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8
THE NATURE OF LEADERSHIP
An essential part of management is co-ordinating the activities of people and guiding their efforts towards the goals and objectives of the organisation. This involves the process of leadership and the choice of an appropriate form of action and behaviour. Leadership is a central feature of organisational performance. The manager must understand the nature of leadership influence and factors which determine relationships with other people, and the effectiveness of the leadership relationship. In the twenty-first century, leaders must create an atmosphere in which people believe in strategy, believe in management decisions, and believe in their work. Once people believe in management decisions, there is an excitement within an organization. Such an atmosphere makes an organization prosper. Successful leaders create this sort of environment both inside and outside the organization.
Subir Chowdhury
Management 21C, Financial Times Prentice Hall (2000)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing of this chapter you should be able to: explain the meaning and importance of leadership in work organisations; contrast patterns of managerial leadership and main approaches to and studies of leadership; detail the nature of managerial leadership and the exercise of leadership power and influence; examine leadership as an aspect of behaviour, and different styles of leadership; assess contingency theories of leadership and situational factors which determine the characteristics of leadership; evaluate the nature and main components of transformational leadership and inspirational leadership; review the variables which determine effective managerial leadership and development.
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CHAPTER 8 THE NATURE OF LEADERSHIP
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THE MEANING OF LEADERSHIP
There are many ways of looking at leadership and many interpretations of its meaning. Leadership might be interpreted in...