leadership mngmnt

In most situations, a team, military unit, department, or volunteer group is only as good as its leader. Yet there are as many variations among leaders as there are among other individuals, and many different styles of leadership can be effective.

   So, what does it mean to be a leader? Among all the ideas and writings about leadership, three aspects stand out—people, influence, and goals. Leadership occurs among people, involves the use of influence, and is used to attain goals.

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Influence means that the relationship among people is not passive. Moreover, influence is designed to achieve some end or goal. Thus,

leadership

as defined here is the ability to influence people toward the attainment of goals. This definition captures the idea that leaders are involved with other people in the achievement of goals. Leadership is reciprocal, occurring among people.

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Leadership is a “people” activity, distinct from administrative paperwork or problem-solving activities.

Remember This

· • The attitudes and behaviors of leaders shape the conditions that determine how well employees can do their jobs; thus, leaders play a tremendous role in the organization’s success.

· • Leadership is the ability to influence people toward the attainment of organizational goals.

• Many different styles of leadership can be effective.

· • The attitudes and behaviors of leaders shape the conditions that determine how well employees can do their jobs; thus, leaders play a tremendous role in the organization’s success.

· • Leadership is the ability to influence people toward the attainment of organizational goals.
• Many different styles of leadership can be effective.

(Daft, 2012, p. 494)

Contemporary Leadership

The concept of leadership evolves as the needs of organizations change. That is, the environmental context in which leadership is practiced influences which approach might be most effective, as well as what kinds of leaders are most admired by society. The technology, economic conditions, labor conditions, and social and cultural mores of the times all play a role. A significant influence on leadership styles in recent years is the turbulence and uncertainty of the environment. Ethical and economic difficulties, corporate governance concerns, globalization, changes in technology, new ways of working, shifting employee expectations, and significant social transitions have contributed to a shift in how we think about and practice leadership. Four approaches that are in tune with leadership for today’s turbulent times are Level 5 leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, and interactive leadership, which has been associated with women’s style of leading.

(Daft, 2012, p. 495)

Level 5 leaders

is an almost complete lack of ego (humility) coupled with a fierce resolve to do what is best for the organization (will).

Humility

means being unpretentious and modest rather than arrogant and prideful. In contrast to the view of great leaders as larger-than-life personalities with strong egos and big ambitions, Level 5 leaders often seem shy and self-effacing. Although they accept full responsibility for mistakes, poor results, or failures, Level 5 leaders give credit for successes to other people. Level 5 leaders build organizations based on solid values that go far beyond just making money, with an unwavering resolve to do whatever is needed to make the company successful over the long term.

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(Daft, 2012, p. 495)

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

When Jack Welch, longtime CEO of General Electric (GE), speaks to MBA students, he reminds them that “any time you are managing people, your job is not about you, it’s about them. It starts out about you as … an individual in a company,” Welch says. “But once you get a leadership job, it moves very quickly to being about them.”

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Some leaders operate from the assumption that work exists for the development of the worker as much as the worker exists to do the work.

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The concept of servant leadership, first described by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, has gained renewed interest in recent years as companies recover from ethical scandals and compete to attract and retain the best human talent.

(Daft, 2012, p. 496)

AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

Another popular concept in leadership today is the idea of

authentic leadership

, which refers to individuals who know and understand themselves, who espouse and act consistent with higher-order ethical values, and who empower and inspire others with their openness and authenticity.

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To be authentic means being real, staying true to one’s values and beliefs, and acting based on one’s true self rather than emulating what others do. Authentic leaders inspire trust and commitment because they respect diverse viewpoints, encourage collaboration, and help others learn, grow, and develop as leaders.

· • Authentic leaders pursue their purpose with passion. Leaders who lead without a purpose can fall prey to greed and the desires of the ego. When leaders demonstrate a high level of passion and commitment to a purpose, they inspire commitment from followers.

· • Authentic leaders practice solid values. Authentic leaders have values that are shaped by their personal beliefs, and they stay true to them even under pressure. People come to know what the leader stands for, which inspires trust.

· • Authentic leaders lead with their hearts as well as their heads. All leaders sometimes have to make tough choices, but authentic leaders maintain a compassion for others as well as the courage to make difficult decisions.

· • Authentic leaders establish connected relationships. Authentic leaders build positive and enduring relationships, which makes followers want to do their best. In addition, authentic leaders surround themselves with good people and work to help others grow and develop.

· • Authentic leaders demonstrate self-discipline. A high degree of self-control and self-discipline keeps leaders from taking excessive or unethical risks that could harm others and the organization. When authentic leaders make mistakes, they openly admit them.

“ True leadership is a fire in the mind. … It is a strength of purpose and belief in a cause that reaches out to others, touches their hearts, and makes them eager to follow.”

· ROBERT M.GATES, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

• A significant influence on leadership styles in recent years is the turbulence and uncertainty of the environment.

· • One effective approach in today’s environment is Level 5 leadership, which is characterized by an almost complete lack of ego (humility), coupled with a fierce resolve to do what is best for the organization (will).

· • Humility means being unpretentious and modest rather than arrogant and prideful.

· • A servant leader is a leader who serves others by working to fulfill followers’ needs and goals, as well as to achieve the organization’s larger mission.

· • Authentic leadership refers to leadership by individuals who know and understand themselves, who espouse and act consistent with higher-order ethical values, and who empower and inspire others with their openness and authenticity.

· • Women leaders typically score significantly higher than men on abilities such as motivating others, building relationships, and developing others—skills that are based on humility and authenticity and are particularly suited to today’s organizations.

· • Interactive leadership is a leadership style characterized by values such as inclusion, collaboration, relationship building, and caring.

• Although interactive leadership is associated with women’s style of leading, both men and women can be effective interactive leaders.

(Daft, 2012, p. 499)