Leadership in Organization - Essay Example

The main source of leader's power is the trust of the workers led by him. (Adair) There are many theories that investigate the nature and purposes of the leadership on organization. They also examine the roles of the leader. The most famous theories are as follows: the theory of servant leader, the theory of democratic leader, great-man theory, group-man theory, the theory of principle-centered leader, the theory of traits, the theory of total leader etc. In the discourse of contemporary management it is much spoken about the difference between leading and managing.

According to the traditional theory of management, the key functions of the leader are as following: "planning, organizing, leading and controlling/coordinating." (Adair, p. 28) But many recent theories argue against this understanding of the leadership purpose. Educators, supporting this viewpoint, insist that it is necessary to distinguish between leadership and management. They state that four major functions that were mentioned above are necessary for the manager, but not enough for the leader.

They state that these functions help the person apply necessary skills in appropriate time, and that the leadership is something other then just applying person's capabilities. They insist that the leadership is to be focused on the question of how to influence people, and that should be the key purpose of the leader to be achieved. (Adair)However, this new concept hasn't been recognized as the traditional viewpoint, because it reduces the significance of "planning, organizing, leading and controlling/coordinating.

" If the leader would pay all attention to methods of influencing the people, ignoring all these functions, he will not be a successful leader. As it has been said above, choosing appropriate strategies of leadership depend upon organization and situation. The factors that influence choosing competencies are as follows: 1) the size of the organization2) the sphere of the leader's skills that the person possesses3) the values and nature of the person (the strategies are to be chosen in accordance to the person's identity)4) type of the organization that needs a leader5) culture, values and behavior of the workers in this particular organization (McLean)Why leadership is so meaningful for the organization Because it helps to mold a group of worker into a team, it makes the workers apply their abilities and skills in necessary places, and makes the team work as a single force, which brings advantage under the conditions of business competitiveness.

Leader should organize the workers so that they know how to work collaboratively, at the same time motivating their performance. Leader should also make a balance between the individual goal of each worker and the goal that the whole team is to achieve. "Leaders require that their team members forego the quest for personal best in concert with the team effort". (Thornton, p.27)Here is the pattern to apply the principles of effective leadership to practice: 1. Align day-to-day activities with the centre's vision and mission2.

Communicate the centre's vision and role to internal audiences Model the organization's core values, principles, and philosophies Identify community relations initiatives and implement supporting