The definition of leadership entails the essentials of being able and prepared to inspire others.
What Is Definition Of Leadership?
Leadership can be seen as the process by which an executive directs, guides and influences the behavior and work of others towards accomplishing specific goals in a given situation. To be termed a leader, an executive should have the ability to induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Leadership is the ability to influence the behavior of others. It can be seen as having the capacity to influence a group towards the realization of a goal. A leader is expected to develop future visions, as well as motivate the organizational members to aspire to achieve the visions.
Characteristics of Leadership
- A leader shapes and molds the behavior of the group towards accomplishing organizational goals.
- A leader should possess certain qualities like intelligence, maturity, and personality.
- It involves an inter-personal process where the manager influences and guides workers towards attaining goals.
- It involves a group process, where two or more people interact with each other.
Importance of Leadership
The importance of a leader in any organization cannot be overemphasized, as every organizational efficiency and goal depends on it. The following points show how important a leader is in any concern:
Builds morale
A leader should be able to evoke willing co-operation of the employees towards their work and getting them into confidence as well as win their trust. A leader should be a morale booster to get the subordinates to perform to the best of their abilities, as they work to achieve goals.
Motivation
Motivation is a key role that a leader ought to play to motivate the employees with economic and non-economic rewards to get the best from them.
Initiates action
A leader should be at the forefront, by communicating the policies and plans to the subordinates.
Guidance
A leader is expected to not only supervise but also guide the subordinates. The executive should instruct the subordinates on the way they have to carry out their work effectively and efficiently.
Confidence
Boosting confidence is part of a leader’s job description. This is because it is an important factor that can be achieved by expressing the work efforts to the subordinates. This entails explaining their role clearly and giving them a guide on how to achieve their goals effectively. A leader should also hear the employees with regards to their complaints and problems.
Co-ordination
Reconciling personal interests with organizational goals can bring about co-ordination, which should be the primary motive of a leader.
Builds work environment
A good work environment is essential for a sound and stable growth, which means a leader should have human relations qualities by having personal contacts with employees, listen to their problems and solve them. Simply put, employees should be treated on humanitarian terms.
On the whole, leadership entails having traits that span beyond management duties. Thus an aspiring effective leader must of necessity be able to manage the resources at their disposal
Leadership depends on the situation on hand. There is no best style of leadership, it all depends on how well the situation on the ground can be tackled.