LDRS 500- Unit 1-LA3
“Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northhouse 2013, p.5).
Northhouse explicit the definition of leadership in four components: (a) process, (b) requires influence, (c) occurs in a group, (d) involves common goals. A process is the transcend event relating to exchange and interactions between leaders and followers; therefore, leaders reside in this context of which implies that “a leader affects and is affected by followers” (Northhouse 2018, p.5). In the sense of this interaction, leadership becomes available to everyone, which emphasizes that power is shared in the process. So, in this regard, is a leader born or made?.
Northhouse 2018, conceptualized the trait viewpoint of leadership as a “property or set of properties possessed to a varying degree by different people” (p.7). Since leadership is a process; therefore, “it can be observed and can be learned” (Northhouse, 2018, p.8). In my opinion, Northhouse elicited that, leaders have skills to communicate and motivate their followers to engage the leader-follower relationship. Hence, Leaders and followers must be understood in this relation to each other and collectively (Northhouse, 2018, p.6).
Leadership dyadic relationship involves “influencing” a “group” of individuals who have a “common goal” and “mutual purpose” to accomplish and satisfy the unmet needs. In this notion, power is tool leaders use to influence their followers. Northhouse (2018), treated “power as relational concerns for both leaders and followers” (p.11). Therefore, paying close attention to leaders who attend and engage their followers in satisfying the unmet needs and accomplish a common goal. To sustain the functionality of the influence and power in a leader-follower relationship, it has to be a bidirectional connection, where the exchange and interaction take place instead of one step deal. Motivation, empowering, communication and trust in this relationship allow both participants to serve and lead. Great leaders strive to enable their followers to grow their potential. Leadership instrument measures the leader’s personal and professional attributes, so if you cant measure, it doesn’t exist.
Do you think leaders are vulnerable in the leadership process? How they react to it?
Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice, Seventh Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 971452203409