Leadership

Meaning
A leader is an essential part of work and social life. In situations where people seek to
achieve a goal, a leader is needed. Leadership appears in both formal and informal
situations. In informal settings, such as a group of friends, leadership behavior
happens when one individual takes the lead in group activities. In business, leaders
guide people toward shared goals.

Leadership is the process through which a person influences others to reach an

objective, guiding the organization to be unified and effective. It involves building
confidence and enthusiasm among people and creating in them a desire to be led.
Leadership is an effort to influence the behavior of others and inspires confidence and
support among group members to achieve organizational goals.

Definitions of Leadership

According to Koontz and Weihrich: "Leadership is influence, that is, the art or
process of influencing people so that they will try willingly and enthusiastically
toward the achievement of group goals."

According to Keith Davis: "Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek

defined objectives enthusiastically."

According to Pearce and Robinson: "Leadership is the process of influencing

others to work toward the attainment of specific goals."

According to Terry and Franklin: "Leadership is the relationship in which the

leader influences others to work together willingly on related tasks to achieve goals
desired by the leader or group.

Leadership Styles
The behavior exhibited by a leader during the supervision of subordinates is known
as leadership style. There are likely as many different styles of leadership as there are
leaders. However, three primary styles are often highlighted: directive, participative,
and laissez-faire,listed thus

Directive, Autocratic, or Authoritarian Style

An autocratic leader is one who makes all decisions independently, without
consulting subordinates. They centralize power and decision-making within
themselves, closely overseeing work and exercising full control over subordinates.
Orders are given, and subordinates are expected to follow them without resistance.
The leader, therefore, aims to cultivate obedient and predictable behavior from group

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members, allowing minimal freedom of action. Discipline is maintained through
rewards and threats of punishment. Communication tends to be one-way, and
subordinates rely entirely on the superior for all aspects, such as setting goals,
determining priorities, and implementing plans.

Style Features

• Centralized power and decision-

making
• Close supervision and control
• Discipline through rewards and
punishment
• One-way communication
• Complete dependence of
subordinates on the superior

Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Style

Advantages

• Decisions can be made quickly, allowing for centralized control for orderly
operations.
• Well-developed leadership skills can be directly applied to group activities.
• The leader can take direct control during major problems or crises, making it
ideal for crisis management.
• Suitable for managing inexperienced, insecure, and less competent
subordinates.
• Ensures consistency in goals and procedures, as decisions are made by the
leader.

Disadvantages

• May result in low motivation, as it’s challenging to foster motivation when the
leader makes all decisions.
• Provides very limited opportunity for developing the creative potential of
employees.
• Subordinates may develop defensiveness and continually seek ways to avoid
responsibility.
• One-way communication can lead to misunderstandings at various levels.
• Subordinates tend to rely on the leader for everything, which slows down
processes and makes adaptation to change difficult.

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Participative or Democratic Style

The participative leader encourages his subordinates to participate in the decision-

making process. He consults them before making decisions, and the suggestions put
forward are taken into account. There is open, two-way communication, and good
rapport is maintained with members of the group. The leader does not dominate; he
gives a lot of freedom to subordinates. The emphasis is on cooperation and
participation to achieve the maximum potential of the group.

Style Characteristics

• Involves people in decision-making

and goal setting
• Attitudes, feelings, and suggestions of
members are considered while making
decisions
• Freedom of thinking and action is
available to a reasonable extent
• Two-way, open communication
between members
• Opportunities to use one’s potential in
the service of the organization exist

Advantages and Disadvantages of Participative Style

Advantages

• Motivates people to perform better.

• Knowledge and experience of group members can be used in decision-making.
• Individual abilities are developed through participation.
• Members feel more committed to group goals, leading to resistance to
managerial actions.
• Members develop healthy attitudes toward the leader, the work, and the
organization.
• Two-way communication keeps members informed about what is going on and
why.

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Disadvantages

• Individuals may dominate the participation or make disruptive contributions.

• It is a very time-consuming approach from the leader’s point of view, and
quick decisions cannot be made.
• Participation may be used as an instrument to "pass the buck" to subordinates.
• Decisions may get diluted when attempts are made to please everyone.
• Participation may be viewed as a sign of inefficiency on the part of the leader.
Subordinates may perceive the leader as incompetent to handle the job
independently.
• Participation may be used to manipulate people to suit personal ends.

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Laissez-Faire or Free-Rein Leadership Style
In the democratic style, the leader encourages the group to think and develop a
solution. The laissez-faire or free-rein leader goes a step further and turns an entire
problem or project over to subordinates. The subordinates are asked to set their own
goals and develop plans for achieving them. The leader does not provide direction at
all; he acts as a passive observer and does not exercise power. There is a total
abdication of responsibility. He offers advice when required, but there is very little
control over the group members.

