The Concept of Leadership

Introduction :

Leadership is an ability to understand that the various human beings have the various motivation implications according to time and in various situations. This is the crown of a person by which glimpse of his personality not only attracts the others but also provide them a unique line to follow up. And in language of business, this is the star of a manager that help him to keep track the evolves of successful business clock. As the star has the positive sign for its track-person same the leadership-star has the positive ness of once future on basis of its present way to lead. Leadership, in itself is such a old term as the history can be. But if one side the history changed to every minute which has passed the other side of aspect leadership changed from old methodology to new and its area as well.

Leadership from historic time to this spectacular time influenced by the many great personalities of all over the world. As the time changed leadership style also changed according to the circumstances faced by the leaders. But leadership has a special quality of its nature it means whenever a leader faced hard or difficult circumstances at the very time his leadership dictionary found a new leading way and new face of leadership. Leadership is the term which is reflected its shining rays whenever a person or businessman leads their business to stand at front and produce an example for its followers. Though his all this leadership success points to the style which he uses at the time to achieve success. So, leading styles keep an important place to demonstrate with the business or any field of life to the extent of success or failure. There is different style of leadership but the effective leadership is one which leads its followers to the high rock of definite goal.

Theory

The leadership styles drives an effective change to the edge of sunset to the rising of sun. For any type of business leading styles and its

Conceptualization is depending on the person who is going to lead the group of employees and the nature of the business

Leadership

Leadership in itself is the process of complex and sophisticated thoughts or best findings in comparison of easy findings of its definitions.

“Leadership is process whereby an individual influences to achieve a common goal.’’ (Northouse, 2007 page-3)

Leadership styles

Leaders come across the various styles to lead their followers or tasks. Some leaders apply the styles which they learn from their role models while some leaders invent their own style to lead the employees or group of people. And above all, the invented style works for them as a diamond which gives a new look to the person who implies it. The leadership styles are depended on leadership theory.

According to the above drawing, there are two types of leadership theory:-

1.  Trait theory of leadership
2.  Process theory of leadership

Trait theory

This type of theory consists the following parts:-1) Height (2) Intelligence (3) Extraversion (4) Fluency

It means, by this type of theory height is the main specification of the leader. This is the difference between the followers and the person who is leading them.

The next, Intelligence, shows the character or another personification of the leader. This is can be the vision to look over the plans. Extraversion indicates the

character of the leader. And it included the emotions, surgency and to seek stimulation with the other people in the group. Fluency describes the leader’s command and continuity in thoughts, plan and its implement.

Process theory

in this theory of leadership, there is a kind of interaction can be seen between leader and the followers.

Styles

leadership styles states the leaders thinking and his behavior to the followers. So there mainly six leadership styles:-

1. The Coercive style:

This type style shows the empowerment attitude of the leadership. This style demands the immediate compliance. The style comes out in a phrase,” Do what the leader says”. No chance for any suggestions from any member of team. for instance, a car business is in crises situation and at this time a new CEO join the company. As he joins the company terror, bullying and demonstrating the employees are the points that are shown by the CEO. It means all the employees live in terror to scold. the moral of the employees go down. Though the company came back in profitable situation but the CEO was fired out by the Directors of the board because of his Coercive style of leadership. So this is the style that demoralizes the employees and against the reward system and because of this is least popular among leadership styles.

2. Autocatic or Authorative style:

An Authorative or autocratic leadership states the end but gives people plenty of leeway to devise their own way. This type of leadership style describes the company’s strength and believes in the manager of the firm. As all the decision making power are found at centralized level of the business. Self-confidence, changing catalyst and a clear vision to the

aspect can be seen in this type of leadership. For example if a manager found itself in such a condition that he is not able to run the business for assets over liabilities then the chairman or comes in action.

He makes a new business strategy in such a time and encourages the manager of the local toys shop by

Saying that we are not running a profitable toys shop but trying to give a best service to customers. So the managers understood the problem and he tried to get new ideas at locality level. So this is the positive way of leadership that is quite popular in modern business. But sometime it face the problem of being in work with experts. It means sometime a CEO faces problem when he works with the expert’s team of managers.

Currently society is in the middle of the move of autocratic leadership (info world page 25 /books.google.com)

3. Democratic style :

This style indicates the participating decision making policy. As it is known by its name democratic, in this all group make decision to get together then only the leader gives its instruction or decision. In this type of style the leader asks its group,” What do you think on this specific topic?’’ in this there is a positive thing and that is leader wins the co-operation of the group and decisions often comes out from their balanced consultation.

But sometimes its results finish with an endless meeting when ideas are mixed up. For instance, this works best in such condition when a firm’s leader or chairman has the clear vision over the aspects and he calls the meeting to generate the new ideas. But this seems at back when the CEO hasn’t any knowledge of what to do in opposite circumstance while employees are in knowledge-dilemma. So by the criticism aspects though it is quite successful but in a business failure situation it can be harmless for the CEO and he can lose his job as well because of lack of idea in a quick moment when it is badly needed to save the business.

4. Laissez- faire style:

It is considered as French language word which means “do nothing”. In this kind of style a leader doesn’t show the leadership but it leaves freely the group to decide its own policies and ways to deal with the various situations. It is clearly

come out that this type of leadership is quite opposite of the Autocratic style. Here, a leader adopts the thoughts and plans which is decided by the group

while keep an eye on even an individual’s interest. (Lecture notes PDEl class–T.Nyoni, room-201, 22/07/11

Laissez- Faire style

5. Narcissistic style:

This type of leadership style finds when there is a group without leader. At this time a narcissistic leader take over the group. But this type of leadership is not very famous among business leaders.

