Understanding Leadership

Leadership definitions

There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept (Bass, 1981). Each emphasizes different issues. For example some emphasize the importance of a leader's character and integrity in building up the trust necessary for the leadership to be exercised over a period of time.  Some of the common ideas that others include in leadership definitions include; exerting influence, motivating and inspiring, helping others realize their potential, leading by example, selflessness and making a difference.

John C Maxwell: In the Book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell sums up; "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less." This moves beyond the position defining the leader, to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others - both those who would consider themselves followers, and those outside that circle. Indirectly, it also builds in leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to influence will disappear.

Peter Drucker: In the forward to the Drucker Foundation's book; "The Leader of the Future" a  leader is defined as: " a leader is someone who has followers." To gain followers requires influence (see John Maxwell's definition) but doesn't exclude the lack of integrity in achieving this. Indeed, it can be argued that several of the world's greatest leaders have lacked integrity and have adopted values that would not be shared by many people today.

Warren Bennis:  defines leadership is the management of 4 things:  attention, meaning, trust and self (Warren Bennis, 1984). Warren Bennis' definition of leadership is focused much more on the individual capability of the leader. "Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential."

§  Attention: leaders are the kind of people to whom others are really drawn because of their vision, dream, a set of intentions, or agenda. They have a sense of commitment which attracts people to them. They command other people’s attention. Leaders manage people’s attention through a compelling vision.

§  Meaning: To make their dreams apparent leaders must communicate their vision to align people with it. Leaders make ideas tangible and real to other people, so that they can get behind them.

§  Trust: Trust is essential to organizations. Without it no organization can work. The main determinant of trust is reliability or constancy.

§  Self: Knowing ones skills and developing them effectively. Without managing self leaders can do more harm than good. Incompetent leaders can make life worse. Management of self is the appropriate deployment of one’s capacities. Part of it is positive self- regard where people know their talents, nurture them and discern their strength within the organization.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester: Leadership is "the process of influencing the behavior of other people toward group goals in a way that fully respects their freedom." The emphasis on respecting their freedom is an important one, and one which must be the hallmark of Christian leadership. Jesus influenced many diverse people during his ministry but compelled no-one to follow Him.

Hershey Blanchard (1985):  Leadership is an influence process and thus a leader's style of leadership should be situational.  For example more directive behaviour would be used for supervising people with low ability and commitment while a more supportive behaviour would be used for people with high ability and commitment. 

Paul Born, (2000): Leadership is ENERGY. It is the ability to create, build, direct and focus energy within a defined or undefined situation.  It is most active in chaos seeking order.

Peter Senge, (2000): Leadership is a focus on leader as designer, teacher and steward. Ultimately, leadership then builds an organization where people are continually expanding their capabilities to shape their future.  Thus, leadership is most responsible for learning. 

Greenleaf (1991): Leadership is Servant Leadership.  The leader focuses on serving others, encouraging and fostering their full potential in a model taught by Jesus Christ.  But this is not passive leadership!

Peter Block (1993): Leadership is a fashion that must end and be replaced by citizenship.  Citizenship is our capacity to create for ourselves what we had sought from our leaders.

Clinton, J. R (1985): Leadership is a dynamic process in which a man or woman with God-given capacity influences a specific group of God’s people toward His purposes for the group.  This is contrary to the popular notion that a leader must have a formal position, a formal title, or formal training

Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnson:  The art of influencing an individual or group, regardless of the rationale.

Kouzes and Posner:  The ability to mobilize people towards a shared vision, while encouraging individual development in the process.

Komives, Lucas, and McMahon:  A relational process of people to­gether attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good.

Bass:  Conceived as the focus of group processes, as a matter of per­sonality, as a matter of inducing compliance, as the exercise of in­fluence, as particular behaviors, as a form of persuasion, as a power relation, as an instrument to achieve goals, as an effect of interaction, as a differentiated role, as initiation of structure, and as many combinations of these definitions.

