Exploring the Leadership Role - Setting Direction That Others Will Follow to Achieve Results

The leadership role provides direction throughcompetence of followers. An enterprise cannot
values, mission, vision and teamwork to transformgrow unless it develops future leaders.
innovative ideas into value.The leadership role is performed within the
The role enables either formal or informalcontext of planning and policy development,
agreements between leaders and followers to bedeployment, and performance measurement
reached, including employees, customers, suppliers,activities. It comprises self-motivation, aspirational
and investors. If the vision is compelling enough,leadership, inspirational leadership, and establishing
members of all constituencies will follow, includingan environment for motivating others.
regulators and competitors.Self-motivation - developing enthusiasm for an
When agreements are negotiated, there is ainnovative idea and/or commitment to values:
clearer understanding of direction and what is both- Positive attitude
required and expected. Both parties may have to- Ambition
make trade-offs to reach a negotiated- Confidence
agreement. Agreements affect culture and- Commitment
morale. Culture results from knowledge and skills- Self assessment
learned from leaders and role models thatAspirational leadership - establishing the mindset
determine shared values, attitudes, behaviors, andfor communications:
beliefs. Culture influences future behaviors. Morale- Values and guiding principles
is the willingness to maintain beliefs in values,- Mission
mission, and vision.- Vision
The leadership role is performed at two levels:- Value proposition
- Macro level - transformational: enacting change inInspirational leadership - communicating to and
the environment within which the enterprisebuilding relationships with followers:
operates, or within the enterprise itself, or both- Attracting and acquiring
- Micro level - transactional: the relationship- Expanding
between a leader and a follower in task- Maintaining
accomplishment- Retaining
Transformational leaders influence results from- Focusing
followers, as individuals and in teams, by changingEstablishing an environment for motivating others:
their aspirations, wants and needs, objectives and- Influencing the motion to action
goals, and by affirming shared values, mission,- Enabling followers to motivate themselves
vision and learning.The consequence of effective leadership is that
Transactional leaders are either power-centric orfollowers achieve the intended results through
empowering. Power-centric leaders use atheir own self-motivation.
command and control oriented approach, whereThe leadership role sets direction that others will
results are delivered to order with rewards, orfollow to achieve results in conjunction with the
else punishments are inflicted. By contrast,entrepreneurial and managerial roles. The
empowering leaders develop successors through aleadership role is an enterpriship (entrepreneurship,
process of migrating from a directive style to aleadership, and management) competency.
supportive style based upon the commitment and