Leadership

If you want to build or strengthen a large organisation, you need to be a great leader. Successful leaders encourage creativity. Management and leadership skills are vital to any organisation’s performance. Leadership is defined as the organisational practice of influencing people’s behaviour to voluntarily and actively achieve team objectives.

Qualities of a good leader

• A leader should be cooperative and decisive so that staff is motivated to work hard.
• An essential quality in a good leader is sufficient knowledge and expertise to influence subordinates.
• Integrity and honesty are crucial qualities for a leader to have.
• A leader must communicate thoughts, policies, and techniques to subordinates properly.
• A leader must be an excellent motivator who knows and meets people’s needs.
• A leader must have self-confidence and willpower.
• A leader must be decisive and firm when making decisions for the team.

The importance of effective leadership

Planning

Even before the task begins, there is a need for leadership. A leader is someone who shares plans and practices with subordinates.

Motivating others

A leader inspires staff with financial and non-financial rewards and gets the job done promptly. Motivation is what drives an individual forward in life.

Offering assistance

A manager’s role extends beyond simply keeping an eye on the workers—they also mentor and provide guidance. They guide their workers on working efficiently so that their efforts are not wasted.

Building confidence

A leader should understand employees’ contributions, clearly define their roles, and guide them toward their objectives. Additionally, a good leader resolves complaints and concerns, instilling confidence in the staff towards the business.

Creating a positive working atmosphere

A competent leader should keep in touch with staff and understand their concerns. They should handle conflicts carefully to avoid hurting the parties involved. A healthy and efficient work atmosphere contributes to the organisation’s long-term success.

Coordination

A leader balances the employees’ interests with the organisation’s objectives and ensures integrity.

Facilitating transitions

A leader persuades, organises, and facilitates individuals to accept organisational changes. In addition, a leader ensures that staff does not experience any insecurity with the modifications.

Leadership style

A leader is someone who directs and guides others in a team. A leader directs and motivates the team members’ efforts by influencing their activities. The leadership style refers to the way a leader acts while trying to accomplish an objective through others. The leader’s personality, skills, business values, and environment determine the leader’s leadership style. When it comes to authority, there are three major leadership styles:

• Authoritative Leadership (Autocratic)
• Participative Leadership (Democratic)
• Delegative Leadership (Free Rein)

Authoritative Leadership (Autocratic)

When the leader has all the authority and power, it is called autocratic leadership. Subordinates do not participate. The leader has complete authority and takes responsibility. The leader alone determines planning, policy, and other operational procedures. They organise the entire workplace environment, and they want the staff to work their instructions without question. An autocratic leader believes in and practices authoritarian leadership.

Features

• They take their decisions and overlook others’ opinions.
• They have complete control over how they lead the members.
• They are very strict when it comes to rewards and punishments. Autocratic leadership relies on negatively affecting practices.
• They do not provide complete information to the subordinates.
• They carefully specify each task and set strict work standards for their subordinates. This implies that subordinates are obligated to perform specific tasks assigned to them.

Advantages

• It is beneficial in an emergency or during a war.
• It works better when the workers are not organised.
• There is no requirement for skilled work. Untrained workers can utilise it.
• It is a quick way to make decisions because one individual decides on behalf of the entire group.

Disadvantages

• In an autocratic style of leadership, subordinates are excluded from decision-making.
• It places little emphasis on the proper appraisal of an employee’s performance.
• Employee morale is low.
• There is no opportunity for management advancement.
• Autocratic leadership is unsuitable for innovative ideas and ways of thinking.
• Negative motivation forces the workforce to do their tasks.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

When authority and decision-making rights are decentralised to subordinates, this is called democratic leadership. Subordinates take an active role in the process. The leader and the subordinates work together to develop and implement plans, policies, and other operational procedures. They organise the entire workplace democratically.

Features

• A democratic leader delegates authority according to the employee’s capacity.
• All subordinates participate in decision-making.
• The importance of human values is also considered. 
• A democratic leader enforces flexible work standards and sets goals for work performance.
• A democratic leader places greater emphasis on results rather than on action.

Advantages

• Effective communication among individuals is emphasised.
• Staff members are delighted, and their morale has improved.
• The importance of human efforts is very well-recognised.
• It increases productivity.
• There are more ideas for policies, planning, and other operational procedures when different logical and creative ideas are mixed.
• Subordinates gain substantial freedom of action, which aids in personal development and provides an excellent opportunity to maximise their strengths.

Disadvantages

• It takes a long time to make a decision.
• It is not appropriate for untrained subordinates.
• It is not appropriate if the followers are unskilled and lacking in discipline.

Delegative leadership

When full authority and accountability are transferred to subordinates, this style of leadership is referred to as free rein. The leader who adheres to this philosophy is a free rein leader. The free rein leadership delegates authority to subordinates. As a result, the leader does not contribute to planning or policymaking. This leadership style is quite effective when all members are conscious of their positions and obligations.

Features

• Subordinates have complete decision-making authority.
• They are self-motivated and self-controlled.
• The free-rein leader provides staff with resources, tools, and information.
• There is no involvement from the leader in developing plans and policies.

Advantages

• Staff members are comfortable with their work because they have decision-making authority.
• The work environment is developed.
• As a result of the abundance of opportunities for professional growth, the workforce is well-versed in the field.
• The subordinate’s ideas and skills are fully utilised.

Disadvantages

• Leaders’ contributions are ignored.
• Subordinates are not always self-directed in their actions.
• The leader’s directives should not be communicated to the subordinates.

Conclusion

Leadership is the ability to motivate and guide others to perform a specific task. It is a vital part of the process of directing. An organisation’s peaceful atmosphere depends on the qualities of a good leader and interpersonal relations. Identifying and developing employee leadership potential has several advantages for organisations. This assists in ensuring that your organisation develops future leaders.