As can be seen through this final definition, leadership can be illus­trated through a variety of different elements. Each of these pieces helps to define leadership from different angles. By working on skills and knowledge associated with any of these factors, one can improve his or her leadership potential. Effective personal leadership development begins with simply being aware of the intricacy of leadership, and being willing to explore these intricacies.

Part of what makes leadership vague and difficult to define is the wide variety of aspects that are included in various leadership defini­tions. But a good working definition of leadership includes three impor­tant components. The act of leadership must be:

A group phenomenon- A leader can’t practice leadership without at least one person (follower, constituent, employee) supporting him or her. Leaders are defined by the fact that they are leading or directing oth­ers towards a specific path. Leadership involves a process of which a large part is the fundamental leader – follower relationship. Without that process (and relationship), there is no leadership.

Directed by a goal- The leader must be leading the group toward an objective that followers believe in. Another aspect that defines leadership is the progression toward a shared goal. Over the last several years, leadership has turned from primarily leader-centered goals to more follower-centered goals. Leaders have found it is much easier to motivate others towards a belief or action they believe in.

Organized in a hierarchy- No matter how tight or loose the leading structure is, there is always some type of arrangement needed within the leader-follower relationship. A final aspect that defines leadership is the presence of structure. A leader-follower relationship with no structure is merely chaos; struc­ture provides the organization needed for successful goal attainment. It should be noted, however, that diverse situations require different types of structure to be the most effective.

The instrument of leadership is the self: It is what we do with ourselves that makes a difference. Leadership development is self development. The quest for becoming better a leader is first an inner quest to discover who you are. Leaders can get derailed unless they know their weaknesses as well as their strengths. There is need to pay attention to the strengths. Learning to lead is a lifelong process. It is not possible to separate leadership from the person leading or the person leading from those being led

Credibility is the foundation of leadership: Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who chose to follow. Followers want to believe in their leaders, to trust them and that they are interested about the direction each one of them is headed. If people do not believe in the messenger, they won’t believe the message. Values and beliefs are at the core of personal credibility. To be credible leaders must know who they are and what they stand for

Leaders focus on the future: Being forward looking is what separates leaders from other credible people. Leaders must be able to gaze across the horizon of time and imagine that greater things are ahead. They must foresee something out there however vague. Leaders must engage their people in a dialogue about the future when people can clearly see how they fit into the image of the future, then they are inclined to want to go there

The legacy leaders leave is the life they lead: Exemplary leaders know that people are moved by deeds. People expect leaders to show up, pay attention and to participate directly in the process o getting extraordinary things done. Leading by example is how leaders make their visions and values tangible. It is how they provide the evidence that they are personally committed. Leaders are judged by how they spend their time, how they react to critical incidents, the stories they tell, the questions they ask and answer…. The golden rule of leadership is “ DWYSYWD- Do what you say you will do”

Change is the work of leadership: Leaders guide others through adversity, uncertainty, hardship, disruption, transformation, transition, recovery, new beginnings and other significant challenges. Leadership is about seeking to disturb the status quo and awakening new possibilities in times of constancy and complacency: Only challenges produce the opportunity for greatness

The Relational Foundation to Leadership- Understanding how important relationships are to leadership greatly improves leadership development. There is a basic relational foundation to all leadership, and it is shaped by three basic principles:

Knowing	Being	Doing
• Yourself • How change occurs • That others may have a different view than you do	• Ethical • Principled • Open • Caring • Inclusive	• Socially responsible acts, consistently and congruently • Community participation • Actions based on your commitments and passions

     Leadership Myths

     Myth 1. Leadership is a rare skill. The belief that leadership is a rare skill was rooted in early leadership theory that claimed that leaders had certain characteristics that made them different from the average individual. Ironically, these skills were generally found in individuals with money or prestige—or those born into leadership positions. What makes this statement a myth is that leaders can be found in a va­riety of situations—from the top CEOs of businesses, to that volunteer at the soup kitchen, to a layman at church. A large number of leaders are needed in a variety of situations across society—and looking at leaders only in heroic or positional leadership positions is a narrow and misguid­ed way of judging leadership. Although great leaders may be rare, every­one has leadership potential.

