How To Become a Great Leader

One thing that all great leaders have in common is strong beliefs. Once you understand your beliefs, you can next look at your group to determine if those beliefs are being promoted. To be a great leader, you don't want to waste time worrying about things that are not directly connected to your beliefs.

You must focus on yourself and your goals. Many people have misconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. Some will tell you it is a natural gift, while others will say a leader must be tall or speak well. In reality, these factors are insignificant when it comes to being a strong leader. The most important aspect of being a great leader is having strong principles. A person without principles will not succeed as a leader.

In addition to having well defined principles, you must also have the bravery to bring them into fruition. You should see yourself as being a guide based on the principles that you believe in. It doesn't matter if you are the leader of a company, team, or army. Those who are under you will all want the same thing. They want someone who they can trust. They want to work with a leader who is looking out for the best interests of the group. Not only will they want to be led by someone they can trust, but they also want to be led by someone they like. A leader is nothing if they don't have someone to follow them.

If you want to know how strong of a leader you are, all you have to do is look at the performance of your group. Do they work at a high level? Are they successful? The performance of your group is a reflection of the quality of your own leadership. A great leader will not only reach their goals, but they should surpass them as well. The first thing you will want to do is decide what is important to you. You should understand your values, goals, and beliefs. Once you have clearly defined them, you will next want to decide if you are promoting these beliefs on a consistent basis. If you are not promoting these values each day, you will want to start as soon as possible.

Any organization that you are with should support your principles. If it does not, you will fail as a leader. You should provide all the necessary assistance to those under you to make sure they can succeed. They should be given all the tools they need. This is information you will want to go over on a daily basis. Doing it will allow you to see how you are performing as a leader. You will want to make changes to any areas that need improvements. When you make changes, you will want to make sure they are done gradually, as your group needs to become familiar with them. This will require you to be patient, and patience is an important trait for a good leader.

Once you have a well defined set of beliefs, you will want to alter your behavior in such a way that it is in alignment with your principles. In fact, a great leader will seek to create a culture around their principles and goals. It is important to get the thoughts of those that are under you. A common mistake made by leaders is focusing too much on their own convictions while ignoring the opinions and thoughts of those that follow them. While you will ultimately want to support both your goals and beliefs, the opinions of those that follow you should always be taken in consideration. Remember, without them you are nothing.

Spend time talking with your followers to find out what they need. Communication is important, and a good leader will also want to be a good listener. Your followers may have great ideas that you may not have considered. At the same time, you will want to give your followers just enough to make them happy, but not so much that they become completely independent. While charisma is something that you may or may not have, being a great leader is something that can be learned, but it will take effort on your part.

The Secrets of Successful Leaders

If you wish to be a great leader, you will want to have a deep understanding of what is valuable to you. It is also essential for you to understand ethics. A great leader will showcase their ethics and values in their behavior.

A common problem that many leaders have is trust from those that follow them. When you don't showcase your ethics or values, people will be wary of trusting you. The reason for this is because they can't be certain of what actions you will perform. When people understand the value and ethics of a leader, they will be more inclined to trust them.

When a leader makes the mistake of behaving in a way that is contrary to their stated values and ethics, they will lose the trust of their followers, and it will be next to impossible for them to ever get it back. The role of trust is important to for those who want to increase their leadership skills. Trust has been broken down into three parts, and these are the ability to trust, the image of competence, and the image of intentions. If you have set down important guidelines that you fail to follow, you will lose the respect of those that work under you.

However, when you follow rules that you have created, you will earn the respect of those who are beneath you. In addition to this, you will have a powerful effect on their actions. One secret to being a successful leader is to pick the values that you want to define you. Some words that should come to mind are accuracy, respect, honesty, reliability, and efficiency. You will want to pick the values that will define your behavior, and you will want to live by it. When you live by the values you choose, you will greatly influence those that follow you.

A number of things have been written about the attributes of a good leader. However, there are some characteristics which stand out from others. Great leaders are those that make the decision to lead, and they want to be the individuals that will be followed by others. A great leader is someone who has a powerful vision, one that is so strong that they can practically taste it. In fact, the greatest leaders in history are those that thought of nothing but the goals they wished to achieve. Another important trait of a good leader is the ability to motivate and inspire those that follow them. In addition to this, they will make their own followers feel important, instead of just elevating themselves.

Many people have debated about whether great leaders are made or born. I believe the answer to this question is both. While there have been great leaders throughout history who have naturally demonstrated the ability to lead, their have been cases of normal people who have become great leaders as well. In other words, I feel that great leaders can be both made and born. Leadership is not the same as management. Many people make the mistake of confusing the two. There are some key differences between the two concepts.

