Leadership

 

Contents Leadership ·        Definition ·        Functions ·        Qualities & Traits ·        Styles of Leadership ·        Theories of Leadership ·        Leadership development

Leadership

 Leadership is

Ø  an ability to extent interpersonal influence towards achievement of a goal.

Ø  activity of influencing people to strive willingly to group activities.

Ø  process of influencing behavior, attitude, activities and efforts of individual or groups.

Ø  a personal quality of character, there must be a group of followers.

Ø  a shared function - A leader shares credits, blames, ideas, opinion & experience with followers.

Function of Leadership 

 1. Integration of efforts of the followers.

 2. Communication - of organizational policies, procedures, programs.

 3. Production Emphasis - increase productivity & quality.

 4. Representation - of workers for management

 5. Fraternity - develop climate of co-operation

 6. Organization – organizing the activities and people to achieve organizational goals.

 7. Evaluation of Performance - reward or punish people.

 8. Initiation - initiate Changes that always become important in an organization.

 9. Domination - holds authority and org. power and use it constructively.

 

 Leadership Qualities & Traits

 The number of traits may be grouped as

 1. Physical Qualities - sound health, vitality, endurance

 2. Psychological Qualities- (a) Personal Magnetism b)Enthusiasm (c) coorperation

(d) Ability to inspire    (e) Forcefulness     (f) tact

 3. Intellectual Traits -

·       High degree of intelligence

·         Open Minded 

·         Sound Judgment

·         Ability to teach

·         Scientific Approach.

 

4. Qualities of Character

 ·         Integrity

·         Self Discipline

·         Fair Play 

·         Willingness to accept responsibility

·         Physical and moral courage 

·         Humanism

Styles of Leadership

 

1.    Human Relations Style (Based on Hawthorne Studies)

2.    Theory X & Theory Y Styles (Motivational Style)

3.    Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-faire Styles (Power Styles)

4.    Employee Orientation & Production Oriented Styles (Based on Likert’s Michigan Studies)

5.    Consideration & Initiating Structure Styles  (Based on Ohio State University Studies)

6.    Scientific Managerial Styles (Based on FW Taylor)

 

1	Human Relations Style (Based on Hawthorne Studies) It was concluded that a leader has not only to plan, decide, organize, lead and control but also consider the human element. This includes social needs of being together and being recognized for work.Interaction of the groupmembers with each other and their well being is important. A good leader aught to keep this aspects in mind while working with them.
2	Theory X & Theory Y Styles (Motivational Style) Theory X leader exercises  strong controls and direction over the followers and whenever necessary punish people if they do not do the work. They may get rewards if they work as desired. Theory Y leader feel that people control themselves within than being controlled by others from outside. Such leaders do not distinguish between leaders and followers.
3	Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-faire Styles (Power Styles) Autocratic Style – Managers demand strict obedience, Relies on power, He alone determines policies. Democratic Style – Leader makes decision & announces it. He sells his decision. Presents his ideas & invites questions. Decisions are open to change. Defines the problem and lets group make a decision. Laissez-faire Style – Leader enjoys no power. Leadership is employee centered. Leader is basically supplier of information and resources.
4	Employee Orientation & Production Oriented Styles (Based on Likert’s Michigan Studies) Employee Oriented style leader emphasizes the relationship aspect of the job. He takes interest in all of them and has complete confidence and trust in them. The production oriented style of a leader looks at the subordinates as as tools to accomplish the goals of the organization. It was found that employee oriented style brought high producing performance.
5	Consideration & Initiating Structure Styles (Based on Ohio State University Studies)           (High) I I I I I Consideration I I I I I (low)     High Consideration & Low Structure     High Structure & High Consideration   Low consideration & Low Structure     High Structure & Low Consideration   (Low)  ---------------------------------------  Initiating Structure  -----------------------------------  (High)     The leadership studies initiated by the Bureau of research at Ohio State university attempted to identify various dimensions of leader. Ultimately, these studies narrowed the description of leader behavior to two dimensions: Initiating Structure and Consideration. Initiating Structure refers to the leader’s behavior in delineating the relationship between himself and members of the work-group and in endeavoring to establish well-defined patterns of organization, channels of communication, and methods or procedures. Consideration refers to behavior indicative of friendship, mutual trust, respect, and warmth in relationship between the leader and the members of the staff. The research studies showed that initiating structure and consideration are two distinct dimentions, and not mutually exclusive. Thus leadership behavior can be plotted on two separate axes.     (High) I I I I I Concern for people I I I I I (low)   9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1,9 (Country Club)                                            9,9                                          (team)           (Impoverished) 1,1 5,5 (Middle Road)                                                (Task)                                            9,1       1         2        3        4       5       6       7       8       9           (Low)  -------------------- concern for  production --------------------  (High)     Managerial Grid The two dimentions of leadership, viz. concern for people and concern for production have been demonstrated by Robert Blake and Janes in the form of a grid. It describes 5 basic leadership styles of practicing managers. 1.    The 9,1 Managerial Style (Task): People are regarded as an instrument of production. Subordinates are expected to carry out orders with an unquestioning obedience. 2.    The 1,9 Managerial Style (country Club): The work is done leisurely. Subordinates are expected to turn out some work to avoid trouble. Social relationship are more important. 3.    The 1,1 Managerial style (Impoverished): Manager exerts minimum influence n the group members or production. 4.    The 5,5 Managerial Style (Middle Road): The people dimension is as much important as production  dimension. Just enough concern is shown to the people so that adequate production is done. 5.    The 9,9 Managerial Style (Team): The orientation aims at integrating the people and production dimensions of work under conditions of high concern for growth. The key is the involvement and participation of those responsible for it in planning and execution of work. This brings about team spirit and leads to high organisation accomplishment.
6	Scientific Managerial Styles (Based on FW Taylor) It concluded that the best way to increase output was to improve the techniques or methods used by workers. The manager has to rely on scientific study of time, movements on job and the tools to imrove the performance.

