“Leadership is both a process and a property. As a process, leadership involves the use of
non-coercive influence. As a property, leadership is the set of characteristics attributed to
someone who is perceived to use influence successfully.” (Moorhead and Griffin,
1998:352)
I would like to start by saying that despite numerous definitions leadership is the creative
process of leading people, making them do what perhaps they do not want to do, but do it
with pleasure. Leadership has numerous approaches and thus is represented by numerous
theories starting with the theory of traits and behaviors and ending with the modern
contingency theory and the transformational approaches. The following essay will explore
behavioral theories in greater detail.
One should not forget that leadership is related to motivation and interpersonal behaviour
within the organization. Effective leadership involves delegation of authority to the
subordinates in a dynamic manner. Leadership assists the managers in the preparation of
the teams for the better achievement.
When looking at any organization, it is of importance to note that there are some people
who would show some ‘leadership signs’ while others won’t. Still, despite the common
belief, leadership does not always have to be associated with the organizational conflict
but rather the special wit of people like Gandhi, Napoleon, Lenin, or George Washington.
These people make us understand that there are numerous instances when the decisions
and participation of one important person is vital. These people have some outstanding
qualities that allow them to know what can be done, when and how.