business leadership cii

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Business Leadership Program 1

Lots of people can have good ideas, but thats not leadership. Areal leader can turn those ideas into action, by inspiring andmotivating people and getting the very best out of them.

Leadership: Definition

Organisations are like aircrafts. They dont run by themselves, exceptduring downfall. They need the right people to make them functionefficiently, and not just anypeople. The effectiveness of an employee particularly individuals in leadership positions determines how theorganisational machine will perform. Employees need some guidance,some suggestions about where to go and how to get there. Ethologicalstudies also suggest that people have an actual need for leadership.

The Anglo-Saxon root of the words lead, leader, and leadership islaed, which means path or road. The verb laeden means to travel.

Thus a leader is one who shows fellow travelers the way by walkingahead.

Leadership is the most important means of direction. To lead is to guide,direct, integrate and energize the efforts of people towards a commongoal. A leader is one who influences the attitudes and behaviour ofothers in an organized activity. Leadership is an art and as such it mustbe felt, experienced and created. Recognizing diversity in corporate lifehelps us to connect the great variety of talents that people bring to workand service of the organisation. Diversity allows each of us to contribute

in a special way, to make our special talent an art of the corporate effort.The art of leadership lies in polishing and enabling those talents.

Leadership deals more with ideas, beliefs and relationships. Hence, ithas to do with the why of institutional and corporate life, rather thanthe how. It is the art of liberating people to do what is required ofthem, in the most effective and humane way possible, something to belearned over time.

Leadership is defined as a process in which one person sets the

purpose or direction for one or more other persons, and gets them tomove along together with him or her and with each other in thatdirection with competence and full commitment.

In the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences leadership has been defined asthe relation between an individual and a group around some commoninterest and behaving in a manner directed or determined by him. It isthus the function of interaction between the leader, the subordinates andthe situation in which they interact with each other i.e. a purpose of both,the traits and the situation.

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Business Leadership Myth or Reality

Business Leadership The Paradigm Shift

Rapid globalization and modernization in the prevailing scenario hasushered in an all-round change in the business arena. As a result therehas been an entire shift in the paradigm of management policies andpractices. Various concepts have been reformed, restructured andreshaped into more applicable ones.

Business Leadership is such a concept which has emerged from theconventional theories of leadership to suit the existing set ups.

Todays business leader will increasingly be the orchestra leader of verybright people doing their own activities and cheering them on, coaching

them to continue the same. He wont be power based. He mustcontinue to have a lot communication and energy. He has to be focusedand mobile. Clearly, the idea of command and control structure is gonewith the disappearance of the power breaker.

Who is an Effective Business Leader?The following are the characteristics of an effective business leader:

An effective business leader actually dreams for the future of thebusiness and the exact path to take in order to make a reality. Heshould possess a crystal clear vision to communicate clearly with

hyper energy and a strong sense of commitment. A business leader casts himself as a role model and sets the tone of

action for everyone.

A business leader has a positive outlook to the course of actions hetakes and the energy he invests in it. He views life with a positivespirit, which drives him to the course of action. He has an obviousbelief in his business in future. It is ultimately the sheer spirit hepossesses!

Thus the innate vision,action and spirit are the essence of Business

Leadership.

How to Acquire Business Leadership Skills

To be a good business leader, one needs to develop an articulated vision.Do not imbibe a rigid, one size fits all approach to leadership. Learnthe leadership principles, adopt them, modify and re-modify them withyour one-of-a-kind style, unique values and individual strengths. Thefollowing are some pointers to effective Business Leadership:

One should treat people with respect and concern.



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The leader should create a vision, articulate the vision, passionatelyown the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.

The leader should go up and down and around the organisation toreach people.

One should not stick to the established channels.

One should be informal and straight with people. The leader should assess others and their emotions or experience in

response to your vision and the courses of action. One should becompassionate.

The leader should be inspirational for others and lead them to wherethey want to be.

One should develop the art of listening.

One should acquire effective communication skills and also beproficient in conversations with others.

One should be emotionally intelligent, i.e. recognize and manage

your moods as well as the moods of others.

Approaches to Business Leadership Style

A business leader is an influential person. His ideas flow into thegroup and the group reciprocates accordingly.

A business leader exhibits emotional leadership. He recognizes thefact that leadership is about generating those emotions that inspirepeople to want to coordinate action with each other.

A business leader is an acute observer of the result and action that

flow into the group. A business leader is a Change Agent. He discards the old ways of

responding and behaving in a particular situation and adopts variousways to suit changes, events and circumstances.

A business leader is always flexible and adaptable since organisationsrequire continuous changes in order to survive in the existingenvironment.

Business leaders have a measure of authority and power, as they areaccountable for the decisions they take and the roles they play.

A business leader is participative by nature. He participates with thegroup in various activities and encourages suggestions.

How a Business Leader Fosters Achievement Motivation

There is no substitute for achievement motivation in an organisation.The ideal business leader creates this driving force in the organisation tomake an idea or a dream succeed.

Ways by which a leader infuses sustained achievement motivation are:



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Measuring motivation of each individual to provide an indication ofareas where motivational practices need to be improved.

Ensuring, as far as possible, that employees feel they are valued.

Developing behavioural commitment.

Developing an organisational climate that will foster motivation.

Improving interpersonal skills. Job designing to suit the jobholders, their aspirations, aptitudes and

skills.

Enhancing performance management.

Enhancing reward management.

Creating the use of behavioural modification approaches.

Providing both extrinsic and intrinsic motivating factors.

How a Business Leader Creates an Environment for TeamBuilding

A business leader creates a cohesive, dynamic team by:

Clearly stating the teams mission and goals.

Helping the team members to operate creatively.

Increasing synergy of the team.

Helping the team to focus on the results.

Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the team members.

Making the team well organized.

Coaching the team members to build upon individual strengths.

Influencing the team to support leadership strategies. Developing a proper team climate.

Resolving disagreements.

Creating open communication.

Making objective decisions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the team as a whole.



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Issues in leadership traits, personality, styles etc

The Key Traits of Leaders

Traits are behaviours and styles that are accumulated as one getstrained to become a leader. They result either from training, habit orinherent /genetic qualities. They may be best understood as tendenciesor repeated behaviour patterns. Examples of traits are intelligence,equanimity and power.

Traits are differentiated from skills by the distinction that skills arenecessary whereas traits are useful and indicative. Traits arecharacteristics and mannerisms, which tend to be associated with manyleaders, but cannot be considered essential in the same way that someskills emphatically are. For example, a fine trait, for a leader, is lack ofthe need to dominate people in situations or at meetings. It is a trait tohave presence without noise, and a tendency to be more of a listenerthan a talker. By contrast, it is a skill to ensure that one knows how to beheard, whenever it is necessary, to make an important point.

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- Ability to get into leadership positions.- Competency of good quality judgment than any relevant peer group.- Capacity for survival.- Potential to select effective subordinates.- Capability to inspire ordinary people to perform above par.- Efficiency to make a profound difference to the organization.

The ability to get into leadership positions - This is best observed incases of people who gain a reputation for always being in the right placeat the right time. It is not merely an accident that they are present atthe right place; they move rapidly and create more opportunities to bethere at the right time.

The competency to arrive at good quality judgment than anyrelevant peer group The first manifestation of these individuals isoften at school, where they rise as leaders. They are perceived as

mature individuals. These same qualities can be observed when theyfirst go out to work. Their bosses soon exploit them to carry outimportant tasks. They are the first to bepromoted because they become known for being a safe pair of hands.It is their good judgment, which is viewed as superior.