The broken lines in the above figure show the leader passing on materials and
information to group members upon request. There is no attempt to regulate the
course of events. Free-rein leadership may be suitable where organizational goals
have been communicated well in advance and are acceptable to subordinates. The
subordinates, in turn, must be well-trained, highly knowledgeable about their tasks,
and willing to assume responsibilities. They must also be highly motivated, sincere,
and duty-conscious. When these preconditions are met, the free-rein style may yield
good results.
Style Characteristics

• Group members set goals and

make decisions on their own.
• The leader is a passive observer
of events.
• The leader does not make
decisions, control, or exercise
influence over the group.
• The leader abdicates
responsibility.
• Members operate in an
unrestricted environment.
• Communication is open and can
flow in any direction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Free-Rein Style

Advantages

• Working independently can be motivational for some people.

• May encourage suggestions, creativity, and innovation within the group.
• The group is flexible and can adapt quickly to change.
• Open and direct communication, with opportunities for self-expression.
• May increase the "quality of life" for some group members.

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Disadvantages

• Activities may suffer due to lack of coordination.

• Group objectives may be ignored, and individual objectives may dominate
activities.
• Lack of control may lead to disruptive behavior.
• Individuals may go their own way, resulting in confusion and chaos.

Qualities of Effective Leaders

Intelligence: The leader is expected to possess intelligence above that of their

followers. They should be able to examine problems in the right way and convey
directions in a simple and easy-to-understand style, keeping the feelings of
subordinates in mind.

Communication skills: Proficiency in language and the ability to write and speak
effectively are essential for a leader to impart ideas to their followers. They should be
able to communicate goals, plans, and procedures clearly and persuade subordinates
to follow their guidance.

Emotional Balance: A leader must hold his emotions well in control, especially in
crisis situations. He should neither be crushed by defeat nor over-elated by victory.
He should have high frustration tolerance, be free from bias, logical in his actions,
and refrain from any demonstration of emotions such as impatience, anger, or
contempt for any of his followers.

Technical Skills: A good leader should have mastery over the technicalities of the
operations in which he guides his followers. He might not be superior to all of his
followers in technical skills, but he should be able to provide guidance to them in a
competent way and command their respect.

Inner Drive: A good leader should be a self-starter. The desire to be a leader should
come from within the individual. He should have an intense urge to keep
accomplishing and scale new heights. He should work for success and set an example
for others. He need not be complimented, praised, and rewarded at every turn to stay
motivated. As he reaches one goal, he aspires to a new goal. One success becomes a
challenge to greater success.

Energy: Good leaders must possess mental and physical energy in ample measure.
Leaders often work long hours at difficult tasks, and they must have the stamina to
withstand such rigors. Perhaps the wish to be and to remain a leader motivates a
person to put such energy into his role as a leader.

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Human Relations Skills: Developing and dealing with people is an important part of
the leader's role. A good leader should know a great deal about human behavior, so
that he can sense the feelings of his followers; so that he will know their loves, hates,
and fears, and know how they will react when facing certain situations. He must
understand his own feelings and motivations and accept others. He should perceive
his employees in a positive way. No thought should be given to manipulating others
to further selfish ends.

Teaching Skills: A good leader should be a good teacher. Since the basic role of a
leader is to show the followers a better way to achieve both their own and
organizational objectives, it follows that the leader must have the ability to impart
knowledge to people. To this end, he should make suggestions, ask leading questions,
demonstrate actions, and correct errors. Whatever tactic he chooses, teaching ability
is an important attribute of a good leader.

Importance of Leadership

Leadership is important because of the following reasons:

Leaders provide task support: Leaders support their followers by assembling

organizational resources and helping them accomplish their tasks to meet
performance standards.

Psychological support: Leaders help followers accomplish organizational tasks and

overcome problems encountered in the process. They encourage followers to work
with zeal and confidence, helping them realize their capabilities and providing
guidance, counseling, and coaching whenever necessary.

This raises employee morale and promotes healthy interaction among members of the
group, further developing disciplined thinking within the organization.

Development of individuals: The willingness, enthusiasm, and confidence that

leaders build in followers for achieving individual and organizational goals contribute
to their overall growth and development.

Building team spirit: No individual can work alone. Leaders foster team spirit
among followers, encouraging them to work collectively and coordinate their
activities with organizational goals. A leader acts as the captain of the team, fostering
understanding among followers, resolving individual and group conflicts, and
harmonizing individual goals with organizational goals. They create synergy and
multiply individual output into collective output.

