Leadership Excellence

Contents
Pg. No.

Leadership: Definition.................................................................................1

What is Effective Leadership?.................................................................2

Leadership Roles and Functions...........................................................5

Facets of Leadership Effectiveness......................................................6

Leader as a Change Agent.........................................................................8

Aligning Individual, Team and Organization Goals.................11

Leading High Performance Teams.....................................................13

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‘Lots of people can have good ideas, but that’s not leadership. A real
leader can turn those ideas into action, by inspiring and motivating
people and getting the very best out of them.’

Leadership

Organizations are like aircrafts. They don’t run themselves, except

during downfall. They need the right people to make them work, and
not just any people. The effectiveness of an employee – particularly
individuals in leadership positions – determines how the
organizational ‘machine’ will perform. Employees need some
guidance, some suggestions about where to go and how to get there.
Ethological studies also suggest that people have an actual need for
leadership.
The Anglo-Saxon root of the words lead, leader, and leadership is
laed, which means ‘path’ or ‘road’. The verb laeden means ‘to
travel’. Thus a leader is one who shows fellow travelers the way by
walking ahead.
Leadership is the most important means of direction. To lead is to
guide, direct, integrate and energize the efforts of people towards a
common goal. A leader is one who influences the attitudes and
behavior of others in an organized activity. Leadership is an art and
as such it must be felt, experienced and created. Recognizing
diversity in corporate life helps us to connect the great variety of
talents that people bring to work and service of the organization.
Diversity allows each of us to contribute in a special way, to make our
special talent an art of the corporate effort. The art of leadership lies
in polishing and enabling those talents.
Leadership deals more with ideas, beliefs and relationships. Hence, it
has to do with the “why” of institutional and corporate life, rather
than the “how”. It is the art of liberating people to do what is required
of them, in the most effective and humane way possible, something to
be learned over time.

Concept of Leadership
Leadership is the process by which an executive influences the work
and behavior of others in choosing and attaining specified objectives
for the benefit of an organization as well as its members. A person is
said to have an influence on others when others are willing to carry
out his wishes, accept his advice, guidance and direction. Leadership
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is thus a function of influencing the behavior of subordinates for the

attainment of group goals and personal objectives.
The concept of Leadership is broadly defined as “a process in which
one person sets the purpose or direction for one or more other
persons, and gets them to move along together with him or her and
with each other in that direction with competence and full
commitment.”
In the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences leadership has been defined as
“the relation between an individual and a group around some common
interest and behaving in a manner directed or determined by him.” It
is thus the function of interaction between the leader, the
subordinates and the situation in which they interact with each other
i.e. a purpose of both, the traits and the situation.

Leadership may be formal or informal. Formal leadership is

institutional in nature while informal leadership is personal. Formal
leaders are those appointed to positions within a formal organization
structure. The executive is a formal leader in the sense that he
occupies a position and holds delegated authority. By using this
authority, he can influence and direct subordinates. Informal leaders
are those who exercise influence because of their personality and
competence.

What is Effective Leadership?

An effective leader is one who really makes things happen in his

organization and explores new paths. He makes the job exciting as he
makes sure that the entire workday has structure and meaning and
the workforce understands the rationale of their work. This kind of a
leader will make his shareholders and workforce rich and his
customers happy with the product. He understands that
organizations are more than just economic entities. Unlike any
politician or social worker a leader he runs an organization that has
more realities than just economic ones. He is a fertile ‘imagineer’
about the organization’s future.

The Key Traits of Leaders

Traits are behaviors and styles that are accumulated as one gets
trained to become a leader. They result either from training, habit or
inherent /genetic qualities. They may be best understood as
tendencies or repeated behavior patterns. Examples of traits are
intelligence, equanimity and power.
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Traits are differentiated from skills by the distinction that skills are
necessary whereas traits are useful and indicative. Traits are
characteristics and mannerisms, which tend to be associated with
many leaders, but cannot be considered essential in the same way
that some skills emphatically are. For example, a fine trait, for a
leader, is lack of the need to dominate people in situations or at
meetings. It is a trait to have presence without noise, and a tendency
to be more of a listener than a talker. By contrast, it is a skill to
ensure that one knows how to be heard, whenever it is necessary, to
make an important point. The vital traits of a leader are:

The ability to get into leadership positions - This is best observed

in cases of people who gain a reputation for always being ‘in the right
place at the right time’. It is not merely an accident that they are
present at the right place; they move rapidly and create more
opportunities to be there at the right time.

The competency to arrive at good quality judgment than any

relevant peer group - The first manifestation of these individuals is
often at school, where they rise as leaders. They are perceived as
mature individuals. These same qualities can be observed when they
first go out to work. Their bosses soon exploit them to carry out
important tasks. They are the first to be promoted because they
become known for being a ‘safe pair of hands’. It is their good
judgment, which is viewed as superior.
The capacity for survival - Leaders survive because they manage to
get everybody to realize that they have made the right judgment and
that difficult decisions have to be taken. The gravest decisions to be
executed usually require the thickest skin. For example making the
larger investment decisions, or deciding to put the corporation up for
sale, or moving into or out of major markets, are the types of
decisions which cause the greatest angst to leaders and their
followers. The mark of a great leader is his potential to convince the
group as to understand why a particular decision taken is considered
to be best in that situation. A great leader does not confront people
with a decision but persuades and debates the issue, until people
understand.
The potential to select effective subordinates - Having to dismiss
a friend who has become ineffective or who is manifesting
characteristics which are detrimental to the organization, is the
toughest decision a leader may have to take. This can be one of the
worst forms of leadership failure if the leader does not confront these

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problems. To make the right decisions about people requires a

special combination of intuition and experience. The great leader
usually has an intuition about who could fit a particular job and when
he will be ready for it.
The capability to inspire ‘ordinary’ people to perform above par
- The leaders normally make people perform above themselves,
showing them how to be better. This skill is closely aligned with the
ability of good leaders to attract followers. A prime leadership skill is
getting people to follow, and the want to follow. It results from a
combination of charisma, persuasiveness and sheer determination.
The efficiency to make a profound difference to the
organization - This particular trait can often only be recognized post
hoc, i.e. when the leader has left the organization or department. The
feedback obtained from the group helps to decide whether the
particular leader brought about a transformation and created an
impact within the work group.
The Key Skills of Leaders
Skills are the qualities that any individual can learn, as long as the
necessary aptitude is there. They are abilities and techniques that the
leaders need to have at their disposal. These are exemplified in team
skills, planning ability or understanding of accounts. However
characteristics are qualities and values, which define the actions and
styles of high quality leaders, at all stages of their career. They are
the deep-rooted qualities that define grand leaders, such as moral
courage, determination to succeed and capacity to inspire. The vital
skills of leaders are as follows:
Communication skills - As competence is ineffective without
conscience, so are words without behavior. A good leader leads by
example, supporting his or her behavior by verbal persuasion. Leaders
must communicate needs, missions, trends, concepts, and quality-
quantity linkages much faster, to more and better-educated people
and groups. They must shape their message for each audience, and
set an example by acknowledging differences as well as
commonalties. Every leader needs multilevel listening skills. This
refers to the ability that many leaders must have to listen to differing
messages, carrying a multitude of meanings from different types of
people at every level in the organization. This skill is also used to
understand the multiple agendas from the same set of messages that
are often being delivered to leaders whenever people communicate
with them.
Numerical skills - In addition to the verbal ability, the leader in the
modern era also requires a facility with numerical skills (all
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businesses measure themselves and are measured by others with

