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LEADERSHIP (CONTD.)
We will continue discussing the concepts of leadership. If you check
dictionary for definition of Lead,
Leader and Leadership you will find the following answers.
Dictionary Definitions:-
_ Lead:
“To guide, steer, pilot, point, or show the way”
“To cause someone to do something”
_ Leader:
“One who leads”
“Person in control”
_ Leadership:
“The quality notable in leaders”
“Set of characteristics that make a good leader”
Leaders are Effective When?
Leaders’ effectiveness depends on the achievements of group/team goals, when
internal processes are
smooth and group/team is working as a cohesive team. Effectiveness can also be
seen when team/group
adapt to external forces. An organization achieves its goals when the leaders of
an organization will be
more effective. A leader is effective when team/group is effective and vice
versa. Leader and followers
are both important and depend on each other for effectiveness.
Can a leader fail? Yes, some time we see leaders who are not effective or
not-good do fail in achieving
their goals.
Characteristics of Leaders Who Fail
• Rude and unapproachable: if
the leader will act rudely and is unapproachable to employee.
He will fail to achieve organizational goals because due to his/her this
behavior participative
environment can not created within organization.
• Cold and arrogant: if the leader
will be proud of himself, no one wants to work with him. And
also if he or she has no feeling about others, nobody will be agreeing to work
with this type of
arrogant person.
• Untrustworthy: without trust,
leaders can not perform well in the organization.
Teams/Groups/Organizations always grow when they have trust on each others and a
trustworthy leader is very essential for the success of a team. If leader is
untrustworthy, the
probability of his/her failure will be high.
• Self-centered and political: if
the leader will create or involve in political environment in the
organization, he/she will lose the ground because politics can not work in the
organization
especially if leader is involved in political activities. Especially when a
leader is self centered
and interested only in personal benefits the result will be a mess and failure
and out put will be
zero.
• Poor performers: Team always
depends on its leader. Leader is mentor, role model, coach
and sets the example for others. So if the leader of team will be poor
performer, team can not
achieve the goals.
• Unable to delegate: In this
competitive environment of participations, the leader must
delegate the power and authority to downwards for achieving the organizational
goals in more
efficient and effective manner. So if the leader will not delegate the power and
authority to
others or his subordinates, he will lose and that will be the failure of leader.
So are they “bad” or
“in-effective” Leader?
What do we mean by “bad” … if a person (leader) is Corrupt, Evil, Brutal,
Disrespectful,
Incompetent, Irresponsible, Destructive Unethical, Mean, Dangerous, Immoral or
Ineffective than
one can say he/she is a bad leader.
Bad leadership defined …
“Ineffective leadership is the inability to build and maintain a group that
performs well relative
to its competition.” - Robert Hogan –
Causes of bad leadership
There are two key sources which are Traits and character.
“Leaders behave badly because of who they are and what they want.”
– Barbara Kellerman -
Leadership is not automatic it must be earned through trust, confidence,
competence, consistency,
integrity, and vision
Leadership Managerial Roles
In this competitive environment the style of management has also changed.
Now the organizations are
working in more competitive environment, more flat structures, depends on more
functional teams lead
by a leader.
Managerial Roles
Leaders are managers too but not necessary that all managers are leaders.
Leaders need to play
managerial role too. Management roles refer to specific categories of managerial
behavior.
a. Interpersonal roles included figurehead, leadership, and liaison
activities.
_ Figurehead
When they represent the organization, signing official document, informally
talking to
people and attending out side meetings, presiding the meetings and ceremonial
events etc
they are playing the role of figurehead.
• Insensitive, abrasive, bullying style
• Cold, aloof, arrogant
• Betrayal of personal trust
• Overly ambitious
• Specific performance problems
• Micro-managing—does not build a team
• Unable to select good subordinates
Why Leaders Fail?
Bad leadership defined …
“Bad
leadership falls into two
categories: bad as in ineffective and
bad as in unethical. Ineffective
leadership fails to produce the
desired change while unethical
leadership fails to distinguish between
right and wrong.”
- Barbara Kellerman -
11
_ Leader
Leader is responsible for giving instruction, coaching, hiring, training,
motivating, and
evaluating performance etc and these are responsibility of a leader.
_ Liaison
When interacting with people outside their organization, attending
professional meetings,
serving on committees, visiting and meeting people to keep in touch, all these
role are kind
of liaison on behalf of his/her team or organization.
b. Informational roles included monitoring, disseminating, and
spokesperson
activities.
_ Monitor
Gather information, reading reports, publication etc, talking to others in
meeting inside or
outside the organization, observing etc
_ Disseminator
They send information, instruction, orally or written and play the role of
disseminator.
_ Spokesperson
Provide information outside the organization, answering queries, letters,
reporting
information to govt. etc.
c. Decisional roles included those of entrepreneur, disturbance handler,
resource allocator and
negotiator.
_ Entrepreneur
Good leaders are always famous for innovation and creativity. When innovate
and initiate
improvement (through monitor), developing new ideas, new product & service,
procedures,
tools etc
_ Disturbance handler
Taking Corrective action during crises, uncertainty, breakdown, labor
issues, strike,
material crises, or any others
_ Resource allocator
Allocating and distribution of resources (financial, space, equipment,
material, HR etc)
_ Negotiators
They represent organization at different levels, with competitors,
customers, clients,
employees, Govt etc
Leadership and management are closely related but with distinguishable
functions. As discussed earlier,
leaders are managers but not necessary that all managers are leaders. There are
distinct differences
among them if we compare a leader from a manager.
Leaders Vs Managers
Leaders Managers
– Innovate
– Develop
– Inspire
– Take the long-term view
– Ask what and why
– Originate
– Challenge the status quo.
– Do the right things
_ Administer
_ Maintain
_ Control
_ Have a short-term view
_ Ask how and when
_ Imitate
_ Accept the status quo
_ Do things right |
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