Summary
Leadership is one of the topics that does not lose interest and that is talked about a lot today because of the importance that it represents for any organization within the social and political area. It has always been debated whether the leader is born or made, but be it either of the two aspects, the leader is considered a cornerstone within organizations because it is a driving force and generator of value within the organizational mechanism. The leader is that individual who interacts between two individuals of which one of them leads, through factors of personal influence and power, bringing to fruition the activities of a group to achieve a common goal in order to demonstrate that it can be achieved. both for the organization and for each of the people who make it up.
A group should be understood as a small group, a sector of the organization, an organization, etc. Because what is of interest here is leadership in the organizational field, we will use the word "organization" to mean it taken as a whole or any sector or group that comprises it.
As a definition, we have that leadership is the ability to establish direction and influence and align others towards the same goal, motivating and committing them to action and holding them accountable for their performance.
Introduction
It was the year 1904 when the first research on leadership emerges in an experimental way, the main impulses in this field occurred during the First World War, whose interest was to identify the characteristics of leadership and the way in which men rise to managerial positions.
Fred Edward Fiedler mentions to us “… After this time the phenomenon of industrialization occurred which, together with the development of large bureaucratic organizations in business and government activities, caused the need for new leadership”.
Within any organization, individuals who are directly collaborating with a high-level position, such as the manager, usually advance to that position, sometimes because they have a family bond with the owners of the organization; Either this type of practice is applied in politics; Hence, it is mentioned that managerial positions in any of the administrative areas must be awarded to the merit, right, value of the employee and not by birth or link with the higher level.
The first studies on leadership were focused on finding the psychological traits inherent to effective leaders; Characteristics such as intelligence, will, sociability and conditions of authority were the most accepted, but their validation in organizations over time was null.
With the passage of time, the second stage in the study of leadership arises with the theories of the double factor, these study the behavior of the leader in organizations; These theories have as their central axis the authoritarianism-democracy variable, defined as the degree of participation that the boss grants to her subordinates in the search for alternatives and decision-making.
George Elton Mayo who was a social theorist, sociologist and industrial psychologist specializing in the theory of organizations, human relations and the movement for human relations when conducting studies on this topic were crucial for this trend and gave way to endless investigations.
Elton Mayo considered two factors for leadership success, namely, the degree of authoritarianism-democracy and the satisfaction it produced in subordinates. These studies, however, were contradictory since the consistent relationships between the leader's behavior patterns and the performance of the group were not identified, that is, the results varied according to the different environments.
In the second half of the twentieth century, in the decade of the 60's, technological evolution arises, the name given to a theory of science, technology and society studies to describe the historical development of technology, developed by the philosopher Czech Radovan Richta. The expression technological or scientific-technical revolution refers to the technical transformations and their economic and social implications of the third industrial revolution, this revolution brought a drastic change in terms of direction, since the workers of an organization required a higher level of knowledge and skills to handle the new technologies that were taking over the labor sector.It flourishes in the new industry that the leader develops new skills and conditions to achieve the purposes demanded by the new industries, especially in the field of human resources for the management of motivation, organizational climate, etc. With this, it gives rise to what is called situational leadership who takes as an element to influence the effectiveness of leadership.
For an organization to grow it depends to a great extent on the leadership of its leaders. Since organizations depend on the leader, you need to know what aspects of the leader are important. A good leader must meet four conditions within an organization; commitment to the mission, communication of the vision, self-confidence and personal integrity.
It should be considered that the leader not only meets these conditions within a company or organization, the leader also meets certain virtues that will guide him in making good decisions for his staff or work team. These virtues are justice, temperance, fortitude and prudence. It should not be considered that the work of the leader is an easy thing, he must be able to have very good communication and a capacity for integration with his members, it is to make the individuals of the organization release their energy to achieve a common goal. Communication plays a leading role because it allows us to transmit what is inside us as we feel it. And integration allows efficient actions to be carried out jointly and without interruptions.