numbers). Likewise, most great strategic ideas need to be tested
arithmetically for their impact on the market and their value on the
bottom line for the business.
Skill to assess People - An ability to assess people and their skills
accurately is important. One needs to be able to focus upon a
person’s best qualities and make people realize that one cares about
them.
Work effectively under pressure - A great leader has the ability to
undertake highly concentrated activity at intense pressure. In the
present era, with vast communication capacity and the ability to move
large amounts of capital around the world almost instantaneously,
both crises and opportunities arise with little warning.
Relaxation - A leader needs to know when to relax. This will be
necessary both between and even during the crises. If one cannot
relax enough for some time each day, he / she is not going to remain
fit for the important battles and wars.
Inspiring followers - Leaders who encourage people to strive for and
make achievements beyond their imagination are also creators of
immense job satisfaction for others.
Common Characteristics / Traits of Leaders
Leaders share certain common characteristics which infuse the whole
of a leader’s or an organization’s culture.
Integrity: Is the unyielding battle for what, rather than who is right.
It is the seizing of responsibility, and the willing acceptance of the
accountability that comes with it.
Compassion: Good leadership includes searching for, and identifying
people doing the right things as well as doing things right. It is not
managing by exception i.e. followers never hear from their leader
except when something goes wrong.
Cognizance: Is the power of knowledgeable perception that enables a
person to use information effectively. It is an understanding of the
past, an awareness of the present, and a vision of the future. It is the
ability to understand and use ever-changing, complex, and ambiguous
variables in the simplest and most productive way possible. It means
studying the past, and using the present to prepare for the future.
Courage: The fourth characteristic of leadership is courage - the
courage to act upon your convictions with steadfast focus in the face
of unrelenting opposition; the courage to sacrifice and risk, the
courage to give, to enjoy, and to live! It is challenging adversity with

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grit and grace; and those who move toward success, not away from
failure.
Commitment: One person with commitment has more power than a
multitude that has only interest. The level of commitment is the key
determinant. Getting others to commit to a common mission is one of
the leader’s most difficult challenges. In a committed culture, you
won’t hear “I just work here” or “Sorry, my time is up.”
Confidence: Is the steadfast reliance upon the values, beliefs, and
competence of oneself and others. Confidence is cultivated by using
our strengths and skills to extend others and us a little further each
day. Confidence develops strong opinions, and leadership
communication is predicated on those opinions.

Leadership Roles and Functions

Leadership roles are classified under three headings viz. group task
roles, group building and maintenance roles, and individual roles.
Any leader is expected to carry out the predetermined tasks of the
group and he has his own roles to play in this respect. He is also
concerned with the roles relating to group building and its
maintenance. Along with the task roles and group building roles he
has his own individual roles. Thus, a leader has multifarious roles to
play.

Leadership Roles

Group Task Roles Group Building and Individual Roles

Maintenance Roles
Initiator contributor Encourager Aggressor
Information seeker Harmonizer Blocker
Opinion seeker Compromiser Recognition seeker
Information giver Gatekeeper and Self confessor
Opinion giver Expeditor Play boy
Elaborator Standard setter Dominator
Coordinator Group observer and Help seeker
Orienter Commentator Special interest Pleader
Evaluator-critic Follower
Energizer
Procedural
technician
Recorder

Leadership Functions

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Primary Leadership Functions Accessory Leadership

Functions
Executive Exemplar
Planner Symbol of the group
Policy maker Substitute for individual
Expert responsibility
External group representative Ideologist
Controller of internal relations Father figure
Purveyor of rewards and Scapegoat
punishments
Arbitrator and mediator

Actual leaders must be visionaries. They must have a proper vision

and perception of the relations of the present and future, and must
articulate the possibilities of the people. The leader’s role is
conspicuously identified by the position he occupies, which may
provide a high degree of coordination and efficiency. The
bureaucratic content of the group management in the Indian business,
on the contrary, has brought with it some sort of ready-made
leadership. Such a philosophy assigns each individual his functions,
the area of his authority, and the standards of proficiency. Any
member or group leader is harnessed to ensure the exact
performance essential to keep the system under control.

Ineffective Leadership Behavior

An obvious first characteristic that a leader should possess is ruthless

honesty with himself. This is a rare quality in most failing leaders
(and even in some successful ones). The following are the most
visible signals of failure in a leader:
- if one cannot see where the short – or long-term profitability will
come from
- if an individual feels under pressure after the first three months
in his job (it is normal to feel that way during the first three
months)
- when one feels that the subordinate (s) can certainly do the job
better
- when one feels continuously tired and depressed
- when one thinks more about past triumphs than future
achievements
- when one wishes that nobody sitting in the board room should
realize that he/she doesn’t have a clue what to do next.

