Reading Analysis #1
1A. The readings aim to answer the question: What makes a great leader? “Charisma”, or the power
to inspire devotion in others is not enough. A great leader is one whom is “people focused”. (S)he is one
to put people first, help people find and pursue their passions, bring people together on a personal level,
empower people to do their own work, and create a space where people can be themselves. A great leader
possesses emotional intelligence, manifested in self focus actions (self-awareness, self-regulation and
motivation) and team focus actions (sympathy and social skill). From a neuroscience perspective, an
effective leader’s two main focus are to make people feel safe, and to create connections, as these two
things activate the limbic brain, inhibiting creativity and the drive for excellence. This is how a leader
“influences” and “empowers” people. A leader’s main goal is to cope with change (vision focused),
whereas a manager’s main goal is to cope with the complexity of day to day operations (task focused). A
great leader is effective and adaptive, following the rule of “mission first, then team, then self”.
