Managerial Skills and Leadership Concepts

Leadership Concept and Theories

• Leadership is a multifaceted concept, varying across different contexts, from family to multinational organizations.
• The core essentials of leadership remain consistent across all levels, but variations in skills, roles, and relationships lead to diverse leader perceptions.
• Attributes and processes, as well as traits and leadership styles, influence success and failure but are not entirely conclusive.

Introduction

• Leadership is defined differently by various scholars, but a consensus is absent.
• The word "leader" originates from "leden" (to travel/show the way) implying to advance and guide others.
• The concept of a "leader" in the English language emerged as early as 1300 AD, while "leadership" emerged approximately 1800 AD.
• Anglo-Saxon countries displayed prominent interest and research on leadership.

Definition of Leadership

• There are many definitions, lacking universal acceptance.
• Leadership is a relationship where one person influences others to achieve a common goal.
• It's an ability to persuade others to enthusiastically pursue determined objectives.
• It involves interpersonal influence through communication toward goal achievement.

Leadership and Management Differences

• Leadership emphasizes interpersonal behaviour and the enthusiastic and willing participation of followers.
• Leadership is not necessarily confined to hierarchical structures.
• Management focuses on formal task planning, budgeting, and controlling to achieve organizational objectives.

Leadership Roles

• Managers hold various roles; these roles can be classified into three categories: Interpersonal, Informational, and Decisional.
• Interpersonal roles involve interactions with other people (figurehead, leader, liaison).
• Informational roles include processing and conveying information (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson).
• Decisional roles encompass decision-making activities (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator).

Leadership Theories

• Leadership approaches have evolved over time from trait-based to behavioural and situational models.
• Trait theory: Early studies identified traits like intelligence, courage, and energy as crucial for leadership, but these traits are not consistently indicative of effectiveness.
• Behavioural theory: Focuses on the behaviors leaders exhibit instead of inherent traits. This has led to conceptual models (e.g. Ohio State’s initiating structure and consideration, Michigan’s employee-oriented and production-oriented).
• Contingency theory: This approach notes that the most effective leadership style varies depending on the situation (e.g., Fiedler's contingency model, the path-goal theory, the life-cycle theory, the tri-dimensional model).

Leadership Variables

• Numerous variables influence a leader's effectiveness, including their personality, prior experience, and expectations, as well as expectations and behaviour of superiors, subordinates, task requirements, organizational climate and policies and peers.

Leadership Styles

• Transactional leadership: Focuses on exchanges between leaders and followers, based on rewards and punishments, often used in maintaining status quo.
• Transformational leadership: Involves leaders raising followers' awareness of organizational goals and inspiring them to achieve higher levels of performance and moral behaviour.
• Visionary leadership: Leaders effectively communicate a compelling vision of the future, energizing followers to work toward achieving that vision.
• Democratic leadership: The leader participates with the group in decision-making.
• Authoritarian leadership: The leader makes decisions unilaterally, providing limited input.
• Laissez-faire leadership: The leader provides little direction or supervision to the group.
• Servant leadership: The leader prioritizes the needs of followers in order to help the team achieve a common goal
• Super Leadership: Leader develops other leaders by inspiring, enabling and empowering them.

Power and Influence of Leadership

• Leadership power stems from the ability to influence others' behaviour.
• The bases of power can be reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert.