What Is The Nature Of Leadership? – Here’s The Final Guide

Written By Assma Riaz

We know management and leadership are two different concepts, yet these two interrelates. This article is going to tell you about the nature of leadership.

All the executives of an organization must be managers, but only some of them become leaders.

So people say that leadership is an act of initiating structure. By this initiating structure, people get to know how to finish a task.

Nature Of Leadership – A Detailed Overview:

Here we are going to discuss what is the nature of leadership.

This includes different definitions, characteristics, comparisons, and much more.

If you want to know all the details, do check below:

1. Definition Of Leadership:

According to the definitions, a leader is a center for a group activity. His distinctive personality makes him an instrument of goal achievement.

They say a leader has an art of inducing compliance.

Definition Of Leadership
Definition Of Leadership

Some people also take leadership as a tool for the management of group processes.

In this respect, what a leader does is form a vision of the group and communicate that vision.

All the above definitions or perspectives are correct in their way.

But most of the time, they define leadership as a social influence relationship.

This relationship exists between two or more people. And they are interdependent to meet specific mutual goals.

Effective leadership plays an inevitable role in the success of an individual or a group.

It uplifts an individual or a group to achieve their goals. And it does so by focusing on the group’s maintenance needs and task needs.

Now the question arises what these needs are?

Maintenance needs are the needs of an individual. He needs these things to fit in and work together by having shared norms.

Task needs is a need for the group to meet the goal that brought them together. You can use these approaches to make your colleagues see you as a leader.

2. Primary Characteristics Of Leadership You Need To Know:

Here are some of the most notable characteristics related to leadership.

1. Leadership is an inborn and personal quality.

2. It’s all about the readiness of people to follow, which makes the person a leader.

3. This attribute exists only with followers. If there are no followers, there is no leadership.

4. It exists only for the realization of common goals. It works on pointing the focus of different people onto one common goal.

5. Leadership is a process of influence. A leader must have this quality to influence the behavior and attitude of his followers.

6. It involves the readiness to accept responsibility in every situation.

7. The styles of leadership do change under different circumstances. Every situation demands a different sort of leadership.

Primary Characteristics Of Leadership You Need To Know
Primary Characteristics Of Leadership You Need To Know

8. It is the function of stimulating followers to strive to meet organizational objectives.

9. Leadership is neither bossism nor synonymous with management. These two concepts, leadership, and management, are not interchangeable, nor are they redundant.

See Also: Guide On How Leadership Differs From Management

3. What Can Leaders Do According To Nature Of Leadership:

Some people in organizations have a different status. They exert more influence due to their personalities.

We refer to the person with the most influence in the department as the leader.

So leaders can do things that others who are only managers can’t do.

1. Leaders help their followers clarify and become committed to their goals.

2. They influence how their followers interpret reality.

3. Leaders focus the attention of their followers on what is essential.

4. Leaders enforce the norms and make their followers follow these norms.

5. They help others to develop leadership and followership skills.

6. Leaders try to maintain social order.

What Can Leaders Do Nature Of Leadership
What Can Leaders Do Nature Of Leadership

4. Who Can Become A Leader?

As with any art, almost anyone can develop some measures of skill. Yet, some will be better at it than others.

Leadership can be either formal or informal, depending on the people who exercise it. The people are having authority when exercising leadership, which makes it formal leadership.

So, people having no authority or an office are exercising informal leadership.

5. Leadership VS Management:

Let’s not confuse the leadership with management.

At this point, we all know that leadership and management are two different things. And so does their characters.

The nature of leadership is different from that of management. But still there exists so much confusion between these two.

To clear the misconceptions, a contrast of these concepts is here:

First of all, these concepts have their definitions.

Management consists of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.

While leadership is a meaningful interpersonal relationship between two people, and these people depend on each other for the goal attainment.

Leadership VS Management
Leadership VS Management

Second, the difference comes from the process through which they hold their positions.

Managers get appointed to their roles. In contrast, the leader’s position gets decided by its followers.

Third, managers and leaders differ in the type of power they exercise.

Managers drive their power from the larger organization. But, leaders drive their power from the follower’s perception of their knowledge.

8 Aspects Of Nature Of Leadership:

Let’s dig into this article to have a clear idea about leadership.

Leadership is the primary vehicle for fulfilling the directing function of management.

Researchers have given much attention to leadership. So let’s take a look at what the nature of leadership is?

1. Nature Of Leadership Is A Process Of Influence:

Leadership is implicit in that leaders can influence their followers and subordinates.

Nature Of Leadership Is A Process Of Influence
Nature Of Leadership Is A Process Of Influence

Besides this, leaders must be able to give their followers legitimate directions.

2. Leadership Is The Function Of Stimulation:

The meaning of leadership being the function of stimulation is to motivate. The motivation to strive to meet organizational objectives.

A successful leader is the one who allows his followers to set up their individual goals.

He ensures that these personal objectives do not collide with the organizational goals.

See Also: Value Of Discipline In Any Aspect Of Life

3. Nature Of Leadership Implies The Existence Of Followers:

The qualities of leadership get displayed in the followers. Leaders are sometimes followers, too e.g., the supervisor works under a branch head.

So in a formal organization, a leader needs to be a leader as well as a follower.

And he must be able to relate himself both upwards and downwards in the hierarchy.

4. Mutual Interest Between The Leader And Followers:

Leadership is the name of having the same objectives for a leader and his men. His followers must be trying to achieve the goals the same as his goals.

If the leader is chasing one goal and his followers are striving for something else. Then this is not leadership.

Mutual Interest Between The Leader And Followers
Mutual Interest Between The Leader And Followers

5. The Unequal Distribution Of Authority:

Leaders can direct the activities of followers in such a way that the followers get the willingness to obey the orders of a leader.

But the group members cannot direct the leader’s activities. Yet, they can affect a leader’s actions in some ways.

6. A Leader Must Be Exemplary:

A good leader is the one that sets an ideal before his followers. He must stimulate his followers t by his behavior.

To cut a long story short, a leader must set an exemplary standard before his followers.

7. The Priority Of A Leader Must Be An Absolute Justice:

A leader must be impartial. It doesn’t suit an excellent leader to follow the unfair practices. So he should not do favoritism and nepotism.

The Priority Of A Leader Must Be An Absolute Justice
The Priority Of A Leader Must Be An Absolute Justice

A leader must show fair play and absolute justice in his decisions and activities.

8. Leadership Links To Strong Communication:

A leader is the one who can reduce uncertainty. He defines the confusing situations and conveys new meanings.

Conclusion

Leadership is all about influencing others without the use of coercion. The nature of leadership is about the followers accepting the influence.

Although leadership is a God-gifted skill, yet there are some ways to learn leadership.

Self-study, education, training, and experience play a significant role in developing good leaders.

Leaders are sometimes referred to as “charismatic people”. These people stand out from others.

Leadership makes people openly express themselves.

People who are leaders know what they want and can communicate what they want from others. They know how to get cooperation to achieve their goals.

Leadership is so vital that theorists are spending lots of money and attention.

So that they can unlock the secrets of effective leadership.

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Last Updated on 3 years by Shahzaib Arshad

Assma Riaz

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