Myth 2. Leaders are born not made. Similar to Myth 1, the belief that leaders are born not made is directly tied to early leadership theory that established leaders as great, charis­matic heroes who were often born into leadership positions. This belief plays into the assumption that great leaders are born with a unique genetic makeup, as if their future leadership role was fated or inherited. Individuals born as princes, princesses, lords, dukes, etc., were groomed for and ultimately assumed leadership positions—maintaining the caste system in Europe and other locales. What disproves this myth is that history tells us there were terrible kings and queens—individuals who didn’t know the first thing about being ef­fective leaders. The truth is that most leadership competencies and skills can be learned. Leadership education is fundamentally based upon the premise that most leadership knowledge and skills can be taught and that although certain individuals have tendencies to excel at some leadership skills—being particularly good at public speaking, for example—many leadership skills and competencies can be learned and improved upon.

According to Clinton JR In his book “The making of a Leader” they are both born and made. This is because;  

• We are all born –its people what do before they die that matters. Everyone can be a leader in some particular aspect.  God equips us with the gifts and temperament to be all he wants us to be.
• Leadership is not contained in a gene any more or any less than other pursuits. Leadership is not a place or position and not a secret code.
• Leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities. Some people are obviously better at it than others. But essential leadership qualities and practices also must be learned.  (That's why you are in this lecture series).

Myth 3. Leaders are created by extraordinary circumstances and great events. In history we can find numerous examples of individuals who stepped into leadership positions during great events such as wars, demonstrations, social movements, etc., who ended up being noted as some of the greatest leaders in history. The old saying “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” illustrates how trouble can make us stronger people, but that doesn’t mean that great events are necessary for leadership development. The truth is that leaders are just as likely to be found participating in the everyday workings of your local community as they are leading a civil rights movement. Emer­gent leaders are also common – those individuals who see a need within a leadership situation (i.e. committee, organization, etc.) and step up to take charge. Leaders are needed in every aspect of society, and it is more likely that you will acquire your leadership training through a traditional educa­tional or training arena than by leading a group to war.

Myth 4. Leadership exists only at the top of an organization. Look at any major organization today and you will see a plethora of “leaders”—COOs, CEOs, and CFOs. Often, the larger the organization, the more of these “leaders” you will see. If we think about the definition of leadership for a moment, we realize that these positional leaders are just the most apparent in an organization—the leaders we hear the most about. Although many organizations house a large number of positional leaders, generally the larger the organization the more opportunities there are for leadership at all levels. Large organizations may have thou­sands of leadership opportunities available, from positional leadership arrangements (i.e. managers, directors, etc.) to informational leaders or informal opinion group leaders. Just because you don’t hold an official title doesn’t mean that you can’t influence others in your organization; sometimes, you may even have more influence than those higher up.

Myth 5: Leaders are charismatic. Some leaders are charismatic, but a majority are not. Charisma can be defined as “a special magnetic charm or appeal.” Charisma has been a characteristic of some of the great leaders—John F. Kennedy, Mar­tin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Ghandi, to name a few. However, if you think of the vast majority of leaders you have been exposed to in your life, most of them are probably all too human. They may be well dressed or dowdy; articulate or inarticulate; charming or dull. There may be nothing in terms or personality, speech, or style that sets them apart from other individuals. Although some may claim charisma is something individuals are simply born with, a more likely possibility is that charisma is a result of the leadership pro­cess. Constituents grant effective leaders their respect, which creates an “attraction” between them. Thus, while some noted leaders can be described as very charismatic, a more accurate goal for effec­tive leadership should be to develop a mutual relationship of respect between yourself and your followers.