When someone talks about management, they are referring to those that are responsible for giving directions to employees or workers. A manager may be responsible for designing a number of systems which allow employees to work efficiently. They are also responsible for handling any problems that may arise among those they manage. The goal of a manager is to get employees to work in a manner that is highly proficient. While a manager may have some of the traits seen in leaders, they are not the true definition of one.

A great leader is rare. They tend to have a specific combination of abilities that are difficult to learn. Many of the things that compose a great leader appear to be natural. Many people have personalities that allow them to easily move into leadership positions, while other people may not display leadership abilities until they are placed in a difficult situation. In this situation, people that appear to be normal could demonstrate a brilliant capability to lead. Other people choose to lead. They understand what it takes to be a good leader, and choose to take on this role

Leadership Styles

One factor in becoming a successful leader is choosing the right leadership style. The style that you choose to use will play a role in your success or failure. As you can imagine, there is no one leadership style that will work for all situations.

To become a good leader, you will need to know when to use a certain leadership style for a given situation. There are six simple leadership styles that you will want to become familiar with. In this article I will go over them, and you can decide which one is best to use for a given situation. You will want to choose the one which will help you succeed.

The first leadership style is called the authoritative method. This style should be used when you wish to persuade those that follow you to carry out a specific task. A leader who uses the authoritative method is telling their followers to "join them." This is a style of leadership which will convey a great deal of confidence. You don't want to demand that your followers carry out a certain task. This is a very considerate style.

The second style of leadership is called the coercive method. When a leader uses this style, they are telling their followers to "do as I say, not as I do." This style is not good for people who run their own businesses. A business person who uses this style will find it hard to build strong bonds with their employees, because they don't set a good example. This style should rarely be used, especially if you are the manager or CEO of a company. It is not efficient for laying down long term objectives.

The third style of leadership is called the affiliative method. Another name for this style could be called "followers come first." This is one of the best leadership styles in existence. A leader who uses this style realizes that they are nothing without those that follow them. These leaders will typically be quick to perform difficult tasks with those beneath them, and will not place themselves above those they lead, even though they have enough power to do so. This method has been used by many well known multi-billion dollar companies.

The fourth style is called the democratic method. Leaders who use this method will want their followers to have a say in the decisions they make. This is a very good style of leadership that is similar to the affiliative method. When employees are allowed to play a part in the decisions that are made by the leader, they will feel valuable, and research has shown that they will become very productive. Unfortunately, this is not a method that is used by many large companies. Most companies are run by a CEO and board of directors who make the decisions, and their employees are not allowed to participate.The employees will often have a view of the company that the corporate executives may not see, and could be instrumental in helping the company improve.

The fifth style of leadership is called the pacesetting method. With this style, a leader will create high standards that they will follow, and will expect their employees to perform in the same manner. With this style, the leader is basically telling their employees to "act as I do."

The sixth and last leadership style is called the coaching method. With this style, the leader will place an emphasis on the development of his followers. This is a good style of leadership because it allows you to invest in your followers, and when their skills or knowledge is enhanced, they will be more productive.

There will be situations where multiple leadership styles will need to be used. No matter which style you decide to use, it is absolutely critical that you understand that the people you lead are more important than marketing, products, or services. They are the people who can make or break your company. If you don't believe this, imagine for a moment what would happen if all your employees decide to quit on the same day. Your business, no matter how successful it is, would slow to a halt. While this may sound simple, you would be surprised by the number of large companies that fail to understand it.

Leadership Tips

To become a great leader, your followers must be able to respect you. There are a number of tips you will want to follow to gain and keep the respect of those you lead. There are a lot of mistakes made by people who wish to be leaders, and they are often made because they don't understand what people want.

One common problem made by leaders is expecting people to follow them because they have a certain title. It is not enough for you to have the title of CEO or captain. A title is nothing if people don't respect the person who holds it.

How you rate as a leader is dependent on what the people in your group think of you. To have authority which extends beyond your title, you will need to earn the respect of those who are under you. The best way to do this is to practice honesty and communicate effectively with everyone. When you have bad news, you should share it as quickly as the good news. If you make a mistake, admit it. People don't like to be lead by someone who is not willing to acknowledge their mistakes. If you are not able to acknowledge your mistakes, this means you will make them again, and this will send across a message that you are incompetent. Always fulfill any promises you make.

