leadership

The concept of leadership can broadly be ascribed to mean a situation of controlling or influencing someone or a group of persons towards the achievement of a goal (common or otherwise). This concept is evident in every aspect of human existence both formal and informal from time immemorial. History is replete with this. The oxford dictionary defines leadership as “the action of leading a group of people or an organization, or the ability to do this”& “the state or position of being a leader”. This in essence presupposes that there are conditions which ascribe the position of leadership on someone – The Leader.

Power and Authority are synonymous with the concept of leadership as it is expected that a leader must display either or both characteristics.Thomas Hobbes, defined power as a man's "present means, to obtain some future apparent good" while Authority on the other hand is socially constructed and psychologically accepted right of a leader to lead. The foregoing highlight the importance of the various leadership theory in human endeavor and the critical role it plays in Management of organizations.

To a large extent the success of any organization is dependent on the type of leadership that is has and this is a direct corollary to the power it wields and the authority ascribed to it by subordinates / followers.

Oghenetega Inoni : 29 Feb 2012 20:57 |  Tags: Le |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem