Functions of Effective Leadership
In every organization, there is a manger to carryout different activities in order to achieve the predetermined goals. Leadership functions of a manager are closely related with managerial functions. As a managerial leader, he has to set a group goal, make plans, motivate subordinates and supervise performance.
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Besides these functions, the important part of a managerial leader is an influencing power to make the work done as he totally depends on his subordinates. So, the managerial leadership is based on influence, not on power and authority. But, he has to perform several other functions. The more important of these functions are given below:
One of the primary functions of the leader is to develop his work group as a team. It is his responsibility to create a congenial work environment keeping in view the competence, needs and potential ability of the subordinates.
2. Determine the Goal of Organization
A managerial leader should determine the goal of an organization. For the achievement of organizational goal, he must inform followers about the plan, policies and goals of an organization, so that the subordinates can act collectively in the process of achieving the predetermined goal of an organization.
3. Act as a Representative of the Work Group
The leader of work group is expected to act as a link between the workers group and top management. The leader has to communicate the problems and grievances of his subordinates to the top management whenever necessary. He should represent subordinates to top management and vice versa for effective and efficient work at organization to achieve its goal.
4. Provide Guidance
When the subordinates face problem in connection with their performance at work, the leader has to guide and advice the subordinates to solve their problems. The problems may be technical or emotional in nature. So, a manager must be pioneer to his subordinates.
5. Time Management
The function of leaders includes not only ensuring the quality and efficiency of work performed by the team but also checking that the different stages of works are completed on time. So, the managerial leader has to manage the time for effective supervision of the work done by the subordinates on time.
6. Coordination
A manager cannot do all the activities by himself. Hence, he needs coordination from all the subordinates. For that, he tries his best to get coordination for the achievement of organization goal.
7. Good Human Relations
A managerial leader must make a good relationship among the employees. He must be loyal to the staffs and able to solve the problems. He must be well informed regarding human problems and act accordingly.
8. Proper Use of Power
While exercising power in relation to his subordinates, the leader must be careful and use his power in different way according to the environment and situation. It may be necessary to use reward power, coercive / expert power, formal or informal power depending on what will stimulate positive response from the subordinates.
9. Secure Effectiveness of Group Effort
To get the optimum contribution towards the achievement of objectives, the leader must follow reward system to improve the efficiency of workers. Beside, a managerial leader should have to delegate authority, invite participation of employees in decision making, and communicate necessary information to employees so that it will ensure effectiveness of group effort to achieve the objectives of the organization.
10. Use of Managerial Skills
A managerial leader faces different problems while conducting managerial activities. To solve the problem, he must have different knowledge like technical, analytical, administrative, human relation and conflict management etc. A good managerial leader must have managerial skill to make the work done through the subordinates.
Importance of Leadership
Importance of leadership can be understood by the following functions which a leader generally performs.
1. Representative of Subordinates
Leader is a link between the work group and the top management. As being the representative of subordinates, he carries the voice of the subordinates to top management.
2. Guides and Inspires
An effective leader guides and inspires or motivates his group members to work willingly for achieving the goals. He makes every effort to direct and channelize all energies of his followers to the goal-oriented behavior. He creates enthusiasm for higher performance among his followers.
3. Appropriate Counselor
Employees often suffer from emotional disequilibrium in organization. Leader can render advice and can try to remove barriers, real or imaginary and instill confidence in the employees. Leadership creates a cooperative and wholesome attitude among employees for successful work accomplishment.
4. Creates Vision and Initiative
It has been rightly said, where there is no vision, people perish. Leaders give vision to their followers which, in turn, create initiative and enthusiasm among them. The followers use this vision and initiative to take up challenging tasks.
5. Leader Develops Team Spirit
Leader inculcates a sense of collectivism in the employees and forces them to work as a team. Individuals within the group may possess varied interests and multiple goals. A leader has to reconcile their conflicting goals and restore equilibrium.
6. Creates Work Environment
Effective leaders can create work environment in which group members can work with pleasure. For this, a leader creates and maintains interpersonal relations of trust and confidence among the group members.
7. Leader Manages Time
Unsatisfactory human performance in organization can be primarily attributed to utilization of time. A good leader manages his time well by proper planning based on information and facts, and by arriving at decisions at an appropriate moment. He visualizes problems before his subordinates turn into emergencies.
8. Resolves Conflicts
Leaders play a crucial role in resolving the conflicts arising in the group. He does it by harmonizing the diverse intense interests of group members and the organization.
9. Leader Strives for Effectiveness
A leader throws him to fill the gap between him and his subordinates with a concrete effort to bring order out of the chaos and confusion and improve organizational effectiveness. He provides an adequate reward structure to improve the performance of employees. He delegates authority whenever needed and invites participation from the employees to achieve better results. He tries to infuse strong will to do into the group, as to secure the best contribution of human energy. He provides imagination, foresight, enthusiasm and initiative to group members and forces them to have an identity of interests, outlook and action.
10. Ensures Survival and Success of Enterprise
Quality of leadership goes a long way in the success and survival of an enterprise. Without effective leadership, many well-established enterprises have miserably failed.
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