 

 

Theories of Leadership 

1	The Great Man Theory One of the first theories on leadership makes the assumption that these qualities are inherent, which indicates that leaders are born, not created, and cannot be learned. This hypothesis asserts that a leader has certain innate human characteristics, such as: ·         Glamour ·         Decisive ·         Wisdom ·         Daring ·         Assertiveness ·         Appeal This viewpoint emphasizes the fact that individuals cannot be taught to be effective leaders. It's a quality that either you have or you don't. These abilities come naturally, thus you cannot learn them or receive training in them.  In addition, the idea holds that these leadership qualities are constant over time and apply to all organizations, regardless of the setting in which these leaders are employed. The idea that exceptional leaders emerge when they are required is another tenet of this leadership ideology.
2	The Trait Theory The great man theory is expanded upon by the trait theory of leadership, which is predicated on the idea that effective leaders have particular personality qualities and features of behavior. They can become effective leaders in a number of circumstances thanks to these qualities. It also promotes the idea that certain people are more naturally gifted as leaders than others. Effective people have hobbies and personality traits that are very different from those of non-leaders.  The number of traits may be grouped as 1. Physical Qualities - sound health, vitality, endurance 2. Psychological Qualities- (a) Personal Magnetism b)Enthusiasm (e) corperation (al) Ability to inspire (e) Forcefulness f) tact 3. Intellectual Traits - (a) high degree of intelligence ·         Open Minded  ·         Sound Judgement (ll Ability to teach ·         Scientific Aprooch. 4. Qualities of Character (a) Integrity ·         Self Discipline ·         Fair Play  ·         Willingness to accept responsibility ·         Phisical and moral courage  ·         Humanism
3	Behavioral Theory Of Leadership The behavioural leadership theory is a management theory that evaluates leaders according to their behaviours, actions and management style. This philosophy proposes that all you require to become an influential leader is to adopt a specific set of behaviours. If you are looking to become a better leader or implement a new leadership style, you can benefit from learning about this theory and the different types of leadership it defines. The behavioural theory of leadership suggests that the success of a business organisation depends on capable leaders whose behaviours drive their success and work ethics. This theory says that by observing and evaluating a leader's actions and behaviours and noting their responses regarding specific situations, you can determine what kind of a leader they are. According to this theory, successful leaders build themselves through learned behaviour and are not born successful. This leadership theory is highly action-focused and relies heavily on assessing leaders' actions in predicting leadership success. The behavioural theory of leadership, also known as the style theory, focuses on patterns of behaviours, categorised as 'styles of leadership'. Some leadership styles include task-oriented, people-oriented, status-quo, and dictatorial leaders. This theory enables individuals to practise learned behaviours to direct their actions to become the leaders they want to become. A core part of this theory is that it is flexible and allows leaders to adapt to various circumstances to better predict the outcomes of their behaviour. There are various styles of behavioural leadership that you can learn to incorporate in your professional life to become an effective leader. These styles may be more or less efficient in several work environments depending on individual and situational factors. Some common types of behavioural leadership include: People-oriented leaders Task-oriented leaders Participative leaders Status-quo leaders Indifferent leaders Dictatorial leaders Country club leaders Sound leaders Opportunistic leaders Paternalistic leaders
4	Managerial Grid Theory     (High) I I I I I Concern for people I I I I I (low)   9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1,9 (Country Club)                                            9,9                                          (team)           (Impoverished) 1,1 5,5 (Middle Road)                                                (Task)                                            9,1       1         2        3        4       5       6       7       8       9           (Low)  --------------- concern for  production --------------------  (High)     Managerial Grid The two dimentions of leadership, viz. concern for people and concern for production have been demonstrated by Robert Blake and Janes in the form of a grid. It describes 5 basic leadership styles of practicing managers. 1.    The 9,1 Managerial Style (Task): People are regarded as an instrument of production. Subordinates are expected to carry out orders with an unquestioning obedience. 2.    The 1,9 Managerial Style (country Club): The work is done leisurely. Subordinates are expected to turn out some work to avoid trouble. Social relationship are more important. 3.    The 1,1 Managerial style (Impoverished): Manager exerts minimum influence n the group members or production. 4.    The 5,5 Managerial Style (Middle Road): The people dimension is as much important as production  dimension. Just enough concern is shown to the people so that adequate production is done. 5.    The 9,9 Managerial Style (Team): The orientation aims at integrating the people and production dimensions of work under conditions of high concern for growth. The key is the involvement and participation of those responsible for it in planning and execution of work. This brings about team spirit and leads to high organisation accomplishment.
