Academia, a training ground for leadership roles

Leadership and management are inter-related. Both means the quality to handle or lead or work with different individuals and reach goals. Regardless of background, any person can be a  leader or manager. There is need for a little push or training which should be there for all the students in their universities.

University life is the time when a person is shaped. They chase their passion and reach towards their goals during this time. They train themselves to achieve their desired goals. For business graduates, this course might be there, but the students of other backgrounds do not usually get the chance to study this. For some people, leadership might be a natural trait, but for many, it is a thing to learn and understand. Some people might have it deep inside them, and if they are taught leadership and management, this quality might come out, and that person can become a great leader or manager later in life. All they need is a guide, which should be there in all the universities.

In technology-based companies very often business graduates are hired to lead the team or manage them just because that person was taught this in their university. However, this is not always right since that person might not know about technology. However, if the leader was someone from the tech background, he/she might be a better leader and do a better job managing the company. It goes for other industries as well.

A large company is usually divided into many departments. These departments have a specific person as the head of the department. There are many departments such as marketing, finance, technology etc. and one person from each department is selected as a leader. The chosen leader must know what he/she is doing to lead and manage the team, as he/she is responsible for the whole department. Moreover, if these traits are taught in all fields of study, everyone will be prepared to move ahead and lead the team.

Startup companies are more common now-a-days. Anyone can start a business/ company with an idea. That person will also be responsible for all the activities and will have to lead and guide all the other employees toward the goals. This needs great sense of leadership and management skills, which needs to be taught across all fields of study.

People always want someone as a leader/ manager who not only leads them but also guides and helps them overcome their hurdles and issues. This is not an easy task. It needs the right amount of knowledge. Moreover, to get that knowledge, he/she has to study these. If these are taught at the university level, that person can nourish these traits and become better. However, if these are not taught and if suddenly responsibility comes, the person will not be prepared, and it will make him/her look weak in front of the colleagues. Teaching these will keep the person ready for the battle.

By leadership, many people think that it means to tell people what to do. However, it is a lot more than that. It means to be empathetic, understand the task, guide, and nurture the people towards a common goal so that it can be achieved together. These traits need to be taught.

Leaders are born everywhere, but they might be covered in dust and not shine as they are meant to. With a bit of care, which is teaching the traits, any person from any background can shine bright as a leader/ manager.

The writer is working as a strategic assistant partner at Banglalink Digital. She can be reached at [email protected]