The capacity for survival Leaders survive because they manage toget everybody to realize that they have made the right judgment andthat difficult decisions have to be taken. The gravest decisions to beexecuted usually require the thickest skin. For example making the

larger investment decisions, or deciding to put the corporation up forsale, or moving into or out of major markets, are the types of decisionswhich cause the greatest angst to leaders and their followers. The markof a great leader is his potential to convince the group as to understandwhy a particular decision taken is considered to be best in that situation.A great leader does not confront people with a decision but persuadesand debates the issue, until people understand.

The potential to select effective subordinates - Having to dismiss afriend who has become ineffective or who is manifesting characteristicswhich are detrimental to the organisation, is the toughest decision aleader may have to take. This can be one of the worst forms ofleadership failure if the leader does not confront these problems. Tomake the right decisions about people requires a special combination ofintuition and experience. The great leader usually has an intuition aboutwho could fit a particular job and when he will be ready for it.

The capability to inspire ordinary people to perform above par

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them how to be better. This skill is closely aligned with the ability ofgood leaders to attract followers. A prime leadership skill is gettingpeople to follow, and the want to follow. It results from a combination ofcharisma, persuasiveness and sheer determination.

The efficiency to make a profound difference to the organisation

- This particular trait can often only be recognized post hoc, i.e. when theleader has left the organisation or department. The feedback obtainedfrom the group helps to decide whether the particular leader broughtabout a transformation and created an impact within the work group.

The Key Skills of Leaders

Skills are the qualities that any individual can learn, as long as thenecessary aptitude is there. They are abilities and techniques that theleaders need to have at their disposal. These are exemplified in team

skills, planning ability or understanding of accounts. Howevercharacteristics are qualities and values, which define the actions andstyles of high quality leaders, at all stages of their career. They are thedeep-rooted qualities that define grand leaders, such as moral courage,determination to succeed and capacity to inspire.

The vital skills of leaders are as follows:- Communication skills- Numerical skills- Skill to assess People

-Work effectively under pressure

- Relaxation- Inspiring followers

Communication skills - As competence is ineffective withoutconscience, so are words without behaviour. A good leader leads byexample, supporting his or her behaviour by verbal persuasion. Leadersmust communicate needs, missions, trends, concepts, and quality-quantity linkages much faster, to more and better-educated people andgroups. They must shape their message for each audience, and set an

example by acknowledging differences as well as commonalties. Everyleader needs multilevel listening skills. This refers to the ability thatmany leaders must have to listen to differing messages, carrying amultitude of meanings from different types of people at every level in theorganisation. This skill is also used to understand the multiple agendasfrom the same set of messages that are often being delivered to leaderswhenever people communicate with them.

Numerical skills - In addition to the verbal ability, the leader in the

modern era also requires a facility with numerical skills (all businessesFor Private Circulation Only


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measure themselves and are measured by others with numbers).Likewise, most great strategic ideas need to be tested arithmetically fortheir impact on the market and their value on the bottom line for thebusiness.

Skill to assess People - An ability to assess people and their skills

accurately is important. One needs to be able to focus upon a personsbest qualities and make people realize that one cares about them.

Work effectively under pressure - A great leader has the ability toundertake highly concentrated activity at intense pressure. In thepresent era, with vast communication capacity and the ability to movelarge amounts of capital around the world almost instantaneously, bothcrises and opportunities arise with little warning.

Relaxation A leader needs to know when to relax. This will be

necessary both between and even during the crises. If one cannot relaxenough for some time each day, he / she is not going to remain fit for theimportant battles and wars.Inspiring followers - Leaders who encourage people to strive for andmake achievements beyond their imagination are also creators ofimmense job satisfaction for others.

Common Characteristics of Leaders

Leaders share certain common characteristics which infuse the whole ofa leaders or an organisations culture.Integrity: Is the unyielding battle for what, rather than who is right. It isthe seizing of responsibility, and the willing acceptance of theaccountability that comes with it. Integrity is much more than not tellinga lie; it is not living a lie!Compassion: Good leadership includes searching for, and identifyingpeople doing the right things as well as doing things right. It is notmanaging by exception i.e. followers never hear from their leader except

when something goes wrong.Cognizance: Is the power of knowledgeable perception that enables aperson to use information effectively. It is an understanding of the past,an awareness of the present, and a vision of the future. It is the ability tounderstand and use ever-changing, complex, and ambiguous variables inthe simplest and most productive way possible. It means studying thepast, and using the present to prepare for the future.Courage: The fourth characteristic of leadership is courage thecourage to act upon your convictions with steadfast focus in the face ofunrelenting opposition; the courage to sacrifice and risk, the courage to



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give, to enjoy, and to live! It is challenging adversity with grit and grace;and those who move toward success, not away from failure.Commitment: One person with commitment has more power than amultitude that has only interest. The level of commitment is the keydeterminant. Getting others to commit to a common mission is one of theleaders most difficult challenges. In a committed culture, you wont hear

I just work here or Sorry, my time is up.Confidence: Is the steadfast reliance upon the values, beliefs, andcompetence of oneself and others. Confidence is cultivated by using ourstrengths and skills to extend others and us a little further each day.Confidence develops strong opinions, and leadership communication ispredicated on those opinions.

Styles of Leadership

Performance of the Leaders Role

It would be wrong to conclude that just anyone attempting to go throughthe skills and traits of the leader described here, would inevitably be aneffective leader. How the leader performs these necessary actions, hisstyle of leadership, is another factor and on this will depend hisacceptance or rejection by the group and the individuals composing it.He must be sufficiently sensitive to the needs of the situation to knowwhen it would be right, for example, to take decisions and actions

directly himself; when to consult the group before deciding; when todelegate. He also needs to learn to be flexible and to suit his actions tothe requirements of the often-changing occasion.

Factors affecting a leaders style of leadership include:

Situation is it a precedent? Will company policy be affected?

Individuals and the group are they capable of contributing usefullyto a right decision? It is the overall advantage to push moreresponsibility down to them?

The main factor, however, is that of the person of the leader himself.Perhaps a better word for this is integrity, in the sense of the wholenessand the wholesomeness of the person. This integrity is best seenreflected in the sort of comment a subordinate makes about a respectedleader:

He is human and treats us as human beings.

He has no favorites; he doesnt bear grudges.

It is easy to talk to him he listens and you can tell he listens.

He keeps his word and he is honest.

He doesnt dodge unpleasant issues.



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He explains why or else why he cant

Hes fair with his praise as well as his criticisms and he criticizeswithout making an enemy of you.

He is fair to us as well as the company.

He drives himself hard so you dont mind him expecting the best of

you.

Executive LeadershipExecutive leadership is an ability to influence the actions of others. Thisinfluence must be one that includes the ability to recruit and to retainloyal followers who are effective in the attainment of the companysgoals. The sources of influence of a leader stem initially from his powerbase. That is, once he is hired and made manager in charge, he is givena certain amount of power. And his staff / people will respond to hiswishes merely because he has that power. Though in the long run, his

influence upon the personnel will depend on his ability to persuade them,either by reasoning power or the power of his personality.

Of course, to be an effective leader in business, one has to have afundamental grasp of key management areas, such as finance,marketing, and administration. Beyond that, creativity and commonsense judgment certainly are essential. When executive leadership isproposed along these lines, leadership improvement can be approachedwith optimism. It presumes that leadership, as a personal skill, can be

acquired and improved. An aspiring executive can learn leadership,which is defined by ones behaviour what to do and how to do it. All ittakes is a little inspiration mixed in with a little perspiration.

