LEADERSHIP

1.0 Introduction
David Schwartz describes leadership as the art of inspiring subordinates to perform their duties
willingly, competently and enthusiastically. So a leader becomes one who by example and talent
plays a directing role and commands influence over others. In simple terms leadership could be
described as getting others to follow or getting others to do things willingly.

Characteristics of leadership

1. It is a process of influence

2. It is related to situation

3. It is a function of stimulation

Basic qualities of a leader

A leader has got multidimensional traits which make them appear appealing and effective in
behavior. The following are the requisites to be present in a good leader:

1. Physical appearance- A leader must have a pleasing appearance. Physique and health
are very important for a good leader.
2. Vision and foresight- A leader cannot maintain influence unless he exhibits that he is
forward looking.
3. Intelligence- A leader should be intelligent enough to examine problems and difficult
situations. He should be analytical who weighs pros and cons and then summarizes the
situation.
4. Communicative skills- A leader must be able to communicate the policies and
procedures clearly, precisely and effectively. This can be helpful in persuasion and
stimulation.
5. Objective- A leader has to be having a fair outlook which is free from bias and which
does not reflects his willingness towards a particular individual. Should be factual and
have logic
6. Knowledgeable- a leader should know the nature of work of his subordinates because
it is then he can win the trust and confidence of his subordinates.
7. Responsibility and accountability- towards an individual’s work is very important to
bring a sense of influence.
8. Confident- Confidence in himself is important to earn the confidence of the
subordinates
9. Humanist-This trait to be present in a leader is essential because he deals with human
beings and is in personal contact with them. He has to handle the personal problems of
his subordinates with great care and attention.
10. Empathy- A leader should understand the problems and complaints of employees and
should also have a complete view of the needs and aspirations of the employees.

LEADERSHIP THEORIES

Leadership can be understood through application of the following theories:

 1. Trait theories- it seeks to determine universal personal characteristics use of situations
and tasks or inherent behavior. Ralph Stogdill reported at least 15 traits possessed by
leaders e.g., sociability, alertness, self-confidence, initiative, adaptability,
communication, popularity etc
2. Behavioral theory- effective leadership is the result of role behavior and use of ego or
self confidence
3. Contingency theory/ situational theory- different situations call for different approaches
4. Full range models- apply use of individual considerations, intellectualism, inspiration
and influence

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Leadership Management

Have followers Have employees

Create change Manage change
Implement ideas Have ideas which they may not implement
Persuasive Communicative
Create and work with teams Work with groups
May not be paid Are on salary
Create focus
Remain focused to organizational goals
Heroes
Try to be heroes
Power with people
Exercise power

