MBA Sem I

Lecture Notes ---- Leadership Lab

DEFINITIONS AND MEANING OF LEADERSHIP
"Leadership" according to Alford and Beatty "is the ability to secure desirable actions
from a group of followers voluntarily, without the use of coercion".
According to Koontz and O'Donnell - Managerial leadership is "the ability to exert interpersonal
influence by means of communication, towards the achievement of a goal.
Since managers get things done through people, their success depends, to a considerable extent
upon their ability to provide leadership".
NATURE OR CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF LEADERSHIP
1. Leadership implies the existence of followers e.g.:- Supervisor works under a branch head.
Thus, in a formal organization a leader has to be able to be both a leader as well as a follower,
and be able to relate himself both upward and downward
2. Leadership involves a community of interest between the leader and his Followers --If the
leader strives for one purpose and his team of workers work for some other purpose, it is no
leadership .
3. Leadership involves an unequal distribution of authority among leaders and group members--
Leaders can direct some of the activities of group members
4. Leadership is a process of Influence--Leadership implies that leaders can influence their
followers or subordinates in addition to being able to give their followers or subordinates
legitimate directions.
5. Leadership is the function of stimulation: Leadership is the function of motivating people to
strive willingly to attain organizational objectives .
6. A leader must be exemplary: In the words of George Terry - "A Leader shows the way by his
own example. He is not a pusher he pulls rather than pushes".
7. A Leader ensures absolute justice: A leader must be objective and impartial He should not
follow unfair practices like favoritism and nepotism. He must show fair play and absolute justice
in all his decisions and actions.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
1 Human Skill
(a) Empathy (b) Objectivity (c) Communication Skill (d) Teaching Skill (e) Social Skill
2 Conceptual Skill
(a) The understanding of the organization behaviour, (b) Understanding the competitors of the
firm, and (c) Knowing the financial status of the firm.
3 Technical Skill
(a) Intelligence(b) Emotional Maturity(c) Personal Motivation(d) Integrity(e) Flexibility of Mind
Leader--- A leader is one who
Inspires a follower
Accomplishes work
Develops the follower
Shows how to do the job
Assumes obligations and
Overcome various obstacles in attaining the goal
Leadership
Leadership is lifting a persons performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality
beyond his normal limitations
Leadership is the process of influencing the behavior of others towards the accomplishment of
goals in a given situation.
The process by which a person motivates and guides the group towards a visualized goal
Leadership Qualities
Motivating capacity, Courage , Imitativeness , Source of Knowledge , Responsibility , Integrity
Ability to communicate, Loyalty , Judgment , Selflessness, Problem solving capacity, Openness to
change , Distant vision and close focus , Balance
Ways to develop Leadership Qualities
Learn to think more critically
Do more to enthuse your team
Make your goals and future vision attractive and attainable
Learn to communicate clearly
Improve your speaking skills
Organize and allocate workflow
Make sure work is done correctly and on time
Find better ways to do things
Encourage progress and recognize efforts
Try to match individual skills and work
Build team spirit
Encourage people to work cooperatively
Recognize success and learn from failure
Trust your subordinates
Causes for Leadership Failures
Inability to organize details
Unwillingness to provide support
Fear of competition from followers
Lack of imagination
Selfishness
Disloyalty
Emphasis of the authority a good leader must lead the team by encouraging
Display Your Leadership by
Learning from your mistakes
Doing your homework and being prepared
Treating everyone with respect and courtesy
Sharing the credit, taking the blame
Staying focused on a clear vision and setting energizing goals
Surrounding yourself with capable people
Staying optimistic, even in challenging circumstances
Involving and including others
Thinking systematically
Seeking ways to improve things, do things better, easier, faster or more economically
Clarifying goals
Helping people to reach their potential
Golden rule for a good leader
1. Motivate ---- Everyone has an invisible sign hanging around their neck that needs make
me feel important . so motivate subordinates to deliver.
2. Listen ___ Leaders have to be good listeners.
3. Trust your team ----- If you dont believe in your team they are unlikely to give you their
100%.
4. Say Thank You ----- Many Managers dont seem to realize the power of these two word
5. Be courteous----- You should be very humble and at the same time show responsibility
towards your subordinates.
6. Keep your ears to the ground ----- This will help you to spot a looming staff crisis before it
happens.
7. Be flexible ---- Recognize that even the most committed people have a life outside work.
8. Stay cool under Pressure ----- If the Boss looks as if he is losing his head in a crises how
do you expect the rest of the staff to respond ?
9. Lead by example ----- Be the first into the office and the last out, espically when the times
are hard.
10. Be an expert ---- Make sure that the staff knows that you know what you are talking about.
11. Stay humble ----- Never get too big for your shoes.
12. Have a sense of humor --- This quality of a good leader can solve many of the stress related
problems.
13. Celebrate ---- If and when the news is good , dont be afraid to go out and party with your
subordinates.
Questions Bank
1. Define and explain what do you understand by leadership.
2. Explain with examples NATURE OR CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF
LEADERSHIP.
3. Discuss Various LEADERSHIP SKILLS essential to motivate the team.
4. How can leadership qualities be developed.
5. What could be the Causes for Leadership Failures.
6. Explain with an example how will you Display Your Leadership quality.