Leadership

We explain what leadership is and what it means to act as a leader. Also, the different types of leadership and examples of great leaders.

What is leadership?

The leadership is the set of abilities of an individual that allow him or her to perform tasks as a leader. A leader is one who is in charge of a group and has the ability to motivate its members through his speech or his empathy.

There are different types of leaders who work in varied areas such as a company, a family, an organization, a soccer team, among others. In some cases, group members only follow the leader's orders, in others they help make decisions by giving their point of view and collaborating.

The skills of a leader are varied and are the key to generate a positive influence on a certain cluster of people. The leader usually takes the initiative to start doing something, then manages and evaluates.

A leader is also one who has characteristics that make him a famous person or who commands respect, stands out among others and has qualities that give him superiority to play a role. The leader excels in some aspect (title, experience, knowledge, performance) and is usually a role model for the rest of his or her peers.

See also: Mission and vision

Other definitions of leadership

• Richard L. Daft defines in his book “The leadership experience”to leadership as an influence relationship between a leader and his followers in which the aim is to generate change and reach real results that reflect shared purposes. The elements of this relationship are: leader, influence, intention, responsibility, change, shared purpose and followers.
• In business administration, leadership is the action of carrying out an activity (as a project) effectively and efficiently within an organization.

Types of leadership

Some experts suggest that there is only one leadership and that, since leaders are people with diverse characteristics, that makes them different. Others claim that there are several types of leadership with different characteristics.

According to Max Weber:

• Charismatic leader. He excites people and is chosen for that, he has a tendency to believe more in himself than in his followers.
• Traditional leader. Inherits power, usually because you belong to an elite family group or social class
• Legitimate leader. Acquire power through legal avenues; It is the opposite of the “illegitimate leader” who obtains power through illegal means.

Depending on the formality of your choice:

• Formal leader. He is chosen as a leader in a group or organization and has the authority to mete out punishments or give rewards, make decisions, and guide the group.
• Informal leader. He is not directly chosen as a leader, so he does not have authority, but he is followed by the rest of the group members for his charisma and his ability to motivate.

According to the relationship with his followers:

• Dictator leader. He imposes his authority and decisions without leaving room for dialogue; forces your ideas and points of view onto the group.
• Autocratic leader. He has the decision-making power over the group and guides the path to follow without allowing the participation of the rest of the team members.
• Democratic leader. Encourage the participation of group or team members to make decisions together, respect other people's opinions and delegate tasks.
• Onomatopoeic leader. Guide the group and motivate it through onomatopoeia to generate enthusiasm and loyalty among the members.
• Paternalistic leader. It makes decisions and establishes the path to follow, works based on results and imposes a system of rewards and punishments to encourage members.
• Liberal leader. He leaves the decision-making power and the fulfillment of functions in the hands of the members, since he trusts the team and gives his support.

According to the influence it exerts on followers:

• Transactional leader. Seeks the fulfillment of team members' tasks through a system of rewards and punishments.
• Transformational leader. Motivates followers and focuses on them and their potential to achieve expected changes in the organization. He is a leader who believes in his team and forms bonds with his members.
• Authentic leader. Know your strengths and weaknesses, share your opinions, thoughts and feelings, and listen to those of other group members. He is a balanced leader who seeks diverse opinions before making decisions.
• Side leader. He has experience in the position in which he works and leads a group without being a boss, he stands out for his power of motivation, communication and guidance to the group.
• Longitudinal leader. He uses the authority and power that having a hierarchical position gives him to his followers.

Business leadership

Business leadership is exercised by leaders who are part of a company and have a group of people in charge. It is a fundamental role that focuses on meeting short and long-term objectives.

Companies look for leaders (not simply bosses), since they are interested in these employees having a leadership personality and tools that motivate the people in charge to make decisions and achieve the proposed objectives. The purpose of business leadership is to train qualified people who work for the development of the company.

The leader fulfills the role of guide and must have professional and personal characteristics such as: charisma, communication skills, problem-solving skills, ability to delegate, discipline, listening and honesty.

Some of the characteristics and advantages of well-executed business leadership are:

• Improves bonds between team members.
• Achieve the proposed objectives.
• Generates harmonious work environments.
• Promotes communication.
• Divide tasks among members and assign roles.
• Promotes teamwork.
• Promotes a sense of belonging among members.
• Improves company productivity.
• Highlight the potential of each member.
• Takes into account different points of view.
• Make consensual decisions.

Importance of leadership

Leadership is an important role both in business and in any other group or organization made up of several individuals. When leadership is well executed generates harmonious environments conducive to the development of tasks and the potential of each of the members.

The importance of the figure of the leader lies, mainly, in its role as a guide and motivator for the achievement of objectives or the correct performance of a group. The leader seeks to integrate the members, fosters a relationship between them based on respect and communication, takes into account the opinions and points of view of others, and promotes decision-making that is consensual or that benefits all members equally.

Leaders are in companies, basketball teams, families, groups of friends, schools, that is, in every human group. The leadership It is essential to maintain order in a group and to execute actions and achieve objectives.

Is the leader born or made?

There are individuals who are born with qualities to be born leaders (such as empathy, sympathy, sociability, intuition) and then add to these characteristics knowledge acquired throughout their lives; and There are those who learn what a leader has to have and adapt to the situations in which they may have a leading role or be a part.

Qualities of a good leader

There are certain personal and professional characteristics that stand out in good leaders:

• It's honest.
• Delegate tasks. Listen and take into account other points of view.
• Promotes teamwork.
• Motivates and empowers team members.
• He is responsible and committed.

The power of the leader

The leader must exercise his power by also thinking of himself as another member. At some point the power that emanates from the leader is demanded by the members of that group, they need someone to guide and order them. The power of the leader can be used in two ways, on the one hand, to punish followers and on the other, to reward them.

A leader stands in that position and He retains his power only as long as his followers or superiors consider him to be the right person to satisfy their needs, the power the leader has is of no use if he is not serving the followers.

Leadership Examples

• Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948 ). Indian lawyer and politician who led a peaceful struggle to free India from the British Empire. He stood out for his defense of world peace, peaceful resistance and non-violence.
• Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965). British politician who ruled as prime minister of that country. His good command of oratory and motivational power made him a positive leader who transmitted a hopeful message to all the English people during the Second World War.
• Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968). American pastor and activist who led a movement for the rights of African Americans in the United States. He is considered a leader for his oratory and the support he had for his message of non-violence and his fight for equality.
• Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013). South African lawyer and politician who fought against racial discrimination in his country and the apartheid regime (system of racial segregation) instituted by white minorities. He was in prison for 27 years and governed the country as president between 1994 and 1999.
• Malala Yousafzai (1997 -). Pakistani activist and student who fights to defend the rights of women and girls and access to education in her country and in the world. In 2014 he became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize.

Continue with: Work team

References

• “What is transformational leadership?” at EAE.
• “The importance of business leadership” at Visa.
• “The Seven Most Important Leader Qualities” by Michael Page.
• “Mahatma Gandhi” on History Channel.
• “The incredible story of Malala” on BBC.
• “Malala Yousafzai” at the UN.