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Facets of Leadership Effectiveness

Whether in business, industry, government, or academia, leaders

achieve results with and through others. Whether called
management, supervision, or administration, the underlying process is
to establish direction and the coordination in accomplishing results.
In everyday settings the exercise of leadership may generate a range
of emotional responses like enthusiasm, apathy, anger, commitment
etc. These varied emotions merely tell us that leadership is
demonstrated in many different ways.

The exercise of effective leadership is a poorly understood process;

however, it can be described by identifying six elements, or aspects of
leadership.

The first three elements, initiative, inquiry, and advocacy, reveal how
a leader shapes his or her influences, on outer events. The other
three, conflict solving, decision-making, and critique, are concerned
with how the leader utilizes the resources of others with and through
whom results are accomplished.

Initiative: A leader exercises initiative whenever he or she

concentrates effort on a specific activity - to start something, to stop
something, or to shift the direction or character of a current activity.
When leadership is exercised in a vigorous way and others pick up the
spirit of it and join in, much can be accomplished. If a leader exerts
vigorous effort but others ignore it, then the obvious conclusion is that
the initiative is ineffective.

Inquiry: The leader needs to have a full and comprehensive grasp of

the situations for which he/she is responsible. This involves the
element of inquiry: thorough learning about the background and
current status of problems, procedures, projects, and so on, and about
the facts regarding the people involved in them. Without sound
knowledge of situations in all these relevant aspects, it is clear that
the exercise of leadership will be less effective than it might have
been.

Advocacy: Several people who are together in a working relationship

are likely to have different points of view on how to approach or deal
with various issues. Advocacy conveys the idea that the leader
expresses his or her convictions and stimulates others to do likewise.
All the members of the group let each other know where they stand,
what they think, and how they feel about issues facing them.
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Conflict Solving: Whenever an issue is complex and there is no self-

evident solution, various participants are likely to have different
perspectives on what to do. Such conditions often lead to conflict.
The approach of finding reasons/causes of conflict permits conflict
solving by getting to the roots of disagreement or controversy and
reaching based on understanding and agreement.
The advantages are numerous, and yet it is noteworthy that this
approach to conflict solving is rare. The main advantage comes from
eliminating the source of tensions. In the absence of tensions, people
can continue to deal with one another in an open way without
withholding, ridiculing, manipulating, or being defensive.
Decision Making: The act most commonly associated with
leadership involves making decisions. Decision making, however, can
be no stronger than the initiative behind it, the inquiry on which it is
based, the advocated positions which have been deliberated, and the
resolution of disagreements and controversies through insight.
Critique: Critique means learning about how things have been done
and how they or similar activities might be undertaken in a sounder
manner in the future. When past experience proves sound, it
becomes possible to get quicker results, to improve quality, to
innovate – to do whatever is basic to success better than it has been
done previously.
Critique frequently is confused with criticism, but the two are not the
same. Criticism implies evaluation and judgments of good or bad,
relative to personal worth. Critique involves learning from experience
what is sound and what is unsound. Criticism is person- centered,
while critique is work-centered. In the latter case people are studying
how to increase their effectiveness.
Role of the Team Leader
The team leader has a unique and crucial role in the development of
the group. Team members invariably watch their leader’s
management style and evaluate his or her ability to promote
openness, co-operation and team debate. Without effort, personal
integrity and trust, a team cannot be developed.
The team leader must be aware of the needs of the group and have
sufficient understanding of the concept of team building to steer the
group through a series of developmental states. An open approach is
vital. All issues affecting the group must be talked through, feedback
given and received and time spent clarifying expectations. The team
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leader must demonstrate the high level of openness that is an

essential characteristic of the team approach and be watchful towards
team members, identifying their individual needs and enabling each to
be developed and strengthened as the work of the team continues.

