The Learning Curve of Becoming a Leader: Delegation and Motivational Skill - Article Example

Power and Leadership John French and Bertram Raven attempt to describe power has been established to be not only a commondescription but also a notable one. They gave a description of five bases of power. These were coercive, reward, referent, legitimate and expert powers (Dean & Anthony, 2006). 1. Coercive The coercive power is a problematic power that is associated with force. A leader forces people to perform tasks and often employ demonstrations of threats and punishment to show what might occur in the event that the people do not comply with his or her demands (Bertam, 2010). The force can take many forms, for instance, physical force. Leaders in the society who use the coercive force include despots and dictators. The main goal of using the coercive force is to make people comply, and sometimes it results in physical harm. An example of the coercive power in a workplace environment is the threatening of workers by the leader that they could lose their jobs or face a possible demotion if they do not accomplish the task that is set out for them. 2. Reward Reward power can be crudely defined as a scratch my back I scratch your back kind of leadership-servant relationship. A leader utilizes his or her ability to give the people what they want while in return the people will be asked to perform tasks that the leader requests. A leader sometimes can withhold the rewards as a form of punishment. For instance, a managing director of a company may decide to give rewards to his employees to get them to do want he may require from them. 3. Referent A person possesses referent power due to their charisma and appeal that influences other people in the society. Such kind of a leader who employs the referent power is most likely to be imitated by people who want to be like him or her. For instance, most A-list celebrities and music stars wield the referent power. These leaders usually have an influence on the fashion and sporting industries. People who like or want to associate with these celebrities will attempt to mimic their celebrities. 4. Legitimate A legitimate power is part of a defined role. Such a role may come from positions such as a manager or a president of a given country. The power comes from roles defined in the society and organizational structures in both private and public companies. For instance, a work safety and health officer in a company is mandated to tell the staff about the safety and operational standards that are expected as they carry out their work duties in the organization. 5. Expert Expert power relies heavily on the theory and technological knowledge that a person may possess about a certain topic, issue, or subject. This knowledge enables a person to speak with authority on the given subject and makes people listen to them. Moreover, people will value their opinions and in most cases look up to them for leadership. For example, when an agricultural entrepreneur who focuses on producing vegetables commercially speaks and answers questions at a farmer’s convention about the best vegetable producer practices. I am in agreement with French and Bertram outlook and description of power. There is a close and subtle link between leadership and power. It is human nature to follow a powerful person. Therefore, such a person is at most time at the helm of leadership. On the other hand, leaders in the society do not achieve their leadership status due to a massive following. Leaders usually have different reasons to lead. As such, I see the power to be a force that enables and aid the society to identify leaders who would elevate it to a better place for every person. In addition, I am for the idea that power should both influence and empower not only the leader but also the whole of humanity (Jocelyn et al, 2015). There are numerous theories that seek to explain leadership. The leader-membership exchange (LMX) theory is one such theory. Its basic idea is that at a particular time, a leader forms two groups of followers. These groups are the in-group and the out-group. Each group is defined by a specific set of characteristics. The in-group is accorded great responsibilities by the leader and as such, they not only get a large share his or her attention and but also any existing reward. On the other hand, the out-group comprises the outer circle, where they get minimal attention and a few number of rewards (Antoinette & Arthur, 1994). Also, this out-group is subjected to formal rules and regulations. Comparing the two, the in-group is more productive, and they enjoy job satisfaction. The theory above suggests that leaders should form large in-group relationships as compared to the out-groups. This suggestion is important to leaders who are experienced and already in the office or at the helm. What makes a leader? Two schools of thought exist that have dedicated time and resources to find a conclusive answer. The first school of thought is that leaders are born while the second one is that leaders are made. A perfect example of the former school of thought is the leadership trait theory. It suggests that certain traits exist in a person who is predisposed to be a leader. However, a theory that a person is wired by nature to become a leader in this essay is refuted. Yes, one can learn to become a leader. According to Howard (2005), there are steps that one can follow to become a leader. A person only needs to identify that they have the leadership potential and start to nurture it. These steps allow one to learn how to become a leader. The first step is a person who aspires to learn how to become a leader must increase the knowledge they possess about leadership. Such persons could increase their knowledge on the leadership as a topic by reading books and through observation of existing leaders. Through observation, they would be able to learn what the existing leaders are doing. The second step is gaining experience through opportunities or chances that arise for leadership. Howard (2005) postulates that leadership is art and a learned skill. A person who has leadership skills can further improve on those skills by practicing. An individual should explore every opportunity that arises to practice the leadership skills they have learned in books. The third step in learning about leadership is being at ease with the art of public speaking. Public speaking will allow a person to communicate effectively their ideas, visions and goals to not only large groups but also during interpersonal or one on one communication. Leaders who are captain of industries and other fields are well known to possess a commanding presence and good public speaking and oratory skills (Howard, 2005). Delegation of duties, responsibilities, and trusting that the subordinates will effectively carry them out is the fourth step on the learning curve of becoming a leader. This step allows the aspiring leader to realize that delegation is a part of a successful leader. In addition, through delegation, a leader can mold future generations of upcoming leaders. The fifth step on the curve of becoming a leader is working on one’s motivational skill set. A leader makes realistic goals that are attainable and time specific with the help of the followers. This aspect is an important step as it allows the leader to use the achieved goals as tools for motivating the followers. The last step is feedback. A good leader always invites feedback from the followers to correct the areas that they suggest to be weak and build on their strong points. The above six steps that have been outlined show that one can learn to become a leader. References Antoinette, P., & Arthur, B. (1994). Leader-Follower Exchange Quality: The Role of Personal and Interpersonal Attributes. Academy of Management Journal, 37(4), 990-1001. Bertram, R. (2010). The Bases of Power: Origins and Recent Developments. Journal of Social Issues, 227-251. Dean, F., & Anthony, S. (2006). The Systematic Measurement of French and Ravens Bases of Social Power in Workgroups. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 375-389. Howard, P. (2005). Taking the lead: Learn to be a Leader at Work. Utopia, 1-3. Jocelyn, B., Antonio, P., Barbara, B., Nicola, D., Alessandra, F., & Arie, K. (2015). Handling conflict at work. International Journal of Conflict Management, 26(1), 25-43. Read More