LEADERSHIP

Meaning and Definitions:

Leadership is the ability to build up confidence and zeal among people to create an urge
them to be led. To be a successful leader, a manager must possess the qualities of
foresight, drive, initiative, self-confidence and personal integrity. Different situations
may demand different types of leadership. Leadership has been defined in various ways.
Stodgily has rightly remarked that there are almost as many definitions of leadership as
there are people who have tried to define it.
DEFINITIONS
“Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce subordinates to work with confidence
and zeal.”—Koontz and O’Donnell.
“Leadership is the exercise of authority and making of decisions.” —Dubin, R.
“Leadership is the ability to secure desirable actions from a group of followers
voluntarily, without the use of coercion.”—Allford and Beaty.
“Leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group
objectives.”—George R. Terry.

Nature and Characteristics:

1- Leadership is a personal quality.
2. It exists only with followers. If there are no followers, there is no leadership.
3. It is the willingness of people to follow that makes person a leader.
4. Leadership is a process of influence. A leader must be able to influence the behaviour,
attitude and beliefs of his subordinates.
5. It exists only for the realization of common goals.
6. It involves readiness to accept complete responsibility in all situations.
7. Leadership is the function of stimulating the followers to strive willingly to attain
organisational objectives.
8. Leadership styles do change under different circumstances.

Leadership Functions:
Following are the important functions of a leader:
1. Setting Goals:
A leader is expected to perform creative function of laying out goals and policies to
persuade the subordinates to work with zeal and confidence.
2. Organizing:
The second function of a leader is to create and shape the organization on scientific lines
by assigning roles appropriate to individual abilities with the view to make its various
components to operate sensitively towards the achievement of enterprise goals.
3. Initiating Action:
The next function of a leader is to take the initiative in all matters of interest to the
group. He should not depend upon others for decision and judgment. He should float
new ideas and his decisions should reflect original thinking.
4. Co-Ordination:
A leader has to reconcile the interests of the individual members of the group with that
of the organization. He has to ensure voluntary co-operation from the group in realizing
the common objectives.
5. Direction and Motivation:
It is the primary function of a leader to guide and direct his group and motivate people
to do their best in the achievement of desired goals, he should build up confidence and
zeal in the work group.
6. Link between Management and Workers:
A leader works as a necessary link between the management and the workers. He
interprets the policies and programmes of the management to his subordinates and
represents the subordinates’ interests before the management. He can prove effective
only when he can act as the true guardian of the interests of his subordinates.

Qualities of a Good Leader:

A successful leader secures desired behaviour from his followers. It depends upon the
quality of leadership he is able to provide. A leader to be effective must possess certain
basic qualities. A number of authors have mentioned different qualities which a person
should possess to be a good leader.
Some of the qualities of a good leader are as follows:
1. Good personality.
2. Emotional stability.
3. Sound education and professional competence.
4. Initiatives and creative thinking.
5. Sense of purpose and responsibility.
6. Ability to guide and teach.
7. Good understanding and sound judgment.
8. Communicating skill.
9. Sociable.
10. Objective and flexible approach.
11. Honesty and integrity of character.
12. Self-confidence, diligence and industry.
13. Courage to accept responsibility

Importance of Leadership in Management:

The importance of leadership in any group activity is too obvious to be over-
emphasized. Wherever, there is an organized group of people working towards a
common goal, some type leadership becomes essential. Lawrence A. Appley remarked
that the time had come to substitute the word leadership for management.
1. It Improves Motivation and Morale:
Through dynamic leadership managers can improve motivation and morale of their
subordinates. A good leader influences the behaviour of an individual in such a manner
that he voluntarily works towards the achievement of enterprise goals.
2. It Acts as a Motive Power to Group Efforts:
Leadership serves as a motive power to group efforts. It leads the group to a higher level
of performance through its persistent efforts and impact on human relations.
3. It Acts as an Aid to Authority:
The use of authority alone cannot always bring the desired results. Leadership acts as
an aid to authority by influencing, inspiring and initiating action.
4. It is needed at All Levels of Management:
Leadership plays a pivotal role at all levels of management because in the absence of
effective leadership no management can achieve the desired results.
5. It Provides the Basis for Co-operation:
Effective leadership increases the understanding between the subordinates and the
management and promotes co-operation among them.

