Leadership is considered the ability to organize and influence other individuals to accomplish a specific common goal. Leaders arise from inside of organizations. Their individual qualities bring in followers who willingly accept their leadership. For many years it was thought that leadership was a quality that was inherited. However, subsequent scientific studies and research have indicated that successful leadership may be acquired and developed through leadership training.
For the purpose of management, a leader has performed his work very well when he has improved upon the team’s effectiveness and cohesion by being active in his group’s efforts, planning their activities, training and motivating his subordinates. For workers, a leader is perceived well if he has been supporting and he has shown concern for them. This can involve being clear in setting standards and holding his team accountable for meeting those standards.
There are several different leadership styles. The autocratic or authoritarian style centralizes all decision making in the leader. This individual doesn’t ask for ideas from his subordinates. The leader is highly motivated simply because he gets all of the credit and is therefore the star. The participative or democratic style encourages suggestions and individual input. It wants group decision making. A final decision will only be made after everyone is listened to. In the laissez-faire or free rein style, the group is left completely to itself. The team is provided a free rein to come up with their own decisions. The leader doesn’t really care about the process; he is only focused on the final results.
Different management and leadership types might give good results in different conditions and situations. In a group of extremely motivated members with homogenous knowledge and expertise, a free reign style might work. In a team with different backgrounds, levels of experience and expertise that is not under any time restriction, the participative style can do the job. However in emergencies and conditions in which time is restricted and a speedy decision is needed, the authoritarian type might be needed.
The ability to have an impact on subordinates, other associates and workers can be enhanced by the leadership training the leader has received, his past experience, his expertise and talents and his leadership potential. He could even just have the proper information required by the business at the correct time. But the effectiveness of a leader is determined by how he skillfully utilizes these individual resources available to him.
Favored leadership training programs feature goal setting, conflict management, communications and personal ethics. However learning the various leadership and management styles may not be enough to make you an even better leader. Learning the right way to assess and analyze the different conditions that require leadership, knowing what strategies to apply, and leading by example are generally what can set you apart as a leader.
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