The success and failures are depending on the leaders who lead their people in any situation. In particularly, when we look at the success of a business and its failures are based on the leadership styles where the employees are led by the leaders. In this respect, it is essential to have a broader understanding the concept of leadership for those who are already leading people or want to become a leader in the future.
If a person who wants to become a leader who should be able to lead the people by showing a clear direction where these people to be led. There should be followers to lead. The leader has the ability of leading people by building up the trust of the people and earning the respect of them. If followers fail to trust a leader who will not be ready to go behind him.
Therefore, building up trust among the followers is crucial aspect a leader ever focuses. However, the leader should be able to convince the follower by displaying his knowledge and ability to lead them through which he can earn the respect of the people. Then only, the followers would be ready to follow a leader.
What is leadership?
There are numerous understandings in defining the concept of leadership. However, there is a general understanding about leadership. It is the process of encouraging and assisting others to work enthusiastically toward achieving the set goals and objectives. It is the behaviour of an individual when he is directing the activities of a group towards a shared-goals. It is the leadership in which one person influences others to work together willingly on the related task to attain goals desired by the leader.
When we understand the above general definition about leadership, a leader should be able to direct his people towards achieving the shared goals and having the ability to influence the followers so that they work together to achieve what the leader desires to achieve.
If you take a business organization where the CEO tries to influence his team of people who are under him as middle level managers in-charge for business units under whom there are several functional managers working in the business functional areas such as operations, marketing and sales, human resource management, financial management, research and development etc.
Hence, the role of leadership in a business environment is vital who has to lead the people by utilizing his power, influencing them through his integrity, and providing the direction by developing business strategy through evaluating the business environments where there are opportunities and threats he would identify and deal with them with the support of the internally available strength and minimizing the weaknesses. At the same time, leader is the one setting up a culture in order to achieve the set goals and empower the people who support to win the competition which is in the external environment.
In this respect, a leader has to provide a strategy direction, empower people, motivate and guide his people when necessary. He also has the ability of challenging and changing the statuesque of the organization as he is the one brings the change into the organization as the business environment has dynamic changes in many aspects in the external environment every day.
The ingredients of leadership:
According to Prof. Warrant Bennis (2009,p.34) he defines the ingredients of leadership. A leader should have a guiding vision, passion, integrity, curiosity & daring.
Four qualities expected from great strategic leaders
At the same time there are four qualities expected from great strategic leaders. They are
1.Strategic thinking
2.Strategic acting
3.Strategic influencing
4.Strategic modeling.
What effective leaders do?
These effective leaders would do the following things when they lead people effectively.
1.Setting clear goals
2.Understanding others
3.Making quick decisions
4.Being creative
5.Staying honest
6.Staying strong and powerful
7.Including everyone
8.Delegating smartly
9.Getting better in everything
10.Having effective communication
What are the great qualities displayed by the leadership?
You can see seven sings that would display the leadership qualities in great leaders.
1.Always give you credit
2.Welcome your ideas
3.Encourage your growth
4.Care about your well-being, not just your work only
5.Value your personal time
6.Leade by example
7.Make tough decisions with compassion.
Eight traits of ethical leadership
Dr. Valeria Lo Lacono(2023) noted that there are 8 traits you can see in the ethical leadership. They are as follows…
1.He is promoting EDI (equality, diversity and Inclusion) as a leader
2.He is transparent and approachable
3.He is able to show empathy and compassion
4.He is socially responsible
5.He is trustworthy and trusted by the followers
6.He leads by great examples. People would follow the shadow of him
7.He develop a psychologically safe workplace for employees
8.He has the integrity and having the best interest of the company at heart and speaking both financially and morally.
Strategic Leadership:
Furthermore, a leadership direct the people strategically. Strategic leadership has the responsibility of providing strategic direction to the people who works with him by establishing a balanced organizational control, effectively managing organizational resource portfolio, sustaining an effective organizational culture and emphasizing ethical practices under his leadership. He should also have strategic leadership qualities to lead people strategically. Let’s understand some definition here so that it would be easy to digest this strategic concept of leadership in detail.
The definition of strategic leadership denotes “the leader’s ability to anticipate, envision, and maintain flexibility and to empower others to create strategic change as necessary” (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson 2008: 375). Moreover, strategic leadership demands the capability to incorporate and include both of the business environment of the organizations, which are internal and external. It is also responsible for managing and encompassing critical information processes.
Furthermore, there are many recognizable actions which determine strategic leadership towards effective strategy enactment. They are in the following:
1.Determining strategic direction
2.Establishing balanced organizational controls
3.Effectively managing the organization’s resource portfolio
4.Sustaining an effective organizational culture
5.Emphasizing ethical practices organizational controls
Leadership Styles & Theories:
There are numerous leadership theories produced by the scholars. It is a high time to have some understanding so that it will be easy to differentiate the current leadership you might see in your day-to-day life.
Gandhi’s Servant Leadership Approach:
• The leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, exemplified servant leadership throughout his life.
• He dedicated himself to serving others, prioritizing the needs of the community over personal gain or power.
• Gandhi emphasized principles such as humility, empathy, and selflessness, advocating for nonviolent resistance as a means to achieve social and political change.
• His leadership style was characterized by a deep commitment to empowering marginalized communities, promoting social justice, and fostering unity among diverse groups.
Gandhi’s servant leadership approach inspired millions of people around the world and played a pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence.
Abraham Lincoln’s Crisis Leadership Approach:
• Background: Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and leadership during the Civil War.