ROLES OF LEADERSHIP IN MANAGEMENT

Leadership plays an important part in the success of any organisation. In the absence of
effective leadership no organisation can work efficiently. An organisation is created
with the purpose of achieving certain objectives through a human group; it becomes
essential to control this human group.
The important role of leadership is highlighted by the following facts:
(1) Helps in Influencing the Behaviour of People:
A manager influences his subordinates with his leadership ability. He brings them under
his control in such a way that they put in their best efforts to achieve the goals of the
organisation. Good leaders always get good results through their followers.
(2) Helps Followers in Fulfilling their Needs:
A leader establishes personal relationship with his followers and tries to fulfil their
needs. Why does a human group follow a particular person? It can be said in reply to
this question because that particular person provides them security and the opportunities
to earn wealth, gives them the right to work and tries to understand their feelings. That
is why people follow him. A person who takes care of the above-mentioned needs of
the employees, they willingly accept him. Consequently, they work with complete
dedication and enthusiasm.
(3) Helps in Introducing Required Changes:
These days the business environment is changing rapidly. In order to face the changing
environment, many changes have got to be introduced in the organisation. Since the
people already happen to be under the influence of the leader, he readily makes them
agree to implement these changes. In this way, the possible opposition to the change is
eliminated with the strength of leadership ability.
(4) Helps in Solving Conflicts Effectively:
A leader can solve every type of conflict (employee’s vs. employees and employees vs.
employer) effectively under the weight of his influence. A leader always allows his
followers the freedom to express their views.
(5) Helps in Training and Development of Subordinates:
A leader proves helpful in the training and development of his subordinates. He
provides them the information about the modern techniques of work. Not only this, he
makes it possible for them to be good leaders in future.
Inter-Group Behaviour
The organisation consists of many groups created formally or informally. The existence
of groups leads to intergroup competition.
The whole phenomenon may be studied under two heads:
(i) What happens within the groups? and
(ii) What happens between competing groups?
What Happens Within the Groups?
(1) Each group becomes a closely knit organisation by burying their internal bickering’s
and differences.
(2) The group climate changes, it switches over from being informal, casual and playful
to task oriented. It shifts from members’ psychological needs to taste accomplishment.
(3) Leadership changes, the group is not prepared to tolerate even the autocratic
leadership.
(4) Group becomes structured and organised.
(5) Group expects more loyalty and conformity from members in order to present a
solid front.
What Happens Between Competing Groups?
Each group looks to other as a competitor rather than interdependent part of the same
organisation.
Each group develops distributions of perceptions because of dominating
competitiveness. It concentrates only on its good points and refuses to perceive its
weaknesses. Similarly, it perceives only the bad points or the shortcomings of other
groups, this feeling is so dominating that it is not prepared to consider the good of its
competitors.
Intergroup hostility increases which leads to reducing intergroup interaction and
communication. This leads to distortion in perception.
Approaches to Inter-Group Relationship:
(i) Likert’s Approach:
According to Likert an organisation encompasses a series of overlapping groups. Each
group is linked with the rest of the organisation by persons who hold membership in
more than one group. These people are called ‘linking pins’ as they forge link between
different groups. Though the success of decision making depends upon group process
and interaction, occurring at different levels, yet everything revolves around the ‘linking
pins’.
Apart from the linking pins, the Success of Organisation depends on:
(a) Good group process of decision making and
(b) Supervision
Both these elements duly insulated by linking pins will generate intergroup confidence
and trust; it will enhance the problem solving ability of the group which will result in
better productivity level.
(ii) Thompson’s Approach:
Though Likert theory is very well accepted but it is based on the assumption that there
exists equal interdependence among different groups. Thompson suggests that there are
three different kinds of interdependence among groups.
These are:
(a) Pooled
(b) Sequential and
(c) Reciprocal
(a) Pooled Interdependence:
Pooled Interdependence occurs when groups rely on each other only because they
belong to the same parent organisation. For example, the employees of Bata Shoe
Company, Working at Ludhiana have no Interaction with their counterparts in Jammu,
but both are interdependent because they are part and parcel of the Bata Organisation.
Success or failure of one may be reflected in another through the medium of the total
organisation system. Pooled interdependence, does not need any interaction between
groups, hence conflict does not arise. Co-ordination may, however, be forged through
standardization and the rules formulated by the parent office.
(b) Sequential Interdependence:
It means that the work of one group depends on the performance of another. For
instance, the finished Job i.e., output of one group becomes the input of another group.
However, both groups are sustained by the organisation. The interdependence is both
pooled and sequential..
(c) Reciprocal Interdependence:
Reciprocal interdependence means that each group is dependent on each other. The
operations of each group precede and act as pre-requisite to the functioning of other.
For example, management and union relationship, where both depend on each other.
Because each group relies on other to perform its job effectively, any problems between
them may result in reduced productivity or decreased satisfaction. Reciprocal
interdependence ought to be coordinated by mutual adjustment between the groups. It
requires greater communication and understanding to avoid possible conflict.

