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Unit 13: Motivation and Morale

tolerance. According to Koontz and O’Donnell “Leaders cannot afford to become panicky, Notes
unsure of themselves in the face of conflicting forces, doubtful of their principles when
challenged, or amenable to influence.”
Personal Motivation: This involves the creation of enthusiasm within the leader himself to get
a job done. It is only through enthusiasm that one can achieve what one wants. Leaders have
relatively intense achievement type motivational drive. He should work hard more for the
satisfaction of inner drives than for extrinsic material rewards.
Integrity: In the words of F.W Taylor “integrity is the straightforward honesty of purpose
which makes a man truthful, not only to others but to himself; which makes a man high-
minded, and gives him high aspirations and high ideals.”
Flexibility of Mind: A leader must be prepared to accommodate other’s viewpoints and modify
his decisions, if need be. A leader should have a flexible mind, so that he may change in
obedience to the change in circumstances. Thomas Carle has said “A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of a little mind.”
In sum, a leader must have a dynamic personality, intellectual attainment, amiable disposition,
unassuming temperament and knowledge of how to deal with his followers.

A leader should have the ability to demonstrate how to accomplish a
particular task.

13.4 Importance of Leadership

The importance of leadership in an organization cannot be denied. People working in an
organization needs individuals (leaders) who could be instrumental in guiding the efforts of
groups of workers to achieve goals and objectives of both the individuals and the organization.
The leader guides the action of others in accomplishing these tasks. A good leader motivates
his subordinates, creates confidence and increases the morale of the workers.
In the words of Peter F. Drucker “Good leadership is a must for the success of a business but
the business leaders are the scarcest resources of any enterprise.” The following points highlight
the importance of leadership:

• Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an individual or a group towards
the achievement of a goal.
• An effective leader motivates the subordinates for higher level of performance.
• Leadership promotes team spirit and team work which is quite essential for the success
of any organization.
• Leadership is an aid to authority. A leadership helps in the effective use of formal
authority.
• Leadership creates confidence in the subordinates by giving them proper guidance and
advice.
The history of business is full of instances where good leaders led their business concerns to
unprecedented peaks of success. To quote George R. Terry, “The will to do is triggered by
leadership and lukewarm desires for achievement are transformed into burning passion for
successful accomplishments by the skilful use of leadership.”

13.5 Functions of a Leader
According to Peter Drucker, “An effective leader is one who can make ordinary men to do
extraordinary things, make common people to do uncommon things. Leadership is a lifting of

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