5	Situationalist Approach or Theory The trait approach, in effect, explained some of the desirable characteristics that a leader had or should have but it could not suggest with certainly that one who possesses particular traits shall be a leader. The behavioural approach, on the other hand explained the various practices or styles available to a leader to discharge his leadership function but this, again failed to indicate a best style of leadership which was universally appropriate. The shortcomings of these two theories Traits and Behavioural theories-initiated further researches and it was established during 1970s that it was not the traits or behaviour of a leader that matters but it is a particular situation in which a particular trait or behaviour (style) is effective or ineffective. Both these earlier approaches ignored the situation as an important element. The theory advocates that leadership is strongly affected by the situation in which he works. The theory believes that it is a situation that helps developing leadership and from which leaders merge. Traits or behaviour may be supportive elements. A person may be good in a particular situation or set of circumstances but it may be possible that he may be quite ineffective in a different situation. The level of competence and dedication of the team members can influence how these leaders choose to lead. Situational leadership, as per situational theory: ·         Develop a connection with the workforce ·         Encourage employees ·         Recognize when alternative leadership philosophies are required in a given situation ·         Develop teams and organizational units The idea also distinguishes four main leadership styles: Telling: Managers instruct staff members on what needs to be done and how to go about it. Selling: Team members are persuaded to adopt a leader's concepts or ideas. Participating: Effective leaders encourage their team members to take an active part in problem-solving and decision-making processes. Delegating: Limiting their involvement, leaders hand off the majority of the work to the team. Such leaders defer to the group for decision-making but they are always ready for advice. The theory lists a few essential traits of a situational leader, such as problem-solving abilities, trust, adaptability, insight, and coaching. Limitations: The theory suffers from the following shortcoming.  1) It over emphasises the situational aspect of leadership. Situation may be affect the decision of leader in a particular situation but it is not everything  (ii) it completely overlook the traits and behaviour of a leader which play and important role in the emergence of a particular leader
6	Contingency Theory of Leadership According to the contingency hypothesis, there is no one right way to run an organization. Determining the optimal strategy for leading an organization to achieve depends on both internal and external considerations. The right candidate should fit the correct scenario, according to the contingency theory. Regarding this theory Fiedler (1967) states that a leader may become effective if the situation is favorable in three ways. These are:  1. good leader-member relations showing acceptance of the leader by the group:  2. details of the task spelled out to the leader's position; and   3. a great deal of authority and power is formally attributed to the leader's position.  With these three favourable situations and his style of functioning, a leader will be effective. When the situation is very favourable or very unfavourable to the leader, the task-oriented leader is effective. When the situation is moderately favourable to the leader the person oriented leader is effective.   Example (of moderately favourable situation to person-oriented leader) A leader with good interpersonal relationships may be developing a new policy that will have great impact on the work group. The situation is relatively vague but moderately favourable. The task is not very well defined and the leader-member relation is good. The leader is likely to be effective as he would like to consult the members and consider their thoughts and ideas. When the new policy gets approved, the situation becomes more favourable to him.
7	Followers Theory or Acceptance Theory. It states that if followers accept a person their leader then he is leader irrespective of his traits or behaviour. It is based on assumption that groups have certain basic needs which they want to be fulfilled through ther leader. A person who is successful in satisfying their basic needs is assumed to be the leader.
8	Functional Theory  The functional theory of leadership emphasizes how employment or organization is being led rather than who has been formally designated as the leader. Within the functional leadership approach, the power to get things done is supported by a collection of people's behaviors rather than one individual.
9	The Transactional Theory or Management Theory During the Industrial Revolution, this transactional theory was developed to boost company productivity. It is a leadership approach that emphasizes the value of hierarchy for enhancing organizational effectiveness. These managers place high importance on structure and utilize their authority to enforce rules to inspire staff to perform at their best. In accordance with this philosophy, workers are rewarded for achieving their given objectives. The concept also presupposes that workers must comply with managerial directives. Managers who practice transactional leadership keep an eye on their staff, making sure they are rewarded for reaching milestones and disciplined when they fall short. These executives, however, do not serve as a trigger for a company's expansion. Instead, they concentrate on upholding the organization's policies and standards to ensure that everything goes as planned. Leaders Who Practice Transactional Leadership: ·         Target immediate objectives. ·         Favor standardized processes and regulations ·         Recent changes ·         Discourage original thought ·         Emphasis on one's own interests ·         Encourage performance When there are challenges that are clearly stated and the main goal is to finish a work, transactional leadership works well.
10	Theory of Transformation The relationship between leaders and staff can help the organization, according to the transformational theory of management. This leadership theory contends that effective leaders inspire workers to go above and beyond what they are capable of. Leaders develop a vision for their team members and motivate them to realize it. Employee morale is raised and inspired by transformational leaders, which helps them perform better at work. These managers encourage staff members by their deeds rather than their words because they specialize in setting an example. Leaders Who Practice Transformational Leadership: ·         Self-manage ·         Set an example ·         Give interaction a high priority ·         Be proactive in your work ·         Promote the development of employees ·         Receptive to fresh concepts ·         Take chances and make difficult choices Transformational leaders, as opposed to transactional leaders, prioritize failed processes and gather personnel who get along well to accomplish shared corporate objectives. Additionally, effective executives prioritize the requirements of the organization and its employees over their own.

