What is Leadership?- Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Good leaders are made not born. Good leaders are agent of change. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

Types of Leadership:-There are four types of leaders-Author- itarian ,Team Leader, Country Club and Impoverished.

Authoritarian Leader ( high task, low relationship):- People who get this rating are very much task oriented and are hard on their workers. There is little or no allowance for co-operation or collaboration.  They are very strong on schedules and expect people to do what they are told without question or debate.  When something goes wrong, they tend to focus on who is to be blamed rather than concentrating on exactly what is wrong and how to prevent it. In fact  they are intolerant of others or what they see as dissent. The authoritarian leaders are not liked and  respected, they are strongly criticized and hated. It is very difficult for their subordinates to contribute or develop.

Team Leader(high task, high relation- ship):- This type of person leads by positive example and endeavors to foster a team environment in which all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. They encourage the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, while also working tirelessly to strengthen the bonds among the various members. They normally form and lead some of the most effective and productive teams.

Country Club Leader( low task, high relationship):- This type of leader uses predominantly reward power to maintain discipline and to encourage the team to accomplish its goals. Conversely, they are almost incapable of employing the more   punitive coercive and legitimate powers. This inabi lity results from fear that using such powers could jeopardize relation- ships with the other team members.

Impoverished Leader( Low task, low relationship ):- A leader who uses a “delegate and disappear” management style is a  an impoverished leader. Since he is not committed to either task accomplishment or maintenance; he essentially allows his team to do whatever it wishes and prefer to detach himself from the team process by allowing the team to suffer from a series of power struggles.

Factors of Leadership:- There are four major factors in leadership-  Follower, Leader, Communication and Situation.

Follower:- Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must  know your sub-ordinates and do attributes.

Leader:- You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the follower, not the leader who determines if a leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed.

Communication:- You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you “set the example”, that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees.

Situation:-  What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style is needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behaviour, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

Essence of Leadership

(i) Adversity :- A leader should make the followers understand that tough times are part of life. He has to sustain their hope and their energy levels to handle the difficult days. Winston Churchill is famous for his courageous leadership as Prime Minister of Great Britain. He successfully led the British people from the brink of defeat during World War II.

(ii) Values:- A leader should be a role model. He has to create hopes. He has to create trust. For this he has to subscribe to a value system, a protocol for behaviour that enhances the confidence, commitment and enthusiasm of the people. Leaders have to  demonstrate their commitment to a value system. Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of truth and non-violence are the best examples.

(iii) Fearless environment:- The leader has to create an environment where any follower can disagree with him without fear or reprisal.

(iv) Integrity:- Strong leadership in adverse times helps to win the trust of the stakeholders, making it more likely that they will stand by you in your hour of need. A leader who dreams of growth and progress, integrity is his most wanted attribute.

(v) Be technically proficient :- As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees’ tasks.

(vi) Train as a team:- Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams … they are just a group of people doing their jobs.

(vii) Two mottos:- In conclusion, keep in mind two Sanskrit sentences: Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (there is no dharma greater than adherence to truth); and Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs). Let these be your motto for good corporate leadership.