Leadership – What it is, and what it is not

Effective leadership

In corporate organizations, political circles and social networks among other groupings, one often hears the term ‘leader’, sometimes used interchangeably with ‘manager’. Those occupying these positions are also commonly referred to as ‘bosses’. Whether leader, manager or boss, these terms ascribe to high status and are symbolic of the authority of one over others. It is about being in a prestigious position and standing at the top.

In this article, the focus will be on what leadership is and is not; what it means to take the lead, and what is entailed in leading a group.

So, what is leadership?

Leadership is simply the ability to influence others. It is not limited to titles or positions of authority. Anyone can be a leader, whether in the workplace, within a community, or among friends and family. One can lead others only to the extent that he can influence them to follow his vision. In essence, the leaders, or those entrusted with leadership positions, must envision the goal to be reached, plan innovative strategies and tactics by which it can be attained, and then convince others to join to achieve that goal.

Effective leaders possess qualities that distinguish them from others. Vision is key, as leaders need to see the bigger picture and provide a clear direction forward. Communication skills are also crucial, allowing leaders to convey their ideas effectively and motivate others to take action. Integrity is essential, as trust and ethical behaviour help build credibility and maintain team morale. True leadership also requires emotional intelligence. by understanding and managing their own emotions and empathizing with others so they can form stronger connections with their teams.

Leadership is also about empowering others, and positive leaders use rewards, such as career advancement and promotion to motivate team members. On the other hand, negative leaders act domineering and superior to people and choose penalties and reprimands as the primary form of punishment. While the negative approach has a place in a leader's repertoire of tools, when used wrongly, morale falls and the productivity of the affected also falls. Most leaders do not strictly use one or another but are somewhere on a continuum ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative.

Simply put then, leadership is a critical and essential quality in management.

Leadership vs Management - What are the differences?

Leadership is a skill that can be learned like any other skill and can be improved with practice. However, leadership skills are different from those required to be a manager. Leadership and management are not the same!

The difference between being a manager and being a leader is simple. Leaders inspire, encourage, and motivate. Managers organize, regulate, and control processes. In other words, management is a career. Leadership is a calling. Don’t confuse people with processes. People are led. Processes are managed. Only when people understand their role as a guide and steward can they move from being a manager to a leader. If we confuse the two, the result could be devastating.

Differentiating leadership from management - an example

There was a supervisor of a Poly Product Company in City X who once, on the surface, seemed to be very good at what she did. Her shift yielded the most products day after day. Upper management applauded her for her successful contributions to the bottom line—profit.

This “success” lasted for about a year. And then things started to change. Productivity dropped, and staff started making mistakes. And a few of them even quit. Upper management was confused. What was happening? Things seemed to be going great. The answer was simple.

While the supervisor had great management skills, her people skills were horrible. She could not discern between management and leadership. For instance, when she walked past staff, she often failed to say ‘hello’. If a team member exceeded expectations, she ignored it while praises and merits were given to her "favourites”.

Her subordinates did not trust her. They were not motivated to work, and to cut a long story short, one of her team members stated: “Why should we break our backs to make her look good, when she doesn’t even recognize us as contributors to her success”. Eventually, she quit when the complaints reached upper management and she was “promoted” out of the area.

What style of leadership to adopt

There is no universal method of leadership. Some leaders thrive in transformational leadership, inspiring their teams to embrace innovation and change. Others adopt servant leadership, focusing on the development and needs of their team while leading by example. Some leaders have one style, which is right for certain situations but wrong for others. Others can adapt and use different leadership styles for given situations. To move from City A to City B, one can choose many different ways. For example, one can ride a bicycle or fly in a plane. One is easy to learn (riding a bicycle) but not so fast. The other is fast but not easy to learn.

The talented leader employs the most appropriate style based on the context: the task, the situation, and the group. The styles are easily viewed as being most to least authoritarian. One categorization is as follows:

Authoritarian or autocratic
Participative or democratic
Delegative or free reign

Authoritarian (autocratic)… I want both of you to. . .

This style is used when team leaders tell their subordinates what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of these colleagues (or followers). There are appropriate conditions to use authoritarian leadership especially when you have all the information to solve the problem, but you are short on time, and your subordinates (employees or followers) are well motivated.

Authoritarian or autocratic leadership styles are not a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, leading by threats, and the ultimate abuse of power. This has no place in a leader's repertoire.

Participative (democratic)… Let's work together to solve this. . .

This style involves the leader including some colleagues (used interchangeably with employees, followers, and subordinates) in the decision-making process. It allows these colleagues to become part of the team. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything -- this is why other knowledgeable and skillful employees are recruited to support. However, the leader maintains the final decision-making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your colleagues will respect.

Delegative (free reign)… You two take care of the problem while I go. . .

In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. The leader sets the priorities and delegates certain tasks. This is not a style to use to blame others when things go wrong. Rather, this is a style to be used when there is full trust and confidence in the people below the leader. This approach should be used wisely!

Using an authoritarian style may resonate well with a new employee who is just learning the job. The coaching of a competent leader motivates the employee to learn new skills. The participative style works well with a team that knows their job while a delegative style will apply when a colleague or employee may know more about the job than the leader, or when a situation requires the leader to be at other places, doing other things. Whatever the style, adaptability is key—great leaders know when to adjust their style to fit the needs of the team or the challenges they face.

Deductively then, one can describe leadership more as a journey rather than a final goal. It can both be caught and taught. It is different from management. Everyone can manage, but not everyone can lead. Never put square pegs in round holes. In as far as the vision is kept and others are motivated to tag along, the leader can maintain his position. Are you a Boss or a Leader?