Background of the study

It goes without saying that good leadership is crucial to any successful business.
But, what makes a good leader and how can someone develop himself or herself into a good
leader if they are not one to begin with? The answer is that there are many factors that contribute
to good leadership. And, whether someone is naturally a good leader or not, anyone can become
a good leader. One of those factors of good leadership is communication. Communication is one
of the most key elements of leadership. Good communication skills need to be learned to
effectively become a good leader or manager. When communication occurs, as a leader, you will
be able to accurately convey your ideas and thoughts to those that work for you. In fact, simply
being able to convey these things in the first place, much less accurately, puts you in the right
direction for leadership (Myron Curry, 2015).
Leadership is the influencing process of leaders and followers to achieve organizational
objectives through change (Achua, 2010). Leaders serves people best when they help them
develop their own initiative and good judgment, enable them to grow, and help them become
better contributors (Thomas S Bateman, 2010).
Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set direction, build an
inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to
go to "win" as a team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring. Yet, while
leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills to guide their people to the right
destination, in a smooth and efficient way ( Bernard Bass, 2015).
Leading is about setting direction and ensuring that that direction is followed. Leading
can apply to leading oneself, other individuals, groups, organizations and societies. The nature of

how leading is done depends on the context of the situation, one one's perspective, and on the
nature and needs of those involved ( Carter McNamara, 2015).
Many people believe that leadership is simply being the first, biggest or most powerful.
Leadership in organizations has a different and more meaningful definition. Very simply put, a
leader is interpreted as someone who sets direction in an effort and influences people to follow
that direction -- the people can be oneself, another individual, a group, an organization or a
community ( Carter McNamara, 2015).
Leadership can be defined as a process by which one individual influences others toward
the attainment of group or organizational goals. Three points about the definition of leadership
should be emphasized. First, leadership is a social influence process. Leadership cannot exist
without a leader and one or more followers. Second, leadership elicits voluntary action on the
part of followers. Finally, leadership results in followers' behavior that is purposeful and goaldirected in some sort of organized setting. Many, although not all, studies of leadership focus on
the nature of leadership in the workplace (Chemers M. 1997).
Leadership has been described as "a process of social influence in which a person can
enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". For example,
some understand a leader simply as somebody whom people follow, or as somebody who guides
or directs others, while others define leadership as "organizing a group of people to achieve a
common goal". The search for the characteristics or traits of leaders has continued for centuries.
Philosophical writings from Plato's Republic to Plutarch's Lives have explored the question
"What qualities distinguish an individual as a leader?" Underlying this search was the early
recognition of the importance of leadership and the assumption that leadership is rooted in the

characteristics that certain individuals possess. This idea that leadership is based on individual
attributes is known as the "trait theory of leadership" (B. Jowett, 2014).
The trait leadership theory believes that people are either born or are made with certain
qualities that will make them excel in leadership roles. That is, certain qualities such as
intelligence, sense of responsibility, creativity and other values puts anyone in the shoes of a
good leader. The trait theory of leadership focused on analyzing mental, physical and social
characteristic in order to gain more understanding of what is the characteristic or the combination
of characteristics that are common among leaders (Gordon Allport, 1930 -1940).
The Great Man theory assumes that the traits of leadership are intrinsic. That simply
means that great leaders are born they are not made. This theory sees great leaders as those who
are destined by birth to become a leader. Furthermore, the belief was that great leaders will rise
when confronted with the appropriate situation. Great man theories assume that the capacity for
leadership is inherent that great leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray great
leaders as heroic, mythic and destined to rise to leadership when needed. The term "Great Man"
was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially
in terms of military leadership (Thomas Carlyle, 1840).
Leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an
effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education,
training, and experience. This guide will help you through that process. To inspire your workers
into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not
come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually
working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are not resting on their laurels.

Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective

and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out
this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character,
knowledge, and skills. Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the
authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not
make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the
followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around (Ritu, 2011).
The concept of leadership is that there is an influence that takes place that optimizes
functional performance in a situation, and that optimization is a process that results in flourishing
of all aspects of a situation. Leadership may occur whether we are aware of it or not. Leadership
may be a result of any person or process -- this is because leadership is not an individual, it is the
presence of influence that optimizes the situation (Bishop, 2014).
Peter Drucker famously stated that "management is doing things right; leadership is
doing the right things." Great leaders possess dazzling social intelligence, a zest for change, and
above all, vision that allows them to set their sights on the "things" that truly merit attention.