Basic Managerial Roles

Category Role Sample Activities

Inter-personal Figurehead Attending meetings and functions on behalf of team

Leader Encouraging employers to improve productivity

Informational Monitor Scanning environment to stay abreast or ahead of

developments

Denominator Sending memos, emails outlining new initiatives and

programmes

Decisional Spokesperson

Entrepreneur

Making presentations and discussing substantive issues

Developing new ideas for innovation

Disturbance Handler Resolving conflicts between any two team-members and

other Sections

Resource Allocator Reviewing and revising budget requests in view of

prioritized objectives

Negotiator Reaching agreement with third parties for the benefit of

the team

Concepts of Leadership

Getting people from the top to the bottom of

the organization to improve their performance

– affects everyone

Two prevalent myths:

Leaders are born, not made; leadership is a

manifestation of personality

Leadership is a manifestation of personality

Theories of Leadership

Some leaders have emerged and are believed to have some genetic traits that naturally lead them into

leadership roles. This is the Trait Theory. Crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to

the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership

qualities in an ordinary person. Great Events Theory. People can choose to become leaders. People can learn

leadership skills. This is the Transformational Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this guide is based.

Myths About Leadership

EVERYONE CAN BE A

LEADER

PEOPLE WHO GET TO THE

TOP ARE LEADERSLEADERS ARE BORN

NOT TRUE NOT NECESSARILY NOT TRUE

Most people do not

have the self-

knowledge or

authenticity for

leadership

You must want to be a

leader – many talented

employees don’t want

to shoulder the

responsibility. Some

want to devote more

time to their personal

needs

People who make it to

the top may have done

so by other means and

not because of true

qualities of leadership

Real leaders can be

found at every level of

the organization . focus

on their development

has become a critical

contributing factor to

organizational growth

People we describe as

leaders are essentially

the result of their

environment and

experience

“All behaviour is learned

– leadership behaviour is

no exception.

Leadership

Leaders rely on 3 main competencies: Leadership competencies – basic structures , separate leaders from bosses Core competencies – soft or interpersonal skills needed to lead effectively Professional competencies – technical competencies and acumen needed specific to your job.

LEADERSHIP

COMPETENCIES

CORE

COMPETENCIES

PROFESSIONAL

COMPETENCIES

Leadership ability

Visioning

Create and lead teams

Conflict Resolutions

Assess situations quickly

and accurately

Coach and train peers and

team-members

Implement employee

involvement strategies

Teamwork

Communication

Self-motivation and

direction

Creative problem solving

Inter-personal skills

Manage client relationship

Build appropriate

relationships

Flexibility

professionalism

Business acumen

Technical competency

Leadership Framework

BE, KNOW, DO

BE: A professional A professional possessing good character traits

KNOW: Yourself Human nature Your job Your Organization

DO: Provide Direction Implement Motivate

Achieving Effective Balance between Leadership and Management

AS A MANAGER AS A LEADER

Exercise authority over the quality of

work and the conditions under which

it is performed

Your people are your first obligation

You owe your external and internal

customers the highest quality

outputs

You must motivate the team and

contribute to a culture of

achievement

Believe in working with people to

achieve results

Radiate positive energy to influence

your team

Be focus on execution – make things

happen

Create value where it didn’t exist

before

Welcome change – prepare for the

unexpected

A Model for Effective Leadership

Effective Leaders pay attention to three areas of need for members of the team At any time, the emphasis on each may vary but all are interdependent and the leader

must watch all three:

ACHIEVE THE

TASK

DEVELOP THE

TEAM

DEVELOP THE

INDIVIDUAL

Define the task

Make the plan

Allocate work and resources

Control quality and rate of work

Check performance against plan

Maintain discipline

Build team spirit

Encourage, motivate, give a

sense of purpose

Appoint sub-leaders

Ensure communication

within group

Develop the group

Attend to personal problems

Praise individuals

Give status

Recognize and use individual

abilities

Develop the individual

Leadership and Behaviour

Research also shows that there are three underlying ways in

which leadership behaviour is demonstrated:

A focus on task(initiating activities, driving for results,

getting things done by dint of personal effort),

A focus on people (showing concern for people, aiding them

in their development. Being sensitive to interpersonal needs

and relationships)

A focus on system (coordination of activities, integration of

outputs, strategic thinking and action).

Leadership is about accelerating and sustaining performance

Performance Blocking

Blocking behaviours obstruct change, subvert vision

and hinder the achievement of goals and objectives.

They result from:

External pressures and influences. It is not a personality issue.

Frustration, uncertainty, anxiety, threat, belittlement, and lack

of power or control. Blocking behaviour is highly contagious.

Correlation with a feeling of loss of, or lack of, power and

control.

People feeling demeaned or denigrated, thwarted, unvalued

Key Remedy to Performance Blocking(FEEDBACK)

To decrease performance-blocking behaviours, get feedback from people who work closely with you about what you do, when you do it and what effect it has on others. You can't change behaviour until you know exactly what you

are doing now. You must acknowledge and accept what you are doing.

Key Remedy to Performance Blocking(FEEDBACK)

The causes of blocking behaviour may be external,

but the cures are internal. You are the person who has to do something about it.

You should be able to work out what it is that makes you

exhibit blocking behaviour and try to deal with the cause.

Getting rid of the cause is a great deal more effective

than treating the symptom.