Leadership: Introduction

• Leadership is the art or process of influencing others so that they perform tasks that have been assigned to them in an efficient and effective manner
• The others may be followers, employees or subordinates
• The followers/subordinates/employees have to perform these tasks freely and without being coerced (forced)
• A leader is a person who commands or leads an organisation
• Leaders can either be appointed, selected, voted or emerge as in informal groups
• Their ability to lead may come from their expertise or their personality (charisma)
• Managers are leaders but there is more to management than just leadership
• Managers have both traits and skills
• Traits are qualities or characteristics that leaders naturally have
• Skills are the expertise and abilities that managers have as a result of learning
• Managers have different leadership style
• A leadership style is  a leader’s manner of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people
• There are three distinct leadership styles:
• The autocratic style
• The democratic style
• Laissez-faire

Click on each style to learn more about it

To access more topics go to the O Level Business Notes page