In this article, I will be providing an insight on leadership, including some existing definitions of leadership, sources of leadership, the various ways leadership can be acquired, and some qualities that make for an effective leadership.
What is Leadership?
Many people often struggle to identify the difference between leadership and management thus find it difficult to define leadership. Be it formal or informal leadership, there are various definition as to the meaning of leadership, some of which include:
Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective, and directs the organisation in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent.
Leadership has been described as the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.
Leadership is the institutionalized concepts that generally applies to the concerted processes in which guidance and direction is altruistically discharged by harnessing the positive potentials available in the community for the immediate and futuristic progress and advancement of the particular society in which such phenomenon present itself.
Leadership can be defined as the effective inquiry into the yearnings and aspirations of the people with a view to providing a rational and lasting cure or solution to their problems.
Leadership has also been defined as the appropriate combination of competence and character, intelligence, and integrity in an individual.
Leadership can also be seen as an organised process of servitude, directing, and engineering a group for the purpose of achieving a common goal and objective.
Sources of Leadership
Leadership is a veritable instrument for achieving peace, sustainable economic, social, political, religious and technological advancement in any society. Some sources of leadership include:
Political Leadership: Political leadership is that leadership that has to do with politics, parties or politicians. It is done in the interest of status within an organisation rather than principle. It relates one’s view about social relationship involving authority of people. It simply means relating to the government or public affair of a society. Political leadership can be acquired, deferred, inherited, bestowed, or gotten through appointment.
Economic Leadership: Economic leadership is that leadership that relates to the economy i.e. the system of production and management of material wealth in a society. This source of leadership can be acquired through economic means.
Social Leadership: Social leadership is that leadership that has to do with the human society and its members. Social leadership can emanate from both religious, political, and economic source, with recognition coming from different angles.
Other sources of leadership include:
Military Leadership: Military leadership is that type of leadership that is associated with the armed service and also performed by them (army, soldier etc).
Intellectual Leadership: Intellectual leadership is that type of leadership that is associated with or requires the use of the mind. It is the ability to use the mind creatively.
Technological Leadership: Technological leadership is that leadership that is related to a practical subject that is organized according to scientific principle.
These bases constitute the foundation that have shaped and will continue to determine the manner in which leaders administer authority and by extension affect the lives of their followers.
Ways in which leadership can be gotten
Leadership can be gotten or achieved through different means or methods, some of which are:
Leadership by acquisition: Leadership can be gotten through acquisition, which is to say that leadership can be obtained or taken either by force or by peaceful means. Example of leadership by acquisition is the military rule.
Leadership by birth or inheritance: Leadership can be gotten through inheritance, which is to say that leadership can be obtained from one’s predecessor, parents, and relations or simply put one’s genetic family. Example of leadership by inheritance is the primogeniture system of government whereby the son of a previous ruler can take over leadership after the demise of the previous ruler.
Leadership by appointment: Leadership can be gotten through appointment, which is to say that a person can be put into leadership position depending on certain characteristics that are seen in that individual. Example of leadership by appointment is when one is appointment to be the head of an organisation or society.
Leadership bestowed or conferred upon an individual: Leadership can be gotten when it is conferred or bestowed upon an individual, which is to say that leadership can be given formally or officially to an individual based on perceived characters.
Types of Leaders
Autocratic Leaders: An autocratic leader is a ruler who gives order to make demands that must be obeyed when in reality most of such instructions are unethical and arbitrary. An autocratic leader are those who are intolerant of different opinion, set rules that they don’t abide by, those who believe that the standard designed by the society stand for those that they control. Such leaders centralize power and decision-making in themselves.
Democratic Leaders: A democratic leader is the one that informs the populace of his policy directions, dialogues, consults with the people and opinion leaders, and awaits their response before making final decisions on what line of action to adopt in the administration. A democratic leader decentralizes power and authority, encouraging active participation in decision-making.
Pragmatic Leaders: This is the type of leader who is very pragmatic in his/her approach to governance. The pragmatic leader is imbued with qualities that make him/her aggressive, conservative or dogmatic as the need arises. Such leaders have the gift or talent of being at the right place at the right time. They are usually foresighted, faithful to commitment, plans well, patient, thoughtful, courageous, visionary, and doggedly accomplish set goals.
Laissez faire Leaders: This is the type of leader that adopts a laissez faire attitude to him/herself and the followers around them. These types of leader do not pay serious attention to anything that goes on in the society around them and usually allow the country or society to drift aimless. By their style of governance, they appear to be good since they allow anything to happen but invariable they stock pile of problems for their eventual successor.
Leadership Qualities
There is an old expression “leaders are born, not made”. The implication of this saying is that power and leadership are vested in a limited number of people whose innate ability destines them to become leaders. By implication, those with the right traits lead while everyone else must follow. On a more philosophical level, a person’s destiny is predetermined and preordained and no amount of learning or effort can yearning can change that destiny. An alternative theory is that proper training can develop the initiative, self-confidence, and charisma necessary to become an effective leader. In other words, leadership can be learned from studying and observing leaders who are effective and by putting into practice what is learned. Leadership qualities are those characteristics that are the important building blocks of a leader’s persona. Some traits or leadership qualities expected to be seen in a leader are:
- Honesty
- Forward Looking/Foresightness
- Competency
- Inspiration
- Intelligence
- Confidence
- Tolerance
- Empathy
- Resourcefulness
- Innovative
- Effective communication
- Integrity
- Emotional Intelligence
- Self-awareness
- Delegation
- Transparency
- Resilience
- Passion
- Problem-solving
- Active listening
As an effective leader, it is important to exhibit, model, and display these traits in a way that people notice them in you. People want to see that you actively demonstrate them and will not simply assume that you have them. Although it is difficult to find a person with all of these qualities, if a leader has majority of these qualities, then the person is on the right track.