Page 296 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Managing Human Element at Work

Notes 13.3 Nature, Characteristic, and Issues of Leadership

Leadership implies the existence of followers: We appraise the qualities of leadership by studying
his followers. In an organization leaders are also followers, for e.g. Supervisor works under a
branch head. Thus, in a formal organization a leader has to be able to be both a leader as well
as a follower, and be able to relate him both upward and downward.
Leadership involves a community of interest between the leader and his followers: In other
words, the objectives of both the leader and his men are one and the same. If the leader strives
for one purpose and his team work for some other purpose, then it is not a leadership.

Leadership involves an unequal distribution of authority among leaders and group members:
Leaders can direct some of the activities of group members, i.e. the group members are compelled
or are willing to obey most of the leader’s directions. The group members cannot similarly
direct the leader’s activities, though they will obviously affect those activities in a number of
ways.

Leadership is a process of influence: Leadership implies that leaders can influence their followers
or subordinates in addition to being able to give their followers or subordinates legitimate
directions.
Leadership is the function of stimulation: Leadership is the function of motivating people to
strive willingly to attain organizational objectives. A successful leader allows his subordinates
(followers) to have their individual goals set up by themselves in such a way that they do not
conflict with the organizational objectives.

A leader must be exemplary: In the words of George Terry, “A Leader shows the way by his
own example. He is not a pusher, he pulls rather than pushes.”
According to L.G. Urwick. “It does not what a leader says, still less what he writes, that
influences subordinates. It is what he is. And they judge what he is by what he does and how
he behaves.”

From the above explanation it is clear that a leader must set an ideal before his followers. He
must stimulate his followers for hard and sincere work by his personal behaviour. In other
words a leader must set an exemplary standard before his followers.
A leader ensures absolute justice: A leader must be objective and impartial. He should not
follow unfair practices like favouritism and nepotism. He must show fair play and absolute
justice in all his decisions and actions.
13.3.1 Leadership Styles and Patterns

Tannenbaum and Schmidt have described the range of possible leadership behaviour available
to a manager. Each type of action is related to the degree of authority used by the boss and
to the degree of freedom available to his subordinates in reaching decisions.
Leadership Styles

The Manager makes decision and announces it: It is an extreme form of autocratic leadership
whereby decisions are made by the boss who identifies the problem, considers alternative
solutions, selects one of them and then reports his decision to his subordinates for
implementation.
The Manager sells his decisions: It is a slightly improved form of leadership wherein the manager
takes the additional step of persuading the subordinates to accept his decision.
The Manager presents his ideas and invites questions: There is greater involvement of the employees
in this pattern. The boss arrives at the decision, but provides a full opportunity to his
subordinates to get full explanation of his thinking and intentions.

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