 

Leadership development for a learning organization

Leadership development for a learning organization focuses on cultivating leaders who foster a culture of continuous learning, skill-sharing, and growth. This involves aligning leadership development with business goals, promoting psychological safety for experimentation, and creating opportunities for leaders to mentor others and learn from experience. Key strategies include aligning learning with strategy, building leadership skills through diverse experiences like training, mentoring, and feedback, and developing a growth mindset throughout the organization. 

 

Key strategies for leadership development

 

Foster a growth mindset: Leaders should encourage a culture where employees embrace new skills and knowledge, and see discomfort and failure as expected parts of learning. This requires building psychological safety so team members feel comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes.

 

Align development with business strategy: Develop a clear learning and development (L&D) strategy that is directly aligned with the organization's overall business goals. This ensures leadership development efforts are focused on achieving the most critical outcomes for the company.

 

Develop leaders through practical experience: Go beyond traditional training. Leaders should be developed through a mix of training, mentoring, coaching, and practical experiences that allow them to apply new skills and receive feedback.

 

Promote knowledge sharing and collaboration: Leaders must encourage and facilitate knowledge sharing across teams and help employees understand how to align their personal goals with company objectives. This can be achieved through team-based learning and constructive feedback mechanisms.

 

Encourage personal development: Create a plan with leaders for their personal development, including designing specific "learning journeys" that cater to their individual needs and the company's strategic objectives.

 

Communicate and inspire: Leaders need strong communication skills to inspire their teams, maintain morale, and effectively guide them through change by communicating goals clearly. 

 

 

How this builds a learning organization

 

Drives innovation and performance: By creating a culture of learning, leaders foster innovation and enhance overall company performance and productivity.

 

Improves employee engagement and retention: Developing leaders and providing opportunities for growth increases employee engagement, loyalty, and retention.

 

Builds leadership capacity: A focus on developing leaders who can then develop others ensures a continuous supply of skilled leaders to navigate future challenges and opportunities.