Lecture On: Leadership

Leadership is defined as a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs an organization in a way, that it makes it more coherent and cohesive (Kenneth Boulding). The process of influence is carried out by the attributes the leader possesses such as his beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. The leaders should be highly motivated to inspire the employees and teams that they lead. Leaders must be able to dream big and lay down the path with such clarity that people should follow them; the vision should make a compelling case for action by seeing endless possibilities without boundaries so that people can be drawn in for the cause. Various leadership styles will be discussed such as Authoritarian leaders, Participative leaders, Delegative leaders and the emergence of two new styles, transactional leaders and transformational leaders. It is important to understand what are the forces that influence the styles the leaders choose for themselves and the forces that influence their styles. The discussion will also touch on how the leaders successfully lead their teams.