It is important to ensure that the following guidelines are followed:

 All team members are clear about the objectives of the team
 Individual skills are identified and roles clarified
 The team is structured appropriately for the needs of the task
 The team reflects on its work methods and sets targets for
improvement
 The team develops a self-discipline that uses time and resources
well
 The team has sufficient opportunities to meet and work through
any problems
 The team supports members and develops close relationships
 The team has open relationships and is prepared to confront
difficulties and blockages to effectiveness

Leader as a Change Agent

There is a distinct link between leadership and change, especially

change, that is imposed and can be seen as unwanted but necessary
change. We can think of change as being confronted with different
circumstances requiring different responses and behaviors on our
part, which need to become ingrained ways of how we conduct
ourselves. Dealing effectively with change is essentially about being
able to alter previous behavior and develop different behavioral
practices that are adequate for changed circumstances. This requires
learning, which presupposes the development of different ways of
observing and taking action.
A leader should be flexible and adaptable in being able to foresee and
deal with change in order to stay competitive. The notion of the
learning organization was popularized a number of years ago, and
what is required now are leaders and who are flexible and adaptable
learners. Organizations have been likened to living systems. Just as
living systems need to adapt to changes in the environment in order
to survive, so do people and the groups they are part of. Biologically
it has been shown that adapting is about learning, about not
remaining trapped in habitual ways of being and responding. The
demands nowadays are for business leaders to be willing to become

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different observers of what is required; it is through observing

differently that creative and innovative responses are generated.
Leaders are also, required to do more than that. Their ways of being,
observing and acting also need to be influential in shifting others as
learners. To be able to move others out of their traditional ways of
observing and learning without alienating them, so that the collective
wisdom that resides with many organizational employees becomes an
invaluable resource in dealing with the change process.
Ways to detect whether a leader can be a change agent
 How clearly is there an articulated vision?
 Is there “buy in” to the vision and does it address the primary
concerns of employees?
 How acutely are the leaders listening to others, and if they aren’t
what are they missing?
 How do the moods of leaders affect the workplace?
 How do the leaders rate as learners? And
 To what extent do their conversational actions generate new
insights, productive actions and positive results from others?
The Leadership Challenge
Special knowledge, strategies, and tactics would be a substantial
challenge to leadership candidates with high levels of interpersonal
skill and aptitude. The challenge is even greater for most technical
leaders, who often come to management positions because of their
technical competence. Many such leaders assume their
responsibilities without adequate role models. And while superior
technical ability can influence short-term managerial success,
interpersonal effectiveness is necessary for a technical leader’s long-
term achievement.
In general, technical leaders who come from technological
backgrounds have abilities, personalities, and interests that are
oriented more toward things than people. They can manage the
technical aspects of the job but are not adept at managing the people
involved in it. But the fast-paced, competitive world of technology
requires balanced leaders who are responsive to the needs of
technical professionals and to the organization’s strategic objectives.
Most technical professionals have aptitudes that do not focus on
interpersonal skills; their education leaves little room, if any, for
courses in behavior science. In addition, the organization hires them
on the basis of technical competence, and most of them work for
someone whose orientation is similar – heavily technical, and light on

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people skills. The training functions in technology-orientated

organizations must know how to compensate for that lack.
Successful leaders:
 Coach for peak performance
 Run organizational interference
 Orchestrate the professional development of their subordinates
 Expand individual productivity through team work
 Facilitate self-management
Technical professionals are more self-directed than most occupational
groups, so classic management prescriptions – with the manager as a
controller of work – are likely to be demotivating.

Coach for peak performance:

The most effective technical leaders are coaches; they listen, ask
questions, facilitate, integrate, and provide administrative support.
They develop ideas rather than demonstrate power by withholding it.
They encourage self-management rather than promote dependency.

Coaching strategies and their accompanying skills are most notable in

three critical leadership situations:
 Aligning individual and organizational goals: The most effective
technical leaders are sensitive to blending individual and
organizational goals through a balanced leadership approach that
relies heavily on coaching. They are able to use technology to
serve market needs while remaining sensitive to the needs of the
technical professional.

