LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP

Leadership

Introduction

Leaders are the people who do the right thing (Dubrin, 2011, pp.2). Leaders lead a team or organization. They help themselves and others to do the right things. The leaders create a new vision for the people. Management skills are set by the leaders to win as an organization or a team (Ricketts, 2011, pp.5). The leadership has a different perception and concepts all around the globe. The meaning of leadership varies according to the different things and situation. The leadership at times can be very situational. There are various forms of leadership in every country. It could be religious leadership, campaigning group leadership, community and political leadership (Kolenda & et.al, 2001, pp.3). The leadership is found in every conceivable way. There is a wide difference between the manager and the leader. A leader is the one who is responsible for tackling the changes, motivate the people and give the team a vision.

Discussion

The Word 'Leadership'

Leadership is a process of influencing others socially; a person can support and help others in achieving a target or a common task. With the leadership process, the leader can influence the behaviour, the attitude, value and mind set of the people (Dubrin, 2011, pp.4). The word 'Lead' is an Anglo-Saxon word, whose original meaning is path. Therefore, the leader is the one who provides and guides the path to others (Ricketts, 2011, pp.9). Leadership can also be defined as the process of showing the right path with the right guidance to others that can be followed (Kolenda & et.al, 2001, pp.9). There are three most important elements in leadership, i.e. a leader who leads the group or team, the group which comprise of the individuals, followers who have different organizational values and needs and the situation that is partly variable and constant.

The Theories of Leadership

The Trait Theories

A specified personality and behavioural characteristic is rectified by the trait theories in terms of a leader (Waite, 2008, pp.4). If a leader is specified through the qualities, then how those useless leaders could be differentiated within the concept? That was one of the major queries that made trait theories failed to identify the true meaning of a leader.

The Contingency Theories

The variables related to the environment are focused in the contingency theories. The variables were focused to identify the particular and situational style of leadership (Lussier & Achua, 2010, pp.174). According to the theory, the required style of leadership necessary in some situation could not be rectified but it was entirely depended upon the success of one driving the leadership and its followers.

The Behavioural Theories

The behavioural theories are also contradictory on the statement of natural leaders. Perception about natural leaders is more focused (Dubrin, 2011, pp.55). The leadership qualities of a person are judged according to the behaviour generated and the actions taken. True leadership is regardless of the mental states (Ricketts, 2011, pp.42). The true essence of leadership could be developed through observation and learning (Mumford, 2010, pp.87). The behaviour of successful leadership was analysed and used as ...