Myth 6: A leader controls, directs, prods and manipulates others. This myth may be the most damaging of all. Power, manipulation, control—all of these terms have negative connotations. Although power has a direct relationship with leadership, leadership is not so much the exercise of power over others as it is the genuine empowerment of others. Sharing power, as a leader does when empowering his or her constituents, actually helps to create synergy, a mutually advantageous situation for all parties involved. Leaders embody true (and much more effective) leader­ship by pulling rather than pushing; by creating achievable expectations and rewarding progress; by enabling others to use their own initiative.

Leadership by itself can be considered an intimidating and complex subject. However, once you break it down and focus on different as­pects, you will find it a bit more straightforward.

Functions of Leadership

Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B. Z. (2003), The Leadership Challenge. Jossey-Bass San Francisco USA.

The five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

Modelling the way- It is the behaviour of the leader that is more important than the title that he holds. To gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, the leader must model the behaviour expected of others. To model effectively, the leader must first believe in something and stand up for those beliefs. This therefore requires that the leader must first find his /her voice by clarifying their personal values and then expressing them in a way that is authentically their own. However eloquent speeches about values are not enough. The deeds of the leader are far more important words in expressing how serious the leader is about what they are saying. The deeds and the words must be consistent. The leader goes first by setting the example through daily actions that demonstrate their deeply committed beliefs. Modelling the way is essentially about earning the right and the respect to lead through direct individual involvement and action. People first follow the person, then the plan.

Inspiring a shared Vision- Leaders are people who have absolute and total personal belief in the dreams they have. They are confident in their abilities to make extraordinary things happen. Every organization or social movement begins with a dream. Leaders are people who envision the future. They gaze across the horizon of time, imagining the attractive opportunities that are in store once the constituents arrive at the final destination. Leaders have a desire to make things happen, to change how things are, to create something that no one else has ever created before. Leaders cannot command commitment, they only inspire it. Leaders enlist others in a common vision. To enlist others in a vision, a leader must know the constituents and be able to relate to them in ways that energize and uplift them. People must believe that their leader understands their needs and has their interests at heart. Only through intimate knowledge of their dreams, hopes, aspirations, visions, and values is the leader able to enlist support. Leadership is a dialogue and not a monologue. Leaders breathe life into the hopes and dreams of others and enable them to see exciting possibilities that the future holds. Leaders forge unity of purpose by showing constituents how the dream is for the common good

Challenge the Process- Leaders venture out. Those who lead people to greatness seek and accept challenge. Whatever the challenge, all involve a change from the status quo. Not one person can claim to do their personal best by keeping things the same. All leaders challenge the process. Leaders are pioneers- people who are willing to step out into the unknown. They search fir opportunities to innovate, grow and improve. But it is not possible for the leader to be the only innovator. The primary contribution of the leader is to search for opportunities is in the recognition of good ideas, the support of those ideas and the willingness to challenge the system in order to get new products, processes, services and systems adopted. Leaders know that innovations and change require them to experiment and take risks. The way to deal with potential risks and failures of experimentation is to approach change through incremental steps and small wins. Little victories when piled on top of each other build enough confidence to meet even the biggest challenges. By building incrementally, the leader strengthens commitment to the long –term future. Risk and experimentation are always accompanied by mistakes and failures. The key that unlocks the door to opportunity is learning. Great leaders are great learners. The leader must therefore create a climate in which people can learn from their failures as well as successes.

Enable others to Act- Dreams do not become reality through the actions of a single leader. Leadership is a team effort. Exemplary leaders enable others to act. They foster collaboration and build trust. Collaboration should not be restricted to a small group of loyalists, but must include peers, managers, customers etc – all those who have a stake in the vision. The leader needs to involve in some way everyone who must live with the results, and ensure that it is possible for others to do good work. Leaders also understand that no one does his or her best when they are weak, incompetent or alienated. They understand that those who are expected to produce the results must feel a sense of personal power and ownership. They therefore work to strengthen others to deliver on the promises they make. A leader cannot hoard the power he she has but gives it away.  The leader must trust others and give them more discretion, more authority, and more information.

