14 Nature and Characteristics of Leadership in Management -

Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. Efficient leadership has an important contribution to developing the personality of the persons working in the organization.

A leader decides the objectives of the group in business and also ensures, how to achieve the objectives business?

Nature and Characteristics of Leadership

Following are the nature and characteristics of Leadership:

1. General Objects or Goals

In leadership, the leader provides information and defines the general objectives or goals of the organization to his followers.

He provides guidance and directions to them regarding efforts to be made for achieving these.

He also provides knowledge about the measures required for removing the obstacles or problems likely to arise in fulfillment of the objectives of the goals.

Leadership is a process to encourage and take help from others to make efforts enthusiastically to achieve the objectives.

2. It is a Process

Leadership is a process of influencing other persons or groups.

This is a dynamic and continuous process also, because:

The leadership process continuous from the establishment of the enterprise or the organization to its operation.
The management groups go on changing their abilities, qualities, and tendencies, according to the situations.

3. Followers

Followers are prerequisites for leadership.

Hence, followers mean persons who literally follow the orders and directions of the leader.

Without unity of the followers, neither the existence may be thought of, nor the predecided common objectives or goals of the organization may be achieved.

It is noteworthy that the importance of the leader increases with the increase in numbers of the followers.

4. Personal Relations

Leadership, leader, and follower have a personal relationship. The mutual relationship between leader and the followers is active, and not passive.

This relationship is developed by working Together by making collective efforts to achieve the objectives and matual action and reactions.

The leader analyses the collective objectives and takes the group in that direction, which leads to the possibility of easily achieving the objectives.

5. Unity of Interests

The organization, leaders, and followers, on three May, have interest in the institution.

The leadership aims at safeguarding the interest of the all three.

Leadership provides inspiration to people to make efforts willingly for the fulfillment of mutual goals and interests.

6. Effects of Situation

The leadership is affected by various situations also, because a person can achieve success as a leader, in one particular situation, but not in another one.

Besides, the style of leadership may be different in different situations.

7. Integration and Direction of Groups

The leading person integrates his group and inspires it to work in a well-specified manner.

Besides, also gives directions to the group.

8. Combination of Various Qualities

Leadership is a combination of various qualities, like adventure, communication, social awakening, mental capability, motivation ability, self-confidence, etc.

Only by possessing these qualities, the leader is able to get the work done willingly from the group.

Leadership is that quality, by which, various desired functions may be got performed from a group of followers willingly in all situations.

9. Situational Skill and Art

Leadership is a situational skill and art because it is put in use, according to time and circumstances.

Not only that, the methods and styles in consonance with the leadership cannot be made applicable universally in all situations.

10. Ideal Conduct

The leadership influences the followers by presenting ideas through his conduct.

The followers wish that their leading man not only preach ideals But he may also be an ideal person, so that they may follow him.

The followers influenced by the facts like, what he is, what work he does and how does he behave.

11. Mutual Relations

Leadership is a mutual relation, between various factors, like the characteristics of the leader, tendencies of the followers, requirements, like other Personal qualities, characteristics of the organization and external conditions.

12. Maturity Interests

Leader and his followers have their own different interests, but the leadership achieves unity of the interest of both.

Without that, it is so regarded that the leader and his followers are not making efforts for achieving the same objective.

“Leadership is a process to influence people to willingly make efforts for the fulfillment of mutual interests.”

13. Leadership is Different from Management

Leadership is different from management. It may be so explained:

Leadership emerges with the acceptance of other persons, whereas the post of manager is based on the selection, and not on the acceptance of the group.
Leadership is a component of Management, whereas the scope of management is wider than that of leadership.
The tendency of knowing why and how, is seen in leadership, whereas in management, the manager mainly takes interest in the solution of the problems.
‘Power’ is regarded as the basic point of leadership, whereas ‘light’ is the basic point of the management, which it is gets due to the post.
Leadership process is more dynamic, flexible and open, as compared to management, whereas managers are of more organized, systematic and of formal nature than leadership.

14. A Group of Skills

Leadership is a group of human, technical, theoretical and practical skills.

The leadership emerges only by using these skills and abilities in practice.

“Leadership is related to implement knowledge in practice and actions.”

Thus, now you know the nature and characteristics of leadership in business management.