UNIT 2

                           ORGANIZING FROM FRONT- LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Q1) Explain the meaning and characteristics of a leader/leadership.

A1) Leaders and their leadership skills play an important role in the growth of any organization. Leadership refers to the process of influencing the behaviour of people in a manner that they strive willingly and enthusiastically towards the achievement of group objectives.

A leader should have the ability to maintain good interpersonal relations with the followers or subordinates and motivate them to help in achieving the organizational objectives.

Leadership is an art whereby an individual influences a group of individuals for achieving a common set of goals. To expand it further, leadership is a process of inter-personal relationships through which a person attempts to influence the behaviour of others for attainment of pre-determined objectives. Of the various people, who have defined leadership, influence and attainment of objectives are the common denominators.

Characteristics of leadership:

On the basis of an analysis of different definitions, following characteristics of leadership emerge:

1. Leadership is a process of Influence: Influence is the ability of an individual to change the behaviour, attitude, and belief of another individual directly or indirectly. Someone has rightly defined leadership 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”.

2. Leadership is not one-dimensional: The Essence of leadership is Followership. Leadership is a systems thinking in multiple dimensions. In terms of systems thinking, the organizational performers (followers) are must in the leadership process. Without followers there can be no leadership.

3. Leadership is Multi-faceted: Leadership is a combination of personality and tangible skills (drive, integrity, self-confidence, attractive personality, decisiveness, etc), styles (Authoritarian to laissez-faire), and situational factors (organisation’s internal and external environment, objectives, tasks, resources, and cultural values of leaders and the followers).

4. Leadership is Goal oriented: Leadership is “organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal.” Thus, the influence concerns the goals only. Outside the goals, the concerns are not related to leadership.

5. Leadership is not primarily a Particular Personality Trait: A trait closely linked to leadership is charisma, but many people who have charisma (for example, movie actors and sports heroes) are not leaders.

6. Leadership is not primarily a Formal Position: There have been many great leaders who did not hold high positions—for example, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and—and Anna Hazare. On the other hand there are people who hold high positions but are not leaders.

7. Leadership is not primarily a Set of Important Objectives: It involves getting things done.

8. Leadership is not primarily a Set of Behaviours: Many leadership manuals suggest that leadership involves doing things such as delegating and providing inspiration and vision; but people who are not leaders can do these things, and some effective leaders don’t do them at all.

Q2) Discuss the importance of leadership.

A2) Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve organizational goals. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a concern.

1. Initiates action- Leader is a person who starts the work by communicating the policies and plans to the subordinates from where the work actually starts.

2. Motivation- A leader plays an incentive role in the concern’s working. He motivates the employees with economic and non-economic rewards and thereby gets the work from the subordinates.

3. Providing guidance- A leader has to not only supervise but also play a guiding role for the subordinates. Guidance here means instructing the subordinates the way they have to perform their work effectively and efficiently.

4. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor which can be achieved through expressing the work efforts to the subordinates, explaining them clearly their role and giving them guidelines to achieve the goals effectively. It is also important to hear the employees with regards to their complaints and problems.

5. Building morale- Morale denotes willing co-operation of the employees towards their work and getting them into confidence and winning their trust. A leader can be a morale booster by achieving full co-operation so that they perform with best of their abilities as they work to achieve goals.

6. Builds work environment- Management is getting things done from people. An efficient work environment helps in sound and stable growth. Therefore, human relations should be kept into mind by a leader. He should have personal contacts with employees and should listen to their problems and solve them. He should treat employees on humanitarian terms.

7. Co-ordination- Co-ordination can be achieved through reconciling personal interests with organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and effective co-ordination which should be primary motive of a leader.

Q3) Discuss the qualities and functions of a leader.

A3) A successful leader secures desired behaviour from his followers. It depends upon the quality of leadership he's ready to provide. A leader to be effective must possess certain basic qualities. Variety of authors has mentioned different qualities which an individual should possess to be a good leader.

