Strive for Success
“Success Is Journey For Leaders.”
Opening Case Study :
Vladimir Putin –A Successful Leader
Ruling a country isn’t an easy thing to do. You have got to be extremely smart, wily, and stubborn and at times a wee bit violent. Just like Vladimir Putin, the man who has been leading Russia for years now and is responsible for the country’s economic, political and all-round success. If Russia is in the league of the ‘developed’ countries of the world for so long despite all its internal conflicts, it would all be thanks to Putin’s leadership.
Putin served as the prime minister and president of Russia from the year 1999 until today. And while he was in term, Russia’s economy grew significantly from where it was. While Putin is constantly accused of some not-very- democratic principles that he imposed upon the people of Russia, he is also responsible for the decline in poverty and unemployment that was prevailing in Russia by then.
Putin was born to Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanovna in Leningrad. Senior Putin was in the Russian navy who retired at an early age after an injury. Putin had a very normal life as a kid, a life so simple that he often spoke of it later in his biographies. Not many might know of this, but he was a Judo champion. This probably explains Putin’s well-known aggressive nature.
Putin later went on to graduate in law from the Leningrad State University. He then got trained in the Soviet’s security, KGB, becoming a directorate and then a Lieutenant Colonel all in the span of fifteen years. For a while, Putin was back at Leningrad State University and it was only in the year 1996 that his political career began.
Boris Yeltsin’s government took in Putin as the head of their Federal Security Service and a few years after that, in 1999 Putin became the prime minister only when he was 47 years old. Although he admitted to thinking that it was a “heavy load to bear”, he would not let go of the chance to serve his country. From 2000 until 2008, he was the president. A country that was robbed of its glory, was living in constant chaos and fear begin to see the light of the day under Putin’s rule. Things were freer, people happier and economic growth phenomenal.
Sometimes it is necessary to be lonely in order to prove that you are right – Vladimir Putin. It was not surprising that he was re-elected as a prime minister in the year 2008, a position which he continued with until 2012. And then in 2012, he was elected as the president againThe world and the Russians can’t deny that he is something of a savior for Russia.
He received the Bronze Medal for Faithful Service to the National People’s Army issued in the German Democratic Republic in the year 1989.In 2006, he was felicitated with the ‘Grand-Croix’ (Grand Cross) by the President of France, Jacques Chirac. The following year, he was named the ‘Person of the Year’ by ‘Time’ magazine.He was a recipient of the ‘King Abdul Aziz Award’ in 2007 by Saudi King Abdullah. The same year, he was awarded with the ‘Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’ award by President of UAE.In2011, he was awarded with an honorary doctorate by the ‘University of Belgrade’.
Leaders must lead. This seems like an obsolete statement, however research in the USA and the Netherlands has shown that 70% of employees have the feeling that their leader has no idea what they are doing. So, leaders must lead. Leaders first of all are to be facilitators; equipping employees with the tools and information they need to do their jobs fast and efficiently. Leaders are to help employees set targets in line with the purpose, the goals and the strategy of the organization, and to coach their employees towards success. Leaders also need to hire and fire, and help poor performers improve. It is a lot of work, leadership, but it is the first and most important key to success.
Successful leaders are the power and intellect behind their organizations. They are the visionaries charged with steering their brand around pitfalls. Theyknow when to seize opportunities and how to rally employees to work hard toward their company’s goals.
Effective leaders transcend the title of “manager” or “boss.” They find a way to achieve the right combination of charisma, enthusiasm and self-assurance, probably with a healthy dose of luck and timing.
It may seem like some people are just gifted with these skills, but the truth is most leadership traits can be learned and sharpened with time and practice.
To become a successful leader, you must:
- Clarity of Vision: Successful leaders have one trait in common: clarity about what they want out of their organization, what kind of team they want to work with and what they want to accomplish. It’s that laser focus that helps them determine what actions to take and where to spend their energy on a daily basis.
- Adopting Effective Strategy: Great leaders develop winning strategies, drive innovation, implement change,
- and create organizations that can succeed in complex markets. Strong leadership is equally important at the project-team or business-unit level to ensure that teams and individual employees make the strongest possible contribution to the success of the business.
- Creating competent teams: The leader cannot possibly be competent in every area without being engaged in the team. The leader must know each member and the team as a whole in order to bring them all together and create a process that is open, productive, and promotes confidence.
- Installing Efficient Systems: It is important to consider the efficiency and accuracy of the business systems. This way, the business’ principles and implementation become a lot clearer and easier. Systems also enable employers to monitor and manage their staff. It allows them to interact with each other and connect them to the operational strategies of the business.
- Dedicated Actions: The universe doesn’t reward people for what they know, it rewards people for what they do and leaders are doers. Leaders are geared towards taking action and they realize that for a team to come together, it requires moving from potential to action. The decision is yours to make. While making a decision might lead towards failure, the act of failing to make a decision will absolutely guarantee failure.
CONCLUSION:
Whether you are a small business or startup, restaurateur or retailer, the difference between success and failure across industries stems from one word: leadership. Those in charge truly set the stage for success. Without the presence of a strong leader the landscape is weighed down by demotivated staff, undelivered promises and disappointed stakeholders.A successful leader is an influencer who can inspire, motivate and get the best out of their people.