Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Leadership definition

Leadership is both a research area and a political skill encompassing the ability of an
individual or organization to “lead” or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations.
The literature debates various viewpoints, contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to
leadership, and also (within the West) United States versus European approaches.

The United States academic environments define leadership as a process of social influence in
which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.

On the other hand, leadership seen from a European and nonacademic perspective encompasses a
view of a leader who can be moved not only by communitarian goals but also by the search for
personal power.

The European researcher Daniele Trevisani highlights leadership is a holistic spectrum that can
arise from:
Higher level of physical power, need to display power and control others, force
superiority, ability to generate fear, or group members’ need for a powerful group
protector (Primal Leadership).
Superior mental energies, superior motivational forces, perceivable in communication
and behaviors, lack of fear, courage, determination (Psych energetic Leadership).
Higher abilities in managing the overall picture (Macro-leadership)
Higher abilities in specialized tasks (Micro-leadership).
Higher abilities in managing the execution of a task (Project Leadership)
Higher level of values, wisdom, and spiritual (Spiritual Leadership),

Where any leader derives his leadership from a unique mix of one or more of the former
factors.
1.2. Leadership vs. Management
The words “leader” and “manager” are among the most commonly used words in business and
are often used interchangeably. But have you ever wondered what the terms actually mean?
Leadership and management are often considered to have overlapping functions. While this can
be true, these two terms have different meanings and they shouldn’t be used interchangeably.
Both imply a unique set of functions, characteristics, and skills that share similarities. However,
they show prominent differences in some circumstances. For example, some managers do not
practice leadership, while some people lead without a managerial role.
A manager is generally someone who is selected or appointed within an organization. In most
cases, a manager is selected based on specific technical skills, knowledge, and expertise. On
the contrary, the greatest leadership skill is to influence and inspire people.
Let’s now take a look at the 5 main differences between leadership and management.
1. Leaders Set the Vision, Managers Follow It
When it comes to setting and executing a company’s mission and vision, managers and leaders
have different roles. Leaders are visionaries. Most of them have a clear vision of where they
want their organizations to be in the future. However, they themselves are not the only ones
responsible for making that vision come true. Here, managers play a crucial role. While leaders
may be responsible, through efficient leadership communication, to transfer the company’s
mission, vision and goals to the entire organization, managers are responsible for keeping
employees aligned with the core company values and goals
2. Leaders Think Ideas, Managers Think Execution
While a managerial culture emphasizes rationality and control, leaders are more about looking
for opportunities for improvement on the organizational level. They do so by coming up with
new ideas and driving the shift to a forward-thinking mindset. In other words, managers always
look for answers to “how and when”, while leaders look for answers to “what and why”.
Therefore, the managers’ main responsibility is to fulfill their tasks based on the leader’s vision.
Their main job is to ensure that people on different functions with different responsibilities
operate efficiently, productively and that they feel like they can share their voice.
3. Leaders Inspire People, Managers Drive Their Success
While leaders have a great power to inspire people, managers are responsible for driving their
continuous success and positive work experience throughout employee's entire career journey.
4. Leaders Look in the Future, Managers Work In the Present
One of the main differences between leaders and managers is that leaders are more future-
focused, while managers are more focused on the present. Therefore, the manager’s most
important goal is to achieve organizational goals by implementing processes and procedures
around budgeting, organizational structuring, and staffing. On the other hand, leaders tend to
think ahead and capitalize on future opportunities.
5. Leaders Shape the Culture, Managers Endorse It
Culture is a system of values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape and determine how an
organization operates and how the work gets done. When organizational culture is aligned to
the overall business strategy, employees and other stakeholders act and behave in ways that
support and enable the achievement of business goals.
1.3. What makes effective leader
A good leader whether one is an office manager or a project leader, requires a number of soft
skills to help him to interact positively with his subordinates or team members. Employers seek
these skills in the candidates who they hire for leadership roles. The following skills are needed
by an effective leader in the workplace.
Communication skill
As a leader, he needs to be able to communicate clearly and succinctly to his subordinates
everything from organizational goals to specific tasks. Therefore, leader must master all forms of
communication, including one-on-one, departmental, and full-staff conversations, as well as
communication via the phone, e-mail, and social media. A large part of communication involves
himself and his subordinates or team members, either through an open-door policy or regular
conversations with subordinates. Leader should make himself regularly available to discuss
issues and concerns with subordinates.
Motivation
Leader needs to inspire his subordinates to go for the extra miles for his organization.
Although it is important to pay a fair salary to subordinates but it is typically not enough
inspiration for that.
There are a number of ways to motivate subordinates:
• Leader builds subordinates’ self-esteem through recognition and rewards.
• Leader gives subordinates new responsibilities to increase their investment in the organization.
• Leader must learn what motivations work best for his subordinates or team members to
encourage productivity and passion.
Delegating
Leader who tries to take on too many tasks by himself will struggle to get everything done. This
leader often fears that delegating tasks is a sign of weaknesses, when in fact it is a sign of a
strong leader. Therefore, leader needs to identify the skills of his subordinates, and assign duties
to each subordinate based on his skill set. By delegating tasks to subordinates, leader can focus
on other important tasks.
Positivity
