GMAT Essays (AWA)

“People are likely to accept as a leader only someone who has demonstrated an ability to perform the same tasks
that he or she expects others to perform.”
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons
and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading

Author says that Only a person who has demonstrated an ability to perform the same tasks that people expect others to perform
is likely to be chosen as a leader. I completely disagree with the author opinion on leadership. The opinion is narrow and does
not understand what goes into making a good leader.

Authors opinion makes us believe that only those people who have functional expertise in certain tasks can become leaders.
This opinion if agreed to means that Abrahim linchon would never have become Americas president, as he was a poor lawyer
With no experience in slave trade or sugar trade or agriculture, the three biggest occupations of Americans at that time.
Similarly Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer by occupation with no experience or exposure to politics or political science, but he became the leader of
the masses of India, for their struggle for Freedom from coloniasim. History teaches us that people who have being chosen has leaders,
are those who can show people and nations visions about moving forward and solving their problems, and grit and determination in making
their visions successful.

Another reason that shows authors opinion is narrow and impractical is functioning of big corporations. Today’s corporations consists of
people from different backgrounds for the different speciality tasks that is required of them. There are people from the fields of science,
Finance, business, sales and arts. The person that is finally chosen to be their leader or CEO is not the person who is expert in all
Their fields, but the person who has the understanding of functioning of the entire company, one who can create synergy between different departments
To make the company a winner.

Although there are some specific functional areas where ability to do the grassroot tasks is very important.
Captain of a football team should be the best player in the team or Head surgeon is the best and most experienced surgeon
in the hospital.

To sum up, leadership is about thought leadership, vision and creating synergy. It is not practical is today’s complex world
To find a leader by looking at those individuals who may be just good in tasks which are required of them. But there are certain
Areas where the best person is the automatic leader.