Fundamentally, leadership consists of a way of being, since the leader is being formed day by day: in passion for the mission, in action and in fundamental values; In addition, the leader must not only delegate responsibilities to his employees but must transmit power to others in a humble way and take into account that he can be substitutable in the organization at any time.
We can then define leadership as a process of interaction between people in which one of them leads, through their personal influence and power, the energies, potentialities and activities of a group, to achieve a common goal in order to transform both the company and the people who collaborate in it
In summary, leadership is important since it is vital for the survival of any organization, as it is the ability of a boss to guide and direct. Any organization has adequate control and planning but due to the lack of its own leader it is difficult to carry out such control and planning among its members.
The primary task of every good leader is that the goals are met in good shape, with the sole purpose of ensuring that they are met. For this they play various leadership approaches in organizations according to their responsibilities in relation to their members of the company, their style of exercising their command varies according to their performance.
Within the basic style is the participatory leader, he is one that is formed by growing psychologically to develop the ability to listen to others; to properly read your needs; to interpret messages well and to take a sincere interest in people's progress. People follow him because they identify with him and it allows them to reconcile their personal goals with those of the organization. This type of leader is characterized by offering encouragement and recognizing achievements; accepts ideas and opinions of the members, has confidence in its collaborators as well as allows the group to make decisions within the prescribed limits. There is also the authoritarian leader, the individual manages a dominant style where the leader makes decisions without the need for the participation of her subordinates,.likewise without having the need to justify them to the members of the organization. She is a dominant, restrictive person and demands obedience from her workers. A third basic style of the leader is the liberal one that is based on a minimal participation of the leader, the freedom is given totally in the group or individual decisions on the part of the members of the company. This leader participates very little in the decisions, he only gives some sketches or brainstorming of what to do, mentioning that if more information is needed, he will give it without mentioning when.freedom is given entirely in group or individual decisions by the members of the company. This leader participates very little in the decisions, he only gives some sketches or brainstorming of what to do, mentioning that if more information is needed, he will give it without mentioning when.freedom is given entirely in group or individual decisions by the members of the company. This leader participates very little in the decisions, he only gives some sketches or brainstorming of what to do, mentioning that if more information is needed, he will give it without mentioning when.
Another style of leader is the autocratic one who assumes all responsibility for decision making, initiating actions and directing its members; this motivates and controls the subordinate; although he has the thought that he alone is capable of carrying it out. For his part, the participatory leader uses consultation, without delegating his right to make final decisions and points out specific guidelines to his subordinates but consulting ideas and opinions.
These leadership styles can be said to be carried out in two ways: The first is formal leadership, this is exercised by individuals who are appointed or on certain occasions elected to occupy certain positions of formal authority within organizations. And secondly, the informal leadership that is exercised by people who come to have an influence thanks to the fact that they have certain special abilities that satisfy the needs of the resources of others.
In order to identify the type of leadership that exists in an organization, we must resort to various theories that will help us to identify the type of leadership that is applied in the company.
John R. Hunt Schermerhorn in his book organizational behavior mentions that leadership focuses on various theories such as: The theory of traits, assumes that there are traits that have a central role in the differentiation between people who are leaders and those who are not. they are. Mention that there are different qualities leaders possess, such as stress tolerance, motivation for power, emotional maturity, self-confidence, and integrity.
For its part, the behaviorist theory is based on the behavior of the leader. It tells us about the behavior that the leader adopts to achieve success, especially in organizations, in this theory it is mentioned that there are leaders concerned about production and leaders concerned about personnel. It is emphasized that people concerned about staff had more productive groups of people; concludes that an adequate leader must have both types of behavior for there to be a balance in the organization.
The theory of situational or contingent perspectives recognizes that the traits and behaviors of a leader can act in conjunction with situational contingencies. It will depend on the situation in which the leader develops, taking into account that she must have a certain behavior, her form will depend on the situation in which she is present at the time. Trait effects will increase according to their relevance to the situational contingencies the leader faces. Traits are sometimes directly related to results, or to the distinction between leaders and those who are not, and can sometimes be noted for their influence on the leader's behavior.
