Leadership

Meaning and definition

Leadership is a process of influencing people towards the fulfillment of goals in a given
situation. Earlier it was thought that leaders are blessed with some supernatural powers and
hence they can see the future. It was considered as the characteristic of a person. This type
of leaders are known as visionary leaders.
In recent years we have more rational explanations of leadership. It is
understood as social -influence process. In other words we can say that
leadership is a continuous process of influencing the behavior of other persons.
Leadership is an ability to lead others effectively. Leadership is not confined to
the top level only, It is desirable at every level of an organization.
According to Koontz and ODonnell Leadership is the process of influencing
others towards the accomplishment of the goal. It is the ability of a manager to
induce subordinates to work with zeal and confidence.

Characteristics of Leadership
There are certain characteristics of leadership which help us in understanding leadership.
1. Leadership is a process of influence.
2. Leadership is related to a situation. The ability of a leader is determined by his skills or
capacity to handle a situation to allow his subordinates to work with freedom and
independence.
3. Leadership is a function of stimulation. A leader should set attainable goals and inspire
people in such a manner that individuals and organizational goals do not contradict each
other.
4. Leadership gives an experience of helping others in attaining their common objective. It
gives a sense of identification and recognition to the people.
5. There should be the existence of followers, because it is a two way relationship which
may involve psychological or economical exchange.
Styles of Leadership
Leadership style refers to the behaviour of the leader. It is a pattern which a
leader is reflecting. The leadership style is of different types. It varies from leader
to leader, and according to situations.
There are three different types of leadership styles: Autocratic, Participative and Laissezfaire.
a) Autocratic Style: Autocratic leadership style is also known as authoritarian style. An
autocratic leader believes in strict commands. He passes orders and relies on negative
influences. He gives orders which must be obeyed by his subordinates. He determines
policies of the group without consulting them. He passes orders to the group without
revealing their future plans. In this style, the leader remains aloof from the group. He gives
criticism and praise individually. Decision making power is centralized in the hands of the
leader and he does not give subordinates the freedom to influence his behavior. So we can
say that it is a one way process
This style has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
In this style of leadership there can be quick decision making.
In any crisis or problem, the leader can have direct control over the group.

 It can be directly applied to group activity.

There is one decision making authority, so consistency in procedure can be maintained.
It is best suited for managing incompetent and inexperienced subordinates.
Disadvantages:
In this style the leader takes all the decisions which is very demotivating for the
subordinates.
There can be misunderstanding among the people due to the one way communication.
People get less chance of growth of their potentials in this style of leadership.
There can be high dependency on leader for everything and people start avoiding
responsibility. They can be defensive.
Autocratic leadership style is again divided into three types.
i) Strict autocratic: The leader of this style believes in passing the orders. Communication
is downward and he uses fear and threats.
ii) Benevolent autocratic: In this style the leader uses rewards and punishment to work
effectively. Limited upward communication where the leader hears what he wants to hear. In
most of the cases decisions are made by the leader.
iii) Manipulative autocratic: In this style, the leader shows that the suggestions of the
employees are welcomed but he takes his own decisions. In this leadership style there is no
motivation for the employees They are not well informed. They have no decision making
ability. They are not treated like members of a group.