Name: Ayesha Saeed

Roll #: 18013005038
Assignment # 2
Organizational Behavior

Submitted To:
DR. TAHIR SAEED
Leadership
DEFINATION

Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and
work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the
ability of a manager to induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.

Leadership is the potential to influence behavior of others. It is also defined as the capacity to
influence a group towards the realization of a goal. Leaders are required to develop future
visions, and to motivate the organizational members to want to achieve the visions. According
to Keith Davis, “Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives
enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards
goals.”

IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP IN MANAGEMENT

Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to

achieve organizational goals. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a
concern.

 It Improves Motivation and Morale: Through dynamic leadership managers can

improve motivation and morale of their subordinates. A good leader influences the
behavior of an individual in such a manner that he voluntarily works towards the
achievement of enterprise goals.
 It Acts as a Motive Power to Group: Leadership serves as a motive power to group
efforts. It leads the group to a higher level of performance through its persistent efforts
and impact on human relations.
 It Acts as an Aid to Authority: The use of authority alone cannot always bring the
desired results. Leadership acts as an aid to authority by influencing, inspiring and
initiating action.
 It is Needed at All Levels of Management: Leadership plays a pivotal role at all levels of
management because in the absence of effective leadership no management can
achieve the desired results.
 It Provides the Basis for Co-operation: Effective leadership increases the understanding
between the subordinates and the management and promotes co-operation among
them.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

Following are the characteristics of a good leader:

 A positive attitude
  A decisive mind
 An empowering character
 A communicative ability
 An empathetic nature
 A learning ability
 Ability to delegate
 Emotional stability

LEADERSHIP FUNCTIONS
Following are the important functions of a leader:
1. Setting Goals:
A leader is expected to perform creative function of laying out goals and policies to persuade
the subordinates to work with zeal and confidence.
2. Organizing:
The second function of a leader is to create and shape the organization on scientific lines by
assigning roles appropriate to individual abilities with the view to make its various components
to operate sensitively towards the achievement of enterprise goals.
3. Initiating Action:
The next function of a leader is to take the initiative in all matters of interest to the group. He
should not depend upon others for decision and judgment. He should float new ideas and his
decisions should reflect original thinking.
4. Co-Ordination:
A leader has to reconcile the interests of the individual members of the group with that of the
organization. He has to ensure voluntary co-operation from the group in realizing the common
objectives.
5. Direction and Motivation:
It is the primary function of a leader to guide and direct his group and motivate people to do
their best in the achievement of desired goals, he should build up confidence and zeal in the
work group.

LEADERSHIP STYLES
Some important leadership styles are as follows:
 Autocratic leadership style: It refers to a leadership style where the leader takes all the
decisions by himself.
 Democratic leadership style: It refers to a style where the leader consults its
subordinates before taking the final decision.
 Laissez-faire or Free-rein leadership style: It refers to a style where the leader gives his
subordinates complete freedom to take the decisions.
OVERVIEW OF THEORIES

1. Trait theory
2. Behavioral theory
o Initiating structure
o Consideration
3. Contingency theory
o The Fiedler Model
4. Situational theory
o Path goal theory
o Leader participation model
5. Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory
6. Charismatic theory
7. Transactional theory
8. Transformational theory

1. Trait Theory:
This theory walks in the footsteps of the Great Man theory in assuming that leaders are born
with traits that make them more suitable for the role of a leader than others who lack those
natural-born traits. As such, the theory pinpoints certain qualities such as
 Intelligence
 Accountability
 Sense of responsibility
 Creativity
 Honesty and integrity
that lets an individual excel at leadership.  This approach focuses on the personal attributes or
traits like leadership emergence and leadership effectiveness. It also assumes that leader is
different from average person in terms of traits like intelligence, ambition and perseverance.