Finally, we will mention about the theory of new perspectives on leadership developed by Bernard Bass where he mentions "transformational leadership" as opposed to "transactional leadership" which is more routine and daily. Transformational leadership achieved its unique effects on subordinates by changing the motivational foundations on which they operate. The transformational leader succeeds in changing the motivational base of the individual from regular motivation to commitment. Transformational leaders elevate followers' desires for achievement and self-development, while at the same time promoting the development of groups and organizations. Instead of responding to the immediate self-interest of followers as a result of the carrot or stick,Transformational leaders awaken in the individual a high knowledge of key issues for the group and the organization, while increasing the confidence of the followers, gradually moving them from interests for existence to interests for achievement, growth and development. Such leaders achieve these results in one or more of the following ways: they are charismatic in the eyes of their followers and are a source of inspiration to them; they can deal individually to meet the needs of each of their subordinates; and they can intellectually stimulate their subordinates. These factors represent the four basic components of transformational leadership.they gradually move them from interests for existence to interests for achievement, growth and development. Such leaders achieve these results in one or more of the following ways: they are charismatic in the eyes of their followers and are a source of inspiration to them; they can deal individually to meet the needs of each of their subordinates; and they can intellectually stimulate their subordinates. These factors represent the four basic components of transformational leadership.they gradually move them from interests for existence to interests for achievement, growth and development. Such leaders achieve these results in one or more of the following ways: they are charismatic in the eyes of their followers and are a source of inspiration to them; they can deal individually to meet the needs of each of their subordinates; and they can intellectually stimulate their subordinates. These factors represent the four basic components of transformational leadership.they can deal individually to meet the needs of each of their subordinates; and they can intellectually stimulate their subordinates. These factors represent the four basic components of transformational leadership.they can deal individually to meet the needs of each of their subordinates; and they can intellectually stimulate their subordinates. These factors represent the four basic components of transformational leadership.
- Idealized Influence, also known as charismatic leadership, has great force among individuals who have a vision and sense of mission; This leader will earn respect, trust and security. Leaders with idealized influence are able to elicit the extra effort required from followers to achieve optimal levels of development and performance. Individualized Consideration. This type of leader focuses on diagnosing the needs and capabilities of the individuals in charge. They diagnose each of the needs and attend to them individually. Also this leader delegates, trains, advises and provides a correct use of feedback for use in the personal development of the members of the organization.They raise the level of need and security of each of their members to acquire higher levels of responsibility. Employee liability not only simply covers their job requirements and performance; on the contrary, workers are acquiring greater responsibility for their personal development, which may include such activities as the challenges of the job itself within their field of work. Intellectual Stimulation: The leader actively encourages a new look at old methods or problems. It encourages creativity, and emphasizes rethinking (rethinking) and reexamining (re-examining) the assumptions underlying each problem. Use intuition as well as more formal logic to solve problems.This type of leader intellectually stimulates each of its members by tackling problems using their own unique and innovative perspectives. Employees become more effective problem solvers with and without the leader's intervention. They become more innovative with respect to their analysis of problems and the strategies they use to solve problems that arise. Inspirational Leadership: Here are leaders who give encouragement, who increase optimism and enthusiasm in each of their areas to position; in addition to communicating to its members their visions of achievable futures with fluidity and security. This leader provides a vision which stimulates the energy to achieve high levels of performance and development within the organization.Employees become more effective problem solvers with and without the leader's intervention. They become more innovative with respect to their analysis of problems and the strategies they use to solve problems that arise. Inspirational Leadership: Here are leaders who give encouragement, who increase optimism and enthusiasm in each of their areas to position; in addition to communicating to its members their visions of achievable futures with fluidity and security. This leader provides a vision which stimulates the energy to achieve high levels of performance and development within the organization.Employees become more effective problem solvers with and without the leader's intervention. They become more innovative with respect to their analysis of problems and the strategies they use to solve problems that arise. Inspirational Leadership: Here are leaders who give encouragement, who increase optimism and enthusiasm in each of their areas to position; in addition to communicating to its members their visions of achievable futures with fluidity and security. This leader provides a vision which stimulates the energy to achieve high levels of performance and development within the organization.Inspirational Leadership: Here are the leaders who give encouragement, who increase optimism and enthusiasm in each of their areas in charge; in addition to communicating to its members their visions of achievable futures with fluidity and security. This leader provides a vision which stimulates the energy to achieve high levels of performance and development within the organization.Inspirational Leadership: Here are the leaders who give encouragement, who increase optimism and enthusiasm in each of their areas in charge; in addition to communicating to its members their visions of achievable futures with fluidity and security. This leader provides a vision which stimulates the energy to achieve high levels of performance and development within the organization.