Situational LeadershipAccording to Situational Leadership, there is no one best way to influencepeople. Which leadership style a person should use with individuals orgroups depends on the maturity level of the people the leader isattempting to influence, as illustrated in the following figure:

Styles of a Leader Situational Leadership

(LOW)

Relationship

HighRelationshipandLow Task

S3

S2

High TaskandHighRelationship



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Behaviour

(HIGH)

s

S4

LowRelations

hipandLow Task

HighTask

andLowRelationship

S1

(LOW) Task Behaviour (HIGH)

Mature HIGH MODERATE LOW

Immature

M4 M3 M2 M1

Maturity of Follower (s)

Task behaviour is the extent to which a leader provides direction forpeople. Telling them what to do, when to do it, where to do it, and how todo it. It means setting goals for them and defining their roles.

Relationship behaviour is the extent to which a leader engages in two-way communication with people: providing support, encouragement,psychological strokes, and facilitating behaviours. It means activelylistening to people and supporting their efforts.

The figure portrays the relationship between task-relevant maturity andthe appropriate leadership styles to be used as followers move fromimmaturity to maturity. The appropriate leadership style (style of leader)for given levels of follower maturity is portrayed by the prescriptive curve

going through the four leadership quadrants. This bell-shaped curve iscalled a prescriptive curve because it shows the appropriate leadershipstyle directly above the corresponding level of maturity. Each of the fourleadership styles - telling, selling, participating, and delegating identified in the figure is a combination of task and relationshipbehaviour.

The maturity of followers is a question of degree. As can be seen in thefigure, some bench marks of maturity are provided for determiningappropriate leadership style by dividing the maturity continuum below



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Informal leadership arises when a person without formal authority isinfluential in directing the behaviour of others. Although not formallyappointed or elected, he becomes a leader through his actions orpersonal attractions.

Formal and informal leadership coexist in almost every work situation.

Manager must often work with subordinates who refer to a stronginformal leader within their peer group. Managers themselves may actas formal leaders in some situations and as informal leaders in others.When acting as a formal leader, the manager follows the chain ofcommand and exerts influence downward in the hierarchy of authorityfrom manager to subordinates. By contrast, when acting as an informalleader, the manager influences employees outside the formalorganizational chain of command. Interpersonal charisma orpersuasiveness is required for informal leadership because the informalleader lacks formal authority.

A Typology of Leaders

Charismatic : This style is most successful when a particularbusiness requires spending a few years to take important decisionsand decisive action. Charismatic leaders persuade people to agree totheir strategies and are the most skilled at convincing people that theycan outperform their self-perception.

Superior Intelligence : Superior intelligence is most successful inbusinesses where there are large numbers of highly qualified or bright

people, where they find it easier to accept a leader with superiorintelligence. They tend to develop an exaggerated respect forbrainpower as they have invested so much of their lives in achievingqualifications.

Autocratic : The autocratic style is most successful in a crisis, whenan organisation has to change rapidly, whether growing or turningitself from decline to growth. It can also be useful during periods ofhighly competitive battle for market share, when new products arebattling it out in the market place.

Shepherd :The shepherd style is most akin, in its behaviour patterns,to the shepherd who tends his flock. This type of leader treats his orher employees, customers and other stakeholders with care andsolicitude. He /she tends to push rather than pull and allows peopletime to come alongside the leaders point of view. The shepherd tendsto be a gentle but strong soul, who usually understands people verywell and attracts much love and devotion from the staff and personnelin general. They are usually spoken of in terms such as strong butgentle and dependable.



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Army General : This style follows the classical army analogy. Thearmy general type of leader, like his army counterpart, tries to setgreat examples but expects his people to follow his commandsunquestioningly. They assume obedience and followership. Theyexude an air of having a total grasp of the situation and exhibit

supreme confidence that their solutions and explanations are right,appropriate and need not be questioned.

Their command style does not come from a need to order people, oran inability to listen to others, but from self-confidence in their right tolead and ability to do so. In the same way that many lower ranks inthe armed forces accept their positions unquestioningly (especiallyafter suitable training), so also do the subordinates of this style ofleader. Usually the general is a decent sort, who has a good sense of

community and social values of a conservative nature.

Princely leader : The princely leader is seen as a natural aristocrat.He / she appears to have been born to lead and emanates a naturalstyle of leadership, with an easy sense of knowing the right thing to doand when. This type of leader is attractive, radiating a sense ofdignity and a natural right to be the leader. This serves to facilitate apreference to be carefully selective about whom he or she talks to,meets or takes data from. This can be useful, in terms of managinghis or her time, but can lead to problems with subordinates or

business associates who find the style annoying or who are easilyintimidated.

The princely leader is most successful in long-established businessesthat have powerful brands and dependable market share. They aremost vulnerable when under attack, because they find it hard torespond with eagerness.

Natures native :The natures native leader is one who always lookscomfortable in the leading position. A typical leader with this style

would be United Kingdoms Prime Minister, Tony Blair or former UnitedStates President John F. Kennedy. They look as if leadership is whatthey were born to do. People who work for these natures nativeleaders cannot possibly imagine having them as their subordinate.

They are envied for the naturalness of their gifts and qualities ofleadership, but are rarely resented they dont excite that type ofshallow response in people who work with and for them.

Natures natives are effective under most circumstances. However,they excel in large-scale, multinational or global organizations,



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because their style transcends local or national culturally narrowbehaviour and enables them to fit into most nationalities and cultures.

Facets of Effective Leadership

Whether in business, industry, government, or academia, leaders achieveresults with and through others. Whether called management,supervision, or administration, the underlying process is to establishdirection and the coordination in accomplishing results. In everydaysettings the exercise of leadership may generate a range of emotionalresponses like enthusiasm, apathy, anger, commitment etc. These variedemotions merely tell us that leadership is demonstrated in manydifferent ways.

The first three elements, initiative, inquiry, and advocacy, reveal how a

leader shapes his or her influences, on outer events. The other three,conflict solving, decision-making, and critique, are concerned with howthe leader utilizes the resources of others through which results areaccomplished.

Initiative: A leader exercises initiative whenever he or she concentrateseffort on a specific activity - to start something, to stop something, or toshift the direction or character of a current activity. When leadership is

exercised in a vigorous way and others pick up the spirit of it and join in,much can be accomplished. If a leader exerts vigorous effort but othersignore it, then the obvious conclusion is that the initiative is ineffective.

Inquiry: The leader needs to have a full and comprehensive grasp ofthe situations for which he/she is responsible. This involves the elementof inquiry through learning about the background and current status ofproblems, procedures, projects, and so on, and about the facts regardingthe people involved in them. Without sound knowledge of situations in allthese relevant aspects, it is clear that the exercise of leadership will be

less effective than it might have been.

Advocacy: Several people who are together in a working relationshipare likely to have different points of view on how to approach or deal withvarious issues. Advocacy conveys the idea that the leader expresses hisor her convictions and stimulates others to do likewise. All the membersof the group let each other know where they stand, what they think, andhow they feel about issues facing them.

Conflict Solving: Whenever an issue is complex and there is no self-

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perspectives on what to do. Such conditions often lead to conflict. Theapproach of finding reasons/causes of conflict permits conflict solving bygetting to the roots of disagreement or controversy and reachingconsensus based on understanding and agreement. The advantages arenumerous, and yet it is noteworthy that this approach to conflict solvingis rare. The main advantage comes from eliminating the source of

tensions. In the absence of tensions, people can continue to deal withone another in an open way without withholding, ridiculing, manipulating,or being defensive.

Decision Making: The act most commonly associated with leadershipinvolves making decisions. Decision making, however, can be nostronger than the initiative behind it, the inquiry on which it is based, theadvocated positions that have been deliberated, and the resolution ofdisagreements and controversies through insight.

Critique: Critique means learning about how things have been done andhow they or similar activities might be undertaken in a sounder mannerin the future. When past experience proves sound, it becomes possible toget quicker results, to improve quality, to innovate to do whatever isbasic to success better than it has been done previously.

