CHAPTER 1: Leadership

Introduction

There are many different kinds of leaders, therefore there are no ‘set’
qualities that have to be present in all leaders. Rather an effective leader
draws from a range of personal qualities to help them deal with different
circumstances and challenges.
Part of growing strong as a leader is through expanding our personal
qualities. When we are not strong in a particular quality it is also wise to seek
the contributions of others who are strong in that quality. This asks for a
complementary team. The well-organized person can help to complement
the creative person, and the person with the sense of humor can
complement the serious- minded person.

Learning outcome:

At the end of the topic, the students will be able to:

1. Concept of Leadership and Management

2. Leadership Styles
3. Theories of Leadership
4. Leadership Characteristics
5. Leadership Principles
6. Qualities of Leadership

Learning content:

 Discuss the concept of leadership

 Enumerate the different leadership styles
 Explain the theories of Leadership
 Discuss Characteristics of leadership
 Identify the Leadership principles
 Enumerate the qualities of leadership

What is Leadership?

Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to

accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it
more cohesive and coherent. A process whereby an individual influences a
group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2007, p3).
 The U.S. military has studied leadership in depth. One of their
definitions is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish a
mission (U.S. Army, 1983). Leadership is inspiring others to pursue your
vision within the parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared
effort, a shared vision, and a shared success (Zeitchik, 2012).

Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and

enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the
organizations of which they are members.

What is Management?

Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

resources (people, finances, materials, information) to effectively and
efficiently achieve organizational goals.

Who is a leader?

At the core, a leader is someone who influences and inspires others to

achieve a shared goal.
It's important to note that leadership isn't tied to a specific position or title.
You don't have to be a CEO or manager to be a leader. Leadership can
emerge from anyone, regardless of their role in an organization or
community.

Who is a manager?

A manager is someone who is responsible for planning, organizing, leading,

and controlling resources (people, finances, materials, information) to
effectively and efficiently achieve organizational goals.

Leadership Vs Management

Leadership is about getting people to understand and believe in your vision

and to work with you to achieve your goals while managing is more about
administering and making sure the day-to-day things are happening as they
should.
Three Differences between Managers and Leaders

1. Counting value vs Creating value - Managers count value- they take

count of the work their team has done, report
upon their progress and are responsible for
keeping them on schedule with the workflow
required
- they will be a part of creating value. They forge a powerful team and
delegate tasks while handling other matters. A
strong leader leads by example and enables
those in their team to forge their own path
working on their tasks without the need for
someone hovering over them
2. Circles of influence vs Circles of power- Just as managers have
subordinates and leaders have followers,
managers create circles of power while leaders
create circles of influence.
The quickest way to figure out which of the two
you’re doing is to count the number of people
outside your reporting hierarchy who come to
you for advice. The more that do, the more
likely it is that you are perceived to be a
leader.
3. Leading people vs Managing work- Management consists of
controlling a group or a set of entities to
accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an
individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and
enable others to contribute toward
organizational success. Influence and
inspiration separate leaders from managers,
not power and control.

Managers and Leaders Distinguished

Managers are appointed, they have legitimate power that allows them to
reward and punish. Their ability to influence derives from the formal
authority inherent in their positions. In contrast, leaders may either be
appointed or they may emerge from within a group. Leaders can influence
others to perform beyond the actions dictated by formal authority.
 Management's primary focus is on the conceptual side of the
business, such as planning, organizing, and budgeting. It does the leg work
to make visions reality. Do NOT equate the term “management" with
“controlling people." Management is more about ensuring that the
organization's resources are allocated wisely, rather than trying to control
people. In fact, good managers know that trying to control others is
extremely difficult if not impossible.

Management helps to acquire, integrate, and allocate resources in

order to accomplish goals and task. Going back to the above example of
increasing informal learning by implementing a new social media tool, the
managers must look at the real goal, rather than the tool. The real goal is to
increase informal learning and human interactions in order to make them
more effective, not to put into place a social media tool. The tool is simply an
objective to help you reach your goal.

If the tool becomes the primary goal, then the wrong polices could be
put into place that decrease its value as an informal learning tool, for
example, implementing a policy that no one in the company can ask a
question on Twitter as it might make us look stupid or our competitors will
know what we are trying to do. This policy removes the real purpose of the
tool—enabling the employees to learn informally from each other.
In contrast, Leadership deals with the interpersonal relations such as
being a teacher and coach, instilling organizational spirit to win, and serving
the organization and workers.