In these times where organizations continually seek new changes in the organizational field, the most valuable leaders for these new demands are those who can awaken the consciences of subordinates about what they are doing.
Bernard Bass mentions that the leader must change his subordinates in three ways:
1.-Make them aware of how important their work is for the organization so that the goals are achieved.
2.-Make them aware of their own needs for their personal growth, development and achievement.
3.-Motivate them to work well, and think not only of their personal benefit but of the entire organization.
conclusion
Leadership consists of the ability or ability that a person has to influence, induce, encourage or motivate others to carry out certain objectives, with enthusiasm and of their own free will. In the case of a company, leadership is usually applied from a person belonging to a certain hierarchical level to others of a lower hierarchical level, for example, from the business owner to her employees, or from a supervisor or boss to her subordinates. However, leadership can and should also be applied between workers who belong to the same hierarchical level, for example, the leadership that an enthusiastic and proactive worker provides towards his colleagues.
It has been seen that each and every one of the theories that are handled in leadership have strengths, weaknesses and in some cases threats and above all opportunities. Each of them have been applied for some time and others are newly created. Each one can be carried out in your application by evaluating the leadership process that suits the needs of the company.
Improving leadership models will depend on each one of us, and the best way to do this is by applying them; Our country must visualize which models can cover the new demands of how to apply them in the social, political, economic and administrative sphere according to the historical and cultural aspects and characteristics of our Mexico.
I believe that it should start with the application of the situational model since it adapts the situation to which it must respond, taking into account that the leader can let the group he leads act, this model being dynamic and flexible.
The motivation, ability, and experience of each of the workers must be constantly evaluated, in order to determine what combination of styles is most suitable for the flexible and changing conditions that the organization demands. If the style is right, it will not only motivate employees, but it will also serve their professional development. Therefore, the leader who wants to train each of his subordinates, increase their confidence and help them learn their work will have to constantly change style as required by the work environment in the organization.
It should be taken into account that effective leaders must know their staff sufficiently to provide appropriate responses to the demands that the changing skills of their collaborators demand at all times. The leader must remember that individuals and the group develop their own patterns of behavior and ways of operating that the leader may often have to behave differently with each of his members in the company, because many of the times they are in different levels within the organization and their individual training.
We know that the different leadership styles that exist have been applied successfully within organizations, therefore, when such evidence exists, leaders (managers, administrators, directors, etc.) are confused about which style to occupy (authoritarian, democratic, etc.), the decision will be to choose within the range of leadership attitudes which one works best according to the situation that arises.
Our country asks us for successful leaders and to achieve this it will be the one who is clearly aware of these forces that have a greater relevance in relation to their behavior at any given time. He understands himself with precision, the individuals and the group with which he relates; the company and the broad social environment in which it operates. He also estimates the ability of his subordinates to develop.
But this sensitivity, or ability to understand is not enough, so you will have to behave appropriately according to your perceptions. If direction is required, you must direct; if considerable freedom of participation is desirable, it must provide such freedom. It should lead to the application of an accurate evaluation of the forces that determine what behavior on your part would be the most appropriate at a given time in accordance with ethical judgment.
The labor society demands of us new practices within organizations, better skills and characteristics in the business environment compared to leaders. Today we must have a different profile than the one that existed long ago, whose employer only focused on having a greater measure of control and supervision of its employees within an organization. Today, new leaders must be better prepared in all areas to meet the needs of modern companies of the 21st century.
Bibliography
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