Tonight I’ve decided to add a new category in my blog which I prefer to name it Intellectual Discourse. The main reason is that I want to share certain ideas on various issues that need some thinking and intellectual discussion among friends, readers as well as visitors. The idea is also originated when I handled few assessment activities for a particular organization’s recruitment last few weeks where I noticed that most of the candidates seem to have limited exposure on certain important issues whether it is global or local.

The first and foremost topic I want to share here is about leadership. The topic that most people think they know better about it. The topic is also inter-related with the subject that I’m taking right now for my Master degree : Leadership Development.

Since the subject of leadership itself covers wide and variety of perspectives, for the beginning I would like to share ideas about the book that I’ve bought last year, writen by Dr. Hans Finzel : The Top Ten Mistake Leaders Make. Although leadership is the hot topic in many areas, most people who find themselves in positions of leadership have little or nor training for the role. They simply continue to make the same old mistakes.

For the introduction, what is the leadership all about. According to Dr. Hans Finzel the best way to spell leadership is I-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E. Yes, leadership is actually all about influence, a simple one word definition. Anyone who influence someone else to do something has led that person.

The book discusses the 10 top ten mistakes that leaders make namely:

1. The Top-down attitude;
2. Putting paperwork before peoplework;
3. The absence of affirmation;
4. No room for mavericks;
5. Dictatorship in decision making;
6. Dirty delegation;
7. Communication chaos;
8. Missing the clues of corporate culture;
9. Success without successors; and
10. Failure to focus on the future.

I will share my ideas on the above mistakes from time to time. and will be continued later.