CONCEPT OF LEASDRESHIP

The concept of leadership, or leadership concept, refers to various ideas about

being a leader and leadership's principles and fundamentals. It includes factors
that affect leadership style and a potential leader's traits and perceptions.
Leadership concepts benefit any individual who oversees or manages a group of
people to achieve a common objective. The leader may know what skills and
characters they may develop and how to use these to connect with their team
members or followers.

Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of people to influence and

guide followers or members of an organization, society or team. Leadership often
is an attribute tied to a person's title, seniority or ranking in a hierarchy. However,
it's an attribute anyone can have or attain, even those without leadership
positions. It's a developable skill that can be improved over time.

Leaders are found and required in most aspects of society, including business,
politics, religion and social- and community-based organizations. Leaders are seen
as people who make sound and sometimes difficult decisions. They articulate a
clear vision, establish achievable goals and provide followers with the knowledge
and tools necessary to achieve those goals.

DEFINITION
Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a
common goal. In a business setting, this can mean directing workers and
colleagues with a strategy to meet the company's needs. Effective leadership
involves inspiring others, emphasizing innovation, and understanding the
strengths and weaknesses of team members.

 Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward

achieving a common objective.
 Organizations refer to upper-level personnel in their management
structures as leadership.
  To be an effective leader in business, you must possess traits that extend
beyond management duties.
 Leadership skills can be learned and leaders may evolve.
 A person may be referred to interchangeably as both a "leader" and a
"manager," though the two terms are not necessarily synonymous.

Nature of leadership

Leadership as a process

Leadership is an interactive process where leaders and followers exchange

influence. The leader influences their followers with their ideas and guidance,
while the followers influence the leader with their suggestions and contributions.
As there's a balance of authority, followers may follow the leader's directives. This
attribute shows that the extent of leadership depends on a leader's level of
acceptance by their followers.

Leadership as a function

In leadership as a function, the emphasis is on activities that facilitate the

achievement of group goals. The leader is the person who oversees the
performance of this function, but there are typically several individuals and
factors that contribute to these achievements. If the team succeeds, the leader
receives most of the praise, and likewise, if it doesn't, the leader takes the highest
portion of the fault.

Leadership as a focal person

Leadership as a focal person assigns leadership roles to individuals based on their

organizational status or position. That means company heads such as directors,
executives, managers, administrators, and chiefs of departments are the only
individuals capable of leading. They assign tasks to employees and hold them
accountable for these tasks during performance evaluations.

Leadership as a status group

Leadership as a status group denotes a situation where a person moves to a
leadership situation because of their heredity. For instance, an individual may
become the president or the chief executive officer (CEO) of a company if it's
family-owned. This leadership nature also covers elected leaders, such as board
members and certain directors.

Importance of leadership

Initiates action

Leadership generally begins before the work that the leader wants to supervise
does. That's because the leader is the individual who initiates the action that
commences the work. They organize a meeting to explain team members' roles
and expectations for the tasks and communicate policies to them. These leaders
also answer their questions and provide them with resources.

Promotes cooperation and coordination

Cooperation and coordination are two important factors among employees

necessary for achieving business goals. The leader usually reconciles the interests
of the company and the employees, which helps achieve coordination. They also
promote cooperation and collaboration through shared interests and effective
communication lines.

Provides motivation and guidance

Team members or followers require motivation to commit to their work and

complete tasks. The leader provides this motivation through financial incentives,
such as bonuses and compensations and non-financial incentives, such as
vacations and flexible schedules. They also train and guide employees, which
assists them in performing their duties effectively.

Builds work environment

Leadership involves identifying and solving employees' issues and maintaining

contact with them. The leader listens actively to employees' perspectives and
provides clarifications to address disagreements. Building a positive and efficient
work environment contributes to the organization's growth and employees'
happiness.

Prepares successors

As the leadership position isn't permanent, preparing for succession is important.

Leaders teach these individuals all they know so they can replace them in their
absence or succeed them in the future. They typically set goals, hold one-to-one
meeting sessions, and contact them frequently regarding progress and updates.
Businesses may benefit from succession training by holding in-house recruitment,
which saves costs and resources and ensures the company keeps quality.

What are Leadership Styles?