• Communication Skills: Lincoln’s exceptional communication skills, including his ability to inspire, persuade, and unify the nation through his speeches and writings.
• Crisis Leadership: Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War, focusing on his decision-making, crisis management, and ability to maintain morale and resolve in the face of adversity.
• Emotional Intelligence: Lincoln’s empathy, humility, and resilience as key components of his leadership style.
Nelson Mandela’s Transformational Leadership Approach:
· Background: Nelson Mandela’s life -his role in the anti-apartheid movement and his presidency in South Africa.
· Leadership Qualities: resilience, forgiveness, empathy, and his ability to unite people across racial divides.
· Transformational Leadership: leader inspired change and reconciliation in South Africa.
· Crisis Management: Mandela navigated through the challenges of apartheid, imprisonment, and the transition to democracy.
Donald Trump’s Transactional Leadership Approach:
· Background: 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump was known for his transactional leadership
· Leadership Qualities: Trump prioritized outcomes over processes, often emphasizing his ability to make deals and deliver on campaign promises.
· Hi s transactional leadership style relied heavily on rewarding loyalty and punishing dissent, with a focus on individual performance and accountability.
· Trump’s transactional leadership approach results-driven mindset, criticism for its divisiveness, lack of collaboration, and disregard for institutional norms and processes.
Jack Welch’s Strategic Transformational Leadership Approach:
· Background: Jack Welch’s tenure as CEO of General Electric.
· Strategic Leadership: Welch’s strategic transformational leadership approach, focusing on initiatives such as Six Sigma and the boundaryless organization.
· Performance Management: Welch’s performance management techniques, including his emphasis on meritocracy and accountability.
· Organizational Transformation: Welch transformed GE into a global powerhouse through acquisitions, and strategic alliances.
Steve Job’s Visionary Innovative Leadership Approach:
· Background: His role in founding and leading Apple.
· Leadership Style: visionary leadership style, his emphasis on innovation and excellence, and his ability to inspire and motivate his team.
· Decision Making: key decisions made as the development of iconic products like the iPhone and the iPad, and his approach to decision-making contributed to Apple’s success.
· Challenges Faced: Explore challenges faced internal conflicts and market competition
· Lessons Learned: Innovation, and strategic vision from Jobs’ leadership at Apple.
Great Man Theories:
· Leaders are exceptional people who are born with innate qualities and destined to lead others
Trait Theories:
• Leaders are having leadership traits or qualities associated with leadership which is hard to measure.
• Traits of leaders are adaptable to situations, alert to social environment, ambitious and achievement oriented, assertive, cooperative, decisive, dependable, dominant to influence others, energetic, persistent, self-confident, tolerance of stress, willingness to take responsibility. (Stogdill, 1974)
Functional Theories:
• Leaders are concerned with the interaction Task, Team and Individual.
• Task: Goal setting, methods and process
• Team: Effective interaction and communication
• Individual: Attention to behavior, feelings, coaching
However, in the contemporary business world, transformational leadership is highly expected from the leadership who has 4I in this style of leadership. According to B.M.Bass and B.J.Avolio (1990, p.231-272) it has been clearly discussed.
Charisma or idealized influence:
It is the emotional component of leadership (Antonakis, 2012). Idealized influence describes leaders who act as strong role models for followers; followers identify with these leaders and want very much to emulate them. These leaders usually have very high standards of moral and ethical conduct and can be counted on to do the right thing. They are deeply respected by followers, who usually place a great deal of trust in them. They provide followers with a vision and a sense of mission.
Intellectual Stimulation:
It includes leadership that stimulates followers to be creative and innovative and to challenge their own beliefs and values as well as those of the leader and the organization. This type of leadership supports followers as they try new approaches and develop innovative ways of dealing with organizational issues. It encourages followers to think things out on their own and engage in careful problem solving.
Inspirational Motivation:
This factor is descriptive of leaders who communicate high expectations to followers, inspiring them through motivation to become committed to and a part of the shared vision in the organization. In practice, leaders use symbols and emotional appeals to focus group members’ efforts to achieve more than they would in their own self-interest. Team spirit is enhanced by this type of leadership.
Individualized Consideration:
This factor is representative of leaders who provide a supportive climate in which they listen carefully to the individual needs of followers. Leaders act as coaches and advisers while trying to assist followers in becoming fully actualized. These leaders may use delegation to help followers grow through personal challenges.
In Conclusion:
No leadership, no direction. No followers, no leadership. A leader should have emotional intelligence in order to manage himself and others and provide his style of leadership according to the situation. Although leaders are born with inborn leading characteristics to lead others, it is not essential to be born to be a leader. Those who would like to become a leader who can focus on building up leadership traits and adopt a suitable approaches that I have highlighted from the shadows of leaders in this article. However, It is a widely accepted concept of leadership in the current business world is transformational strategic leadership which has to be kept in mind and develop the necessary initiatives to adopt in the real life.
Reference:
The John Adair (2004.) Hand book of management and leadership , Available at: https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-john-adair-handbook-of-management-and-leadership-e10045610.html (Accessed on 10/07/20)
Harward Schultz: Ethical and Strategic Leadership (2014) YouTube video, added by Blake Beckmann [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOO_ufk7utI&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 16 August, 2020].
Imran Butt (2017.) Leadership and management concepts, Slideshare , Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/pakarmy4923/leadership-and-management-concepts-starbucks?qid=3f4fe6fa-fb9c-4c41-b94e-191253d7a189&v=&b=&from_search=2 (Accessed on 16/08/20)