Critique frequently is confused with criticism, but the two are not thesame. Criticism implies evaluation and judgments of good or bad,relative to personal worth. Critique involves learning from experiencewhat is sound and what is unsound. Criticism is person- centered, while

critique is work-centered. In the latter case people are studying how toincrease their effectiveness.

Understanding self and followers

The most frequently used words in any individuals vocabulary are I or me ormyself. But when asked what self means there is confusion in explaining

the concept. This represents a barrier, inhibiting from realizing theindividuals full potential and achieving peak performance.

Self Development is essential to reach and sustain peak performance andbecome aware of ones capabilities in order to achieve the desiredperformance.

Self Development incorporates:Increasing skills to be more effective on the presentjob- Increasing promotion potential in the same organisation- To add value to the self so that the inter organisational mobility can be

facilitated



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It is with these ends that both the organisation and individual need to view SelfDevelopment and leadership in an organisation.

Areas of Self Development

An individual needs to identify the areas for his Self Development. The crucial

areas for Self Development can be as follows:- Developing an aspiration to attain higher competence and results, in other

words, inculcating values of achievement orientation. This requires definitionof goals for the self in consonance with the goals of the organisation as well asthe future looking orientation.

- Develop initiative in the form of anticipating instead of confronting problemsof future. Many a times individuals do not perceive their responsibility asidentifying new areas which need attention as well as developing newmethods for solving these problems.

- Environment of business can threaten its safety and result in the redundancy ofthe present operations. A significant proportion of time and energy needs tobe devoted towards visualizing and identifying any threats from thecompetitive environment.

- Quite often individuals are completely unaware of the principles applicable intheir functional area. Even when they are aware of the principles, they lackthe abilities to apply such principles to the particular situations, because theyfind it difficult to identify the crucial and the changeable factors in theorganisation. It is such applicability of principles that they have to develop.

- The most important quality is to be able to make effective decisions. Decision-making requires the awareness of the alternative courses of action alongwith their relative importance and implications. It also requires the awarenessof and the ability to device criteria for selecting between these alternatives.

Personal Effectiveness

Being personally effective is one of the important aspects in Self Development.One pre-condition for personal effectiveness is self-awareness. A person whounderstands himself is likely to be more effective. Personal effectivenessdepends partly on self-understanding and partly on the use of suchunderstanding with care. Several factors contribute to personal effectiveness:1. Self-Disclosure: Willingness of a person to be open to others and to share

the relevant feelings, knowledge etc. with others.2. Feedback: It is feedback; a person receives from others so that he may

become aware of some strengths and some weaknesses, which only others,

who observe and are affected by his behaviour, may be able to communicate.3. Perceptiveness: It is perceptiveness of the person in making both self-disclosure and feedback effective in improving ones behaviour.Perceptiveness would mean a persons sensitivity to feelings of the otherperson, and the situation in which both interact. It also means being sensitiveto the cues, which he may pick up to determine both the extent and themanner of self-disclosure as well as feedback.

A combination of these makes for interpersonal effectiveness. Thiscombined with high initiative and action-orientation enhances onesleadership effectiveness.



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Meeting Individual Needs

A leader must not forget that each member of the group needs tocontinue to live and express himself as an individual; to provide for thosedependent upon him; to find satisfaction in his work and his recreation;to win acceptance by those groups of which he feels a member. In order

to satisfy these needs he must exert himself he must get involved.Fortunately for the leader, there is a high coincidence between theseneeds and his own obligation to achieve results through the best use ofresources in this case, human.

If the degree of motivation is to be sufficient to give satisfaction at workthe leader must create an environment that ensures that hissubordinates:

Feel a sense of personal achievement in the job they are doing,that they are making a worthwhile contribution to the objectives of

the group Feel that the job itself is challenging, is demanding the best of

them, is giving them the responsibility to match their capability

Receive adequate recognition for their achievements

Have control over the delegated jobs

Feel that they, as individuals, are developing, that they areadvancing in experience and ability.

To provide the right climate and the opportunities for these needs to bemet for each individual in the group is probably the most difficult butcertainly the most challenging and rewarding task of the leader.



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Meghna Techniques to address Blockages/ Obstacles inTeams

Although companies on the basis of individual contracts employ people,it is in groups or teams that the majority of their work is conducted.Blockages are a continual fact of life for teams. They occur from themoment a potential team gathers until the team comes to an end.Obstacles also differ as much as the teams, performance challenges,organisational settings, and business contexts that produce them.

The threat posed by any particular obstacle depends as much on theteam leaders readiness and capability as the obstacle itself. Yet, whilesome teams are stronger than others, teams as a unit of performance

surpass individuals as well as larger organisational groupings in theresourcefulness and flexibility with which they overcome barriers toperformance.

Real teams adapt to challenges remarkably well. The frustrationsassociated with stuck teams include:

A loss of energy or enthusiasm

A sense of helplessness

A lack of purpose or identity

Listless, unconstructive and one-sided discussions without candour Meetings in which the agenda is more important than the outcome

Cynicism and mistrust

Interpersonal attacks made behind peoples backs and to outsiders

Lots of finger pointing at top management and the rest of theorganisation

In the worst cases, stuck groups stop trying for team performancealtogether and become pseudo-teams. The costs are high. Not only isthe specific team performance opportunity lost, but such episodes

demoralize people, resulting in much of the reluctance people haveregarding the team approach in general.

There is no way to completely avoid stuck teams obstacles really are afact of life for teams and sometimes they will be insurmountable.Indeed, unless a teams own purpose and performance goals present asignificant challenge, there may not be a foundation for a real teameffort. Even team-friendly environments include barriers that can, attimes, cause teams to get stuck and self-destruct. Finally, all potentialteams have hierarchical, functional, and individual differences that are at

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Team development is sometimes obstructed by some commonlyobserved behaviours as mentioned below:

Saboteur An individual engages in malicious behaviours designed todestroy or significantly impair the progress made by the team.

Sniper Group productivity tends to reduce if a member takes stingyshots at group members by throwing verbal/non-verbal barbs.

Assistant trainer The team mate tries to demonstrate his awarenessof group process by making interventions in order to impress theothers. He may make procedural suggestions at the point of beingobnoxious.

Denier When an individual of a team is confronted he plays the whome game, i.e. he backs off immediately. This kind of a persongenerally refuses to take a strong stand on a problem.

Anxious Member Such an individual may engage in counter

productive behaviours as smoothing over conflict, and avoidingconfrontations.

Dominator Some team members simply take up too much of time bytalking. They control the group through their verbosity.

Side Tracker The groups energy is siphoned off by new concerns,which deflect rather than work on the problem that is being solved.

Polarizer These are individuals point out differences among teammembers rather then help them see similarities thus preventing thecohesion of the group.

Attention Seeker The behaviour is designed to cover up the group

members anxiety by excessive joking, or by sharing experiences toconvey good impression.

Clown The behaviour is loud and boisterous that sets a tone of playrather than problem solving.

Apart from the team behavioural obstacles the various other blockagesfaced by a team are as follows:

A weak sense of direction: Teams lose their way when they pursueinappropriate or ill-defined goals. They also get lost when theyassume that everyone in the team understands and agrees on why

and how they are working together. It is not that differentinterpretations by themselves are bad for teams; indeed, whendiscussed openly, varying perspectives can enrich a teams senseof purpose and approach. But when those differences remainunexpressed and unresolved, they generate confusion about theteams fundamental reason for being and undercut the incentiveto work together to achieve common goals.

Insufficient or unequal commitment to team performance: Instuck teams, interpersonal conflicts and entrenched positions oftenget interpreted as a lack of commitment on the part of one or more

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performance goals and falls into endless conversations about personalstyles and biases. This, in turn, further weakens the trust and respectwhich is critical to the mutual accountability and commitment requiredfor team performance.

Critical skill gaps: Skill gaps are an inevitable part of teams. Fewteams start with every skill completely developed and in place. Yet,

there are also no teams that succeed with a significant, unresolvedskill deficiency relative to its objectives. Often the most troublesomegaps have to do with technical or functional competencies. But teamsalso get stuck when they lack the necessary team skills of problemsolving, decision making, and interpersonal relations needed forperformance.

External confusion, hostility, or indifference: All organisations,whether friendly or hostile to teams, inevitably create some obstaclesfor them. Some might confuse the team with contradictory or overlyambitious sets of demands. Others might overtly or covertly fight the

team. Still others might seemingly care less about what the teamdoes or whether or not it succeeds. Sometimes, an atmosphere canenergize a team. But it can also prevent a potential team from evergetting off the ground, or wear out the team once it does.

Leadership in need of help: This is perhaps just a special categoryof skill gap. Most people can learn to be effective team leaders. But,like teams themselves, team leaders most often begin their roleswithout all the needed skills in place. When team leaders themselvesneed help, it falls to other members to fill the gap until the leadersskills develop.

Approaches to Getting Unstuck

The key to getting unstuck lies in addressing particular obstacles thatconfront the team. There are five approaches that work well, often insome combination. The first two, revisiting team basics and going forsmall wins, address performance directly. The other three exposing theteam to new information and different approaches, seeking outsidecounsel or training, and reforming the team provide indirect spurs that,when successful, trigger a renewed team focus on performance. Each ofthese approaches lie within the team leaders own grasp. The leader

needs to orchestrate this process carefully and systematically.

1. Revisit the basics: No team can rethink its purpose, approach, andperformance goals too many times. All teams and certainly, stuckteams benefit from going back to ground zero and spending the timeto undercover all hidden assumptions and differences of opinion that,when assessed by the full team, might provide the foundation forclarifying the teams mission and how to accomplish it.

2. Go for small wins: Nothing galvanizes a stuck team as well asperformance itself. Even the act of setting a clear and specific goal



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can lift a team out of the morass of interpersonal conflict and despair.Achieving specific goals is even better.

3. Inject new information and approaches: Fresh facts, differentperspectives, and new information play a major role in thedevelopment of teams. Competitive benchmarks, internal casehistories, best practices, front-line work measures, customer

interviews these and other sources of insight can provide stuckteams with the fresh perspective needed to reshape their purpose,approach, and performance goals.

4. Take advantage of facilitators or training: Whether they arecomplete outsiders or company employees outside the team itself,facilitators, can get stuck teams moving in a constructive direction.Usually, successful facilitators bring problem-solving, communication,interpersonal, and teamwork skills to teams who lack them. Theultimate key, however, to whether a facilitator provides enduring helpdepends entirely on how effectively the facilitators efforts help the

team turn its collective attention back to its purpose and performancechallenge. Stuck teams, like any potential team, can benefit from anygood training program that highlight the importance of key skills,common team purposes, good teamwork, clear goals, and the role ofthe leader.

5. Change the teams membership: Many teams avoid getting orstaying stuck by changing their own membership. Sometimes thisoccurs when teams literally separate or add members. Some teamsactually set rules of membership that require periodic rotation ofmembers to ensure fresh input and vitality over time.

Each of the five approaches to unfreezing a team can either springfrom the teams own efforts or happen as a result of managementintervention. If done well, such intervention can be a boon to a stuckteam. If done poorly, however, such actions can get interpreted asmanagement intrusions that pose yet one more burden on the team.

It is good for teams to stay stuck for awhile because of what theylearn through overcoming obstacles on their own, without help fromoutside. Real teams thrive on obstacles. The trick, however, is to

distinguish between those teams that are constructively andenergetically trying to figure out how to get beyond some barrier toperformance and those that either have given up or are in danger ofdoing so. If a team is really stuck beyond its collective capability, theleader/ management must intervene.

Characteristics and Skills of Effective Team Leaders

Leadership is the key to making organisational life not only moreproductive but more humane. The team leader has a unique and crucialrole in the development of the group. Team members invariably watch

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promote openness, co-operation and team debate. Without effort,personal integrity and trust, a team cannot be developed.

The successful leader understands that a group has its own personality,attitudes, standards and needs. He achieves his success by taking thesethings into account. He has constantly to respond to the needs of the

group. At times this means withdrawing from his position way out frontand concentrating on serving those who serve him. On these occasionshe is prepared to represent the group and speak with its voice. At thesame time, he avoids over-identifying with the group.

The team leader must be aware of the needs of the group and havesufficient understanding of the concept of team building to steer thegroup through a series of developmental states. An open approach isvital. All issues affecting the group must be talked through, feedbackgiven and received and time spent clarifying expectations. The team

leader must demonstrate the high level of openness that is an essentialcharacteristic of the team approach and be watchful towards teammembers, identifying their individual needs and enabling each to bedeveloped and strengthened as the work of the team continues.

The key functions of the business leader in meeting the teams needsare:

To set and maintain group objectives and group standards.

To involve the group as a whole in the achievement of objectives.

To maintain the unity of the group and to see that dissident activity

is minimized

Here are some points to consider:

Know the team members A good team leader must know all theteam mates by their names. He should know their expectations andtheir differences. He needs to identify the key persons to securegroup support.

Stay in contact Leaders need to mix and move around, sinceproblems crop up when they lose contact with their members.

Be a good listener The ability to listen to team mates is one of themost appreciated qualities of a team leader.

Take appropriate decisions A leader should make sure thatnecessary decisions are made, whether by him or others. Consensusdecision-making should be encouraged.

Foresee problems - Look forward to the difficulties that could befaced in implementing the decisions.

Be concerned for production and people - The best and mostproductive leader is the one who is person-centered as well asproduction-minded. Such teams are able to accomplish much more



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because the team members see production goals as their goalsbecause they are treated with trust and respect.

Keep cool The team leader must control his temper when his teammates are angry and try to help them to calm down.

Treat all equally Fair and unbiased practices must be followed inorder to attain objectivity of judgments.

Take responsibility The team leader must take charge andaccountability of the entire group processes.

Leadership Environment

Leadership concerns the total manner in which a leader influencesactions of subordinates. First, it includes the issuing of orders that areclear, complete, and within the capabilities of subordinates toaccomplish. Second, it implies a continual training activity in whichsubordinates are given instruction to enable them to carry out theparticular assignment in the existing situation. Third, it necessarilyinvolves the motivation of workers to try to meet the expectations of themanager. Fourth, it consists of maintaining discipline and rewardingthose who perform properly. In short, leading is the final action of amanager in getting others to act after all preparations have beencompleted.

As some of the older methods of motivation become less effective, theimportance of the leader increases. Bonuses and similar financialincentives are limited in what they can achieve; and as the amounts rise,men can afford to take value judgments as to whether to work less hardfor less money. Good fringe benefits and welfare provisions may attractpeople to an organization, but they will not, in the long term, affectperformance on the job. Moreover, in many fields the satisfactionprovided by the job itself is no longer an incentive as the skills, whichgave the job its interest, are superseded by new machinery or automatic

control mechanisms.

The responsibility for ensuring that each person gives of his best to hiswork rests squarely with the leader. The leader should be responsibleand accountable for the work of his subordinates. He has to get workdone through them, and his aim must be to make full use of theirstrengths, abilities and qualities, minimize the effects of their deficienciesand, where possible, constantly try to improve their performance. This isthe object of effective leadership. It makes sense both psychologicallyand economically. For most individuals it is important that their abilities



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should be fully used. For the enterprise and for the country it is essentialthat manpower shall not be wasted. The effectiveness of a leaderdepends on this ability to influence, and be influenced by, the group andits members in the implementation of a common task.

In practice this means that the leader :

(1)Ensures that the required tasks are continually achieved(2)Meets the needs of his group for team-work and team-spirit(3)Meets the needs of each individual member of the group.

The successful leader functions in all three areas, often simultaneously.These three areas interact upon each other. Below is a simple model thatillustrates the above explained:

The three circles overlap. If the task circle is backed out, so too are large

segments of the group and individual circles. Thus lack of attention to thetask causes disruption in the group and dissatisfaction to the individual.Conversely, achievement of objectives is essential if group and individualmorale is to be high. If we black out the group needs circle from themodel then the other two needs are affected. Unless the leader activelysees that the needs of the group, as a group, are satisfied, his chances ofachieving the required results, in the long term, are jeopardized. Ignorethe needs of the individual and the effectiveness of both task and team isreduced.

The areas of group and individual needs may also be looked on asstorage batteries, which may from time to time become exhausted forinstance after a period of high pressure. In this case the leader must seethat they are re-charged by paying them extra attention.

A leader has to be natural. An artificial presence can prevent the leaderfrom being natural, balanced, and rounded. Leaders need each of thosequalities, because if they have to waste energy constraining their naturalselves then the necessary freedom to be creative and intuitive will bedestroyed. The leader needs to be relatively objective in judgments.


Task

TeamMaintenance

IndividualNeeds


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Although great leaders do not need to be perfect, they need to know howto take the organisation to ever-greater heights of achievement.

The leader needs to be strategic, visionary, attractive, and fun to workfor. Above all, the leader needs to be creative, because creativity is thevital catalyst for the creation of wealth, excitement and fun. Creativity is

one of those special attributes that give meaning to life.

Todays organisation needs liberating leadership, enabling those inmanagerial roles to harness the skills and talents of everyone in theirparticular section. As liberating leaders, they create situations wherecontinuous improvement can occur. They demonstrate, by their ownbehaviour, how people can be liberated to maximize their skills. Theyrecognize the need for continuing change and urge everyone to meet thechallenges that brings, supporting and encouraging them to reach theirfull potential.

In a liberating environment, managers no longer have to take commandand control of everything, with a responsibility for all decision-making.Instead, they must become facilitators, coaches, enablers andsupporters, encouraging those closest to the tasks to take their owndecisions. Liberating leadership should be promoted at all levels of anorganisation. It represents a radically new form of leadership that rejectsposition, status and hierarchy. In short, liberating leadership isDemocracy at Work.

A leader listens to the ideas, needs, aspirations, and wishes of the

followers and then within the context of his well-developed system ofbeliefs, responds to these in an appropriate fashion. The firstresponsibility of a leader is to define reality. The true leader enables hisfollowers to realise their full potential, both personal and corporate. He isresponsible, for identifying, developing and nurturing future leadership.Effective leaders encourage contrary opinions, which to them is animportant source of vitality. Leaders owe a clear statement of values tothe organisation. These values should be well understood, be agreed toand shape out corporate and individual behaviour. Good leaders owetheir followers certain maturity and corporate rationality. Maturity is

expressed in a sense of self-worth and belonging, a sense of expectancyand responsibility, a sense of accountability and equality.

Effective leaders owe their people space, in the sense of freedom.Finally, the most important of all, leaders are responsible foreffectiveness. They are responsible for doing the right thing and mustdeal with it personally; realising effectiveness comes through enablingpeople to reach their potential - both, personal and corporate potential.

Leader as a Change Agent



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There is a distinct link between leadership and change, especiallychange, that is imposed and can be seen as unwanted but necessarychange. We can think of change as being confronted with differentcircumstances requiring different responses and behaviours on our part,which need to become ingrained ways of how we conduct ourselves.

Dealing effectively with change is essentially about being able to alterprevious behaviour and develop different behavioural practices that areadequate for changed circumstances. This requires learning, whichpresupposes the development of different ways of observing and takingaction.

A leader should be flexible and adaptable in being able to foresee anddeal with change in order to stay competitive. The notion of the learningorganisation was popularized a number of years ago, and what isrequired now are leaders who are flexible and adaptable learners.

Organisations have been likened to living systems. Just as living systemsneed to adapt to changes in the environment in order to survive, so dopeople and the groups they are part of. Biologically it has been shownthat adapting is about learning, about not remaining trapped in habitualways of being and responding. The demands nowadays are for businessleaders to be willing to become different observers of what is required; itis through observing differently that creative and innovative responsesare generated.

Leaders are also, required to do more than that. Their way of being, their

ways of observing and acting, also need to be influential in shiftingothers as learners. To be able to move others out of their traditionalways of observing and learning without alienating them, so that thecollective wisdom that resides with many organisational employeesbecomes an invaluable resource in dealing with the change process.

Ways to detect whether a leader can be a change agent

How clearly is there an articulated vision?

Is there buy in to the vision and does it address the primaryconcerns of employees?

How acutely are the leaders listening to others, and if they arent whatare they missing?

How do the moods of leaders affect the workplace?

How do the leaders rate as learners? and

To what extent do their conversational actions generate new insights,productive actions and positive results from others?

Leadership in High -Tech Environment



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Technical professionals are highly specialized and managing themaccording to traditional principles may meet with only minimal success.

Technical professionals want autonomy:They are frequently achievement-orientated people who seek motivationfrom their work.

Technical professionals desire for autonomy usually means that theywant a large role in setting goals and making decisions. Many wouldprefer to manage themselves.

Technical professionals need a sense of achievement:They often find the greatest challenge in tasks that require high levels ofskill and effort; they want to do difficult jobs well and make significantaccomplishments.Support and recognition from management and colleagues alsogenerates commitment, along with their organisations and their

professions acceptance and recognition of the results they achieve.

Technical professionals fear burnout:Burnout happens when the professional loses a sense of accomplishmentfrom work, is emotionally exhausted, and feels powerless to influencechange.A fear of obsolescence often accompanies this. When skills areunderutilized, apathy, burnout, or alienation may result.

Technical professionals are loyal to their profession first:

Loyalty to the company often is second. College graduates in entry-levelmarketing positions, for example, are more apt to align career objectiveswith the company promotion path than are entering engineers oraccountants.

Technical professionals resist participating in company missions:With their tendency to pursue professional goals first and their need forcontrol over their work, technical professionals are more resistant thanare most occupational groups to committing to mandate organisationgoals.

Technical professionals need collegial support, stimulation, andsharing:

The potential for competition is high among bright, ambitious people withstrong egos. It can cause insecurity for some. That insecurity canreduce risk taking and, in time, take a toll on innovation.

Collegial support is important to these professionals, many of whom seekan environment that uses the energy derived from different knowledgeand experience base. Technical leaders must manage a productive

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The Leadership Challenge

Special knowledge, strategies, and tactics would be a substantialchallenge to leadership candidates with high levels of interpersonal skill

and aptitude. The challenge is even greater for most technical leaders,who often come to management positions because of their technicalcompetence, not their inter-personal abilities. Many such leadersassume their responsibilities without adequate role models. And whilesuperior technical ability can influence short-term managerial success,interpersonal effectiveness is necessary for a technical leaders long-term achievement.

In general, technical leaders who come from technological backgroundshave abilities, personalities, and interests that are oriented more towardsthings than people. They can manage the technical aspects of the jobbut are not adept at managing the people involved in it. But the fast-paced, competitive world of technology requires balanced leaders whoare responsive to the needs of technical professionals and to theorganisations strategic objectives.

Most technical professionals have aptitudes that do not focus on

interpersonal skills; their education leaves little room, if any, for coursesin behaviour science. In addition, the organisation hires them on thebasis of technical competence, and most of them work for someonewhose orientation is similar heavily technical, and light on people skills.

The training functions in technology-orientated organisations must knowhow to compensate for that lack.