Encourage the Heart- Climbing to the top is arduous and long. People become exhausted, frustrated and disenchanted. They are often tempted to give up. Leaders encourage the heart of their constituents to carry on. Genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward. Encouragement can come from dramatic gestures or simple actions. It is part of the leader’s job to recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence. Leaders also celebrate the values and victories. Celebrations are not about fun and games, although there is a lot of fun and games when the leader encourages the hearts of others. Celebrations must be done with authenticity and from the heart, in order to build a strong sense of collective identity and community spirit that can carry a group through extraordinary tough times.

Functions	Practices/commitments
Challenge the process	1. Search for opportunities; 2.  Experiment and take risks
Inspire a shared vision	1. Envision the future; 2. Enlist others
Enable others to act	1. Foster collaboration; 2. Strengthen others
Model the way	1. Set the example ; 2. Plan small wins
Encourage the heart	1. Recognize individual contribution; 2. Celebrate accomplishments

Contrasting managers and Leaders

Management: Managers get things done through their organizations. Mary Parker Follett described management as “the art of getting things done through people”. Peter Drucker says that managers give direction to their organizations, provide leadership and decide how to use organizational resources to accomplish goals. Getting things done through people and other resources and providing direction and leadership are what managers do. Thus management is defined as follows:

“Management is the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling organizational resources”

There are two main ideas in this definition;

·         Four functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling

·         The attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner

The Four Management Functions

·         Planning- This defines where the organization wants to be in the future and how to get there. Planning means defining goals for future organizational performance and the tasks and use of resources needed to attain them.  A lack of planning or poor planning can hurt an organization’s performance.

·         Organizing – typically follows planning and reflects how the organization tries to accomplish the plan. Organizing involves the assignment of tasks, the grouping of tasks into departments and the allocation of resources to departments

·         Leading – provides leadership for employees to achieve organizational goals. Leading means communicating goals to employees throughout the organization and infusing them with the desire to perform at a high level. Leading involves motivating entire departments and divisions as well as individuals.

·         Controlling – means monitoring employees’ activities, determining whether the organization is on target toward its goals and making corrections as necessary. Managers must ensure that the organization is moving toward its goals. Controlling often involves using an information system to advice managers on performance and a reward system for employees who make progress towards goals.

Contrast with Leadership

Posner and Kouzes (1987) The leadership Challenge Jossey- Bass Publishers San Francisco USA.

Managers	Leaders
Root origin of word “manage” is a word meaning “hand” so managers handle Honor stability Control through systems and procedures Focus on control and maintenance of the status quo	Root origin of the word “lead” is the word meaning “to go” and thus leaders are people who could be said go first. Are pioneers Thrive on change Exercise control by means of a worthy and inspiring vision of what might be Understand that you empower people by expanding their authority Practice disciplined passion

Warren Bennis (1989) On becoming a leader Addison – Wesley Publishing Company USA.

The main difference between leaders and managers is the difference between those who master the context and those who surrender to it. There are other differences as well and they are enormous and crucial

Managers	Leaders
Administers Is a copy Maintains Focuses on systems and structure Relies on control Has a short term view Asks the questions how and when Has his eye always on the bottom line Imitates Accepts the status quo Classic good soldier Does things right	Innovates Is an original Develops Focuses on the people Inspires trust Has a long range perspective Asks what and why Has his eye on the horizon Originates Challenges the status quo Is his own person Does the right thing

Leadership Development

Leadership Training and Development - According to Clinton JR; the necessity of having to learn leadership qualities and practices leads to the concepts of leadership training and development.

o   Leadership training refers to the narrow part of leadership development that is focused primarily on learning leadership skills. 

o   Leadership development is a broader term that refers to all of life’s processes affecting/and shaping a leader.

