Concept of the Leader - Essay Example

The paper "Concept of the Leader" is an excellent example of an essay on management. A leader is all in all within a certain group or community. Leadership can be defined in terms of their functions. There are four fundamental functions of leadership, namely planning, staffing, directing, and controlling. The first and foremost objective of leadership is to identify the goal. A leader ought to have a fair understanding of the goal. A leader should have a motto. After the objective has been identified, the step that follows is planning. In the planning stage, the leader decides the course of action he would take to accomplish the task. From amongst a myriad of options, the leader chooses that course of action that helps him acquire the best result in the least time and with the least expenses. After finalizing the plan, the leader arranges the resources. One of the most important resources that are required to accomplish the task is staffing. Finding the right people is compulsory for achieving success. A leader achieves success fundamentally with the help and contribution of the followers. It is the people who give the leader power by investing their trust and confidence in them. Thus, achieving people’s trust is extremely important for the leader. Leaders expand the volume of their followers by assuring them that if they follow the instructions and directions of the leader, the leader would help them in achieving their individualistic and collective goals. Followers usually place confidence in the leader because he is an individual with all the power, influence, and resources that they require in order to make their dreams come true. Having arranged the resources, the leader directs the followers. The leader controls the followers by making sure that their confidence in them is sustained.

The concept of the leader can be made clearer by telling the difference between a leader and a manager. People frequently confuse the job of a leader with that of a manager. However, there is a slight difference between the two. A leader is also a manager but a manager is not necessarily a leader. The fundamental thing that makes a leader different from a manager is the level of authority. A leader is authorized to make independent decisions without having to seek approval from anybody else whereas a manager is not allowed to make an independent decisions. A manager is one of the subordinates of the leader and is supposed to carry out the orders for the leader. On the other hand, an individual cannot be a leader without robust management skills. After a leader has taken the independent decision, all that is left behind is management.

Leadership is extremely important for the worlds’ system. Leadership is required everywhere in all fields. A classroom is organized with the leadership of the tutor. A college is organized with the leadership of the dean, and the whole nation is organized with the leadership of the president or the prime minister. Without leadership, no system in the world can sustain. It is rightly said, “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership” (Wattleton cited in “Faye Wattleton quotes.”).