 Making performance analysis: Successful technical leaders bring

their critical and logical thinking to the analysis of performance
problems – missed deadlines and cost overruns, for example. They
are good at determining whether a performance discrepancy is due
to a skill deficiency (rarely the case) or to inappropriate
performance consequences (usually the case).
 Managing Change: Change is a way of life in the technical
organization; the leader is often the one who determines whether
people resist or welcome it. Many technical professionals welcome
change, challenge, and variety. But further investigation usually
turns up a leader who coaches them through change by making
certain that they know the reasons for it. An effective coach also
involves technical professionals extensively in the implementation
of change.
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Run organizational interference

Successful leaders teach subordinates how to take advantage of
organizational opportunities, such as engaging in a high-visibility
project that might resolve a major quality issue. They are also quick
to remove organizational obstructions from the path to innovation.
They do so by the following means:
 Providing resources to support creative endeavors
 Preventing the organizational bureaucracy from interfering with
the technical professional’s work
 Taking steps to gain management support for a professional’s idea
or proposal.
Orchestrate professional development
Enriching the job is an important strategy for motivating the technical
professional. Variety, an emphasis on performance over process, and
challenge must be integral parts of the work. The most effective
technical leaders address three critical components of professional
development:
 They provide the business perspective. Technical professionals
often generate ideas, become absorbed in following them, and
wander off the organization’s strategic path. The leader must focus
that energy by providing a vision of where the organization is today
and where it is heading.
 They build and encourage champions. Taking ownership of an
innovative idea and running with it is a powerful professional
development experience. The leader’s responsibility is to nurture
and protect the fragile growth of ideas that might otherwise be
trampled by the bureaucracy or uprooted by someone uneasy with
the unfamiliar.
 They facilitate career development. Although career development
is primarily the technical professional’s responsibility, effective
leaders take a proactive role in encouraging it.

Expand individual productivity through teamwork

Encouraging innovation requires shifts in fundamental management
techniques; the most important of which may be the use of teamwork.
Science and technology are becoming too complex for most technical
professionals to be able to make meaningful contributions on their
own. More and more basic inventions, minor and major
breakthroughs, and creative inspirations come from group
collaborations.
Facilitate self-management

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The technical professional’s need for autonomy, achievement,

professional growth, and challenge finds its fullest satisfaction when
the structure of the job and the relationship with the manager
promote and support self-management for the employee.
 Sharing information: Information enhances a sense of
empowerment. Professionals who receive as much information as
possible about a project have much higher motivational levels.
 Delegating responsibility: The delegation of meaningful tasks and
responsibilities is enriching and empowering. Technical leaders
who seek opportunities to delegate and who skillfully communicate
and transfer responsibilities maintain motivated project teams.
 Encouraging upward communication: Endorsing and reinforcing
two way communication plays a major role in facilitating self-
management. This builds trust and an increased sense of
ownership in projects and organizational objectives.

Aligning Individual, Team and Organization Goals

Leadership concerns the total manner in which a leader influences

actions of subordinates. First, it includes the issuing of orders that
are clear, complete, and within the capabilities of subordinates to
accomplish. Second, it implies a continual training activity in which
subordinates are given instructions to enable them to carry out the
particular assignment in the existing situation. Third, it necessarily
involves the motivation of workers to try to meet the expectations of
the manager. Fourth, it consists of maintaining discipline and
rewarding those who perform properly. In short, leading is the final
action of a manager in getting others to act after all preparations have
been completed.
As some of the older methods of motivation become less effective, the
importance of the leader increases. Bonuses and similar financial
incentives are limited in what they can achieve; and as the amounts
rise, men can afford to take value judgments as to whether to work
less hard for less money. Good fringe benefits and welfare provisions
may attract people to an organization, but they will not, in the long
term, affect performance on the job. Moreover, in many fields the
satisfaction provided by the job itself is no longer an incentive as the
skills, which gave the job its interest, are superseded by new
machinery or automatic control mechanisms.
The responsibility for ensuring that each person gives of his best to
his work rests squarely with the leader. The leader should be
responsible and accountable for the work of his subordinates. He has
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to get work done through them, and his aim must be to make full use
of their strengths, abilities and qualities, minimize the effects of their
deficiencies and, where possible, constantly try to improve their
performance. This is the object of effective leadership. It makes
sense both psychologically and economically. For most individuals it
is important that their abilities should be fully used. For the
enterprise and for the country it is essential that manpower shall not
be wasted. The effectiveness of a leader depends on this ability to
influence, and be influenced by, the group and its members in the
implementation of a common task.

