Functions of Leadership
Leadership is the art of influencing the behavior and performance of others for the achievement of common goals. As a leader, a manager has to perform various types of leadership functions. All activities of the organization totally concentrate on the functions of the manager.
Let’s talk about some important roles that a managerial leader plays for the success of an organization.
Goal Determination
Goal determination is the first of leadership functions. As a manager, as a leader of the organization, it is the responsibility of the manager to establish organizational objectives. He determines both the short-term and long-term goals of the organization.
Determination of goals is mental work that needs creativity and vision. To set goals, leaders might take technical and logical aid from skillful persons.
Coordinate Organizational Activities (Coordination)
A leader plays the role of coordinator. Organizational activities are divided into different groups based on their nature. A separate department is created for each work and handed to a responsible person.
Related: Coordination – Definition, Features, Types, and Importance
It is the responsibility of the manager to maintain coordination among all the departments and their activities. It is a must to gain determined goals.
Represent The Organization (Representation)
As a leader, a manager represents his group and also the organization. He makes agreements and contracts with outside organizations and authorities on behalf of the organization. He also represents the organization while participating in meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.
Integrate Objectives (Integration)
A manager plays an important role in integrating both individual and organizational objectives. The workers might see their best performance when they see that their personal objectives will be fulfilled after the attainment of organizational objectives.
It is a function of a leader to develop such an environment where employees perform their work by using their best effort and efficiency, it will become easy to gain organizational objectives.
Direct and Motivate Staff
In this function of leadership, a manager is responsible for implementing plans. After designing the organizational structure, a manager has to divide work among staff and give clear instructions on how to discharge the given responsibilities.
Besides, a manager has to inspire and induce groups and individuals to perform the job efficiently.
Organize Activities
As the head of the organization, a manager has to organize many activities of the enterprise. These activities include production and distribution, which are essential to achieve planned objectives.
At the initial stage, it is essential to identify various types of activities to be performed in the organization. And, again based on their nature, they should be divided into groups and delegated to the responsible employees.
Encourage Teamwork
A sense of teamwork amongst all the people of the organization is a must to realize common objectives. It is the responsibility of the leaders to encourage all the subordinates to work as a group. For this, he has to maintain coordination among all the departments and individuals working in the organization.
Communication
Communication is an important tool for the flow of information in and outside of the organization. The managers provide guidance, instructions, and suggestions to the subordinates through the appropriate means of communication.
Likewise, the manager gets feedback on output and obstacles also through means of information. Thus, it is the responsibility of the manager to develop a proper communication system in the organization.
Take Initiative
Change in organizational structure, procedures, and process of work is a must to adjust to the changing environment of the business. A successful leader always initiates changes by requirements.
While initiating, he should communicate the areas of change by clearing the logical reasons for changes. He should defeat the resistance to change by giving positive impressions of changes in organizational affairs.
Control and Supervision
Control is one of the essential functions of leadership to measure the actual achievement of work with that of planned work and corrective action. For this, it is the responsibility of the manager to supervise the performance of subordinates according to time and situation. Corrective actions should be taken if any defect in the activities is found.