It is also important to make sure there is active communication between you and those you lead. When you are not communicating with those you lead, you are on the road to disaster. How can you know were to improve as a leader if you don't have anyone to provide you with feedback? When employees don't feel like they are part of a company, they will begin to drift away, and their performance levels will drop. Once this begins to happen, the revenue of the company will begin to drop as well. Communication is an important part of being a successful leader. No matter how smart, brave, or strong you may be, you are not omnipotent, and cannot know everything. Your employees may have suggestions that can help you succeed, and you should always want to seek out their advice.

Are you spending more time managing those beneath you instead of letting them manage themselves? Spending too much time managing those beneath you is not fair to you or those you lead. First, you will be putting too much stress on yourself. It is impossible for you to do it all. You shouldn't have to directly manage your employees. They should be able to manage themselves. Your goal should be to lead them to success, and you will need to use their energy in order to achieve this.

To be a good leader, you will need to find a balance between dangerous risks and being overly cautious. A lot of people fall under one extreme, and this is not a good form of leadership. Taking unnecessary risks can put you and those you lead at risk. For example, if you are a military general, how do you think your troops would feel if you led them into a place you were not familiar with? It would not be long before you were replaced by someone who is more competent. At the same time, a leader that is too cautious will not inspire their followers to succeed.

If you want the respect of those you lead, you will need to give the impression of a leader who is not only the head of an organization, but is someone that actively participates in the tasks that members are required to carry out. Work together with the group. Don't sit back and let them do all the hard work. This will convey a message that you are better than they are, and this will cause them to become resentful. Once this happens, their performance will begin to decline, and your organization can fail to succeed. Even though great leaders can be difficult to find, you will want to take the time to increase your skills. Learn what works and what doesn't. Being a successful leader requires you to understand people. Once you understand what they want, you will only need to give it to them.

Interview Tips

1. If you do not recognize a term ask for further definition. You may know the methodology/term but you have used a different name for it.

2. Always keep in mind that the employer wants to know what you are going to do for them, with that you should always stay/be positive.

3. Don't feel as though you need to literally answer the question.

4. Be brief in your response, yet be prepared to expand should you be asked to do so, or should you judge it a good opening for a more complete response.

5. Be positive in your responses, even when the question is negative.



To help you get started, here are 10 probable questions that you will be asked during the interview process, along with some suggestions on how to answer each.


1. Why did you send me your resume?

Suggestions: Emphasize what you can do for them versus what you want from them. Shape your response along the lines of, "I sent my resume with the belief that my skills of A, B and C, along with my experience of X, Y and Z, would prove a valuable resource to your company."

Example: "I sent you my resume, highlighting my technical talents in IT along with my managerial experience, confident that you would see me as a valuable resource. Allow me to be more specific as I learn more about your immediate needs."


2. Tell me about yourself...

Suggestion : It is tempting, with such a question, to tell your life story. Resist this temptation. Respond with a quick overview highlighting your skills and accomplishments, and flavor your answer with a comment about your style and personality.

Example: "My career is a balance between the technical and managerial. Early in my career, I focused on providing technical solutions to business problems, and, more recently, on providing solid leadership in the re-engineering of the IT department. Beyond my many skills and experience, I believe my success is due largely to my ability to quickly engage others, motivate team members and clearly communicate."


3. How can you help us?

Suggestion: If there are identifiable corporate needs, than address them; if not, then be careful not to go out on a limb saying you can do certain things that may not be of interest. Rather, turn the question and response from what you CAN do, to what you HAVE done.

Example: "Not knowing the particulars of your current situation, allow me to share with you some recent successes which are representative of my talents. (give an example and quantify) With that said, may I ask how that begins to address your needs?"


4. What are your strengths?

Suggestion: Be selective of your many strengths and choose three or four that directly relate to the position or identified corporate needs. Sometimes a mere listing of skills has high impact and is most effective. Yet, be prepared to expand and give examples if prompted.

Example: "Three strengths or skills quickly come to mind: namely, 1, 2 and 3. (pause) I mention these particular skills or strengths because they have served me well throughout my career and, I believe, would prove valuable to your company as you address issues of A, B and C."


5. What are your weaknesses?

Suggestion: Minimize your response. Even though the interviewer might ask for "weaknesses," give just one at a time. Make it realistic, yet don't give ammunition to fire back at you. Mention some "weakness" that in a different context might be considered a strength.

Example: "I'm tenacious and I hate to give up, yet I do realize the value of time and the importance of not taking decisions to halt an effort as a personal failure."


