EXTRACURRICULAR TOPIC 3: LEADERSHIP

Life Skills Topic 3

LEADERSHIP

Meaning of Leadership

The Meaning of Leadership

What is leadership?

Leadership is a process whereby a person who has a dream/ vision and plan maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of the dream.

What is leading? Leadership is everyone’s Business: Any one in anywhere can become a leader with irrespective to the facilities around him/ her.

Are leaders born or acquired? Although it is true that some people are born with great natural gifts than others the ability to lead is really a collection of skills, nearly all of which can be learned and improved, but that process doesn’t happen overnight.

Leadership is about a relationship: Leadership is a relationship between those aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. Leadership requires engaging others.

The best leaders are the best learners: Leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful whether one is in the big office or running a small shop. Skills can be strengthened, and developed.

it takes practice deliberate

• To become a better leader
• There is no such a thing as instant leadership or instant expertise of any kind.
• There is no fast track to excellence.

Leadership is a Desire (an aspiration) and a Choice you make.

You have to make a choice everyday to behave in ways that are consistent with the practices of excellent leadership. Excellent leaders always want to be better than they are. Excellent leaders always want to improve the performance of others.

Excellent leaders always desire to take people to place they have never been.

Leaders makes a difference.

Before you can lead, you have to believe that you can have the positive impact on others.

You have to believe that you matter.

Leadership Vs. Management

Differences between Leadership and Management

Explain the difference between leadership and management

Although you may hear these two terms thrown out interchangeably, they are in fact two very different roles complement each other. Current opinion is that they are concept but they overlap considerably.

Leaders are people who do the right things while managers are peoples who do things right.( Warren Bennis).

Leadership is about coping with changes while management is about coping with complexities ( John Kotter).

Leadership has about it a kinesthetic feel, a sense of movement about it while Management is about handling things about maintaining order, about organization and control ( Kouzes and Posner).

Leaders are concerns about what things mean to people while Managers are concerned about how things get done (Abraham Zaleznik).

Leaders are the architects while Managers are the builders (Jhon Mariotti).

Styles/Forms of Leadership

Forms of Leadership

Explain the forms of leadership

We have three forms of Leadership namely:

• Authoritarian ( Autocratic): This type is used when a leader tell his/ her group what he/she wants to be done and how he/she wants it to be done, without getting the advice of his/her people. They retain most of authority for themselves. They place heavy emphasis on getting tasks accomplished. Some of the appropriate conditions to use authoritarian leadership is when you have a safeth risk, or high impact on a decision being made. Or when the staff do not have requisite skills.
• Democratic ( Participative): Participative leaders shared the decision making with group members. This style involves the leader including one or more group members in determining what to do and how to do it.
• Delegative (Free rein): In this style, the leaders allow the team (or individual) to make the decision. Free –rein leaders turn over virtually all authority and control to the group.

Leadership Values

The Leadership Values

Explain the values of leadership

The important leadership values are;

• Ambitious (Kabambe, Mchapakazi) aspiring, hard working, striving
• Broad- minded (Mwenye mtizamo mpana/mkubwa) open minded, flexible, receptive, tolerant
• Caring (Anayejali, kujijali) appreciative, compassionate, concerned, loving, nurturing
• Competent (Uwezo, Mjuzi/nguli) capable, proficient, effective, gets the job done professional.
• Cooperative (Ushirika, Mwenye ushirikiano) collaborative, team player, responsive
• Courageous (Mwenye uthubutu) bold, darling,fearless, gutsy
• Dependable (anayeweza kutegemewa) reliable, ambitious, (mwenye usongo, mchapakazi) aspiring, hard working, striving, Determined (Kuamua, kuamua kwa kujituma) dedicated, resolute, persistent, purposeful.
• Fair Minded Just, unprejudiced, objective, forgiving,willing to pardon others.
• Forward Looking (kusonga mbele/mtazamo wa mbele) Visionary, foresighted,concerned about.
• Honest (Mwaminifu/ uaminifu) truthful, has integrity, trustworthy, has characters, is trusting.
• Imaginative (Mbunifu au hamu ya ubunifu) creative, innovative, curious
• Independent (huru au anayejitegemea au kujitosheleza au kujiamini) self-reliant, self- sufficient, self confident.
• Inspiring (Mhamasishaji au msukumo au hamu ya utamani) uplifting, energetic, humorous, cheerful, optimistic, postive about future.
• Intelligent (Mwenye akili) Bright, smart, thoughtful, intellectual, reflective, logical
• Loyal (mwaminifu au uaminifu wa kujitolea) faithful, dutiful, devoted.
• Mature (kukomaa, kukua (kimwili au kimawazo)) experienced, wise, has depth.
• Self- Controlled (kujitawala, kujiadabisha au mwenye nidhamu) restained, self- discplined.
• Straightforward (muwazi) direct,candid, forthright.
• Supportive (Anayesaidia) offers assistance, comforting.

Activity 1

My Leadership Values

Name

Date

In the blocks of pyramid, list ten Leadership values you possess.

I think leadership is…………

Leadership skills are important to learn because………..

Some opportunities I have as a leader are……..

My most important values are………..

Values I would like to develop as a leader are………..

Sources of Influence with your Followers

The Sources of Influence

Explain different sources of influence

There are different sources of influence

• Rewards influence
• coercive influence
• Legitimate influence
• expert influence
• referent influence.

Types of Influences

1. Rewards: People comply with the wishes of or directives of another because it produces positive benefits.
2. Coercive: Forcing someone to do something against his or her will.
3. Legitimate: It represent the influence a person receives as the result of his or her position in the organization
4. Expert:Is influence from expertise, special skills, or knowledge that the leader has.When a leader has knowledge and skill that someone else requires, then he has expert influence.
5. Referent Influence:It develop out of administration of another person and a desire to be like that person.

Qualities of a Leader

The Qualities of a Leader

Explain the qualities of a leader

Leaders have to have the following Qualities.

• Envision the Future: A leader always has a future orientation, an eye for what might be. A leader does not just wish for a better future. Instead he/she forms a vision of a better future could be and has a general ideas of how to get there.
• Enlist others to follow: An individual can be a leader only if he/ she has people who are ready to follow by choice. Therefore to be a leader, one has not only to form a vision of a better future, but has to persuade others to come along on the march to that future.
• Foster collaboration Leader negotiates with the followers over what steps they should all take to make it happen. No leader bring about better future on his or her own.
• Empower followers: Teach an individual to fish and you have empowered that person to feed him/herself for a life time.
• Lead by doing: A leader must practice what he/she preaches; he /she walk his/her talk.
• Build commitment to action- The leader knows that if he/she wants to change things, he/ she must make sure that followers have a commitment to the proposed change.
• Recognize contribution and learn from mistakes: A leader knows that to motivate his/her followers, he/she must reward the efforts of his/ her followers. Celebrate accomplishments.
• Foster Conflict Resolutions (win-win)- Effectively handles disagreements and conflicts. Settles disputes by focusing on solving the problems, without offending egos.
• Experiment and take risks: A leader is not afraid of failure, believing that failure is never the end of the road, but merely a stepping stone to eventual success.

• READ TOPIC 4: Effective Communication Skills

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