INTER-GROUP COLLABRATION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

1. Establishing Common Goals:

The major reason for the development of conflict is the incompatible goals. This is
particularly true in case of conflict among groups and between individuals and
organisation. The basic strategy of reducing the conflict should be to find common goals
upon which groups can agree and to re-establish valid communication between the
groups. The mutual dependence of groups can be brought through the super ordinate
goals because there are the goals which are of high value to the group.
Super ordinate goals are those that take precedence over other goals that may separate
the conflicting parties. Group conflicts can also be reduced through the use of incentive
systems designed to reward the activities that benefit the larger system, as opposed to
those which are primarily in the interest of subunits.
2. Reduction in Interdependence:
The main reason for inter- group conflict is interdependence among them e.g. line and
staff managers. As such, less the interdependence, less will be the amount of conflict
among them. In organisations, such interdependence cannot be altogether avoided.
However, instead of separating the units organizationally, they can be separated
physically. The physical separation is not a permanent measure of managing conflict.
3. Reduction in Shared Resources:
Another reason of inter group conflict is sharing of the scarce resources by the groups.
The management of conflict suggests reducing the sharing. One technique for this can
be increasing the resources, so that each unit is independent in using them. But as the
resources are scarce, they cannot always be increased. Thus, the best possible alternative
is optimum allocation of the scarce resources.
4. Trust and Communication:
The greater the trust among the members of the unit, the more open and honest the
communication will be. Individuals and groups should be encouraged to communicate
openly with each other, so that misunderstandings can be removed and they are in a
position to understand the problems of each other when necessary.
5. Co-Ordination:
After communication, the next step should be proper coordination. Properly coordinated
activities reduce the conflict. Wherever there are problems in coordination, a
specialization office should be established to deal with these problems.
6. Exchange of Personnel:
Another method of reducing and managing conflict is that personnel of conflicting
groups may be exchanged for a specified period. Exchange of people is very similar to
role reversal. It is aimed at greater understanding between people by forcing each to
present and defend the other’s position.
7. Use of Superior Authority:
If conflict cannot be resolved by two organisational members or by two groups, it may
be referred to a common superior, who will resolve the conflict by giving a decision.
Such a decision may not necessarily bring agreement, but it will usually be accepted
because of the recognized superior authority of high ranking official.
8. Reorganization of Groups:
A manager can prevent the occurrence of many conflicts by reorganisation the groups.
People who have got something in common will be placed in one group. Because of
something in common, these people tend to see things in the same perspective, to have
common interest and objective, to approach problems in much the same way. The
behaviour of such groups is more predictable and it is easy for the manager to avoid
conflicts.

