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A Note on Leadership


LEADERSHIP

Leadership is an important subject for managers because of the critical role played by leaders in group and organisational effectiveness. Leadership may be defined as the process of influencing and directing the task related activities of group members.

Approaches to Leadership

Three approaches to to the study of leadership have been identified: the trait,behavior and contingency approaches. The trait approach has not proved useful,since no one combination of traits consistently distinguishes leaders from nonleaders or effective leaders from ineffective leaders.

The behavior approach has focussed on leadership functions and styles. Studies have found the both task related functions and group maintenance functions have to be performed by one or more other group members in order for a group to function effectively. Studies of leadership styles have distinguished between  a task oriented ,authoritarian or initiating structure on the one hand and an employee centered,democratic or participative style on the other hand. Some studies have indicated that effective leadership depends on the circumstances in which it is used. Tannebaum and Schimdt maintain that a manager's choice of leadership style should be influenced by various forces in the manager in subordinates and in the work situation.

The contigency  approach to leadership attempts to identify which of these situational factors is most important is most important and to predict which leadership style will be more effective in a given situation. the Hersey Blanchard situational theory of leadership suggests that leadership style should vary with the maturity os subordinates.

The Path Goal approach formulated by Evans and House focuses on managers abilities to dispense rewards.The leadership style a manager uses will affect the types of rewards offered and subordinates perception of what they must do to earn these rewards.

The approach characterised by Fielder suggests that leadership styles are inflexible and that managers should be matched to an appropriate situation or the situation changed to match the leader.

Vroom and Yetton developed a model of  situational leadership that identified five styles ranging from authoritarian to fully participative. Managers must seek feasible set of alternatives in choosing a style to accommodate a given problem or situation.  

Recent Research on leadership examines the qualities of the exceptional leaders in organisations and explores the concept and operations of self managed groups.  
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