Leadership styles refer to the behavioral approach employed by leaders to

influence, motivate, and direct their followers. A leadership style determines how
leaders implement plans and strategies to accomplish given objectives while
accounting for stakeholder expectations and the wellbeing and soundness of their
team.

Leadership styles have been studied in various for to establish the appropriate or
most effective leadership style that motivates and influences others to
accomplish set goals. The major tenet of effective leadership style is the degree to
which it builds follower trust.

Why Do Leadership Styles Matter?

A leadership style adopted by any leader is usually a combination of their

personality, life experiences, level of emotional intelligence, family dynamics, and
way of thinking. Thus, leaders should be able to understand their leadership style
in relation to a combination of traits listed above and determine how best they
can be more effective.

An understanding of one’s leadership style and the ability to be flexible based on

changing circumstances will likely result in the additional benefits below:

 Improvement in communication and collaboration

 Increase in employee engagement
  Strengthening of team effectiveness
Leadership effectiveness becomes conspicuous in the organization leading
to recognition
Common Leadership Styles

1. Democratic Leadership

A democratic leadership style is where a leader makes decisions based on the

input received from team members. It is a collaborative and consultative
leadership style where each team member has an opportunity to contribute to
the direction of ongoing projects. However, the leader holds the final
responsibility to make the decision.

Democratic leadership is one of the most popular and effective leadership styles
because of its ability to provide lower-level employees a voice making it equally
important in the organization. It is a style that resembles how decisions are made
in company boardrooms. Democratic leadership can culminate in a vote to make
decisions.

2. Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership is the direct opposite of democratic leadership. In this case,

the leader makes all decisions on behalf of the team without taking any input or
suggestions from them. The leader holds all authority and responsibility. They
have absolute power and dictate all tasks to be undertaken. There is no
consultation with employees before a decision is made. After the decision is
made, everyone is expected to support the decision made by the leader. There is
often some level of fear of the leader by the team.

The autocratic type of leadership style can be very retrogressive as it fuels

employee disgruntlement since most decisions would not be in the employees’
interests.

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leadership is accurately defined as a hands-off or passive approach to

leadership. Instead, leaders provide their team members with the necessary tools,
information, and resources to carry out their work tasks. The “let them be” style
of leadership entails that a leader steps back and lets team members work
without supervision and free to plan, organize, make decisions, tackle problems,
and complete the assigned projects.

The laissez-faire leadership approach is empowering to employees who are

creative, skilled, and self-motivated. The level of trust and independence given to
the team can prove to be uplifting and productive and can lead to job satisfaction.

4. Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is all about transforming the business or groups by

inspiring team members to keep increasing their bar and achieve what they never
thought they were capable of. Transformational leaders expect the best out of
their team and push them consistently until their work, lives, and businesses go
through a transformation or considerable improvement.

Transformational leadership is about cultivating change in organizations and

people. The transformation is done by motivating team members to go beyond
their comfort zone and achieve much more than their perceived capabilities. To
be effective, transformational leaders should possess high levels of integrity,
emotional intelligence, a shared vision of the future, empathy, and good
communication skills.

Such a style of leadership is often associated with high growth-oriented

organizations that push boundaries in innovation and productivity. Practically,
such leaders tend to give employees tasks that grow in difficulty and deadlines
that keep getting tighter as time progresses.
5. Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership is more short-term and can best be described as a “give

and take” kind of transaction. Team members agree to follow their leader on job
acceptance; therefore, it’s a transaction involving payment for services rendered.
Employees are rewarded for exactly the work they would’ve performed. If you
meet a certain target, you receive the bonus that you’ve been promised. It is
especially so in sales and marketing jobs.

Transactional leadership establishes roles and responsibilities for each team

member and encourages the work to be completed as scheduled. There are
instances where incentive programs can be employed over and above regular pay.
In addition to incentives, there are penalties imposed to regulate how work
should be done.

6. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership is a “go by the book” type of leadership. Processes and

regulations are followed according to policy with no room for flexibility. Rules are
set on how work should be done, and bureaucratic leaders ensure that team
members follow these procedures meticulously. Input from employees is
considered by the leader; however, it is rejected if it does not conform to
organizational policy. New ideas flow in a trickle, and a lot of red tape is present.
Another characteristic is a hierarchical authority structure implying that power
flows from top to bottom and is assigned to formal titles.