A positivity attitude can go a long way in an organization. Leader should be able to laugh at
himself when something does not go quite well as it is planned. This helps to create a happy
and healthy work environment, even during a busy and stressful period. Simple acts like asking
subordinates about their vacation plans will develop a positive atmosphere in the organization
and raise morale among the subordinates. If subordinates feel that they work in a positive
environment, they will be more likely want to be at work, and will therefore be more willing to
put in the long working hours when needed.
Trustworthiness
Subordinates need to be able to feel comfortable coming to their leader with questions and
concerns. It is important for a leader to demonstrate his integrity. Followers will only trust their
leader they respect. By being open and honest, leader will encourage the same sort of honesty in
his subordinates.
Creativity
A leader has to make a number of decisions that do not have clear answers. Leader therefore
needs to be able to think outside the box. Learning to try nontraditional solutions or approaching
problems in nontraditional ways, will help leader to solve an otherwise unsolvable problem.
Most subordinates will be impressed and inspired by a leader who does not always choose the
safe, conventional path.
Feedback
Leader should constantly look for opportunities to deliver useful information to subordinates
about their performance. However, there is a fine line between offering subordinates advice and
assistance, and micromanaging. By teaching subordinates how to improve their work and make
their own decisions, leader will feel more confident delegating tasks to his subordinates.
Responsibility
A leader is responsible for both the successes and failures of his team. Therefore, leader needs
to be willing to accept blame when something does not go correctly. If the subordinates see their
leader pointing fingers and blaming others, they will lose respect for the leader. Leader should
accept mistakes and failures, and then devise clear solutions for improvement.
Commitment
It is important for leader to follow through with what the leader agree to do. Leader should be
willing to put in the extra hours to complete an assignment. Subordinates will see this
commitment and follow the leader’s behavior as example. Similarly, when leader promises his
subordinates a reward, such as an office party, leader should always follow through. A leader
cannot expect subordinates to commit to their job and tasks if the leader cannot do the same.
Flexibility
Mishaps and last-minute changes always occur at work. Leader needs to be flexible, accepting
whether changes come their way. Subordinates will appreciate leader’s ability to accept changes
in stride and creatively solve problems. Similarly, leader must be open to suggestions and
feedback. If subordinates are dissatisfied with an aspect of the organizational environment, listen
to their concern and be open to make the necessary changes. Subordinates will appreciate a
leader’s ability to accept appropriate feedback.
1.4 The Importance of Leadership in Good Governance and Development
Leader is no different from an ordinary person; the only thing that separates them from the
pack is added responsibility. In every sphere of life, be it as small as a classroom or as large
as a country, one person has to take charge to lead their peers.
A leader is vital to give direction to a cause, help a group stay focused on the task at hand,
and keep them motivated.
Any person can assume that responsibility, but not every person has the skills to fulfill that
responsibility effectively. Taking responsibility for representing the interests of a whole
corporate sector or taking charge of a governing body is one with high stakes involved and
not one for the ill-equipped.
Every leadership skill is crucial in the art of governance, and today we’ll see how every
little thing makes a significant impact in your role as a leader.
Patience
As mentioned before, governance is not a job for the faint-hearted, and as a leader of such a
large population, there will always be opposition to your stance. It takes a composed leader
to stop and hear out the concerns and different perspectives.
It can significantly reduce bias, help come to a favorable solution for all concerned
members, and at the end of the day, governance is all about catering to the needs of all.
Educate
A leader sets examples for people by what they do and what they say. To inspire reasonable
steps in the right direction, a leader must know how to educate and convey their message to
the masses effectively.
Empathy
Governance means that you are bound to meet people with all sorts of perspectives and
beliefs. A strong leader is empathetic, one who can see and understand the world through
the lenses of their subjects.
This quality helps understand the problems that communities under your responsibility are
facing, and it serves as an effective tool to come up with practical solutions to cater to all.
In the art of governance, it humanizes the minorities, and it helps you protect their rights
and keep them together with the greater society to progress.
Team-Building
Leadership is all about teamwork and team building, and when governing a large corporate
body, or a whole country for that matter, it is essential to work with a group. It is crucial to
have good coordination with your team; as a team, without any communication, we cannot
effectively achieve a common goal.
Leadership is the bridge that makes this all possible, and it encourages greater transparency.
Knowing your team and understanding their strengths help you make task delegation
seamless, and better communication means good bonding and conflict resolution.
Integrity
Governance is a responsibility involving very high stakes, and dishonesty is unacceptable at
such a high level. Leadership is essentially great integrity, and it means sticking to your core
values and ethics.
It means keeping the moral high ground and keeping your trade honest. It sends a positive
message to your subordinates, and in the long run, it also cements your reputation when you
practice fair trade.
As a member of the government, nothing can go on without this quality. The development
will go back many years if dealings are dishonest, such as public funds. It will lessen the
trust of stakeholders, and in the long run, nobody will trust you in high positions if you
cannot be a leader.
There are many examples of third-world countries where dishonest officials misappropriate
public funds and set back the country’s development by many years.
Decisiveness
In the process of governance, many difficult decisions do come your way. After taking in all
inputs and having all the necessary information on the situation, a leader can come to a
solution, decide, and then stand firmly by it. This is because leaders are good
communicators and inform themselves by listening to relevant perspectives. They listen to
the concerns of all stakeholders in any situation before coming to a decision. When
governing a large population, this is a handy skill to have.