Definition of Leadership
Leadership has been defined in different ways by different sets of scholars. In very simple terms leadership can be defined as the skill of a person to influence an individual or a group for achievement of a goal in a given situation. One can use different dimensions and perspectives to define leadership. Through the evolution of leadership thought, leadership has been defined in various ways discussed here.
“A leader is one who has followers”; is a too simple a definition and this description does not clearly define what other attributes are associated with leadership. One can use different dimensions and perspectives to define leadership. Through the evolution of leadership thought, leadership has been defined in various ways with following perspectives:
- Group Processes
- Personality Perspective
- Behavioral Traits
- Power Relationships
- Process perspective
- Skills perspective
Definitions of Leadership
According to MacIver and Page Leadership is the capacity to persuade or to direct man that comes from personal qualities apart from office. It indicates the difference between leadership and office. An individual does not become a leader only by occupying an office which carries responsibility. It is a matter of secondary importance that his important office is of assistance to him in his endeavor to become a leader.
According to Philip A. Woods (2005) leadership is not just a set of free-standing actions i.e., it is not a linear process flowing from leader to the follower but it is a collective entity which comprises of the impetus and direction that emerges from the group which is more than the sum of its parts (the individuals) who make up a group or organization. .
Warren Bennis’ definition of leadership is focused much more on the individual capability of the leader. He defined leadership as a function of knowing oneself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize one’s own leadership potential.
Leadership can also be called the catalyst that transforms potential into reality. The concept of leadership in itself covers all interpersonal relationships that influence the working of' the organization towards achieving its business objectives and growth.
Leadership is the art of influencing others to direct their will, abilities and efforts to the achievement of leader’s goals. In the context of organizations, leadership lies in influencing individual and group effort toward the optimum achievement of organizational objectives.
Keith Davis observes that, “without leadership, an organization is but a muddle of men and machines…Leadership transforms potential into reality. It is the ultimate act which brings to success all the potential that is in an organization and its people”.
Leadership is often defined as the art of influencing others (people) to strive willingly; to do what the leader wants them to do (often to do the mutually compatible objectives) with zeal and confidence.
According to Dayal (1999) leadership is development of people, not the task. A leader creates conditions for the development of individuality and enhancement of inherent capability of individuals.
The leader is the inspiration and director of the action. He is the person in the group that possesses the combination of personality and leadership skills that makes others want to follow his direction.
Leadership focuses on “people” aspect of management and is based on the assumption that organizational effectiveness significantly depends on their motivation, effort and abilities.
According to Pigors, “Leadership is a process of control in which by the assumption of superiority a person or group regulates the activities of others for purposes of his own choosing.”
In 1938, Chester Bernard gave a new definition of leadership and stated that, “leadership is the ability of a superior to influence the behaviour of subordinates and persuade them to follow a particular course of action”.
A recent theorist on leadership, Williams (2005), states that, “leadership is an interactive art in which the leader is dancing with the context, the problem, the faction, and the objective”.
It is encouraging and inspiring individuals and teams to give their best to achieve a desired result.
Leadership is an attribute of the person who is an ideal for the other members of the group.
Leadership is the behavior that affects the behavior of other people, more than their behavior affects that of the leader.
Leaders work with and through people to accomplish goals.
In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell sums up his definition of leadership as “leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less.”
Anyone who acts as a model to others is often called a “leader”.
Leader leads, suggests, orders, and also guides. Other people follow him. We can say that leadership and domination are not the same meaning.
Peter Drucker defined a leader as someone who has followers.
What is the best definition of leadership?
It is difficult to qualitatively define leadership. Leadership involves various dimensions and attributes. A simple definition of leadership is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. It is a psychological process of providing guidance for followers. To lead is to guide, conduct, direct, and proceed.
Related Links
You May Also Like
-
Teams are part of the modern organizational culture. Whether you are a team leader or a team member, having a better understanding of how teams work, and being able to identify where the team is in the process, is a critical part of ensuring the team is ultimately successful. Start with the basics and understand what a team is and what role they play in an organization.
-
All the teams are dynamic in nature and they take time to come together, they form, develop, and grow in stages, over a period of time. Teams go through five progressive stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. In this article, we want to introduce you to these stages of team development and certain strategies that you can use to help the team grow and develop in each of these stages.
-
The best career choices are ones that match your values. Each person has several values that are important to him. These values are highly personal and knowing them provides a clearer sense of what's most important to you in your life and career. Career values are the beliefs you consider important from a work standpoint. Values help you understand what you want from a job? Explore a few examples of work values that can influence career path and job satisfaction.
-
Process & Stages of Creativity
Creative ideas do not come just like that. There is a process to it. There are a number of techniques of creativity to support the generation of ideas but the widely practiced ones are brainstorming and lateral thinking. Most innovations are not so much the product of sudden insights as they are the result of a conscious process that often goes through multiple stages. The creative process can be divided into four stages of preparation, incubation, evaluation, and implementation.
-
The development of teams is an ongoing process because the composition of the team may keep on changing. The new members may join and the old members may leave the team. The team members pass through several stages for the development of the team and there has been a lot of research to identify these stages. In this article, we discuss the common theories of team development.
-
Have you ever resonated that there seem to be as many different ways to lead people as there have been great leaders? When we recall the success of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte to Steve Jobs and Jack Welch, we also notice that they all used different approaches that were suitable to their specific situations and circumstances. Over the last century, researchers and psychologists have developed simple ways to describe the “Styles of leadership” and in this section, we will explore these commonly known leadership styles.
-
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory that explains that people are motivated by five basic categories of human needs. These needs are physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. There is a little scientific basis for this concept of a hierarchy of needs.
-
McClelland's Theory of Needs is a human motivation theory which states that an individual's specific needs are acquired over time through our culture and life experiences. As per the three needs theory, these acquired needs significantly influence the behavior of an individual. The three main driving motivators are the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power.
-
Team leadership theory is a recent leadership theory that does not discriminate between the leader and the other team members. The approach considers contributions from each team member to be critical for organizational success. This approach focused on the overall team effectiveness and team problems are diagnosed and action is taken to remediate weakness. This approach provides for taking corrective action when the leader deems necessary.
-
Frederick Winslow Taylor started the “Scientific Management Movement”, and attempted to study the work process scientifically. Scientific management, also called Taylorism, was a theory of management that analyzed and synthesized workflows. It is a system for increasing the efficiency of manpower to its maximum potential and streamlining production to improve efficiency. This article explores this theory in more detail.
