A Leader is a Dealer in Hope - Napoleon Bonaparte

 

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A leader is a person who led his followers to achieve the goals. Leaders turn his vision comes true, by motivating the (Bolden, 2004)

The definition by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” is most interesting among these definitions of mine. A leader is a person who creates a vision and a mission to achieve. And define objects to achieve in short periods. 

The leadership concept is developed since human evolution. Billion years ago, vison of our ancestor made who we are today. Ancient kings, emperors, religious philosopher’s leadership influenced the thinking pattern of society in history. Their charismatic individual leadership skills managed to convince people and make to follow them (Incorporated, 2003)

 

Since in past leadership moved with current leader’s successor. Whether he is capable or not, even he didn’t have the qualities to lead the people, followers, or kingdom, it passed. But with generation-to-generation of development, people understood that leaders could be born also leaders can be made (Laura Gerard, 2017). However, a good leader should secure the resources and utilize them effectively and efficiently to make his vision come true. Dealing with the expectations of followers, select the best matches to goal and guiding is most important. 

By seeking and using feedbacks leaders, also being open to new ideas leaders should be analytical, by being insightful, strategic thinking also thinking outside of the box is essential when it comes to the analytical skills of a leader. Being analytic is improve makes good and long-term efficient decisions also help for problem-solving. Leaders should be always open to learning, willing to learn, welcome ideas of others, and It’s improved emotional intelligence dealing with ambiguity and stress, build self-confidence. Learning is the key factor to accommodating a quick-changing business world. Motivation to lead by showing commitment, being credible, and hold accountability and responsibility, building trust with communication to convince followers to stakeholders is also more important. Dedication to achieving the goal is not just to execute the job, be motivate himself also being passionate about work. (DRIES & PEPERMANS, 2012)

 

However, developing skills helps the leader to identify strengths, weaknesses inside of himself and outside also recognize opportunities and reacting to threats in the external world. SWOT analyzation one of the decision-making tools uses in managing an organization. Focusing to complete the task with the resources on a minimal level of wasting but using efficiently overcoming problems is sustainable leadership.

 

When decisions are making Sustainable leaders not only think about short-term perspectives. Long-term perspectival vision linking to ethical and corporate responsibilities and the external environment is important. (Gerard, et al., 2017)  

 

To be a sustainable leader needs a long-term perspective in decision making than focusing on, improving customer value with innovations, providing high-quality products and services also developing a loyal skilled well-performing workforce (Avery & Bergsteiner, 2011).

Sustainable leadership always follows the learnings before taking decisions. The Result of deep learning is not just for short terms, it is the basic principle of sustainable leadership (Davies, 2007).

To become a sustainable leadership learning is essential. However, it’s not just learning, learning to know, to do, to be, and learning to live sustainably also learn to live together are fundamental types of principal depth learning (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005). Deep learning supports achieving a high level of results associated (Davies, 2007). However, it’s has he continue and conscious decision to implement sustainable learning approaches.

 

Balancing short term and long-term objectives succession planning, management, and succession of the self, is Length-endurance and succession (Davies, 2007).  Leaders should pay serious attention to succession and move to an improved future state. This Planning for succession of leadership is difficult. It could make leaders vulnerable (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005). 

The leadership of an organization should be properly distributed. When leadership is distributed widely distributed members can take leadership at a necessary level on necessary time in the organization's work environment. It giving chance to learn and adapt to the vision of the leader and the organization. (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005)

Doing best not only for the organization but to all external parties of the organization is another principle of sustainable leadership. Leaders should be the focus for doing justice for all. (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005)

Having diverse culture allows more learning and knowledge to the team. It gives productivity and professional development to members. (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005). Leaders have to divers and manage complexity and cohesion to sustainability.

Sustain of organization leaders have to pay attention to its resources, both human and financials. Look after the members and the environment and carefulness to the financial resources are also important. (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005)

Legacy is the last principle of sustainable leadership. Lessons learned in past and applying to the future consider as conservation. (Hargreaves & Fink, 2005)

After the global financial crisis organizations are more focused on looking for more stabled and more secured development and long term betakes for leader and followers (Kantabutra & Saratun, 2013)

Even there are many leadership models, Sustainable leadership is mostly recognized in this pandemic period. With the COVID-19 outbreak many organizations, Government’s, systems were collapse due to the lack of sustainable leadership skills of the leaders. However, some governments, organizations still surviving because of successful leadership. 

Right communication with correct statics and needful details will reduce spreading false news. However, it needs to communicate reality and reinforce a clear vision of what is happening in the organization. The message needs to be clear and consistent, but also adaptive. (Kaul, et al., 2020)

Leaders should maintain transparency and be humble enough to admit that they do not have answers. Stating the current situation in a realistic view encourage the team, build trust and faith. an optimistic vision that is both reassuring and realistic. (Kaul, et al., 2020) 

In a critical situation focus on business or organization core values are most important. Even in a pandemic situation, it's important sustaining and continue the business on its vision. The leader should hold the responsibility to keep operating the business without following values. (Kaul, et al., 2020)

A leader’s vision is not limited for short period, they could see the long term. By predicting the long-term also have to plan to handle short-term needs. Leaders should make future decisions by considering past and present trends. Even its short term or longer periods. (Kaul, et al., 2020) However, pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak thought us its fast engagement on the current situation and take quick correct sustaining decisions make high survival of the organization.

 

Connecting to colleagues and listen to them care about their problems is very important. Pandemics are not only affecting to economy and organizations. It is mainly the workforce, people of the organization. Follower’s welfare and handling stress of the management pressure is a good skill of a leader. With all of the crises, guiding the team towards to target, with managing continue of focus on work is a good quality of leadership (Kaul, et al., 2020). Quality of humility is kept togetherness of team and build trust towards to the leadership. Even in a crisis, organizations are trying to survive and keep continue the business. A crisis is not to make mistakes but to survive.

The best leaders are looking to colleagues, employees, suppliers and customers, and other organizations and gather information, knowledge needed to make good decisions. (Kaul, et al., 2020)

Continuous development of everyone and planning succession also valuing the staff under him or she are some of the foundation practices of sustainable leadership. However ethical behavior by doing the right thing is defined as a core value. Evolving and changing according to organizational changes also matches to the external environment are mentioned by (Avery & Bergsteiner, 2011) as honeybee philosophy. Being responsible to the social, environmental, and stakeholders as well as communicate the future vision with objectives to the team is essential. Even these mentioned as foundational (Avery & Bergsteiner, 2011) listed higher-level practices under honeybee philosophy. 

 

Knowledge sharing is also important as deep learning. Spread the knowledge and retention make sure to keep track of records and maintaining the knowledge base is good to practice. Decision making, self-management and team orientation engagement improve quality with innovation to the organization are higher practices according to (Avery & Bergsteiner, 2010)

 

However, as described importance of sustainable leadership to deal with goals and dreams, it’s hard to implement inside of an organization. People don’t want to change; they want to stick to comfortable and easiness. offloading conventional knowledge and familiarizing with new knowledge and practices is identified biggest challenge. Also, it’s not given fast results and profit. Slow adaptation, continuous training make disruptive. Sudden major changes could be involved risks and might bring down the performances short-termly. (Avery & Bergsteiner, 2010) 

Even it’s hard to adopt sustainability strategies and practices, by changing the culture and approaches of old-fashioned leadership, researchers had proven it is lead higher resilience and performance over the long term. Finally, I would like to suggest that as an organization we could be more sustainable and lead the organization to the vision. And make with hopes to become true.