6. What types of problems do you like to deal with?

Suggestion: Not all problems are negative. Sometimes it might involve fixing something that is broken, although it could also involve capitalizing on an opportunity. Reflect for a moment on the position and why that position exists, then reference some responsibilities and activities in which you thrive and which you believe would contribute to that company's productivity, grow and profit.

Example: "I enjoy a mix of problems, both the quick daily problems that I can address based on my knowledge and experience, as well as larger problems that involve input from many sources, careful analysis and strategic thinking. My preference, too, is toward quantitative issues that can be resolved in a matter of weeks."


7. How do you motivate others?

Suggestion: Think for a moment about human behavior and your philosophy of managing; then comment on your style of encouraging and supporting others toward completing a common goal. Be prepared with concrete examples.

Example: "Ultimately, a person can only motivate himself/herself. The role of the manager is to understand what motivates individuals and provide the support for that person to be successful. It takes patience in listening and understanding others, an expressed confidence in the person and a reinforcement of that person's progress toward a goal."


8. What would your boss say about you?

Suggestion: Although we have all been criticized from time to time, be positive and highlight some of your qualities and strengths. If your relationship with your boss is strained or negative, generalize the response to bosses you have had over the years and the compliments that they have paid you. Once again, choose comments that reinforce your candidacy for the position for which you are interviewing.

Example: "I've had the good fortune of having bosses who are very supportive of my work. They have commonly complimented me on my analytical and problem-solving skills. In addition, they recognize my leadership abilities and willingness to push myself and others toward concrete results."


9. What do you hope to be doing in three years?

Suggestion: Indicate that you would be first looking to do an outstanding job in the position under discussion. As to the future, show your ambition, yet be realistic and avoid mentioning positions by title. Be careful not to set yourself up as a competitor with the interviewer.


Example: "First, let me say that I would certainly look forward to being part of your team and am confident that I could do an outstanding job. As to the future, I think my success would bring other responsibilities. So, regarding your question, I would see myself playing an increasingly important role in the company's leadership and growth."


10. Why should I consider hiring you over other candidates?

Suggestion: Emphasize that, while not knowing the other candidates, you are confident that you have the skills, experience and demonstrated accomplishments that have prepared you for such a role and that assure your future success. This question provides a perfect opportunity to close by asking for feedback and the interviewer's full support in moving forward.

Example: "I have been in your position of making hiring decisions, and I have always asked the question, 'Who is skilled, motivated and most likely to fit with the team?' From our discussion, I hope I have clearly conveyed my skills and experience, and my strong desire to be part of your team. Bottom line, I am confident I can get the job done for you in a timely and profitable manner."

What is Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

The various activities that are undertaken when developing software are commonly modelled as a software development lifecycle. The software development lifecycle begins with the identification of a requirement for
software and ends with the formal verification of the developed software against that requirement.

The software development lifecycle does not exist by itself; it is in fact part of an overall product lifecycle. Within the product lifecycle, software will undergo maintenance to correct errors and to comply with changes to requirements. The simplest overall form is where the product is just software, but it can become much more complicated with multiple software developments, each forming part of an overall system to comprise a product.

There are a number of different models for software development lifecycles. Some of the more commonly used models are:

-> Waterfall Lifecycle Model
-> Modified Waterfall Lifecycle Model
-> V Lifecycle Model
-> Progressive Development Lifecycle Model
-> Iterative / Incremental Lifecycle Model
-> Spiral Lifecycle Model
-> Prototyping Model
-> RAD Lifecycle Model

Levels in CMM

Level 1
Characterized by chaos, periodic panics, and heroic efforts required by individuals to successfully complete projects. Few if any processes in place; successes may not be repeatable.

Level 2
Software project tracking, requirements management, realistic planning, and configuration managementprocesses are in place; successful practices can be repeated.

Level 3
Standard software development and maintenance processes are integrated throughout an organization; a Software Engineering Process Group is is in place to oversee software processes, and training programs are used to ensure understanding and compliance.

Level 4
Metrics are used to track productivity, processes, and products. Project performance is predictable, and quality is consistently high.

Level 5
The focus is on continouous process improvement. The impact of new processes and technologies can bepredicted and effectively implemented when required.

Difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)

What is Software Quality?
Though there are a number of definitions propounded by the gurus in the field - each having its own adherents, two definitions that are widely accepted and that are complementary to each other are:
- Conformance to explicitly stated functional and performance requirements, explicitly documented development standards, and implicit characteristics that are expected of all professionally developed software.
- The degree to which a system, component, or process meets specified requirements and customer or user needs or expectations.

