Leadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task or objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. A person carries out this process by applying his leadership attributes (belief, values, ethics, character, knowledge and skills). Although one’s position as a manager, supervisor, lead etc. gives him the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make one a leader; it simply makes him the boss. Leadership makes people want to achieve high goals and objectives, while, on the other hand, bosses tell people to accomplish a task or objective.
Leaders of today are under heavy pressure and are required to constantly keep themselves abreast with the latest innovations and technologies as well as their organizations. Technology has transformed organizations into networks, and large companies are increasingly made up of people running small business units (Berry, 2003). A leader with change management skills means someone who can successfully steer a team, department or organization through some kind of metamorphosis.
Leadership and motivation go hand-in-hand: Just as employees draw inspiration from leaders, leaders are not considered as leaders unless they can motivate others. Generally, organizational leadership is a continuous process rather than a one-time event, providing the means to one end: performance.
Disruptive innovations are changing the business landscape overnight and knocking market leaders out of position for failing to better understand and manage the evolution of their business (Berry, 2003). Leaders need not only to look after their own employees but also the suppliers and competitors who are seen as stakeholders and need to be managed differently.
An effective leader generally values people, listen actively, gives credit to others, have consistent behaviors, admits mistakes, have a sense of humor and.......