“But narcissistic can also lead to companies into disaster by refusing to listen the advice and warnings of their managers.” According to Michael macoby in narcissitic leaders ( Harward business review on the mind of the leaders page123)

6.Toxic leadership style :

In this type of leadership style, a leader plays a role of an actor who tries to achieve his own settled goal. Self –centered, arrogant and blamed – moving is some of the characteristics of this type of leadership. This is the leader who leads the company to a poisonous situation. It has the destructive and misleading character. Toxic leadership works as a killer that kills employee’s freedom towards the work. From a positive aspect it teaches the employees to answer the situations and handle to such kind of leaders. (Harward business review on what makes a leader by Daniel, Michael, Thomas page-60)

Leadership Skills:

There is some skills that acquires by the good leaders for effective leadership. Some are given below:

1. Integrity_ this indicates about the honesty one leadership. It is believe that a leader should have the solid understanding of right or wrong. This skill reflects in thoughts and actions of a leader.
2. Vision _ in business terms a leader should know the vision, strategy and values of the organization. so this is next to integrity.
3. Persuasion_ to lead the followers in the direction which is decided by the leader is the main skill of leadership.
4. Teamwork _ this is the main point for a leader on which demands the complete focus. A leader should know how to bind the employees in a team. he should also perfect to recognize the time of being leader and the time of being a teal member or follower.
5. Planning_ a leader has to prepare to develop a clear plan for future and has to clear to take steps in present for this.
6.  Decision-making_ an effective leader makes his decisions on time and implies them on time.
7. Adaptability_ this is requirement for leaders as they have to adapt the circumstances and go to the next plan from the previous one.

AN Example from Business World :

There is too many companies across the globe which is successfully running by their founders or their managers. But in today’s world CEO of any firm is mostly highlighted at the global stage of company meetings or launching any new service in market. CEO is the officer

whose leading style gives a way to the company whether this way leads the company from bottom to top rank or derives it from top level to ascending stage

in the competition of business. In modern world there is a list of some renowned CEO’s whose leading style change the company’s business from known to well known in market.

Mr. Lakshmi N. Mittal, the British steel Tycoon and the CEO of the world famous company ArcelorMittal group and LNM group. ArcelorMittal steel company is the largest steel company in the world. MR. Mittal founded the steel company in 1976. He started his business carrier in steel making business in India which was his family business. In 1976 this group takes over a run down plant ispat- indo in Indonesia. The Mittal group started its service at across the globe in 1989 when this group acquired an ailing plant in Trinidad and Tobago. After his charismatic leadership Mittal group is no. one in steel area all over the world. (slides by gaurav mittal from scribd.com/doc/29775416/i-n-mittal)

Leadership style:

His leadership runs on hardworking, outstanding vision, convincing, motivating and guiding, capacity to lead at front. And in leadership copy style he works on transactional style. This type of style is famous for guiding and motivating his followers at the stage of clarifying goals and required task for that.

Successful leader:

LN Mittal is a successful leader and this all proved by those awards which honored him.

1. Steel maker of the year (1996),
2. The wily corf successful vision award (1998),
3. European businessman of the year (2004),
4. Business person of the year (2006)
5. Person of the year (2006)
6. Dwight D Eisenhower Global Leadership award (2007)
7. Padma Vibhusan ( jan.2008India’s second highest civilian award)
8. Forbes lifetime achievement award ( sep.2008)
9. World steel association’s medal ( 2010

So as a businessman MR LN Mittal is identified as a successful leader who drive their business from the vary time when he got enter in internally business. His leadership style completely describes his success and his character in corporate world.

Recommendations:

Future recommendations for the strategic leadership roles are mainly competencies with the organizational systems, customization, ethical leadership and result framed point.

Conclusion:

The above essay finds the various leadership styles and leadership skills which is necessary and adopted by the business leaders or CEO’s of the renowned corporate firms. In leadership styles there is main findings of Coercive style, autocratic or authoritive style, democratic style, laissez-faire style, narcissistic style and toxic style. In all these, coercive is found completely negative in effect while democratic and laissez fair are positive. But the one, Authoritive or Autocratic was found most strongly positive in leadership styles.

Second section that familiar with the leadership skills shows the necessary part of the effective leadership. This outlines the integrity, vision, persuasion, team leadership and planning to achieve the goal.

References:

1. Leadership (northouse 2007 page-3)
2. infoworld magazine (page-25/books.google.com)
3. Lecture notes ( Pdel class, T. Nyoni, room-201, 22/07/11)
4. Harward business review on what makes a leader ( Daniel,Michael and Thomas, 2001,page- 60)
5. 5narcissitic leaders( harward business review on the mind of the
6. leader page-123)
7. 6amberton.edu/graduation/mba.strat.ldrshp.html
8. 7 Bloomberg business week (investing.business.com/research/person.aspx)
9. 8 people.forbes.com/profile/lakshami-n-mittal/6998
10. 9LN Mittal ( slides by gaurav mittal from
11. scribd.com/doc/29775416/i-n-mittal)