Some of the qualities of a good leader are as follows:

1. Good personality.

2. Emotional stability.

3. Sound education and professional competence.

4. Initiatives and creative thinking.

5. Sense of purpose and responsibility.

6. Ability to guide and teach.

7. Good understanding and judgement .

8. Communicating skill.

9. Sociable.

10. Objective and versatile approach.

11. Honesty and integrity of character.

12. Self-confidence, diligence and industry.

13. Courage to simply accept responsibility

Functions of a Leader

1. Setting Goals: A leader is anticipated to perform creative function of laying out goals and policies to influence the subordinates to figure with zeal and confidence.

2. Organizing: The second function of a leader is to make and shape the organization on scientific lines by assigning roles appropriate to individual abilities with the view to make its various components to operate sensitively towards the achievement of enterprise goals.

3. Initiating Action: The next function of a leader is to require the initiative altogether matters of interest to the group. He shouldn't depend on others for decision and judgment. He should float new ideas and his decisions should reflect original thinking.

4. Co-Ordination: A leader has got to reconcile the interests of the individual members of the group thereupon of the organization. He has got to ensure voluntary co-operation from the group in realizing the common objectives.

5. Direction and Motivation: It is the primary function of a leader to guide and direct his group and motivate people to do their best within the achievement of desired goals, he should build up confidence and zeal in the work group.

6. Link between Management and Workers: A leader works as a necessary link between the management and the workers. He interprets the policies and programmes of the management to his subordinates and represents the subordinates’ interests before the management. He can prove effective only he can act as the true guardian of the interests of his subordinates.

Q4) Discuss the leadership styles for effective management.

A4) The leadership styles for effective management are:

It is also known as leader centered style. Under this style of leadership there is complete centralization of authority in the leader i.e. authority is centered in the leader himself. He has all the powers to make decisions. There is no two ways communication, only downward communication is used.

It is leader who ran only communicate, he cannot be a communicate. He uses coercive measures. He adopts negative method of motivation. He wants immediate obedience of his orders and instructions. Any breach on the part of subordinates invites punishment. There is no participation from the subordinates in decision making. Leader thinks that he is the only competent person. Under autocratic style no time is wasted in two way communication for seeking opinion or advice. The task gets completed on time.

Edwin. B. Flippo has divided autocratic style of leadership into following three:

(a) Hard Boiled or Strict Autocrat:

He uses negative influence and expects that his orders should be obeyed by the employees immediately. Non-compliance of his orders invites punishment. His outlook is “pay for performance”. He makes all decisions and does not reveal anything to anyone.

He is quite rigid on performance. This style is useful for newly employed or the employees having no experience. But this style should not be adopted when employees by nature are hard workers, experienced and understand their responsibility fully.

(b) Benevolent Autocrat:

He uses positive influences and develops effective human relations. He is known as paternalistic leader. He showers praise on his employees if they followed his orders and invites them to get the solutions of the problems from him.

He assumes the status of a parent. He feels happy in controlling all the actions of his subordinates. He wants complete loyalty from his subordinates. He hates disloyalty and punishes disloyal employees. He takes all the decisions and does not want any interference from anyone. This style of leadership is useful only when subordinates do not want to take any responsibility and wants close supervision.

(c) Manipulative Autocrat:

He is manipulative by nature and creates a feeling in the minds of his subordinates and workers that they are participating in decision making process. Like the two other types he also makes all decisions by himself. Non-compliance of his orders invites punishment.

2.     Democratic or Participative Style:

This style of leadership is also known as group centered or consultative leadership. Under this style leaders consult the group and solicit their opinion and participation from the following in decision making process. Democratic leaders confer authority on the group and after their consultation decisions are taken.

Leaders under this style encourage discussion by the group members on the problem under consideration and arrive at a decision by consensus. Two way communication channels are used. Participation or involvement in decision making process is rewarded. Under this style positive motivation techniques are used.

Exchange of ideas among subordinates and with the leader is given encouragement. Human values get their due recognition. Leaders give more freedom to their subordinates and invite to share responsibility.

