective leadership. Additionally, ability to collaborate with the team is an important way of leading. As a leader, one should direct others by example. Another important quality of effective leadership is transparency. The more a leader opens up about the organization’s challenges and goals, the easier it is for the employees to recognize their roles and how they can in person contribute to the company’s overall success.