Bureaucratic leadership is often associated with large, “century-old” organizations

where success has come through the employment of traditional practices. Hence,
proposing a new strategy at these organizations is met with fierce resistance,
especially if it is new and innovative. New ideas are viewed as wasteful and
ineffective, or even downright risky.

7. Servant Leadership

Servant leadership involves a leader being a servant to the team first before being
a leader. A servant leader strives to serve the needs of their team above their
own. It is also a form of leading by example. Servant leaders try to find ways to
develop elevate and inspire people following their lead to achieve the best
results.

Servant leadership requires leaders with high integrity and munificence. It creates
a positive organizational culture and high morale among team members. It also
creates an ethical environment characterized by strong values and ideals

Other Leadership Styles

1. Coach-style Leadership

Coach-style leadership involves identifying and nurturing individual strengths and

formulating strategies for the team to blend and work well together, cohesively
and successfully.

2. Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leadership employs charisma to motivate and inspire followers.

Leaders use eloquent communication skills to unite a team towards a shared
vision. However, due to the charismatic leaders’ overwhelming disposition, they
can see themselves as bigger than the team and lose track of the important tasks.

3. Strategic Leadership

Strategic leadership leads the company’s main operations and coordinates its
growth opportunities. The leader can support multiple employee layers at the
same time.

Difference between Leadership and Management

PARAMETER LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT

Definition Leadership, on the other hand, is Management can be likened
all about inspiration and vision. to the backbone of an
Leaders are the driving force organization. It revolves
behind an organization’s long- around efficiently
term success. They inspire and coordinating resources,
 motivate individuals to work processes and people to
collectively toward a common achieve predefined
purpose. objectives and maintain
stability
Focuses on Leadership-focused programs In academic programs or
delve into strategic vision, courses focusing on
effective communication and management, the curriculum
building team trust. typically concentrates on
three main areas: organizing,
directing and managing
resources.
Leaders are considered Managers set out to achieve
visionaries. They set the organizational goals by
Differences in
pathways to excel in implementing processes such
Vision
organizational growth. They as budgeting, organizational
always examine where their structuring, and staffing.
organization stands, where they Managers' vision is bound to
want to go, and how they can the implementation
reach there by involving the strategies, planning, and
team. organizing tasks to reach the
objectives set out by leaders.
Leaders are more concerned Managers achieve their goals
with how to align and influence by using coordinated
Organizing vs.
people than how to assign work activities and tactical
Aligning
to them. They achieve this by processes. They break down
assisting individuals in long-time goals into tiny
envisioning their function in a segments and organize
wider context and the possibility available resources to reach
for future growth that their the desired outcome.
efforts may give.
Role Leadership is the ability of an The role of management is
individual to influence, motivate, to control a group or group
and enable others to contribute of individuals in order to
to the organization's success. achieve a specified
objective.
Subordinates A leader has followers. These A manager is in a position of
people support and follow them, authority and uses their
 not because of their authority power to get things done.
but because of their vision and
influence.
Power, Leadership's authority comes Management exerts its
Position, and from their ability to inspire authority through the official
others. They may not have an power structure of an
Authority
official title, but their vision and
organization. They hold a
charisma drive people to follow particular position within the
them and their ideas. They have organization, like being a
informal power, which they exert manager or supervisor,
personally and through the which gives them the
management. authority to make decisions
and give directives.
Boundaries Leadership has more freedom Management have a specific
and when it comes to boundaries and set of responsibilities
responsibilities. They are free to assigned to them by the
Responsibilities
set their own boundaries and leaders. They have less room
take on whatever responsibilities for boundary setting as their
they deem necessary to achieve tasks are clearly defined by
their vision. those above them in the
hierarchy.

Effective Managerial Skills

Effective managerial skills require development of hard and soft skills within the
key areas of leadership, direction and additional areas of management. Several
important skill sets in these areas include:

Technical skills

Effective managerial skills include hard skills like technical aptitude. Managers and
leaders with proficiency in a variety of technical resources like production tools,
management software and other technical applications. Depending on the career
field you work in, these technical skills can include specific applications related to
software development, computer programming, marketing and sales.