In practice this means that the leader:

(1)Ensures that the required tasks are continually achieved
(2)Meets the needs of his group for team-work and team-spirit
(3)Meets the needs of each individual member of the group.

The successful leader functions in all three areas, often

simultaneously. These three areas interact upon each other. Below is
a simple model that illustrates the above concepts:

Task

Team Individual
Maintenance Needs
Needs

The three circles overlap. If the task circle is blacked out, so too are
large segments of the team and individual circles. Thus lack of
attention to the task causes disruption in the team and dissatisfaction
to the individual. Conversely, achievement of objectives is essential if
team and individual morale is to be high. If we black out the team
needs circle from the model then the other two needs are affected.
Unless the leader actively sees that the needs of the team, as a whole,
are satisfied, his chances of achieving the required results, in the long

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term, are jeopardized. Ignore the needs of the individual and the
effectiveness of both task and team is reduced.

The areas of team and individual needs may also be looked on as

storage batteries, which may from time to time become exhausted -for
instance after a period of high pressure. In this case the leader must
see that they are re-charged by paying them extra attention.

A leader has to be natural. An artificial presence can prevent the

leader from being natural, balanced, and rounded. Leaders need each
of those qualities, because if they have to waste energy constraining
their natural selves then the necessary freedom to be creative and
intuitive will be destroyed. The leader needs to be relatively objective
in judgments. Although great leaders do not need to be perfect, they
need to know how to take the organization to ever-greater heights of
achievement.

The leader needs to be strategic, visionary, attractive, and fun to work

for. Above all, the leader needs to be creative, because creativity is
the vital catalyst for the creation of wealth, excitement and fun.
Creativity is one of those special attributes that give meaning to life.

Leading High Performance Teams

The Role of the Team Leader

The team leader has a unique and crucial role in the development of
the group. Team members invariably watch their leader’s
management style and evaluate his or her ability to promote
openness, co-operation and team debate. Without effort, personal
integrity and trust, a team cannot be developed.
The team leader must be aware of the needs of the group and have
sufficient understanding of the concept of team building to steer the
group through a series of developmental states. An open approach is
vital. All issues affecting the group must be talked through, feedback
given and received and time spent clarifying expectations. The team
leader must demonstrate the high level of openness that is an
essential characteristic of the team approach and be watchful towards
team members, identifying their individual needs and enabling each to
be developed and strengthened as the work of the team continues.
It is important to ensure that the following guidelines are followed:
 All team members are clear about the objectives of the team
 Individual skills are identified and roles clarified
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 The team is structured appropriately for the needs of the task

 The team reflects on its work methods and sets targets for
improvement
 The team develops a self-discipline that uses time and resources
well
 The team has sufficient opportunities to meet and work through
any problems
 The team supports members and develops close relationships
 The team has open relationships and is prepared to confront
difficulties and blockages to effectiveness
Characteristics and Skills of Effective Team Leaders
Leadership is the key to making organizational life not only more
productive but more humane. The team leader has a unique and
crucial role in the development of the group. Team members
invariably watch their leader’s management style and evaluate his or
her ability to promote openness, co-operation and team debate.
Without effort, personal integrity and trust, a team cannot be
developed.
The successful leader understands that a group has its own
personality, attitudes, standards and needs. He achieves his success
by taking these things into account. He has constantly to respond to
the needs of the group. At times this means withdrawing from his
position ‘way out front’ and concentrating on ‘serving those who serve
him’. On these occasions he is prepared to represent the group and
speak with its voice. At the same time, he avoids ‘over-identifying’
with the group.

