After reading some of the lessons on leadership over the past few weeks I started to sense a pattern. Almost all of the leadership theories make some reference to leadership as influencing followers; but does that mean that the leader must be in a superior rank or position in order to influence others?
The trait approach reference an individual’s character and qualities. This approach is “concerned with which traits leaders exhibit and who has these traits.” (Northouse, 2013, p. 40) The skills approach talks about knowledge and abilities being critical for effective leadership. “Leadership skills are defined as the ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals or objectives.” (Northouse, 2013, p. 44) The situational approach calls for different approaches to best fit the circumstances. “The premise of the theory is that different situations demand different kinds of leadership…a person adapts his or her style to the demands of different situations.” (Northouse, 2013, p. 99)
Time and time again the leadership theories tend to indicate that the leader is influencing, interacting, or persuading followers. What is absent from almost all of the leadership theories discussed is the requirement for the leader to be in a superior or ranking position with regards to the followers. While Northhouse does include areas in his text that discuss interactions with subordinates, there is a clear pattern within the theories that position alone does not make someone a leader.
The U.S. Army defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization.” (United States, 2006, pp. 1-2) Just like with Northouse, the U.S. Army field manual for leadership does not require the leader to be a superior rank. If fact, the manual clearly breaks down leadership into two distinct areas, they are formal leadership and informal leadership.
Formal or legitimate leadership refers to the position an individual holds within an organization. “Formal leadership is granted to individuals by virtue of assignment to positions of responsibility and is a function of rank and experience.” (United States, 2006, pp. 3-8) Informal leadership opens the function of influencing followers up to all individuals within an organization. “Informal leadership is not based on any particular rank or position in the organization hierarchy. It can arise from the knowledge gained from experience and sometimes require initiative on the part of the individual to assume responsibility…therefore, even the most junior member may be able to influence the decision of the highest organizational authority.” (United States, 2006, pp. 3-9)
Looking at leadership from the perspective of influencing is critical. Individuals that limit their perception of leadership to only those in a formal position can miss critical input from informal sources and potentially fail to realize the best possible results for their organization. The label of leader is not attached to the title of manager or subordinate…it is attached to an individual that provides positive influence to achieve an organizational goal.
Works Cited
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership, Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.
United States. (2006, October). Army Leadership: Field Manual 6-22. Washington, D.C., USA: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army.
Nicholas Wernicke says
When dealing with leadership, I believe that it doesn’t have to be a supervisor to be a leader. I have witnessed many individuals who were not considered supervisors act as the leaders of their department. From my own personal, I have witnessed a subordinate, take up the role of leader on several projects, while the supervisor acted as the follower. It wasn’t due to lack of leadership ability by the supervisor, but lack of experience on the project at hand. When dealing with a situation that the supervisor was unfamiliar with, the supervisor took the back seat and allowed the subordinate to take charge and act as the leader for the project. With that being said, I think that leadership isn’t just focused on the supervisor but also the follower and how they can be leaders in different situations.