2. Behavioral Theory:
In the Behavioral Theory, the emphasis shifts from the traits or qualities of leaders to their
behaviors and actions. This theory considers effective leadership to be the result of many
learned or acquired skills. It proposes that an individual can learn to become a good leader.
Success can be defined in terms of desirable action. It also depends on cultural differences.
It includes Ohio State Studies:
 Initiating Structure: The extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or
her role and those of subordinates in the search for goal attainment. It involves the
attempt to organize work, work relationship and goals.
 Consideration: The extent to which a leader is likely to have job relationships
characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinates’ ideas, and regard for their
feelings.
 3. Contingency Theory:
This theory proposes that no one way or style of leadership may be applicable to all situations.
In other words, it recognizes that there might be variables influencing any particular situation,
and a leader must choose the right course of action, taking into account those variables. The
best leaders have not only the right traits but also the ability to assess the needs of their
followers, analyze the situation at hand, and act accordingly.
 Fiedler leadership Model: this model was based on premise that a certain leadership
style would be most effective in different types of leadership. To measure leaders style
fielder developed LPC (least preferred co-worker) which has three dimensions;
 Leader member relations
 Task structure
 Position power

4. Situational Theory:
The Situational Theory stresses the importance of situational variables and doesn't consider
anyone's leadership style to be better than the others. The situational theory is a combination
of two factors — the leadership style and the maturity levels of the followers. According to this
theory, different situations demand different styles of leadership and decision-making. Leaders
must act by judging the situation they are facing. 
 Path -goal theory: The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a
leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work environment in
order to achieve a goal. The goal is to increase your employees' motivation,
empowerment, and satisfaction so they become productive members of the
organization.
 Leader participation Model: A leadership theory that provides a set of rules to
determine the form and amount of participative decision making in different situations.

5. Leader member exchange theory:

Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposes that the type of relationship leaders have
with their followers (members of the organization) is the key to understanding how leaders
influence employees. Leaders form different types of relationships with their employees.
 In high-quality LMX relationships, the leader forms a trust-based relationship with the
member like help each other when needed and respect one another.
 In low-quality LMX relationships, the leader and the member have lower levels of trust,
liking, and respect toward each other.

6. Charismatic Theory:
A charismatic leader is an enthusiastic, self-confident leader whose personality and actions
influence people to behave in certain ways. It is partially attributed to genetics and partially to
training and experience. They have following characteristics;
 Vision and articulation
 Personal risk taking
 Sensitivity toward followers
 Unconventional behaviors
 7. Transactional Theory:
Transactional Theories revolve around the role of supervision, organization, and teamwork.
These theories consider rewards and punishments as the basis for leadership actions. This is
one of the oft-used theories in business, and the proponents of this leadership style use
rewards and punishments to motivate employees. 

8. Transformational Theory:
The Transformational Leadership theory focuses on the relationship between the leaders and
followers. This theory talks about the kind of leader who is inspirational and charismatic,
encouraging their followers to transform and become better at a task. Transformational leaders
typically motivate by their ability to show their followers the significance of the task and the
higher good involved in performing it. These leaders are not only focused on the team's
performance but also give individual team members the required push to reach his or her
potential. 

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

1. A leader must lead himself, only then he can lead others. He must be committed on
personal and professional front, and must be responsible. He must be a role model for
others and set an example for them.
2. A leader must boost up the morale of the employees. He should motivate them well so
that they are committed to the organization. He should be well acquainted with them,
have concern for them and encourage them to take initiatives. This will result in more
efficient and effective employees and ensure organizational success.
3. A leader must work as a team. He should always support his team and respect them. He
should not hurt any employee. A true leader should not be too bossy and should not
consider him as the supreme authority. He should realize that he is part of the
organization as a whole.

CONCLUSION
To brief, leadership is the ability to influence others. The one act as a mentor for other in the
organization. He must posse’s leadership skills and qualities like emotional stability and creative
thinking to be a role model for others. Moreover, he leads his team to higher level of
performance in order to achieve goals.

REFERENCES
1. https://www.simplilearn.com/top-leadership-theories-every-manager-should-know-article
2. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/organizational-leadership.htm
3. https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/leadership/leadership-meaning-characteristics-and-
functions/53325#:~:text=Leadership%20is%20the%20ability%20to,self-confidence%20and%2