LEADERSHIP (CONTD.):Characteristics of Leaders Who Fail, Why Leaders Fail?

<< LEADERSHIP:Characteristics of Successful Leader, Why Study Leadership?

MANAGERS VS LEADERS:Characteristics, Effective Leadership, Respect for Diversity >>

Leadership & Team Management MGMT 623

Lesson 04

LEADERSHIP (CONTD.)

We will continue discussing the concepts of leadership. If you check dictionary for definition of Lead,

Leader and Leadership you will find the following answers.

Dictionary Definitions:-

Lead:

"To guide, steer, pilot, point, or show the way"

"To cause someone to do something"

Leader:

"One who leads"

"Person in control"

Leadership:

"The quality notable in leaders"

"Set of characteristics that make a good leader"

Leaders are Effective When?

Leaders' effectiveness depends on the achievements of group/team goals, when internal processes are

smooth and group/team is working as a cohesive team. Effectiveness can also be seen when team/group

adapt to external forces. An organization achieves its goals when the leaders of an organization will be

more effective. A leader is effective when team/group is effective and vice versa. Leader and followers

are both important and depend on each other for effectiveness.

Can a leader fail? Yes, some time we see leaders who are not effective or not-good do fail in achieving

their goals.

Characteristics of Leaders Who Fail

Rude and unapproachable: if the leader will act rudely and is unapproachable to employee.

He will fail to achieve organizational goals because due to his/her this behavior participative

environment can not created within organization.

Cold and arrogant: if the leader will be proud of himself, no one wants to work with him. And

also if he or she has no feeling about others, nobody will be agreeing to work with this type of

arrogant person.

Untrustworthy: without trust, leaders can not perform well in the organization.

Teams/Groups/Organizations always grow when they have trust on each others and a

trustworthy leader is very essential for the success of a team. If leader is untrustworthy, the

probability of his/her failure will be high.

Self-centered and political: if the leader will create or involve in political environment in the

organization, he/she will lose the ground because politics can not work in the organization

especially if leader is involved in political activities. Especially when a leader is self centered

and interested only in personal benefits the result will be a mess and failure and out put will be

zero.

Poor performers: Team always depends on its leader. Leader is mentor, role model, coach

and sets the example for others. So if the leader of team will be poor performer, team can not

achieve the goals.

Unable to delegate: In this competitive environment of participations, the leader must

delegate the power and authority to downwards for achieving the organizational goals in more

efficient and effective manner. So if the leader will not delegate the power and authority to

others or his subordinates, he will lose and that will be the failure of leader.

Leadership & Team Management MGMT 623

W h y L e a d e r s F a il?

In sen sitive , a b ra sive , b u llyin g style

C o ld , a lo o f, a rro g a n t

B e tra ya l o f p e rso n a l tru st

O v e rly a m b itio u s

S pe cific perfo rm an ce pro b le m s

M ic ro -m a n a g in g -- d o e s n o t b u ild a te a m

U na b le to se le ct go od su bord inates

So are they "bad"

Bad leadership defined ...

"in-effective" Leader?

"Bad leadership falls into two

categories: bad as in ineffective and

bad as in unethical. Ineffective

leadership fails to produce the

desired change while unethical

leadership fails to distinguish between

right and wrong."

- Barbara Kellerman -

What do we mean by "bad" ... if a person (leader) is Corrupt, Evil, Brutal, Disrespectful,

Incompetent, Irresponsible, Destructive Unethical, Mean, Dangerous, Immoral or Ineffective than

one can say he/she is a bad leader.

Bad leadership defined ...

"Ineffective leadership is the inability to build and maintain a group that performs well relative

to its competition." - Robert Hogan

Causes of bad leadership

There are two key sources which are Traits and character.

"Leaders behave badly because of who they are and what they want."

Barbara Kellerman -

Leadership is not automatic it must be earned through trust, confidence, competence, consistency,

integrity, and vision

Leadership Managerial Roles

In this competitive environment the style of management has also changed. Now the organizations are

working in more competitive environment, more flat structures, depends on more functional teams lead

by a leader.

Managerial Roles

Leaders are managers too but not necessary that all managers are leaders. Leaders need to play

managerial role too. Management roles refer to specific categories of managerial behavior.

Interpersonal roles included figurehead, leadership, and liaison activities.

Figurehead

When they represent the organization, signing official document, informally talking to

people and attending out side meetings, presiding the meetings and ceremonial events etc

they are playing the role of figurehead.

Leadership & Team Management MGMT 623

Leader

Leader is responsible for giving instruction, coaching, hiring, training, motivating, and

evaluating performance etc and these are responsibility of a leader.

Liaison

When interacting with people outside their organization, attending professional meetings,

serving on committees, visiting and meeting people to keep in touch, all these role are kind

of liaison on behalf of his/her team or organization.

Informational

roles

included

monitoring,

disseminating,

and

spokesperson

activities.

Monitor

Gather information, reading reports, publication etc, talking to others in meeting inside or

outside the organization, observing etc

Disseminator

They send information, instruction, orally or written and play the role of disseminator.

Spokesperson

Provide information outside the organization, answering queries, letters, reporting

information to govt. etc.

Decisional roles included those of entrepreneur, disturbance handler,

resource allocator and

negotiator.

Entrepreneur

Good leaders are always famous for innovation and creativity. When innovate and initiate

improvement (through monitor), developing new ideas, new product & service, procedures,

tools etc

Disturbance handler

Taking Corrective action during crises, uncertainty, breakdown, labor issues, strike,

material crises, or any others

Resource allocator

Allocating and distribution of resources (financial, space, equipment, material, HR etc)

Negotiators

They represent organization at different levels, with competitors, customers, clients,

employees, Govt etc

Leadership and management are closely related but with distinguishable functions. As discussed earlier,

leaders are managers but not necessary that all managers are leaders. There are distinct differences

among them if we compare a leader from a manager.

Leaders Vs Managers

Leaders

Managers

Administer

Innovate

Maintain

Develop

Control

Inspire

Have a short-term view

Take the long-term view

Ask how and when

Ask what and why

Imitate

Originate

Accept the status quo

Challenge the status quo.

Do things right

Do the right things

Table of Contents: