Leaders are made, not born …

- Samina Javed

Definition of Leadership Good leaders are made not born. If you

have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982).

Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Northouse's (2007, p3)

Factors of LeadershipFour major factors of leadership:LeaderFollowerSituationCommunication

Follower Leader

Leader You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and

what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed.

Followers Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new

hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees' be, know, and do attributes.

Communication You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance,

when you “set the example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees.

Situation All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in

another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

Indicators of Leadership Effectiveness

The Leadership Effectiveness model gives rich and practical insight to expand both individual and organizational development.

Identify specific leadership practices needed to achieve your organization's strategic goals

Identify leadership behaviors currently in practice within an organization

Level of Conceptualisation for Leadership Theories

Leadership can be described as: (1) an intra-individual process, (2) a dyadic process, (3)a group process, (4) an organizational process.

Leadership Theories Trait Theory Behavioral Theory Situational Theory Participative Theory

Trait Theory The trait model of leadership is based on

the characteristics of many leaders - both successful and unsuccessful -

Scholars taking the trait approach attempted to identify physiological factors of leadership.

Successful leaders definitely have interests, abilities, and personality traits that are different from those of the less effective leaders.

Through these traits successful leaders have been identified but these traits are not responsible solely to predict whether a person will be a successful leader or not.

Trait Leaders Trait Theorists refer to people like M.

K. Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Ratan Tata of TATA Groups, Azim Prem Ji of Wipro, Apple Co founder Steve Jobs, and claim that all of them have some traits in common.

Behavioral Theories

Behavioral theories of leadership are based upon the belief that great leaders are made, not born.

Rooted in behaviorism, this leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states.

According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through teaching and observation.

Situational Theory Situational theories propose that

leaders choose the best course of action based upon situational variables.

Different styles of leadership may be more appropriate for certain types of decision-making situations.

For example, in a situation where the leader is the most knowledgeable and experienced member of a group, an authoritarian style might best work.be most appropriate.

Participative Theory Participative leadership theories suggest

that the ideal leadership style is one that takes the input of others into account.

These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process.