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Motivation: Leaders motivate employees to take on tasks they may otherwise be
reluctant to perform. They combine people’s abilities with willingness, driving them
to action. Leaders help employees reach their full potential and convert desire into
performance. They also cultivate commitment, loyalty, and dedication among
followers, creating an environment that fosters growth and development.

Provides feedback: When people work toward well-defined targets, they want
feedback on their performance to achieve these goals efficiently. Leaders provide this
feedback, guiding them continuously to improve results by detecting and correcting
deviations in their work performance.

Facilitates change: Effective leaders convince members of the need for and benefits
of organizational change. The change process can be carried out smoothly by
overcoming factors that cause resistance to change.

Maintains discipline: Leadership is a powerful influence for enforcing discipline in

the organization. It enforces formal rules and regulations, and members follow these
rules with commitment and loyalty if they have confidence in their leaders. Leaders
promote teamwork, shift attitudes toward work, develop good human relations,
facilitate interaction among members, and maintain discipline within the
organization.

Meaning and Definition of Direction

Direction involves issuing instructions to subordinates (i.e., communication),

supervising them, providing leadership, and motivating them to contribute to the best
of their abilities for the achievement of organisational objectives. It is an important
managerial function concerned with putting the plan into effect. This is known as
actuation and leadership. Direction means guiding, motivating, leading, and
supervising the subordinates to accomplish desired objectives. It includes issuing
orders and instructions by superiors to their subordinates, motivating subordinates,
and providing leadership to them. A manager can create a good organisational
structure to implement the plans and appoint competent people, but as long as these
people are not guided properly, they will not be able to complete their work. In the
absence of information, co-ordination will not be established, and in the absence of
encouragement, their efficiency will not be fully utilised. All these things are possible
only through direction.

According to Ernest Dale - "Direction is telling people what to do and seeing that
they do it to the best of their ability."

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According to Koontz and O'Donnell - "Direction is a complex function that
includes all those activities which are designed to encourage subordinates to work
effectively and efficiently."

According to William Newman - "Direction deals with the steps a manager takes to
get subordinates and others to carry out plans."

Principle of Direction

The success of direction function depends upon the certain principles. These
principles are as given below:

Principles of Direction

Harmony Unity of Direct Effective Effective Participative

Follow up
of objectives Command Supervision Communication Leadership Management

Harmony of Objectives: Every individual is assigned a particular job, and he,

himself, is responsible to complete that. He can do it in a better way only when he
thinks that it is going to attain his personal objectives, which may be different from
the organisational objectives. So, the manager must try to reconcile the personal
objectives of his subordinates with those of organisational objectives.

Unity of Command: This principle of direction states that a subordinate should get
orders and instructions from one boss. He is responsible to one boss only. It is the
best principle if it is not affected by Dual Command.

Direct Supervision: Supervision refers to the direct and immediate guidance and
control of subordinates in the performance of their tasks. Direct supervision by the
boss and his direct advice to the subordinates boosts their morale, resulting in
renewed and rigorous effort. It also increases loyalty among the subordinates, which
is better for effective direction.

Effective Communication: Effective communication fosters mutual understanding,

secures greater efforts from the subordinates, and helps in coordinating the activities
of an organisation. Effective communication is an instrument of direction.
Communication is complete only when the receiver receives and accepts the message
intended. Two-way communication gives the subordinates a chance to express their

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feelings and the boss a chance to know the feelings of the subordinates.
Misunderstandings, if any, can be removed through effective communication.
Participation of subordinates in decision-making and responsibility is essential to
make communication really effective and meaningful.

Effective Leadership: The success of an organisation depends upon the quality of

leadership exhibited by its managers at every level. Subordinates are happy if they
get effective leadership from their boss. The boss must possess the qualities of a good
leader if he is to get the work done with and through subordinates. The style of
leadership adopted by a manager may be directive or democratic, depending upon the
needs of the situation. In any case, the manager cannot afford to overlook the interests
of the subordinates.

Participative or Democratic Management: The function of directing becomes more

effective if a participative or democratic style of management is followed. According
to this principle, the superior must act according to mutual consent, and decisions
should be reached after consulting the subordinates. It provides necessary motivation
to the workers by ensuring their participation and acceptance of work methods.

Follow-Up: In order to make direction effective, a manager has not only to issue
directives and instructions but also to follow up on the work being performed as
desired. The manager must direct, guide, motivate, and lead subordinates at work,
correcting them whenever they go wrong.

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