Successful leaders :

Coach for peak performance

Run organisational interference

Orchestrate the professional development of their subordinates

Expand individual productivity through team work

Facilitate self-management

Technical professionals are more self-directed than most occupationalgroups, so classic management prescriptions with the manager as acontroller of work are likely to be demotivating.

Coach for peak performance The most effective technical leaders are coaches; they listen, askquestions, facilitate, integrate, and provide administrative support. They



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develop ideas rather than demonstrate power by withholding it. Theyencourage self-management rather than promote dependency. Coachingstrategies and their accompanying skills are most notable in three criticalleadership situations: Aligning individual and organisational goals: The most effective

technical leaders are sensitive to blending individual and

organisational goals through a balanced leadership approach thatrelies heavily on coaching. They are able to use technology to servemarket needs while remaining sensitive to the needs of the technicalprofessional.

Making performance analysis: Successful technical leaders bring theircritical and logical thinking to the analysis of performance problems missed deadlines and cost overruns, for example. They are good atdetermining whether a performance discrepancy is due to a skilldeficiency (rarely the case) or to inappropriate performanceconsequences (usually the case).

As a result, the technical professionals they manage quickly addressand correct performance deficiencies.

Managing Change: Change is a way of life in the technicalorganisation; the leader is often the one who determines whetherpeople resist or welcome it.Many technical professionals welcome change, challenge, and variety.But further investigation usually turns up a leader who coaches themthrough change by making certain that they know the reasons for it.An effective coach also involves technical professionals extensively inthe implementation of change.

Run organisational interferenceSuccessful leaders teach subordinates how to take advantage oforganisational opportunities, such as engaging in a high-visibility projectthat might resolve a major quality issue. They are also quick to removeorganisational obstructions from the path to innovation. They do so bythe following means:

Providing resources to support creative endeavors

Preventing the organisational bureaucracy from interfering with thetechnical professionals work

Taking steps to gain management support for a professionals idea orproposal.

Orchestrate professional developmentEnriching the job is an important strategy for motivating the technicalprofessional. Variety, an emphasis on performance over process, andchallenge must be integral parts of the work. The most effective



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technical leaders address three critical components of professionaldevelopment:

They provide: the business perspective. Technical professionals oftengenerate ideas, become absorbed in following them, and wander offthe organisations strategic path. The leader must focus that energyby providing a vision of where the organisation is today and where it is

heading. They build: and encourage champions. Taking ownership of an

innovative idea and running with it is a powerful professionaldevelopment experience. The leaders responsibility is to nurture andprotect the fragile growth of ideas that might otherwise be trampledby the bureaucracy or uprooted by someone uneasy with theunfamiliar.

They facilitate: career development. Although career development isprimarily the technical professionals responsibility, effective leaderstake a proactive role in encouraging it.

Expand individual productivity through teamworkEncouraging innovation requires shifts in fundamental managementtechniques; the most important of which may be the use of teamwork.Science and technology are becoming too complex for most technicalprofessionals to be able to make meaningful contributions on their own.More and more basic inventions, minor and major breakthroughs, andcreative inspirations come from group collaborations.

Facilitate self-management The technical professionals need for autonomy, achievement,professional growth, and challenge finds its fullest satisfaction when thestructure of the job and the relationship with the manager promote andsupport self-management for the employee. Sharing information: Information enhances a sense of

empowerment. Professionals who receive as much information aspossible about a project have much higher motivational levels.

Delegating responsibility: The delegation of meaningful tasks andresponsibilities is enriching and empowering. Technical leaders whoseek opportunities to delegate and who skillfully communicate and

transfer responsibilities maintain motivated project teams. Encouraging upward communication: Endorsing and reinforcing

two-way communication plays a major role in facilitating self-management. This builds trust and an increased sense of ownershipin projects and organisational objectives.

Conclusion



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There is a need to look into training within technology-riddenorganisations to develop technical leaders who can address the specialneeds of professionals. Such training will enable organisations to realizethe highest degrees of innovation, teamwork, and sustained commitmentamong technical professionals.



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ROUGH COPY

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality- Warren G. Bennis

Lots of people can have good ideas, but thats not leadership. A real leader canturn those ideas into action, by inspiring and motivating people and getting the verybest out of them.IntroductionOrganisations are like aircrafts. They dont run themselves, except during downfall. They needthe right people to make them work, and not just any people. The effectiveness of anemployee particularly individuals in leadership positions determines how the organisationalmachine will perform. Employees need some guidance, some suggestions about where to goand how to get there. Ethological studies also suggest that people have an actual need forleadership.The Anglo-Saxon root of the words lead, leader, and leadership is laed, which means path orroad. The verb laeden means to travel. Thus a leader is one who shows fellow travellersthe way by walking ahead.

Leadership is the most important means of direction. To lead is to guide, direct, integrate andenergize the efforts of people towards a common goal. A leader is one who influences theattitudes and behaviour of others in an organised activity. Leadership is an art and as such itmust be felt, experienced and created. Recognising diversity in corporate life helps us toconnect the great variety of talents that people bring to work and service of the organisation.Diversity allows each of us to contribute in a special way, to make our special talent an art ofthe corporate effort. The art of leadership lies in polishing and enabling those talents.Leadership deals more with ideas, beliefs and relationships. Hence, it has to do with the whyof institutional and corporate life, rather than the how. It is the art of liberating people to dowhat is required of them, in the most effective and humane way possible, something to belearned over time.Concept of LeadershipLeadership is the process by which an executive influences the work and behaviour of others in

choosing and attaining specified objectives for the benefit of an organisation as well as itsmembers. A person is said to have an influence on others when others are willing to carry outhis wishes, accept his advice, guidance and direction. Leadership is thus a function ofinfluencing the behaviour of subordinates for the attainment of group goals and personalobjectives. A leader is the one who guides and directs other people and provides purpose anddirection to human efforts. A leader, like the conductor of an orchestra, is a part of the group,

yet distinct from it. He integrates, guides and inspires the members of the group towards theaccomplishment of common objectives. Thus leadership is more than personal ability and skill.

A good leader should be competent, but he can be a true leader only when he possesses asense of fair play, objectivity, integrity and a sense of responsibility.Leadership is defined as a process in which one person sets the purpose or direction for oneor more other persons, and gets them to move along together with him or her and with eachother in that direction with competence and full commitment.In the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences leadership has been defined as the relation between anindividual and a group around some common interest and behaving in a manner directed ordetermined by him. It is thus the function of interaction between the leader, the subordinatesand the situation in which they interact with each other i.e. a purpose of both, the traits andthe situation.Leadership may be formal or informal. Formal leadership is institutional in nature whileinformal leadership is personal. Formal leaders are those appointed to positions within aformal organisation structure. The executive is a formal leader in the sense that he occupies a

position and holds delegated authority. By using this authority, he can influence and directsubordinates. Informal leaders are those who exercise influence because of their personalityand competence.What is Effective Leadership?

