LEADERSHIP

What is Leadership?

The skill or ability to encourage people to work together and achieve common goals

Leader—an individual who leads or guides others; is in charge or command of others

Leaders

Leaders are not born Develop by their own efforts Have the ability to inspire others Promote positive changes Anyone can learn to be a leader In a group, everyone who makes a

contribution can be considered a leader

Common Characteristics of Leaders Respects the rights, opinions and

abilities of others Understands the principles of

democracy Guides the group toward a goal Displays self-confidence and is willing to

take a stand Communicates effectively Shows willingness to work

More Characteristics of Leaders

Completes tasks Shows optimism Is open-minded and can compromise Praises others and gives credit to others Is dedicated to meeting high standards

How are Leaders Classified? Leaders are classified as one

of three types Classification is based on how

they perform their leadership skills

Democratic Leader

Encourages participation of all individuals in decisions made or problems solved

Listens to the opinions of others and then bases decisions on what is best for the group as a whole

By guiding the group to a decision, the leader allows the group to take responsibility for the solution

Laissez-faire Leader More informal type of leader Believes in noninterference Will strive for minimal rules Allows individuals to function in an

independent manner with little or no direction Almost has a “hands off” policy Usually avoids making decisions until forced

to do so

Autocratic Leader Often called a dictator Maintains total rule Makes all of the decisions Has difficulty delegating or sharing duties Seldom asks the opinions of others Emphasizes discipline Expects others to follow directions at all

times Individuals follow this leader because of a

fear of punishment or extreme loyalty

Summary All types of leadership have advantages and

disadvantages In some situations an autocratic leader may

be beneficial The democratic leader is considered most

effective for groups One of the most important things for a group

leader is to respect the rights and opinions of others