Subject area expertise

Successful managers are highly knowledgeable about their fields. For instance,
an IT manager must have extensive knowledge about technical processes related
to development and programming applications to lead a technical team. With a
high level of knowledge of their subject areas and career fields, managers can
better understand how to develop and organize project tasks, how to achieve
objectives and how to manage costs related to projects they initiate.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning encompasses a manager's ability to develop a vision and action

plan for achieving objectives. Management and leadership professionals are
responsible for setting priorities in line with company goals, evaluating processes
and directing and assessing staff members in the completion of projects. Strategic
planning also requires the ability to adapt to new developments, adjust plans for
transitions and understand how to allocate resources and budgets for meeting
project deadlines.

Project management

Project management skills consist of several necessary traits that help managers
lead their teams in completing projects and meeting objectives. Effective
managerial skills in project management relate to the processes of organizing and
initiating company projects. Risk management skills allow managers to assess
challenges to projects and develop solutions to potential problems before starting
the work. Schedule, cost and task management oversight ensure staff complete
projects on time and within budget, and quality management skills allow
supervisors and managers to ensure their organizations' products meet quality
standards.

Organization

Managers and leaders rely on strong organizational skills to direct teams and
ensure quality work. To meet their organizations' goals, managers must be able to
allocate funds and resources to appropriate areas, organize and monitor budgets,
prioritize objectives and assign tasks. Many managers also train and mentor new
employees and often organize training programs and orientations. Effective time
management skills are also necessary for leadership roles, as many managers are
in charge of scheduling employee work hours, creating project timelines and
setting important deadlines.
Decision-making

Making sound decisions in the workplace is essential in a managerial role.

Effective managerial skills that help professionals make important choices include
the ability to analyze and identify problems, challenges and opportunities and
develop approaches that can solve problems or generate positive outcomes.
Successful leaders understand how to define challenges and opportunities and
evaluate benefits, drawbacks and costs of various outcomes. The ability to assess
alternative actions and implement chosen approaches allows managers to
evaluate the effects of their decisions and modify their plans and actions as
necessary.

Problem-solving

Strong managers and leaders understand how to apply problem-solving skills to

resolve challenges and take advantage of opportunities that arise in the
workplace. The abilities to analyze outcomes evaluate choices and weigh the pros
and cons of implementing solutions to achieve objectives are several examples of
effective managerial skills that help leaders solve problems and achieve goals.

Leadership

Leadership skills include traits that managers, supervisors and other professionals
in leadership roles rely on to keep their teams motivated and productive. Being
able to inspire others, encourage creativity among staff and support teams in
achieving goals are several ways managers apply leadership skills. Leaders with
effective managerial skills also incorporate employee evaluations, constructive
feedback and improvement plans to support their teams' career development and
abilities to achieve business goals.

Collaboration

Collaborative skills and the ability to coordinate with teams and supervising staff
members are vital aspects of effective managerial skills. Managers and individuals
in leadership positions use collaboration and coordination to communicate goals,
break down objectives, plan schedules and assign workflow. Considering input
and others' ideas are also important aspects of strong collaborative skills that help
management professionals succeed in their jobs.
Communication

The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most important soft skills
effective managers need on the job. Verbal communication skills like active
listening, asking detailed questions and providing concise feedback and
instruction are necessary when delegating tasks, collaborating with teams and
providing constructive feedback. Likewise, written communication is a necessary
hard skill that managerial professionals need to perform many tasks in their roles.
Creating schedules, charts, written instructions and documents are several
examples of necessary written communication skills of effective managers.

Interpersonal skills

Leading and managing teams of employees requires strong interpersonal skills like
compassion, understanding and diplomacy. The ability to build relationships
between colleagues, staff and supervisors is a trait inherent to effective
managerial skills. Managers depend on their interpersonal skills to create rapport
with others, solve problems, negotiate with clients, set and achieve goals and
manage employees under their supervision. Additionally, the ability to help others
solve challenges that lead to positive outcomes is also a trait of interpersonal
management skills.

Conflict-resolution skills

Effective managerial skills include conflict-resolution capabilities as challenges

arise on the job. Team leaders and managers must be able to address problems
quickly, identify factors affecting outcomes and create solutions or compromises
that benefit everyone in the workplace. Solving conflicts and overcoming
challenges also depend on a leader's ability to listen to others' suggestions, seek
to understand others' perspectives, approach diverse solutions and mediate
stressful situations to achieve agreements and positive outcomes.

