Leadership

Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. A leader is the person in the group who possesses the combination of personality and leadership skills that makes others want to follow their direction. Leadership can also be seen as a certain set of characteristics, behaviour or style that a person shows day to day through their thoughts, words and actions.

Some definitions

• "A leader is one who has power in authority." - H. T. Mazumdar
• "Leadership is the behaviour that affects the behaviour of the people more than their behaviour affects that of a leader." - LaPierre
• "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." - John C. Maxwell

It is also useful to know some linked terms: a leader is the person who leads or commands a group, to delegate is to assign a responsibility, commitment is the quality of being dedicated to a task, and to be accountable is to be responsible and expected to justify one's actions.

Styles of leadership

Although this is not expanded in the textbook, leaders differ in how they lead, and three styles are commonly described:

• Autocratic (authoritarian) - the leader makes decisions alone and expects the group to follow. It gives quick, firm direction but allows the members little say.
• Democratic (participative) - the leader involves the group in decisions, inviting opinions. It builds cooperation and shared ownership, though decisions take longer.
• Laissez-faire (free-rein) - the leader gives the group maximum freedom and minimal direction, guiding only when asked. It suits a mature, self-motivated group but can lead to poor coordination otherwise. …