Leadership Traits
Atanu Mukherjee
Dy. General Manager (Acad)
Senior Faculty Member
MTI, SAIL1
Ranchi 834 002
What is Leadership?
Leadership is the Ability to Influence
individuals or Groups To Think, Feel and
Take Willingly and Enthusiastically Action to
Achieve Goals.
Leadership is communicating to people their
worth and potential so clearly that they
come to see it in themselves
Definitions of Leadership
Leadership is not about how good I am, but it is
about how good are people because of me
"The only definition of a leader is someone who
has followers." Peter Drucker
"leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing
less." John C Maxwell : Warren
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into
reality. Warren G. Bennis
Characteristics of Superior Leaders
Rank 1 Honest
Rank 2 Competent
Rank 3 Forward-looking
Rank 4 Inspiring
Rank 5 Intelligent
Manager behavior
Emphasizes problem solving, results,
analysis of failure, tasks, control, decision-
making, and decision analysis.
5
Leader behavior
Focuses on creating spirit and
commitment, seeking advice and
feedback, empowering constituents, and
modeling appropriate behavior as symbols
of values and norms.
6
Leadership: The Paradigm
Shift
Manager Leader
Boss Coach and Mentor
Control Empowerment
Short term Focus Long term Focus
Forced change Entrepreneurism
Rules Shared Values
Position Power Relationship Power
Departments Teams
Blaming Collaborating
Key Traits of Successful Leaders
Traits
Traits
Passion Honesty
Honesty
Empathy Achievement
Achievement
Innovation Maturity
Maturity
drive
drive
Key Traits of Successful Leaders
Traits
Traits
Stress
Stress
Courage
Tolerance
Tolerance
Self
Self High
High Energy
Energy
Innovation Commitment
Innovation Commitment
Awareness
Awareness Level
Level
Five Negative
Leadership Traits
Uninformed about the problem being
discussed
Non-participative
Rigid in holding on to their ideas
Authoritarian in bossing others around
Offensive and abusive in language style
The Five Ps of Leadership
Pay attention to whats important
Praise what you want to continue
Punish what you want to stop
Pay for the results you want
Promote those people who deliver
those results
What do Successful leaders do?
SET DIRECTION
(vision, customers, future
DEMONSTRATE
PERSONAL CHARACTER
(habits, integrity, trust, analytical thinking)
MOBILIZE INDIVIDUAL IMPROVE ORGANISATIONAL
COMMITMENT CAPABILITY
(engage others, share power) (build teams, manage change)
The Three Levels of Effectiveness
Foundation 6
Managerial Grid
CountryClub Team
Management Management
ConcernforPeople
MiddleoftheRoad
Management
Impoverished Authoritative
Management Management
ConcernforProduction
(High) THE FOUR LEADERSHIP STYLES
S High Supportive and High Directive and
U Low Directive High Supportive
P Behavior Behavior
P
O
R
T
I
V
E
S3 S2
B
E S4 S1
H
A
V
I
O Low Supportive and High Directive and
R Low Directive Low Supportive
Behavior Behavior
(Low) DIRECTIVE BEHAVIOR (High)
HIGH MODERATE LOW
D4 D3 D2 D1
DEVELOPED DEVELOPING
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OF FOLLOWER(S) 8
An Effective
Leader
Does not listen
Fails to delegate
Does not show respect
Shows no interest in followers
Gives negative feedback to a third party
Does not praise when praise is due
Criticizes in front of others
Takes personal credit for others ideas
Is always taking control
How to Improve Your
Leadership Skills
Skill 1: Think Like a Leader
Identify what is happening
Explain why it is happening
Decide what you are going to do about it.
Skill 2: Use an Appropriate Leadership Style
Leaders usually fit their style to the
situation.
Different leadership styles are appropriate
to different situations.
Continue
Skill 3: Pick the Right Leadership Situation
Gravitate toward leadership situations
that fit your favored leadership style.
Skill 4: Good communication skills
Listen carefully
Ask questions and paraphrase to confirm
Speak slowly and clearly
Have listeners repeat the understanding
of what was said.
Encourage questions.
Continue
Skill 5: Exercise Better Judgment
Decisiveness and good judgment (cognitive
ability) are important leadership traits.
Skill 6: Improve Leadership Traits and Skills
Exhibit self-confidence.
Display honesty and integrity.
Increase your knowledge of the business.
LeadershipPractical
Tips
1. Project energy.
2. Be involved and involve others.
3. Assist evaluation and change for the group.
4. Persuade and persevere.
5. Look beyond the obvious.
6. Maintain perspective.
7. Target energy on success opportunities.
8. Influence cooperative action.
9. Support creativity.
10. Take the initiative.
11. Ignore the negative.
I must first be the change
that I wish to bring about
in my world
M.K.Gandhi
Approaches to
leadership study
The trait (or quality approach) looks for the
distinctive attributes that leaders possess.
Leadership behaviour on the other hand looks
at how leaders carry out the business of
leading and leadership behaviour can be
taught.
Situational Leadership starts from the belief
that leaders change their tactics according to
the situation faced.
Charismatic (inspirational,transformational)
leaders are very evident in history and have
been studied at great lengths.
Leadership Trait
Theory
Trait theory focuses on an individuals personal
attributes.
Six identified leadership traits
Ambition and Energy
Desire to Lead
Honesty and Integrity
Self-confidence
Intelligence
Job-Relevant Knowledge
Just because you have these traits, it does not make you a leader.
Leadership is active and one has to do something (influence others) with it.
Situational Leadership
Hersey and Blanchard
Leader behaviors
High
Participating Selling
S3 S2
Relationship Behavior
Delegating Telling
S4 S1
Low Directive Behavior High
R4 R3 R2 R1
Able and Able, but Unable, but Unable and
willing unwilling willing unwilling
Follower Readiness
Situational Leadership is not something
you do TO people
but something you do WITH people.
Competencies
Emotional Perceiving, assimilating, understanding,
Intelligence and regulating emotions
Truthfulness
Integrity
Translates words into deeds
Inner motivation to pursue goals
Drive
Need for achievement, quest to learn
Leadership High need for socialized power to
Motivation accomplish teams or firms goals
more
Seven Leadership Comp
( Cont)
High self-efficacy regarding ability to
Self-Confidence
lead others
Above average cognitive ability
Intelligence
Can analyse problems/opportunities
Knowledge of Familiar with business environment
the Business Aids intuitive decision making