How long does the “leadership development” process take? How does it happen? It takes a lifetime because God develops a leader over a lifetime.  That development is a function of events and people to impress leadership lessons upon a leader (processing), time, and leader response.  Processing is central to the theory.  According to this theory God uses different situations, circumstances and many other things (both good and bad) to teach potential leaders lessons for life and leading others.  These processes take a whole life time. The result depends on the response of the learner to the lessons given by God. For these reason some leaders do not become what God had purposed for them because they are not able to understand and/or go through the training for the expected result. These lessons can be grouped into a number of common processes that characterize a leader’s life. It is this major groups that are called phases. For each phase God is using certain major processing in order to achieve a particular purpose in a leaders life. According to Clinton there are six major phases of leadership development.

Phase	Name	Main things involved
1	Sovereign Foundations	God providentially works foundational items into the life of the leader-to- be. Personality characteristics, experiences (good and bad) and time context will be used by God to form the leader’s character. The building blocks are in place (character traits are embedded- which will be used by God in future. Sometimes the traits are related to the spiritual gift mix)
2	Inner-Life Growth	The leader usually receives some kind of training (either by doing ministry, apprenticeship, a mentorship or a formal training experience. Often it is informal and related to ministry. The leader to be learns by doing in the context of the organization. The basic models of learning are by imitation modeling, informal apprenticeship as well as mentoring. Sometimes the training is formal in training institutions. In the process the person gets ministry experience. The real training is in the heart of the leader-to- be or inward  where God is doing some growth testing and not outward
3	Ministry Maturing	The leader gets into ministry as the prime focus of life and may do some further training through self-study projects or workshops. The major activity is training.  Most people want to enter into this phase (ministry) too quickly. However in the earlier phases (1 & 2), God is working in the leader (not through the leader). Most emerging leaders do not recognize this because they only evaluate productivity, activities, fruitfulness etc, but God is quietly and in unusual ways trying to get the leader to see that one ministers out of what one is.
4	Life Maturing	The leader identifies and uses his or her gift-mix with power. There is mature fruitfulness. God is working through the leader using imitation modeling.  God uses the leader’s life as well as gifts to influence others. His is a period when giftedness emerges along with priorities. God uses the leader to bear fruit and to influence others.
5	Convergence	The leader is moved by God into a role that matches gift-mix, experience, temperament, and even geographical location.  Convergence produces the very best a leader has to offer. It frees the leader from ministry in areas in which there is no gift and also enhances and uses the best that the leader has to offer. Not many leaders experience convergence (many are promoted to roles that hinder their gift-mix; also few leaders minister out of what they are: their authority usually arises from a role).
6	After glow/ Celebration	Where the leader celebrates his life even after going out of active leadership roles.

Factors influencing leadership style

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. From a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach, not everything old was bad and not everything new was good. Different styles were needed for different situations and each leader needed to know when to exhibit a particular approach. Leadership strategies define every leader's personal leadership style. Many adopt some of these in achieving the organization's goals and objectives