A General Approach Minimizing and Resolving Conflict:

1. Appoint Managers who Support Change:

Some highly authoritative managers are very conservative in their work out and tend to
be of opposing viewpoints. Accordingly, change oriented managers should be appointed
and placed in such positions which encourage innovation and change in Status Quo.
2. Encourage Competition:
Competition if managed properly can enhance conflict which would be beneficial to the
organisation. Such competition can be created by tying incentives to performance,
recognition of efforts and status enhancement. Such competition would result in new
ideas regarding improving productivity.
3. Manipulate Scarcity:
Let the individuals and groups compete for scarce resources. This would cause conflict
and make the individuals and groups do their best in order to fully utilize such resources.
4. Play on Status Differences:
Sometimes, ignoring the senior staff members and giving visible responsibilities to
junior staff members can cause a conflict requiring senior members to work harder to
prove that they are better than the junior staff members.
 UNIT - 5
TEAM BUILDING

1. Improved Employee Motivation:

Work teams help in enhancing the employee motivation. Because work teams
encourage employee involvement, these make the jobs more interesting and fulfill the
social needs of the employees. Individuals are likely to perform better when they are
working in the presence of other people. Individuals will work harder and put in a lot
of extra efforts to remain in the team’s good graces.
2. Positive Synergy(interaction or co-operation):
Teams have the potential to create high levels of productivity due to positive synergy
created by them. The output in the form of performance productivities is generally more
than the summation of inputs put in the form of employee efforts. There is a drawback
of positive synergy also. Sometimes, managements resort to cuts in staff to use the
positive synergy to get the same or greater output from fewer people.
3. Satisfaction of Social Needs:
Man is a social animal. He always feels the need of affiliation. Teams can satisfy this
need of the employees by increasing worker interactions and creating a feeling of
brotherhood and friendship among team members. Such employees are always in a
better position to cope with stress and they enjoy their jobs more.
4. Commitment to Team Goals:
Teams generally develop a common purpose, commitment to that purpose and
agreement upon specific goals. All this combined with the social pressures exerted by
the team; result in a high degree of commitment to common team goals. The individual
members sublimate their individual goals for the common goals of the group.
5. Improved Organisational Communication:
As the teams encourage interactions, it will lead to improved communication. In case
of self managed teams, interpersonal dependencies are created which require the
members to interact considerably more than when they work on jobs alone. Cross
functional teams create inter-functional dependencies and increase organisation wide
communication.
6. Benefits of Expanded Job Training:
The implementation of team work always leads to expanded job training. Through this
training employees build their technical, decision making and interpersonal skills.
7. Organisational Flexibility:
Management has found that teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events
than are traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. Teams have
the capability to quickly assemble, deploy, refocus and disband. All this is because of
the reason that teams focus on processes rather than functions. They encourage cross
training so members can do each other’s jobs and expansion of skills. This expansion
of skills increases organisational flexibility.
Though the introduction of teams does not always achieve these benefits, but we can’t
ignore the reality that team movement currently has tremendous momentum and reflects
management’s belief that teams can be successful in a wide range of settings. There are
obviously contingency factors that influence the acceptance and success of teams.
 How to Design Effective Team:

1. Set clear goals for the results to be produced by the team.

The goals should be designed to be “SMART.” This is an acronym for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant and
Time-bound.
As much as possible, include input from other members of the organization when
designing and wording these goals. Goals might be, for example, “to produce a project
report that includes a project plan, schedule and budget to develop and test a complete
employee performance management system within the next year.” Write these goals
down for eventual communication to and discussion with all team members.

2. Set clear objectives for measuring the ongoing effectiveness of the team.
The objectives, that together achieve the overall goals, should also be designed to be
“SMART.” Objectives might be, for example, to a) to produce a draft of a project report
during the first four weeks of team activities, and b) achieve Board-approval of the
proposed performance management system during the next four weeks. Also, write
these objectives down for eventual communication to and discussion with all team
members.

3. Define a procedure for members to make decisions and solve problems.

Successful groups regularly encounter situations where they must make decisions and
solve problems in a highly effective manner. Too often, the group resorts to extended
discussion until members become tired and frustrated and eventually just opt for any
action at all, or they count on the same person who seems to voice the strongest
opinions. Instead, successful groups:
Document a procedure whereby the group can make decisions and ensure that all
members are aware of the procedure.
The procedure might specify that decisions are made, first by aiming for consensus
within a certain time frame and if consensus is not achieved, then the group resorts to a
majority vote.

