MODEL ANSWER | BAND7.0

Recruiters consider the applicant’s personality while selecting them for managerial roles. Leadership, good communication skills, empathy and good manners are a few important characteristics that companies expect from a manager. In my opinion, leadership is an acquired skill due to the reasons outlined below.

Nobody is born with the skill or talent to lead a group of people or a community. Experience from our lives helps us to learn and become a good leader. Taking initiatives and helping the group in various tasks and becoming a role model for them is possible only through repetitive practice. It is rare for a newbie to be successful in the first few attempts. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi was a remarkable leader and from his autobiography we can see that it was through his life experiences and practice that he learned the skills required to be a good leader. Therefore, I believe that leadership is not an inborn skill but an acquired one.

Along with leadership quality some other factors are also considered while selecting a good manager. These are good communication skills, empathetic nature and good manners. Firstly, good communication is extremely important for a leader as he needs to communicate effectively within his group as well as to the customers. In addition, empathy is an equally important characteristic for a manager because only then his subordinates or customers will feel free to express their feelings to him. Finally, the ability to maintain one’s cool even during tough times makes one an ideal choice for a manager.

 For instance, managers may have to deal with tough clients and during such situations it is necessary for them to be calm and good mannered to cope with the situation and resolve it. Therefore, apart from leadership quality, all the other characteristics mentioned above are extremely important for a good manager. In conclusion, leadership is not an inherent skill but an acquired or learned one. Managers who possess leadership quality, communication skills, empathy and good manners will do utmost justice to their roles.