Quality assurance and quality control both contribute in delivering a high quality software product though the way they go about it is different. This can be illustrated by looking at the definitions of the two.

What is Software Quality Assurance?
Software QA involves the entire software development PROCESS - monitoring and improving the process, making sure that any agreed-upon standards and procedures are followed, and ensuring that problems are found and dealt with. It is oriented to ’prevention’.

This is a ’staff’ function, and is responsible for establishing standards and procedures to prevent defects and breakdowns in the SDLC. The focus of QA is prevention, processes, and continuous improvement of these processes.

What is Software Quality Control?
This is a department function, which compares the standards to the product, and takes action when non-conformance is detected for example testing.This involves operation of a system or application under controlled conditions and evaluating the results (e.g., ’if the user is in interface A of the application while using hardware B, and does C, then D should happen’). The controlled conditions should include both normal and abnormal conditions. Testing should intentionally attempt to make things go wrong to determine if things happen when they shouldn’t or things don’t happen when they should. It is oriented to ’detection’.

Relationship between QC and QA
An application that meets its requirements totally can be said to exhibit quality. Quality is not based on a subjective assessment but rather on a clearly demonstrable, and measurable, basis. Quality.

- Quality Control is a process directed at validating that a specific deliverable meets standards, is error free, and is the best deliverable that can be produced. It is a responsibility internal to the team.
- QA, on the other hand, is a review with a goal of improving the process as well as the deliverable. QA is often an external process. QA is an effective approach to producing a high quality product.

One aspect is the process of objectively reviewing project deliverables and the processes that produce them (including testing), to identify defects, and then making recommendations for improvement based on the reviews. The end result is the assurance that the system and application is of high quality, and that the process is working. The achievement of quality goals is well within reach when organizational strategies are used in the testing process. From the client's perspective, an application's quality is high if it meets their expectations.

What is SEI? CMM? CMMI? ISO? IEEE? ANSI?

SEI = 'Software Engineering Institute' at Carnegie-Mellon University; initiated by the U.S. Defense Department to help improve software development processes.

CMM = 'Capability Maturity Model', now called the CMMI ('Capability Maturity Model Integration'), developed by the SEI. It's a model of 5 levels of process 'maturity' that determine effectiveness in delivering quality software. It is geared to large organizations such as large U.S. Defense Department contractors. However, many of the QA processes involved are appropriate to any organization, and if reasonably applied can be helpful. Organizations can receive CMMI ratings by undergoing assessments by qualified auditors.

ISO = 'International Organisation for Standardization' - The ISO 9001:2000 standard (which replaces the previous standard of 1994) concerns quality systems that are assessed by outside auditors, and it applies to many kinds of production and manufacturing organizations, not just software.It covers documentation, design, development, production, testing, installation, servicing, and other processes.
The full set of standards consists of:
(a)Q9001-2000 - Quality Management Systems: Requirements;
(b)Q9000-2000 - Quality Management Systems: Fundamentals and Vocabulary;
(c)Q9004-2000 - Quality Management Systems: Guidelines for Performance Improvements.

To be ISO 9001 certified, a third-party auditor assesses an organization, and certification is typically good for about 3 years, after which a complete reassessment is required. Note that ISO certification does not necessarily indicate quality products - it indicates only that documented processes are followed. Also see http://www.iso.ch/ for the latest information.

IEEE = 'Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' - among other things, creates standards such as 'IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation' (IEEE/ANSI Standard 829), 'IEEE Standard of Software Unit Testing (IEEE/ANSI Standard 1008), 'IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans' (IEEE/ANSI Standard 730), and others.

ANSI = 'American National Standards Institute', the primary industrial standards body in the U.S.; publishes some software-related standards in conjunction with the IEEE and ASQ (American Society for Quality).Other software development/IT management process assessment methods besides CMMI and ISO 9000 include SPICE, Trillium, TickIT, Bootstrap, ITIL, MOF, and CobiT.

What is Six Sigma?

In statistics "sigma" refers to a variation. Six Sigma methodology focuses on reducing variation as a way to improve process. In particular, it uses sigma to measure the performance of a process to produce defect-free results. A defect is anything that causes customer dissatisfaction, such as a product that doesn't meet the customers specifications, poor service, or a price tag that's too high.

The term Six Sigma defines an optimum measurement of quality. A company operating at Six Sigma quality produces 3.4 defects per million opportunities; that is, the work is 99.999966% defect free. Today, most organizations operate between 2 and 3 sigma. Even the best companies in the world operate at the 99% perfect level. 99% perfect (3.8 sigma) is still 6,000 to 66,0000 defects per million.