3.0 POWER AND LEADERSHIP

The foundation of leadership is power. Leaders have power over their followers and they wield
this power to exert their influence. There are five basic types of power that can be used by
leaders.
i. Legitimate Power
This is based on the perception that the leader has the right to exercise influence because of his
position and roles. It is power created and conveyed by the organization.
ii. Reward Power
The power to grant and withhold various types of rewards. These rewards may include pay
increases, promotion, praise, recognition, etc. The greater and the more important the reward, the
more power a leader has.
iii. Coercive Power
The power to force compliance through psychological, emotional or physical threat. In industrial
organizations coercion may be subtle through oral reprimands, fines, layoffs, demotion. In
military organizations coercion could actually be physical.
iv. Expert Power
Power based on knowledge and expertise. The more knowledge one has and the fewer the people
who are aware of it, the more power he has.
v. Referent Power
Power based on subordinate’s identification with the leader, it usually distinguishes leaders from
non leaders. The leader exerts influence because of charisma and reputation. The follower wishes
to be like the leader or to be associated with him.
4.0 LEADERSHIP STYLES
The method or style of leadership a manager chooses to use greatly influences his effectiveness as
a leader. An appropriate leadership style coupled with a proper external motivational technique
can lead to the achievement of both individual and organizational goals. If the style is
inappropriate goals could suffer and workers may feel resentful, aggressive, insecure and
dissatisfied.
There are three main styles of leadership:
(a) Autocratic Style
All authority and decision making is centred in the leader. He makes all decisions, exercises total
control by use of rewards and punishment. An autocratic leader requires conformity from his
subordinates and always considers his decision to be superior to those of his subordinates. One
advantage of autocratic leadership is that it allows faster decision making but it can easily cause
workers to experience dissatisfaction, dependence on the leader or passiveness towards
organizational goals.
(b) Democratic or Participative Style
This style of leadership seeks to obtain cooperation of workers in achieving organizational goals
by allowing them to participate in decision-making.
It does not relieve the leader of his decision-making responsibilities or of his power over
subordinates, but it requires that he recognise subordinates as capable of contributing positively
to decision making. Participative decision-making can lead to improved manager-worker
relations, higher morale and job satisfaction, decreased dependence on the leader and better
acceptance of decisions. However, it also has certain limitations, delayed decision-making,
`group think', time consuming and diluted decisions due to compromising.
(c) Laissez Faire Style (Free Reign)
This style does not depend on the leader to provide external motivation but, the workers motivate
themselves based on their needs, wants and desires. They are given goals and left on their own to
achieve them. The leader assumes the role of a group member. This approach increases worker
independence and expression and forces him to function as a member of a group. The main
disadvantage is that, without a strong leader the group could lack direction or control, which may
result into frustration in the workers. For laissez faire to work the subordinates must be
competent, reliable and well versed with the goals of the organization.

OTHERS

Bureaucratic leadership

Everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isn’t covered by the book, the
manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is really more of a police
officer than a leader. He or she enforces the rules.
This style can be effective when:

• Employees are performing routine tasks over and over.

• Employees need to understand certain standards or procedures.
• Employees are working with dangerous or delicate equipment that requires a definite
set of procedures to operate.
• Safety or security training is being conducted.
• Employees are performing tasks that require handling cash.

This style is ineffective when:

• Work habits formed are hard to break, especially if they are no longer useful.
• Employees lose their interest in their jobs and in their fellow workers.
• Employees do only what is expected of them and no more.

Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic Leaders use a wide range of methods to manage their image and, if they are not
naturally charismatic, may practice at developing their skills. They will show great
confidence in their followers. They are very persuasive and make very effective use of body
language as well as verbal language. Many politicians use a charismatic style, as they need
to gather a large number of followers. Religious leaders, too, may well use charisma, as do
cult leaders.

The transactional leader

The transactional leader works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is
required of their subordinates, and the rewards that they get for following orders. Punishments
are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline
are usually in place.

When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a subordinate, they are considered to be
fully responsible for it, whether or not they have the resources or capability to carry it out.
When things go wrong, then the subordinate is considered to be personally at fault, and is
punished for their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding).

The transactional leader often uses management by exception, working on the principle that
if something is operating to defined (and hence expected) performance then it does not need
attention. Exceptions to expectation require praise and reward for exceeding expectation,
whilst some kind of corrective action is applied for performance below expectation.

Partnerlistic – the leader assumes his function is paternal and behaves like a father. He treats
the group like his family: guides, helps, directs and gives them gifts. This style is heavily used
in Japan and employees work harder in this style because of gratitude.

Transformational Leadership
 Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that
will excite and convert potential followers. This vision may be developed by the leader, by
the senior team or may emerge from a broad series of discussions. The important factor is the
leader buys into it, hook, line and sinker.

Transformational Leader has to be very careful in creating trust, and their personal integrity
is a critical part of the package that they are selling. In effect, they are selling themselves as
well as the vision.

5.0 PERSONAL QUALITIES OF LEADERS

i. Ability to inspire others
ii. Ability to understand human behaviour
Similarity with the group
iv. Verbal assertiveness
v. Willingness to communicate honestly
vi. Dedication to the goals of the organization
vii. Ability to inspire through example
ix. Willingness to take risk
x. Willingness to assume full responsibility for the group
xi. Skill in the art of compromise
xii. Ability to tolerate criticism