Subordinates are asked to exercise self-control. Leaders do not delegate authority to subordinates to make decisions but their opinions are sought before arriving at a decision. Under this style subordinates feel that their opinions are honoured and they are given importance and not feel neglected. The leaders delegate responsibility according to experience and knowledge of the subordinates.

Cooperation of subordinates are sought that lead to creativity. This increases the productivity too. This is a very effective style where the subordinates are talented and qualified. It develops a sense of confidence among subordinates and they derive job satisfaction by working under participative leader. It improves quality of decision as it is taken after due consideration to valued opinions of the talented subordinates.

This style of leadership is not free from demerits. It takes more time to arrive at a decision. It is less effective if participation from the subordinates is for name sake. Leader has to waste lot of time in pursuing subordinates. If employees refuse to work as a team with other members of the group renders the style of leadership ineffective.

3.     Laissez-faire or Free Rein Style:

Under this style of leadership there is virtual absence of direct leadership. It is, therefore, known “as no leadership at all.” There is complete delegation of authority to subordinates so that they can make decisions by themselves. There is free flow of communication. Subordinates have to exercise self-control. They also have to direct their activities. It is people oriented style of leadership in true sense of the term. Leader gives free hand to his followers or subordinates. Absence of leadership may have positive and sometimes negative effects.

Free rein leadership may be effective if members of the group are highly committed. The negative aspect creates blemishes on the leader himself because of his incompetency in leading his people. It casts aspersions on the leader. However, this style of leadership provides chance for competent members of the group to fulfil and attain self-actualization needs.

It gives chance to take initiative to the member. It gives chance for open discussion and creativity to all. It has free work environment. Members feel insecure and develop frustration for lack of specific decision making authority.

This style of leadership suffers a setback when some member of the group refuses to cooperate. It cannot take proper decision. It may lead to chaos and confusion. This style may work effectively when the subordinates are highly competent, able to exercise self-control and can have the capacity to take decisions.

4.     Bureaucratic Style:

Under this leadership the behaviour of leader is determined by rules, regulations and procedure. These rules and regulations are followed by the leader and the subordinates both. No one can escape. Hence, the management and administration has become a routine matter. This is apathetic to the employees because they know that they cannot do anything in this regard. It is the rules that determine their minimum performance. Rules allow work without participation and without committed to work. A lot of paper work is involved. Rules lead to red-tapeism. This style of leadership centres round the rules.

5.     Manipulative Style:

As the name suggests the leader manipulates the employees to attain his objectives. Manipulative leader is quite selfish and exploits the aspirations of the employees for his gains. He knows very well the needs and desires of the employees but he does very little to fulfil them. He views these needs and desires as a tool to fulfil his aims. Employees do not trust such leader. He has to face the resentment of the employees at times.

6.     Paternalistic Style:

The paternalistic style of leadership maintains that the fatherly attitude is the right one for better relationship between the manager and the employees. All are working together like a family. According to this style of leadership more benefits are to be provided to make the employees happy and extract maximum output from them. It believes in the concept that the happy employees work better and harder.

7.     Expert Leadership Style:

The expert leadership style emerged as a result of complex structure of modern organisations. The leadership is based on the ability, knowledge and competence of the leader. He handles the situation skilfully with his talent. The employees feel relieved as they are working under a person who is expert and can handle the situation ably without any problem. But the expert may fail to handle the situation which does not belong to the area of his expertise.

Q5) Discuss the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in leadership.

A5) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is widely recognized as one of the twentieth century’s greatest political and spiritual leaders. He pioneered and practiced the principle of Satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass nonviolent civil disobedience.

While leading nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women’s rights, build religious and ethnic harmony and eliminate the injustices of the caste system, Gandhi supremely applied the principles of nonviolent civil disobedience, playing a key role in freeing India from foreign domination. He was often imprisoned for his actions, sometimes for years, but he accomplished his aim in 1947, when India gained its independence from Britain.

Due to his stature, he is now referred to as Mahatma, meaning “great soul.” World civil rights leaders—from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Nelson Mandela—have credited Gandhi as a source of inspiration in their struggles to achieve equal rights for their people.