Networking skills

Managers often perform customer and client relations activities and apply
networking skills like connecting with others, coordinating plans, communicating
with new and existing customers and clients and tracking important business
contacts for their organizations. An excellent example of using networking skills is
when finance managers reach out to potential investors, build relationships with
new financial clients and keep contact with these individuals regularly to
encourage interest and support in their organization.

Creativity

Effective managers encourage creativity and rely on innovative approaches to

completing projects and meeting objectives. Managers who inspire their teams'
creative thinking are successful at developing new strategies that lead to growth
and development. Taking on challenges in fresh ways and creating alternative
products and services that succeed in the market are also aspects of a manager's
creativity that influence an organization's success.

Empathy

Empathy in the workplace involves understanding colleagues', team members'

and supervisors' experiences, feelings and ideas. Managers who lead with
empathy can understand others' perspectives and connect with their teams in a
supportive manner. This empathetic approach to management can have positive
impacts on how teams achieve important goals, stay motivated on the job and
contribute to profitability. Empathy and compassion allow managers to build
relationships with their teams and can help keep teams productive and satisfied
in their jobs.

Ineffective Manager Skills

Ineffective managers typically share some negative traits. However, those
behaviors don’t have to be permanent; with some corrective measures, bad
management can be turned around.

Ineffective communication:

The whole culture of a company can be shaped and crafted by a manager’s words,
which means he or she better be a good communicator. When a manager is too
focused on upper management tasks, communication with employees tends to
suffer. This leaves employees guessing about the company’s objectives and, even
worse, doubting the manager’s credentials and commitment to the job.
Communication is the lifeblood of any company. Whether it’s in front of a crowd
or one-on-one with an employee, a good manager recognizes the power of
communication and works hard to hone this skill.

Showing favoritism:

Giving too much attention to some people while ignoring others is a recipe for
disaster. Those who are overlooked will feel resentment toward the ineffective
manager, and the situation will have a negative impact on their work
performance. A good manager understands that his or her presence can often
serve as a motivator for every employee. Just a few minutes a day can help
employees feel important and allow them to voice their concerns and share their
thoughts about the job.

Making bad hires:

Making poor hiring decisions can have a lasting effect on the company’s bottom
line, forcing other workers to pick up the slack. No one can have a 100% success
rate with new hires, but a good rule of thumb is to hire motivated people with an
eagerness to learn. If a manager hires the wrong person, he or she needs to step
up and fix the problem, which may mean severing the relationship and moving
on. Every manager makes mistakes, but dealing with these mistakes sets the great
ones apart as leaders.

Being overly authoritative:

Managers are put in charge because they’ve earned the opportunity to make the
company’s important decisions. But that power also brings much responsibility.
Ruling with an iron fist can cause employees to become resentful and
unproductive. Good managers try to remain as flexible as possible, giving
employees the latitude to perform their job in their own way. Instead of using a
management position as a means of exerting power, use it as an opportunity to
understand that no two people are exactly alike.

Becoming arrogant:

A corner office. A large salary with generous stock options. A private parking
space with a nice shiny sports car. The perks of being put in a management role
can be enough to make anyone become big-headed. As the boss, others might be
afraid to point out your flaws and shortcomings, so managers need to be extra
careful not to fall into this trap. A good manager realizes that staying humble is
important when building relationships with employees.

Not acknowledging success:

Praise improves morale and gives workers the motivation to strive to be more
productive. Few things are more appreciated than a kind word from the person in
charge. Too often, ineffective managers isolate themselves from employees and
spend their time only with other upper management. Effective managers
appreciate the hard work of their employees and make every effort to let them
know when they’ve gone above and beyond. It’s a simple gesture that can have
lasting effects and create a culture of good will.

Lack of company vision:

Managers aren’t put in charge to keep the status quo. They are expected to be
visionaries who can capitalize on the changing business climate. Managers who
are overly complacent tend to stifle creativity, miss opportunities and lose market
share to competitors. Companies need to remain nimble and innovative to stay
relevant, while constantly adjusting the way they do business. A good manager
recognizes this and encourages forward-thinking approaches to meet the
demands of tomorrow.