LEADERSHIP

Human beings are the most precious part of an organisation. Effective utilisation of the capacity of human
resources depends upon management. Management can get the results from the people in two ways. (A)- By
exercising authority and (B)- By winning the support of the people. Out of these the second method has a
lasting effect over the people’s motivation. However it is only possible when a manager becomes their leader
in the real sense to influence their behaviour in the desired direction. Effective leadership is of great
importance in an enterprise to enable to enable that organisation in achieving its objectives.

Leadership is a process by which an executive directs his subordinates and influences the work and behaviour
of others for the common benefit of the organisation as well as its members. An effective leader directs the
activities of his followers and integrates their activities for the accomplishment of some predetermined
objectives.

The term leadership has been defined by many authorities. According to Keith Davis- “Leadership is the
ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a
group together and motivates it towards a goal.”
According to Bernard “Leadership refers to the quality of the behaviour of the individuals where by they guide
people on their activities in an organisation”.

Leadership is a quality which enables a person to direct other persons of the organisation and they become his
followers. A leader directs and guides the activities of his followers and influences them to contribute their
whole hearted efforts to achieve the common objectives of the enterprise.

THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP.
Various theories have been developed to describe, analyse and explain the leadership function. Each theory
has its own contributions, limitations assumptions and frame work of analysis.

TRAIT APPROACH.

This approach was one of the first attempt to explain leader behaviour, or attempts to influence
subordinates. This approach focused on certain characteristics that separate leader from others. Trait
approach leadership studies were quite popular between 1930’s and 1950. The method of study was to select
successful leaders; and their traits (characteristics) were studied. This theory assumes that such traits cause
them to rise above their followers. The basic traits are ones energy, looks, knowledge, courage etc. The
underlying logic of trait theory is that an individual possessing such traits is usually able to influence others.

Leadership traits are of two types. They are innate qualities and acquirable qualities. Innate qualities
are those which are possessed by various individuals since their birth.

Physical features: - Physical features of a man are determined by hereditary factors. To some extent height,
weight, health and appearance are important for leadership.

Intelligence:- For leadership higher level of intelligence is required. Intelligence is generally expressed in terms
of mental ability. Intelligence, to a very great extent, is a natural quality in the individuals because it is directly
related with brain.
Acquirable qualities are those which can be acquired and increased through various processes. Many of these
traits can be increased through training programme.

Emotional stability:- A leader should have high level of emotional stability. He should be free from bias, is
consistent in action, and refrains from anger.

Human relations:- A successful leader should have adequate knowledge of human relations. ie how he
should deal with human beings. Since an important part of a leader’s job is to develop people and get their co-
operation for achieving work, he should have intimate knowledge of people and their relationship to each
other.

Objectivity:- Objectivity implies that what a leader does, should be based on relevant facts and information.
He must assess these without any bias or prejudice.

Motivating skills:- A leader must acquire the quality to motivate his employees. Though there are many
external forces which motivate a person, there is inner drive in people also for motivation to work. The leader
can play active role in stimulating these inner drives.

Technical skill:- The leading of people requires adherence to definite principles which must be understood
and followed for greater success. The ability to plan, organise, delegate, analyse, make decisions and control
requires the use of important abilities which constitute technical competence of leadership.

Communication skill:- A successful leader knows how to communicate effectively. Communication has great
force in getting the acceptance from the receivers of communication.

There are some obvious limitations of the trait theory. Firstly it is very difficult to find out a particular
leadership trait in the greatest leaders of the world all times. Secondly while all of the traits listed above
might be desirable in leaders, none seems to be absolutely essential. There have been many people with the
traits specified for leader, but they were not good leaders.

Contingency Approach definition

The contingency approach is a management theory that suggests the most appropriate style of management
is dependent on the context of the situation and that adopting a single, rigid style is inefficient in the long
term. Contingency managers typically pay attention to both the situation and their own styles and make
efforts to ensure both interact efficiently.
The contingency approach contrasts with other forms of leadership, such as trait-based management,
whereby personality and individual make-up predict patterns of management and responses to given
situations over time. Another management approach is style-based app
Contingency theory is beneficial to organizations because of the potential for learning from specific situations
and using these lessons to influence future management of the same or similar situations. The ability to adapt
to external pressures and changes is also an advantage. Contingency theory may also produce more well-
rounded leaders who are able to develop their skills in multiple areas.

