Teacher’s notes

Business brief The main aim of this unit is to introduce students to concepts related to leadership.

There are many types of leader – from the commander of a large army to the leader of a
small project team – and there are many theories about what qualities a leader needs and
what sort of person has the potential to become a leader. All leaders need intelligence,
motivation and self-belief, and the ability to communicate their vision to their team,
group or country. Many leaders also possess people skills or charisma – an ability to
attract and influence other people by the force of their personality. These characteristics
can be used for positive aims but they can also have a negative influence.

One definition of a leader is ‘a person who can consistently succeed and meet the
expectations of an organisation or society’. In the case of a CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
of a large company, for example, they are judged by their performance in strategic
and financial terms – does the company achieve its aims and does it make a sufficient
profit? In the case of a President or Prime Minister, can they provide the conditions for
a stable economy and a safe society? In more extreme cases this type of leader may show
‘autocratic’ tendencies, i.e. use their authority and power to manipulate people. In some
cases, they may have a lack of empathy (ability to understand other people’s feelings or
point of view).

Leaders must be able to visualise an end goal and have the knowledge and confidence
to achieve that goal. Some leaders, in contrast to the autocratic type of leader, create
a democratic, shared sense of purpose, and act in the best interest of others rather than
themselves or an impersonal corporate goal. They discuss decisions with their team and
delegate roles and responsibilities according to other’s abilities. They support their staff
and make sure the group has what they need to do the job. They empathise with the
individuals in their team and recognise ability and achievement. They are also aware of
the benefits of rewarding effort and success – praise, promotion or financial reward. They
are honest about their own weaknesses and do not hide problems but share them and
motivate others to find solutions.

There is debate about whether leaders are born or made. There are examples where
individuals possess innate qualities of leadership, such as Nelson Mandela. A person’s
family background, education and life experience almost certainly make a difference.
Power may be inherited, e.g. the Kennedy and the Bush families in the USA, but power
does not necessarily equal leadership. Some people are put into positions where they have
to lead, e.g. management positions, but they may not naturally be leaders and require
training. It appears that everyone has a natural limit in terms of their ability to manage
at a certain level as described by the Peter Principle – this suggests that people can lead
competently until they are promoted beyond a certain level after which they become
ineffective.

There is ongoing debate about gender and leadership. It is only relatively recently that
men and women have been viewed equally as potential leaders and the number of female
leaders in politics and business has grown significantly.

Leadership and your Students who are not yet working need to be aware of the concept of leadership and know
students some examples of key leaders in their various fields. Working students should be more
aware of leadership as they may be asked at some point in their careers to lead teams and
take managerial responsibility.

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