4. Develop staffing procedures (recruiting, training, organizing, replacing).

Too often, group members are asked to join the group and somehow to “chip in.”
Unfortunately, that approach creates “chips,” rather than valuable group members.
Instead, if group members go through a somewhat organized, systematic process, then
new members often believe that the group is well organized and that their role is very
valuable in the group. Successful groups:
Identify what roles and expertise are needed on the group in order to achieve the group’s
purpose and plans – they staff according to plans, not personalities.
New group members go through a systematic process to join the group – they
understand the group’s purpose, their role, their next steps and where to get help.
5. Determine time frames for starting and terminating the team, if applicable.
Now consider the expertise needed to achieve the goals of the team, and how long it
might take to recruit and organize those resources. Write these times down for eventual
communication to and discussion with all team members.

6. Determine the membership of the team.

What expertise might the team need to achieve the goals of the group? For example, an
official authority to gather and allocate resources, or an expert in a certain technology.
Always consider if the members will have the time and energy to actively participate in
the team.

7. Assign the role of leader – to ensure systems and practices are followed.

The leader focuses on the systems and practices in the team, not on personalities of its
members. For example, the leader makes sure that all team members: a) are successfully
staffed, b) understand the purpose of the group and their role in it, c) are active toward
meeting that purpose and role, and d) utilize procedures for making decisions and
solving problems. (Note that the leader does not always have to be a strong, charismatic
personality – while that type of personality can often be very successful at developing
teams, it often can create passivity or frustration in other members over time, thereby
crippling the group.)

8. Identify needs for resources (training, materials, supplies, etc.).

Start from analysis of the purpose and goals. What is needed to achieve them? For
example, members might benefit from a training that provides a brief overview of the
typical stages of team development and includes packets of materials about the team’s
goals, structure and process to make decisions. Consider costs, such as trainers,
consultants, room rental and office supplies. How will those funds be obtained and
maintained?

9. Identify the costs to provide necessary resources for the team.

Consider costs, such as paying employees to attend the meeting, trainers, consultants,
room rental and office supplies. Develop a budget that itemizes the costs associated
with obtaining and supporting each of the resources. Get management approval of the
budget.

10. Contact each team member.

Before the first meeting, invite each potential team member to be a part of the team.
First, send him or her a memo, and then meet with each person individually.
Communicate the goals of the project, why the person was selected, the benefit of the
goals to the organization, the time frame for the team effort, and who will lead the team
(at least initially). Invite the team member to the first meeting.
Developing Your Team resources
Developing your team is an important part of your job, whether you're a new team leader
or an experienced manager. And it doesn't apply only to new hires. People need training
and support throughout their careers, both as individuals and as teams, to develop their
skills and continue to work effectively. If you work in a small or medium-sized
organization, you may perform the roles of recruiter, trainer and team leader. The
resources in this article can help you to perform to the best of your ability in each of
these roles. If you work within a large organization, the Human Resources or Learning
and Development department will likely provide development opportunities for your
team.
As a manager, however, you are in a great position to know how your people work, to
identify what training they need to perform better, and to work closely with HR or L&D
to deliver the right training to the right people at the right time.
Identifying Training Needs
The hardest part of developing your team can be knowing where to begin. Start by
understanding your team members' developmental needs . Review and update
their job descriptions , talk to them, and watch them working. Often, just asking the
right questions can reveal knowledge and skill gaps in your team. You can use
a Training Needs Assessment to help you to identify who needs to develop their skills,
and what kind of training is right for them.

a) Choosing the Right Training Methods

Now that you've identified areas where your people can improve, you can choose
training to suit their needs. However, finding the right balance between different ways
of learning that will suit everyone can be a challenge.
The 70:20:10 model, for example, suggests that 70 percent of learning happens
through experience, such as daily tasks; 20 percent through conversations with other
people, such as coaching; and 10 percent through traditional training courses.
b) Coaching
It's worth bearing in mind that many performance gaps should be closed with better
communication rather than with a training program. You can coach your team
members by having confidential and relaxed one-on-one conversations with them.
Having these conversations regularly will help you to identify and deal with a range of
issues effectively, from helping people achieve their goals to addressing performance
problems.

