Do You Really Want to be a Leader?

Bottger, P. & Barsoux, J. (2009). Do you really want to be a leader? First ask yourself these three question. Retrieved April 27, 2010 from: http://sloanreview.mit.edu/business-insight/articles/2009/5/5158/do-you-really-want-to-be-a-leader/

This article is published on the MIT Sloan Management Review Web site and challenges future leaders to examine themselves to determine whether or not they actually want to be a business leader and to what level of leadership do they aspire to. The authors state that most senior positions present tasks that are massive, complex and full of conflict and that the playing field and rules become less certain. “Also, the further an executive rises, the more he or she must deal with high-caliber people who know how to get what they want, are difficult, strong-willed and have a sharp appetite for power”. The authors state that aspiring leaders should ask themselves the following three questions so they can assess their own leadership potential: How far do I want to go? The higher an executive climbs the more tough decisions he or she has to make. What am I willing to invest? In other words, how much time and effort are you willing to put into your development and growth and give up other aspects of your life? How will I keep it up? You have to be willing to put up with times of criticism, resistance, and setbacks to succeed in the long run. I am including this annotation not to be a negative to aspiring leaders, but as a challenge to those that are serious because the higher you want to go, the harder you need to be willing work and the more you need to learn through formal education and through experiences. All aspiring managers, students, and workers in general should consider these questions so they can decide the best direction for their career path.