An effective leader is one who really makes things happen in his organisation and explores newpaths. He makes the job exciting as he makes sure that the entire workday has structure and



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meaning and the workforce understands the rationale of their work. This kind of a leader willmake his shareholders and workforce rich and his customers happy with the product. Heunderstands that organizations are more than just economic entities. Unlike any politician orsocial worker a leader he runs an organisation that has more realities than just economic ones.He is a fertile imagineer about the organisations future.The Key Traits of LeadersTraits are behaviours and styles that are accumulated as one gets trained to become a leader.They result either from training, habit or inherent received genetic qualities. They may be bestunderstood as tendencies or repeated behaviour patterns. Examples of traits are intelligence,equanimity, decency and power.Traits are differentiated from skills by the distinction that skills are necessary whereas traitsare useful and indicative. Traits are characteristics and mannerisms, which tend to beassociated with many leaders, but cannot be considered essential in the same way that someskills emphatically are. For example, a fine trait, for a leader, is not to need to dominate

people, situations, or at meetings. By contrast, it is a trait to have presence without noise, anda tendency to be more of a listener than a talker. It is a skill to ensure that one knows how tobe heard, whenever it is necessary, to make an important point.The vital traits of a leader are the:- ability to get into leadership positions- competency of good quality judgement than any relevant peer group- capacity for survival

-potential to select effective subordinates

- capability to inspire ordinary people to perform above par- efficiency to make a profound difference to the organisationThe ability to get into leadership positions - This is best observed in cases of people who gain areputation for always being in the right place at the right time. It is not merely an accidentthat they are present at the right place; they move rapidly and create more opportunities to bein the right time.The competency to arrive at good quality judgement than any relevant peer group The firstmanifestation of these individuals is often at school, where they rise as leaders. They are

perceived as mature individuals. These same qualities can be observed when they first go outto work. Their bosses soon exploit them to carry out important tasks. They are the first to be

promoted because they become known for being a safe pair of hands. It is their goodjudgement, which is viewed as superior.

The capacity for survival Leaders survive because they manage to get everybody to realizethat they have made the right judgement and that difficult decisions have to be taken. Thegravest decisions to be executed usually require the thickest skin. For example making thelarger investment decisions, or deciding to put the corporation up for sale, or moving into orout of major markets, are the types of decisions which cause the greatest angst to leaders andtheir followers. The mark of a great leader is his potential to convince the group as tounderstand why a particular decision taken is considered to be best in that situation. A greatleader does not confront people with a decision but persuades and debates the issue, until

people understand.The potential to select effective subordinates - Having to dismiss a friend who has becomeineffective or who is manifesting characteristics, which are detrimental to the organisation, isthe toughest decision a leader may have to take. This can be one of the worst forms ofleadership failure if the leader does not confront these problems. To make the right decisions

about people requires a special combination of intuition and experience. The great leaderusually has an intuition about who could fit a particular job and when will he be ready for it.The capability to inspire ordinary people to perform above par - They normally make people

perform above themselves, showing them how to be better. This skill is closely aligned withthe ability of good leaders to attract followers. A prime leadership skill is getting people tofollow, and the want to follow. It results form a combination of charisma, persuasiveness andsheer determination.The efficiency to make a profound difference to the organisation - This particular trait can oftenonly be recognized post hoc, i.e. when the leader has left the organisation or department. Thefeedback obtained from the group helps to decide whether the particular leader brought abouta transformation and created an impact within the work group.The Key Skills of LeadersSkills are the qualities that any individual can learn, as long as the necessary aptitude is there.

They are abilities and techniques that the leaders need to have at their disposal. These are



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exemplified in team skills, planning ability or understanding of accounts. Howevercharacteristics are qualities and values, which define the actions and styles of high qualityleaders, at all stages of their career. They are the deep-rooted qualities, such as moral fibre,courage, determination to succeed and capacity to in spire, that define grand leaders.The vital skills of leaders are as follows:Communication skills - As competence is ineffective without conscience, so are wordswithout behaviour. A good leader leads by example, supporting his or her behaviour by verbal

persuasion. Leaders must communicate needs, missions, trends, concepts, and quality-quantity linkages much faster, to more and better-educated people and groups. They mustshape their message for each audience, and set an example by acknowledging differences aswell as commonalties. Every leader needs multilevel listening skills. This refers to the abilitythat many leaders have to listen to differing messages, carrying a multitude of meanings fromdifferent types of people at every level in the organisation. This skill is also used to understandthe multiple agendas from the same set of messages that are often being delivered to leaderswhenever people communicate with them.Numerical skill- In addition to the verbal ability, the leader in the modern era also requires afacility with numerical skills (all businesses measure themselves and are measured by otherswith numbers). Likewise, most great strategic ideas need to be tested arithmetically for theirimpact on the market and their value on the bottom line for the business.

Assess People - An ability to assess people and their skills accurately is important. Oneneeds to be able to focus upon a persons best qualities and make people realize that one

cares about them.Work effectively under pressure - A great leader has the ability to undertake highlyconcentrated activity at intense pressure. In the present era, with vast communicationcapacity and the ability to move large amounts of capital around the world almostinstantaneously, both crises and opportunities arise with little warning.Relax A leader needs to know when to relax. This will be necessary both between and evenduring the crises. If one cannot relax enough for some time each day, he / she is not going toremain fit for the important battles and wars.Inspiring followers - Leaders who encourage people to strive for and make achievementsbeyond their imagination are also creators of immense job satisfaction for others.Common Characteristics of LeadersLeaders share certain common characteristics which permeate the whole of a leaders or anorganisations culture.

Integrity: is the unyielding battle for what, rather than who is right. It is the seizing ofresponsibility, and the willing acceptance of the accountability that comes with it. Integrity ismuch more than not telling a lie; it is not living a lie!Compassion: Good leadership includes searching for, and identifying people doing the rightthings as well as doing things right. It is not managing by exception. Managing by exception,means followers never hear from their leader except when something goes wrong.Cognizance: is the power of knowledgeable perception that enables a person to useinformation effectively. It is an understanding of the past, an awareness of the present, and avision of the future. It is the ability to understand and use ever-changing, complex, andambiguous variables in the simplest and most productive way possible. It means studying the

past, and using the present to prepare for the future.Courage: The fourth characteristic of leadership is courage the courage to act upon yourconvictions with steadfast focus in the face of unrelenting opposition; the courage to sacrifice

and risk, and not to take yourself too seriously; the courage to give, to enjoy, and to live! It ischallenging adversity with grit and grace; and it is demonstrated by those who move towardsuccess, not away from failure.Commitment: One person with commitment has more power than a multitude who have onlyinterest. The level of commitment is the key determinant. Getting others to commit to acommon mission is one of a leaders most difficult challenges. In a committed culture, youwont hear I just work here or Sorry, my time is up.Confidence: is the steadfast reliance upon the values, beliefs, and competence of oneself andothers. Confidence is cultivated by using our strengths and skills to extend others andourselves a little further each day. Confidence is being guided by the stars, not by the lights of

passing ships.Confidence develops strong opinions, and leadership communications are predicated on thoseopinions.



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The Difference between Managers & LeadersLeaders dont manage and managers dont lead - This implies that the roles of leadershipand management are almost contradictions of each other. Managers need to be team players.They have to get groups of people to work together to achieve and set objectives; they arecoordinators of others. Alternatively leaders, have to satisfy their stakeholders, the peoplewho have power to judge them or have rights over the assets they control. The leadership jobis not merely a coordination role as; an act of leadership itself involves poising many peoplesinterests. The leaders should know how to set examples, change cultures and atmospheres toevolve the organisation into the form of the future vision. They dont manage people towardsa result; they manipulate the entire set of resources people, assets, and streams of income.The ultimate responsibility for success lies in the leaders hands. At the end of the day, allmanagers have somebody above them to take the final decision and ultimate responsibility forsome aspects of their role. It may be their finance director, technical research managers ortheir own line manager who gives them their instructions on strategy.Ultimately it is the real leader who, alone, bears total responsibility for the burden of all thefacets of the organisations future and its results.There is also a clear distinction between a nominal leader and a strategic leader. A nominalleader is the one who is appointed to posts / jobs which calls for real leadership but does notknow how to execute that leadership. Such a leader will always remain a manager. While hecan organise others to get things done, he cannot fulfill the ultimate leadership role, whichcombines strategic vision, objective judgement and profit-creating business skills. Although

nominal leaders are the managerial fabric of every organisation, they will never becomestrategic leaders, or movers and shakers. Leaders need to understand how t

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