c) Delegating Work
Effective delegation can also strengthen your team. You may feel nervous about
handing over responsibility for your projects and tasks to someone else, but you don't
have time to do everything yourself, and your team members need opportunities to learn
new skills and gain experience.
When you delegate, you will need to manage the process carefully to achieve the best
outcome for your people. Hand over a task carefully and help the team member who
takes it on to succeed, by giving him or her support and guidance to complete it.
Otherwise, your team members may not want to take on other tasks in the future

5 Essential Steps to Develop Your Team

1) Ensure that each person truly understands their role.
Many employees know the basics of what their role entails, but do not have an in-depth
understanding of it. Oftentimes, people get hired, onboard, and start working without
anyone having taken the time to clearly spell out what they are fully expected to do or
how their role fits into the success of the team and company. Take the time to meet with
each person and do a thorough briefing. Be sure to ask them how they perceive their
role, detail what the expectations are, discuss their career goals, and outline what needs
to be achieved to accomplish those goals. A clear understanding of one’s role and a
definitive roadmap to advancement are essential to development.

2) Provide training and development tools.

Based on the individual’s current skill sets and abilities, customize training to ensure
they understand how to be successful in their current role at your company. Then,
continue to offer additional development tools, classes, trainings, and assignments to
build upon their experience and shape their competencies for a future role.

3) Step away and let them do their job.

Many managers struggle with trusting their team to get the work done. We are all very
busy, so as managers we think the job will get done better and quicker if we just do it,
right? Not, exactly. No one will benefit from that behavior. For me, this was the
toughest part of becoming a manager. I trusted my team, but I always thought that if I
kept taking things on, I was helping them, when in reality it actually had a negative
effect on them. I was not letting them do their job, and I was getting burnt out from
trying to do too many things at once. Empower them to make decisions and to handle
the responsibility of their roles.
4) Meet with team members regularly to discuss goals.
Development won’t happen without accountability. Provide a regular check-in where
monthly goals are reviewed and new goals set. Be sure to celebrate success and to
provide honest feedback on areas where progress needs to be made. Each employee has
different learning curves and styles, so be sure to customize the approach to fit their
style. Remember, their success is your success, so create a supportive, open, honest
environment where feedback is appreciated, and make it clear that their improvement
impacts their success.
5) plan for their growth.
As much as you need your team intact and functioning well, it’s your job to make sure
you are developing people who can advance to the next leadership level. Not every team
member will have that potential or even desire a promotion. But for those who do, focus
on providing stretch assignments, reviewing the challenges and expectations they will
face at the next level, and measure their development progress. Don’t be afraid to let go
when they are ready to move up.
 Team Building Activities
Team building is about providing the skills, training and resources that your people
need, so that they can work in harmony. But, to be truly effective, it needs to be a
continual process, embedded into your team and organization's culture. but they need
to have a clear purpose, such as improving a particular skill, and must be well designed
to avoid conflict.
1.Identifying Your Team’s Needs
The first and most important step when planning team building activities is to identify
your team’s strengths and weaknesses.
Start by asking the following questions to identify the root of any problems:
 Are there conflicts between certain people that are creating divisions within the
team?
 Do team members need to get to know one another better?
 Do some members focus on their own success, and harm the group as a result?
 Is poor communication affecting the group’s progress?
 Do people need to learn to work together, instead of individually?
 Do some members affect the group’s ability to move forward through resistance
to change?
 Does the group need a morale boost?
1. Get to Know Your Team
Your team is made up of people with different needs, ambitions and personalities.
Getting to know them, and helping them to get to know each other, can build a happy,
trusting team. Hosting a pre-holiday drinks evening or even an inexpensive team
barbeque, for example, are easy ways to start to get your team members mixing and
mingling.
2. Work Toward a Common Goal
You can unite your people by inspiring them to get behind a shared vision or goal.
Having a clearly identified destination can prevent individuals from pulling in different
directions, which is frustrating and ineffective. You can find strategies for bringing a
team together to achieve a particular goal in our Bite-Sized Training session,
3. Develop Strong Team Skills
Your team needs to develop the right skills and competencies to achieve its goals.
A skills matrix is a solid starting point for doing this. Use the matrix to audit your team
members’ abilities and training needs, and to match their skills to specific
roles.Developing stronger skill sets, and matching your people to the roles best suited
to them, can result in a more able, more motivated team.