Dwight D. Eisenhower said it well when he said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”
Leadership is the social influence which maximises the efforts of others towards the achievement of an objective or goal. It comes in many forms, and a vast range of techniques and strategies can be employed to get the most out of your staff and colleagues.
The difference between leadership and management
People often use the terms leadership and management interchangeably, which has created confusion. Leadership is different from management, yet they both have their place in business.
Management involves planning, coordinating, measuring and monitoring things. By definition, it requires your active input. Managers have people who work for them, whereas leaders inspire people to follow them.
Is one of these options superior? Well, there is no clear answer to that question, and often the answer depends entirely on the job at hand. It is clear that for a business to succeed, it needs good managers and leaders.
Who is a leader?
There is a common misconception that leadership comes with position or seniority, which is not the case, and anyone can be a leader. However, all managers should be leaders.
Everyone within your organisation should be encouraged to lead, regarding less of their title or position within the business. Leading by being a good example to colleagues is a great and easy way to get started.
Are leaders born or made?
Behavioural theorists believe that leaders are made, not born, very much in the same way that no one is born able to conduct heart surgery. Some people may naturally have skills that lend themselves well to leadership. However, anyone can learn to be a good leader through training, increased self-awareness, practice and experience. Even those that appear to be ‘natural leaders’ have learnt this behaviour over time.
What leadership styles are there?
Some of the most common leadership styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, charismatic, democratic/participative, laissez-faire, people-oriented/relations-oriented, servant and task-oriented leadership. There are too many to discuss in this article, but what is important is that leaders understand the different styles and how each can positively or negatively influence individual or group behaviour.
If you feel that you, a team member, would benefit from training on this subject, get in touch to discuss our range of leadership development training courses and leadership coaching packages.