The team leader must be aware of the needs of the group and have
sufficient understanding of the concept of team building to steer the
group through a series of developmental states. An open approach is
vital. All issues affecting the group must be talked through, feedback
given and received and time spent clarifying expectations. The team
leader must demonstrate the high level of openness that is an
essential characteristic of the team approach and be watchful towards
team members, identifying their individual needs and enabling each to
be developed and strengthened as the work of the team continues.
The key functions of the business leader in meeting the team’s needs
are:
 To set and maintain group objectives and group standards.
 To involve the group as a whole in the achievement of
objectives.

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 To maintain the unity of the group and to see that dissident

activity is minimized
Here are some points to consider:
 Know the team members’ -A good team leader must know all the
teammates by their names. He should know their expectations and
their differences. He needs to identify the key persons to secure
group support.
 Stay in contact -Leaders need to mix and move around, since
problems crop up when they lose contact with their members.
 Be a good listener -The ability to listen to teammates is one of the
most appreciated qualities of a team leader.
 Take appropriate decisions -A team leader should make sure
that necessary decisions are made, whether by him or others.
Consensus decision-making should be encouraged.
 Foresee problems - Look forward to the difficulties that could be
faced in implementing the decisions.
 Be concerned for production and people - The best and most
productive team leader is the one who is person-centered as well as
production-minded. Such teams are able to accomplish much more
because the team members see production goals as their goals and
they are treated with trust and respect.
 Keep cool -The team leader must control his temper when his
teammates are angry and try to help them to calm down.
 Treat all equally -Fair and unbiased practices must be followed in
order to attain objectivity of judgments.
 Take responsibility -The team leader must take charge and
accountability of the entire group processes.

Conclusion

Today’s organization needs liberating leadership, enabling those in

managerial roles to harness the skills and talents of everyone in their
particular section. As liberating leaders, they create situations where
continuous improvement can occur. They demonstrate, by their own
behavior, how people can be liberated to maximize their skills. They
recognize the need for continuing change and urge everyone to meet
the challenges, supporting and encouraging them to reach their full
potential.

In a liberating environment, managers no longer have to take

command and control of everything, with a responsibility for all
decision-making. Instead, they must become facilitators, coaches,

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enablers and supporters, encouraging those closest to the tasks to

take their own decisions. Liberating leadership should be promoted
at all levels of an organization. It represents a radically new form of
leadership that rejects position, status and hierarchy. In short,
liberating leadership is Democracy at Work.

A leader listens to the ideas, needs, aspirations, and wishes of the

followers and then within the context of his own well-developed
system of beliefs, responds to these in an appropriate fashion. The
first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The true leader
enables his followers to realize their full potential, both personal and
corporate. He is responsible, for identifying, developing and
nurturing future leadership. Effective leaders encourage contrary
opinions, which to them is an important source of vitality. Leaders
owe a clear statement of values to the organization. These values
should be well understood, be agreed to and shape out corporate and
individual behavior. Good leaders owe their followers certain
maturity and corporate rationality. Maturity is expressed in a sense
of self-worth and belonging, a sense of expectancy and responsibility,
a sense of accountability and equality.

Effective leaders owe their people space, in the sense of freedom.

Finally, the most important of all, leaders are responsible for
effectiveness. They are responsible for doing the right thing and must
deal with it personally; realizing effectiveness comes through enabling
people to reach their potential - both, personal and corporate
potential.

Books for reference and further reading:

Charles Farkas, Philippe de Backer and Allen Sheppard - “Maximum

leadership - The World’s Top Business Leaders discuss how they add
value to their Companies” Conceived by Allen Sheppard and Michael
Craig-Cooper. Orion Publishing.

Horst Bergmann, Kathleen Hurson, Darlene Russ - Eft (1999).

“Everyone a Leader – A grassroots Model for the new Workplace”
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Noel M. Tichy, Nancy Cardwell (2002). “The Cycle of Leadership -

How Great Leaders teach their Companies to Win” Harpers Business.

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Randall P. White, Philip Hodgson and Stuart Crainer - “The Future of

Leadership - Riding the Corporate Rapids into the 21 st century”
Pitman Publishing.

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