Had he come of age today, Gandhi might have branded himself as a “social entrepreneur”.  In reality, few social entrepreneurs have achieved anywhere near the scale of impact that Gandhi was able to.  But the comparison is apt, as Gandhi was never a head of state or government, but instead, the head of a private organization - the Indian National Congress, that, along with its many partners, mobilized an incredibly diverse and complex peoples into a united movement against British imperialism.

  He led first and foremost by understanding the diversity of India and its people – economically, culturally, religiously, and deeply integrating that diversity into the Independence movement.  He further integrated himself into the movement by dedicating his life to the cause, living as much among the people as possible, and actually risking death many times for the cause.  While there may never be another Gandhi, there is no reason that today’s committed social entrepreneurs can’t embrace their own version of Gandhi’s personal and political leadership commitment.

Arguably, Gandhi’s greatest leadership trait was his ability to visualize the qualities of a successful, post-Independence Indian nation, and maintain a life-long focus on the four intertwined challenges that he believed must be collectively addressed for India to achieve success as a nation.  The four challenges, or goals, as articulated by Ramchandra Guha in his book, “Gandhi, The Years That Changed The World”; were: to free India from British occupation, to end untouchability, to improve relations between Hindus and Muslims, and to make India into a self-reliant nation – economically and socially.

   Gandhi aligned most of the social movements he led around these four goals - starting with his work in South Africa and continuing until his death.  He believed firmly that without addressing all four challenges simultaneously, India could not acquire independence and become a successful nation. Without communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims, or between upper caste and lower caste Hindu’s, for example, Gandhi did not believe India would ever achieve its potential.

A second element of Gandhi’s leadership was his lifelong commitment to achieving that intertwined vision of a successful Indian nation.  Starting in the 1890’s with his work in South Africa until his death in 1948, Gandhi wrote, mobilized and preached about the same goals of freedom, inclusion, harmony, diversity and empowerment.  Today, few of the most committed social entrepreneurs have the energy to stay engaged on the same set of issues for 50-60 years.

Gandhi’s most well-known, and most-studied, leadership trait was his willingness to live like the majority of Indians that he sought to help, and his exhortation that all Indians should “be the change they wish to see in this world”.   

Q6) Discuss the contribution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in leadership.

A6) Sri Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was a great social and political leader, economist and a lawyer. He is best known as Father of Indian Constitution and messiah of Dalit community. He is remembered for his social and political thoughts but his economic work also deserves special mention.

He advocated industrialization and urbanisation for India’s development albeit emphasizing on state control of key industries as he believed capitalism will lead to exploitation of poor people and in turn will be detrimental to downtrodden section of society. He also argued that collective farming was to be practiced by landless labours so as to maintain their place in the society.

He got a chance to get educated and study in top universities like Columbia University and London School of Economics, despite facing casteism and discrimination in his own country. Therefore, he wanted to uplift his community socially and politically and his eventual aim was to end the caste system and discrimination in the country. He started a fortnightly newspaper, Mooknayak, in 1920. In 1924, he established the Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha to empower the down trodden section socially and politically. Sri Ambedkar attended all the three round table conferences and welcomed the Simon Commission as the Congress party did not include the issues of Dalit and oppressed community in their draft constitution. He managed to get right of separate electorate for depressed classes from Ramsay Macdonald in 1932.But due to Gandhiji’s protest and pressure from other people he agreed for reservation of seats for depressed classes in the provincial assembly.

Elections for provincial assembly were to be held in 1937 and seeing no support from Congress party towards the Dalit issue, he floated his own party, Independent Labour Party, in 1936. Sri Ambedkar and other members of his party got elected from Bombay Assembly. He was elected as the head of drafting committee for framing the Indian constitution. During the assembly sessions he was known for his clear and articulate views. He presented a bill to codify the Hindu law in the parliament which caused division in the congress party and was met with great resistance. Frustrated by these events he resigned from his post of Union Law Minister.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar is a source of guidance not only for Dalit Community but the whole country. On 25th November,1949 he spoke the need for social cohesion, to avoid hero worship and imbibe the rule of law and institutions and to create a social - not just a political- democracy. His work and concerns are still relevant today.

