Leadership
Let us
imagine the portrait of a great leader.
Who comes in mind? Okay let's make it easy , what kind of personality
does that leader of your imagination have ? Yeah it differs from person to
person how one perceive the leader to be.
In some imagination, Autocratic "Hitler" might come into mind
.Or at times Nelson Mandela the democratic freedom fighter might come into
mind. Alternatively, you may choose any other leader, Might be your team
leader, your supervisor, boss or any political leader.
Being the
leader is the challenging task. We study every time , organization is the
method of getting things done .But it is more preferable to say Organization is
like a football play which shows a general plan and each individuals contribute
to it . Watching the football match gives a proper view what is the teamwork
and how each can contribute for achieving the goal. Successful leader is the
one who can take all individual focus on the organizational goal along with
achieving the personal growth.
To be the
successful leader one has to learn: Men are complex, and Men are
different. Dealing with complex and
different individuals is the challenge for leaders. People are not donkey who
respond to carrot shown by his driver, rather people responds to ambition,
patriotism, love of good and so many different feeling. Emotions and feelings
are the important element of people responsiveness.
For a
leader to be successful one must
- Understand goals and purpose of the subordinate
- Be in position to satisfy them
- Seem to understand the implication of his action
- Consistent and clear in decision
It is an
impression that a leader makes at any one time that will determine the
influence on his followers. In addition, there comes another word perception.
Perception is such a thing that it makes everyone good and everyone bad at the
same time with the same given circumstances.
Let us think of a situation. If it is said A person is warm intelligent,
ambitious, thoughtful. A kind of picture is made. And if it said, A person is Cold,
intelligent, ambitious, thoughtful. A very different kind of picture is
made. Look at the difference in these
two kinds of person. With a change in a single word following other words similar,
isn't the whole picture changed? One is perceived to be good and the other is perceived
to be not good person. The different in perception of leader and subordinate
might bring the clash in the organization too. Successful leaders are prepared
that employees consider employer as the natural enemy. Moreover, in such case
acting like the boss can be destructive too.
It is
always said that being leader is the challenge, but thinking from the
subordinate side , It is not easy to be subordinates." If I take order
from others, it limits the scope of independent decision and judgments. And it
is more difficult to take order from whom I do not consider
superior." Because of which acting
friendly or maintain equality with subordinate might not work well. It is also
not good to pretend that subordinate can make certain decisions if they really
cannot. However, subordinate must feel that he is free to operate. The leader
must clarify the goals and suggest alternative ways of achieving them. A leader
for example show the two different plan A and B .and also suggest that I would
choose plan B over A but you are free to choose any one. Subordinate will certainly choose plan B and
wont risk by taking A.
Leader must
accept the fact that employee learn from mistake. Subordinate must find leader
as most interested in and helpful towards achieving his goal. As leadership is
an interaction among people, it require follower with particular skills and a
leader who know how to use it.
Leadership
is a lot more than understanding people being nice to people and not pushing
other people around. Leader can be democratic providing employees maximum
opportunity of growth .Leader job is to provide recognition of role and
function within the group that permit each member to satisfy and fulfill some major motive and interest.
(Based on the article "Understanding leadership " By W.C.H. Prentice Published on Harvard Business Review)
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