Types of Leaders and Leadership Styles

There are three classes of supervisory techniques – autocratic, participative
or consultative and free-rein and corresponding to these three techniques,
there are three management styles – autocratic, democratic and laissez-
faire. To these one more may be added-paternalistic style.

1. Autocratic or Authoritarian leadership

An autocratic leader centralizes power and decision-making in himself. He
gives orders, assigns tasks and duties without consulting the employees. The
leader takes full authority and assumes full responsibility.
Autocratic leadership is negative, based on threats and punishment.
Subordinates act as he directs. He neither cares for their opinions nor
permits them to influence the decision. He believes that because of his
authority he alone can decide what is best in a given situation.
Autocratic leadership is based upon close supervision, clear-cut direction and
commanding order of the superior. It facilitates quick decisions, prompt
action and unity of direction. It depends on a lesser degree of delegation. But
too much use of authority might result in strikes and industrial disputes. It is
likely to produce frustration and retard the growth of the capacity of
employees.
2. Democratic or Participative leadership
Participative or democratic leaders decentralize authority. It is characterized
by consultation with the subordinates and their participation in the
formulation of plans and policies. He encourages participation in decision-
making.
The employees feel that management is interested in them as well as in their
ideas and suggestions. They will, therefore, place their suggestions for
improvement.
Advantages for democratic leadership are as follows:
(i) higher motivation and improved morale;
(ii) increased co-operation with the management;
(iii) improved job performance; (iv) reduction of grievances and (v) reduction
of absenteeism and employee turnover.
3. The Laissez-faire or Free-rein leadership
Free-rein leaders avoid power and responsibility. The laissez-faire or non-
interfering type of leader passes on the responsibility for decision-making to
his subordinates and takes a minimum of initiative in administration. He
gives no direction and allows the group to establish its own goals and work
out its own problems.
The leader plays only a minor role. His idea is that each member of the group
when left to himself will put forth his best effort and the maximum results
can be achieved in this way.
The leader acts as an umpire. But as no direction or control is exercised over
the people, the organization is likely to flounder.
4. Paternalistic leadership
Under this management style the leader assumes that his function is fatherly
or paternal. Paternalism means papa knows best. The relationship between
the leader and his group is the same as the relationship between the head of
the family and the members of the family. The leader guides and protects his
subordinates as members of his family.
As the head of the family he provides his subordinates with good working
conditions and fringe benefits. It is assumed that workers will work harder
out of gratitude. This leadership style was admirably successful in Japan with
their peculiar social background.
This leadership style has still been widely prevalent in small firms in India.
However, this paternalistic approach is unlikely to work with mature adult
employees, many of whom do not like their interests to be looked after by a
“godfather.” Instead of gratitude, it might generate antagonism and
resentment in the subordinates.

Types of Managers (by Hierarchy)

 Top-level Managers: These individuals are at the highest level of the
organization and are responsible for setting the overall strategic
direction. They include titles like CEO, President, and Vice President.
o Responsibilities: Setting vision, making major decisions,
overseeing operations, representing the company.
 Middle-level Managers: These managers are responsible for
implementing the strategies set by top management and overseeing
the work of lower-level managers. They include titles like Department
Manager, Regional Manager, and Project Manager.
o Responsibilities: Translating strategies into action plans,
managing teams, coordinating activities, monitoring
performance.
  First-level Managers (Supervisors): These managers are directly
responsible for overseeing the work of non-managerial employees.
They include titles like Team Leader, Supervisor, and Foreman.
o Responsibilities: Assigning tasks, providing guidance,
monitoring performance, solving day-to-day problems.

Management Styles
Management styles refer to the way managers interact with their team
members and make decisions. Here are some common styles:
 Autocratic: Managers make decisions independently with little to no
input from team members.
o Best for: Situations requiring quick decisions, crisis
management.
o Potential downsides: Can stifle creativity, decrease morale.
 Democratic (Participative): Managers involve team members in the
decision-making process.
o Best for: Fostering creativity, increasing employee engagement.
o Potential downsides: Can be slower decision-making.
 Laissez-faire (Delegative): Managers give team members a high
degree of autonomy and freedom.
o Best for: Highly skilled and self-motivated teams.
o Potential downsides: Can lead to lack of direction, poor
coordination.
 Transactional: Managers emphasize rewards and consequences to
motivate performance.
o Best for: Achieving short-term goals, driving productivity.
o Potential downsides: Can stifle creativity, may not be effective
for long-term motivation.
 Transformational: Managers inspire and motivate teams to achieve
extraordinary results.
o Best for: Driving organizational change, creating a shared
vision.
 o Potential downsides: Requires strong leadership skills.
 Bureaucratic: Managers emphasize rules, procedures, and hierarchy.
o Best for: Large organizations, stable environments.
o Potential downsides: Can be rigid, slow to adapt.