Q7) Discuss the contribution of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in leadership.

A7) Pandit Nehru was essentially a leader of millions of people all over the world and belonged to all mankind as much as to India. He was at the same time a staunch nationalist and a citizen of the world. He may be described as the repository of knowledge and wisdom and the abode of best qualities.

Pandit Nehru started his career as a junior lawyer under his father, the eminent Pandit Motilal Nehru, however, the dry nature of his profession inspired him to join politics, and he became a member of the Indian National Congress and started participating whole-heartedly in its activities. He also later joined the Home Rule League started by Lokmanya Tilak and Dr. Annie Besant, and dedicated himself to the freedom struggle. The turning point in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s life came when he met Mahatma Gandhi in 1916 at the Lucknow Session of the Congress. Gandhiji’s political philosophy, great strength of character and charismatic personality made a tremendous impression on the young man. Jawaharlal went on to become the foremost disciple of the Mahatma.

After the end of the First World War, the oppressive political situation in India led Mahatma Gandhi to call for Satyagraha, peaceful agitation against the British Rule, and an inspired Jawaharlal Nehru gave up his flourishing legal career and wholeheartedly gave himself to the movement, sacrificing all comforts of life. He also took a leading organizational role in the Congress. Truly, Pandit Nehru was a prince amongst men, and though he resided in a palatial residence, his mind and thoughts were always with the poor in their hovels.

Pt. Nehru was elected President of the Congress once again at Lucknow in 1936, and during his tenure, performed the delicate task of reconciling leftist and rightist views in the party. He was instrumental in setting the goal and objective of the Congress’ foreign policy and set up the ‘Foreign Department’ in the Party Secretariat to establish relations with organizations and individuals in foreign countries. He also played a leading role in steering the policy of India’s national leaders ion the background of the outbreak of the Second World War, and was one of the initiators, and foremost supporters of the “Quit India’ movement under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. He suffered a long stint in prison, and on his release, showed his statesmanship and calibre in negotiations with Lord Mountbatten, the Viceroy at Shimla in 1947.

Pandit Nehru was one of the members of the Constituent Assembly, formed in 1946 to draft a new Constitution for the soon to be free nation, and moved the historical resolution ‘Objectives Resolution’, which declared the resolves, aims and objectives of the Constituent Assembly.

Pandit Nehru was elected the first Prime Minister of independent India. The trauma and unrest caused by the partition of the country and the partition of India, posed a host of problems for the new-born nation, and Pandit Nehru handled the situation with courage, wisdom and true statesmanship.

Pandit Nehru is credited with visionary policies which laid the foundations for the political, social and economic development of India. He promoted the cause of science and technological research, and set up world class laboratories and research institutions throughout India. He is credited with laying the foundations of India’s Science and Technology policy, which today has made us one of the world leaders in several fields.  He introduced the concept of planned development, and through the system of five year plans, ushered in the age of industrialization in the country. He also commissioned several infrastructure projects like ports, dams and bridges, which contributed greatly to the development and prosperity of the nation.

Pandit Nehru also played a major role in establishing India’s foreign policy, and his principle of ‘Panchashila’, contributed in large measure in the comity of nations. He also played a leading role in establishing the Non-Aligned Movement, in the backdrop of the cold war, which blazed a unique path by avoiding taking sides with either the USSR or the USA. The Non Aligned Movement played a major role in promoting world peace during the tense years of the cold war.

Pandit Nehru made his place in the hearts and minds of every Indian. He was probably the most loved, respected and admired leader after Mahatma Gandhi. He truly held aloft the torch of freedom passed on to him by the Father of the Nation. After the ideal of independence was achieved, Pandit Nehru worked hard to achieve another ambitious goal – the eradication of poverty, and he lived and died to give the people of our country a better life.