Factors Influencing Leadership effectiveness
Identification of situational factors within the work environs and the choice of appropriate leadership style is the essence of effective leadership.The following factors influences leader effectiveness in different work situations: -
1. Leader personality and past experiences:- managers value background and experiences will affect his or her choice of leadership styles. A manager who has had success in exercising little supervision or values the self-fulfilment needs of subordinates may adopt an employee-oriented style of leadership. A manger who distrusts subordinates or who simply likes to manage all work activities may adopt a more authoritarian role.
2. Expectation of superiors:- a superior who favours task oriented leadership may cause a manager to adopt that style of leadership. A superior who favours an employee-oriented style on the other hand may encourage the manager to adopt the employee-oriented leadership.
3. Subordinates characteristics and expectations:- the response of subordinates to managers will be subordinates characteristics in terms of skills and training influence the mangers choice of style. Highly capable employee would normally require less directly approach. The expectation of subordinates is another factor in determining how appropriate a particular style will be. Subordinates who have employee centred managers in the past may expect a new manager to have similar style and may react negatively to authoritarian leadership.
4. Tasks requirements: Jobs that precise instructions are to be followed demand more task oriented style than jobs whose operating procedures can be left largely to the individual employees e.g. University teaching.
5. Organisational climate and policy the “personality” or climate of an organisation influences the expectations and behaviours of organisation members.
In organisations where climate and policies encourage strict accountability for expenses and results, managers usually supervise and control subordinates tightly.
6. Peer expectation and behaviours: - Ones fellow managers so as not to appear odd. Also conformance to their expectations is required.
CONCLUSION
A leader performs many functions which greatly determine the success of the organization. Some of these functions include arbitrating, catalyzing, representing, inspiring, praising, providing security and supplying objectives.
To be able to accomplish these functions the leader requires certain skills. Any skill that a manager has acquired serves to increase his leadership abilities. Included are technical skills, human skills, and conceptional skills.
The most appropriate leadership style depends on the situation, the leader himself, his subordinates and the organization.
Leaders in Kenya for instance must be aware of the environmental circumstances faced by their employees. These circumstances are of economic, political, social, cultural, educational, religious and geographical nature. These the manager must consider when leading his people.