Qualities and Characteristics of a Leader

Core Qualities
 Integrity: This is the foundation of leadership. Leaders with integrity
are honest, ethical, and adhere to strong moral principles. They earn
trust by consistently doing the right thing, even when it's difficult.
 Vision: Leaders have a clear and compelling picture of the future they
want to create. They can articulate this vision in a way that inspires
and motivates others to join them.
 Communication: Effective leaders are excellent communicators. They
can clearly convey their ideas, actively listen to others, and provide
constructive feedback.
 Empathy: Leaders with empathy understand and consider the feelings
and perspectives of others. They build strong relationships by showing
genuine care and concern for their team members.
Essential Characteristics
 Self-Awareness: Leaders understand their own strengths and
weaknesses, and they are aware of how their behavior impacts others.
They are open to feedback and continuously strive to improve.
 Courage: Leaders are willing to take risks and make difficult decisions,
even in the face of uncertainty or opposition. They stand up for what
they believe in and are not afraid to challenge the status quo.
 Respect: Leaders treat everyone with respect, regardless of their
position or background. They value diverse perspectives and create an
inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
  Accountability: Leaders take responsibility for their actions and the
actions of their team. They hold themselves and others accountable for
meeting goals and commitments.
 Resilience: Leaders are able to bounce back from setbacks and
persevere in the face of challenges. They learn from their mistakes and
use them as opportunities for growth.
Additional Traits
 Inspiration: Leaders motivate and energize those around them,
helping them to believe in the vision and their ability to achieve it.
 Decisiveness: Leaders are able to make timely and well-informed
decisions, even under pressure.
 Problem-Solving Skills: Leaders can identify and analyze problems,
develop creative solutions, and implement them effectively.
 Adaptability: Leaders are flexible and able to adjust to changing
circumstances. They embrace new ideas and approaches and are
comfortable with ambiguity.

Qualities and Characteristics of a Manager

Core Management Skills:

 Planning and Organization: Managers are skilled at setting goals,

developing strategies, and creating action plans. They can organize
resources effectively and prioritize tasks to achieve desired outcomes.
 Communication: Effective managers are excellent communicators.
They can clearly convey expectations, provide constructive feedback,
actively listen to their team members, and facilitate open dialogue.
 Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Managers regularly face
challenges and must make informed decisions. They need strong
analytical skills to identify problems, evaluate options, and choose the
best course of action.
 Delegation: Managers can assign tasks and responsibilities to team
members effectively. They understand individual strengths and
weaknesses and delegate appropriately to maximize productivity and
development.
Essential Qualities:
  Leadership: While management and leadership are distinct,
managers benefit greatly from leadership skills. They should be able to
inspire and motivate their team members to achieve shared goals.
 Interpersonal Skills: Managers work with people, so strong
interpersonal skills are crucial. They should be able to build
relationships, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive and collaborative
work environment.
 Time Management: Managers are responsible for overseeing
multiple tasks and projects. They need excellent time management
skills to prioritize, meet deadlines, and ensure efficient use of
resources.
 Adaptability: The business world is constantly changing, so managers
must be adaptable and able to adjust to new situations and challenges.
They should be open to new ideas and willing to embrace change.
 Accountability: Managers are responsible for the performance of
their team. They should be accountable for their decisions and actions,
and they should hold their team members accountable as well.
Additional Traits:
 Strategic Thinking: Managers should be able to think strategically about
the long-term goals of the organization and how their team's work
contributes to those goals.
 Attention to Detail: Managers need to be detail-oriented to ensure that
tasks are completed accurately and to a high standard.
 Results-Oriented: Managers are focused on achieving results. They set
clear expectations, monitor performance, and take corrective action when
necessary.
 Empathy: While not always emphasized, empathy is a valuable trait for
managers. Understanding and considering the perspectives of team
members can lead to stronger relationships and improved morale