Basic leadership styles

Leadership style	Characteristics	Sometimes the most effective style to use When:	Not all bad  but Should not be used When:
Autocratic Leadership Style	• The classical approach • Manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible • Does not consult staff, nor allowed to give any input • Staff expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations • Structured set of rewards and punishments • Greatly criticized during the past 30 years •Gen X staff highly resistant • Autocratic leaders: •Rely on threats and punishment to influence staff • Do not trust staff •Do not allow for employee input	§  New, untrained staff do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow §  Effective supervision provided only through detailed orders and instructions §  Staff  do not respond to any other leadership style. §  Limited time in which to make a decision §  A manager’s power challenged by staff §  Work needs to be coordinated with another department or organization	§  Staff become tense, fearful, or resentful §  Staff expect their opinions heard §  Staff depend on their manager to make all their decisions §  Low staff morale, high turnover and absenteeism and work §  stoppage
Bureaucratic Leadership Style	• Manages “by the book¨ • Everything done according to procedure or policy • If not covered by the book, referred to the next level above • A police officer not a leader • Enforces the rules	Most effective When: §  Staff performing routine tasks over and over §  Staff need to understand certain standards or procedures. §  Safety or security training conducted §  Staff performing tasks that require handling cash	Ineffective  When: §  Work habits forms that are hard to break, especially if they are no longer useful §  Staff lose their interest in their jobs and in their co-workers §  Staff do only what is expected of them and no more
Democratic Leadership Style	• Also known as participative style • Encourages staff to be a part of the decision making • Keeps staff informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and  problem solving responsibilities The leader A coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff before making a decision • Produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time • Staff like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale The democratic leader Develops plans to help staff evaluate their own performance • Allows staff to establish goals • Encourages staff to grow on the job and be promoted • Recognizes and encourages Achievement	Not always appropriate • Most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced staff or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems Most effective When: Wants to keep staff informed about matters that affect them. Wants staff to share in decision- making and problem-solving duties. Wants to provide opportunities for staff to develop a high sense of personal growth and job satisfaction. A large or complex problem that requires lots of input to solve Changes must be made or problems solved that affect staff Want to encourage team building and participation	Democratic leadership should not be used when … • Not enough time to get everyone’s input • Easier and more cost- effective for the manager to make the decision • Can’t afford mistakes • Manager feels threatened by this type of leadership • Staff safety is a critical concern
Laissez- Faire Leadership Style	• Also known as the “hands- off¨ style • The manager provides little or no direction and gives staff as much freedom as possible • All authority or power given to the staff and they determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own	An effective style to use … • Staff highly skilled, experienced, and educated • Staff have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own • Outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants used • Staff trustworthy and experienced	Should not be used … • Staff feel insecure at the unavailability of a manager • The manager cannot provide regular feedback to staff on how well they are doing • Managers unable to thank staff for their good work • The manager doesn’t understand his or her responsibilities and hoping the staff cover for him or her

Factors that influence Leadership style

D’Souza, Anthony (1989) Leadership: A trilogy on leadership and effective management. Paulines Publications Africa. Nairobi

Four important sources of influence determine the behaviour patterns that leaders will follow.

Personality of the leader

1.      Value systems- How strongly do they feel that individuals should share in decision making how convinced are they that the officials paid or chosen to assume responsibility should personally carry out the burden of decision-making what relative importance do they attach to organizational efficiency and personal growth of subordinates.

2.      Confidence in group members – leaders differ in the amount of trust they have in other people. After considering the knowledge and competence of a group in dealing with problems, leaders may (justifiably or not) have more confidence in their own capabilities than in those of group members

3.      Leadership inclinations- leaders differ in the way they function most comfortably. For example directive leaders issue orders and resolve problems easily. Some leaders operate best in a team role where they continually share functions with subordinates

4.      Feelings of security in uncertain situations- Leaders who release control over the decision-making process reduce the predictability of the outcome. Leaders with greater needs for predictability and stability are more likely to “tell” or “sell” than to “join”. Tolerance for ambiguity is a key in peoples manner of dealing with problems.

Personality of group members- Before deciding how to lead groups, leaders also need to understand the influence of personality variables. Generally leaders permit groups greater freedom if the following conditions exists

a.       if members have a relatively high need for independence

b.      if members have a readiness to assume responsibility

c.       if they have a relatively high tolerance for ambiguity

d.      if they are interested in the problem and feel that it is important

e.       if they understand and identify with the goals of the organization

f.       if they have the necessary knowledge and experience to deal with the problem

g.       if they expect to share in decision-making

Nature of the Task - This includes;

1.      The problems themselves

o   Do the members have the needed knowledge? Do the complexities of the problems require special experience, competence or one- person solution?

2.      The Pressure of time

The more leaders feel the need for immediate decisions, the more difficult to involve other people. Situations may arise needing immediate decisions, but some organizations operate in a state of crisis or crash programming

Nature of Environment

1.      Structure of the organization. Organizations have values and traditions that influence the behaviour of the people who work in them. These values and traditions are communicated in many ways such as through policy pronouncements, public statements and job descriptions. Some organizations put heavy emphasis on the leaders abilities to work effectively with people

2.      Outside pressures – these pressures include the social, economic, and political situations, even labour unions.