Contingency Theory: A contingency theory is an organizational theory that claims that there is no best way to
organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the optimal course of action is
contingent (dependent) upon the internal and external situation. A contingent leader effectively applies his
own style of leadership to the right situation.
Path-Goal Theory Of Leadership

The path–goal theory, also known as the path–goal theory of leader effectiveness or the path–goal model, is a
leadership theory developed by Robert House. The theory states that a leader's behavior is contingent to the
satisfaction, motivation and performance of her or his subordinates.
The original path-goal theory identifies achievement-oriented, directive, participative, and supportive leader
behaviors:
Path–goal theory assumes that leaders are flexible and that they can change their style, as situations require.
The theory proposes two contingency variables, such as environment and follower characteristics, that
moderate the leader behavior-outcome relationship. Environment is outside the control of the follower-task
structure, authority system, and work group. Environmental factors determine the type of leader behavior
required if the follower outcomes are to be maximized. Follower characteristics are the locus of control,
experience, and perceived ability.Personal characteristics of subordinates determine how the environment
and leader are interpreted. Effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers achieve goals and make
the journey easier by reducing roadblocks and pitfalls.  Research demonstrates that employee performance
and satisfaction are positively influenced when the leader compensates for the shortcomings in either the
employee or the work setting.

Leader-Member Exchange Theory

Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposes that the type of relationship leaders have with their
followers (members of the organization) is the key to understanding how leaders influence employees. In high-
quality LMX relationships, the leader forms a trust-based relationship with the member. The leader and
member like each other, help each other when needed, and respect one another. In these relationships, the
leader and the member are both ready to go above and beyond their job descriptions to promote the other’s
ability to succeed. In contrast, in low-quality LMX relationships, the leader and the member have lower levels
of trust, liking, and respect toward each other. These relationships do not have to involve actively disliking
each other, but the leader and member do not go beyond their formal job descriptions in their exchanges. In
other words, the member does his or her job, the leader provides rewards and punishments, and the
relationship does not involve high levels of loyalty or obligation toward each other. 

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership approach defines the leader’s role as serving the needs of others. According to this
approach, the primary mission of the leader is to develop employees and help them reach their goals. Servant
leaders put their employees first, understand their personal needs and desires, empower them, and help them
develop in their careers. Unlike mainstream management approaches, the overriding objective inservant
leadership is not necessarily getting employees to contribute to organizational goals. Instead, servant leaders
feel an obligation to their employees, customers, and the external community. Employee happiness is seen as
an end in itself, and servant leaders sometimes sacrifice their own well-being to help employees succeed. In
addition to a clear focus on having a moral compass, servant leaders are also interested in serving the
community. In other words, their efforts to help others are not restricted to company insiders, and they are
genuinely concerned about the broader community surrounding their company.  

Authentic Leadership

Leaders have to be a lot of things to a lot of people. They operate within different structures, work with
different types of people, and they have to be adaptable. At times, it may seem that a leader’s smartest
strategy would be to act as a social chameleon, changing his or her style whenever doing so seems
advantageous. But this would lose sight of the fact that effective leaders have to stay true to themselves. 
The authentic leadership approach embraces this value: its key advice is “be yourself.” Think about it: We all
have different backgrounds, different life experiences, and different role models. These trigger events over the
course of our lifetime that shape our values, preferences, and priorities. Instead of trying to fit into societal
expectations about what a leader should be like, act like, or look like, authentic leaders derive their
strengthfrom their own past experiences. Thus, one key characteristic of authentic leaders is that they are
self-aware. They are introspective, understand where they are coming from, and have a thorough
understanding of their own values and priorities. Second, they are not afraid to act the way they are. In other
words, they have high levels of personal integrity. They say what they think. They behave in a way consistent
with their values—they practice what they preach. Instead of trying to imitate other great leaders, they find
their style in their own personality and life experiences.