Princples and theories of leadership:

  1. The importance of and defining leadership in a business, Leadership is a critical component of any successful business. It is the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide a group of people towards a common goal. A good leader should possess a range of qualities, including the ability to communicate effectively, make decisions, delegate tasks, and foster teamwork. Defining leadership in a business context can be challenging as there are various theories and models of leadership. However, a commonly accepted definition of leadership in business is the ability to influence others to achieve the organization's goals. Leadership is important in a business for several reasons. Firstly, a leader provides direction and sets the vision for the organization. Without clear direction, employees may not understand what they are working towards or why their work is essential.

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

Secondly, a leader provides motivation and inspires employees to work towards the organization's goals. A leader who is passionate and enthusiastic about their work can inspire their employees to share their passion and work harder to achieve success.

Thirdly, a leader promotes teamwork and collaboration. Effective leaders encourage collaboration, which fosters creativity and innovation, leading to better solutions and outcomes.

Lastly, a leader is responsible for making decisions and taking action when necessary. A leader should have the ability to analyse and evaluate situations, weigh the options, and make the best decision for the team.

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

In the 21st century, the business environment is complex and constantly changing, and leaders need to be agile and adaptive to navigate these challenges. Here are some leadership theories that can be useful for running a 21st century business and being an agile leader:

-Transformational leadership: This theory emphasizes the importance of inspiring and motivating employees to work towards a common vision. Transformational leaders focus on empowering their employees, promoting innovation, and encouraging creativity. They also provide regular feedback and recognition to their team members, which helps to build trust and foster a positive work environment.

-Situational leadership: This theory emphasizes the importance of adapting leadership style to fit the situation at hand. Situational leaders are able to assess the needs of their team members and adjust their leadership approach accordingly. This flexibility allows them to be agile and responsive to changing circumstances.

-Servant leadership: This theory emphasizes the importance of putting the needs of others first. Servant leaders focus on building strong relationships with their employees, providing support and guidance, and creating a culture of collaboration and teamwork. This approach can be particularly effective in a rapidly changing business environment, as it fosters a sense of shared purpose and encourages employees to work together towards common goals.

-Authentic leadership: This theory emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself as a leader. Authentic leaders are transparent, honest, and open with their team members. They are also self-aware and are able to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. This approach can be particularly effective in a 21st century business environment, where authenticity and transparency are highly valued by employees and customers alike.

-Agile leadership: This theory emphasizes the importance of being flexible and adaptable in the face of uncertainty and change. Agile leaders are able to quickly pivot their strategies and approaches to meet new challenges and opportunities. They also value experimentation and are willing to take calculated risks in order to drive innovation and growth.

-The great man leadership theory is a leadership concept that suggests that great leaders are born with certain innate qualities and characteristics that make them successful. According to this theory, leadership is not something that can be learned or acquired through training or experience, but is instead something that is inherent in certain individuals. The theory suggests that great leaders possess a unique set of characteristics such as intelligence, charisma, confidence, and vision. These qualities enable them to inspire and motivate others to achieve great things, and to make important decisions in times of crisis. While this theory has been popular in the past, it has been criticized for being overly simplistic and for failing to take into account the situational factors that can influence leadership effectiveness. Today, most leadership experts believe that leadership is a complex and dynamic process that is influenced by a wide range of factors, including the context in which it is practiced. By combining these different leadership theories, leaders can develop a holistic approach to leading their teams and running their businesses in the 21st century. This approach will enable them to be agile, responsive, and effective in the face of changing circumstances and evolving business challenges.

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

Attached is a link to a YouTube video that describes a few current and past theories.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtBp0D85LI

click to edit

click to edit

click to edit

  1. While there are many important leadership skills that are needed for leading teams and managing a business, I believe that the single most important skill is effective communication, below is a list of reasons why I think it's important.

-Effective communication involves not just conveying information, but also actively listening to feedback, understanding the needs of team members, and adapting communication styles to suit different situations and individuals.

-Leaders who are able to communicate effectively can inspire and motivate their teams, set clear expectations and goals, and build trust and transparency. They are able to foster a positive work culture where ideas are shared freely, conflicts are resolved constructively, and team members feel valued and supported.

-In addition to communication skills, successful leaders also need to have a strong sense of vision, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to make difficult decisions. However, without effective communication, these skills may not be effectively communicated or executed, making it difficult to lead and manage a business successfully.

click to edit

One of the many leadership ideas that deem important for me as well as the future, also known as the situational leadership theory, contends that certain leadership philosophies are appropriate in various circumstances. These theories of leadership emphasize the need for leaders to modify, alter or change their approach according to the circumstances, which creates an environment of creativity and efficiency.

This leadership theory enables leaders to be flexible and quickly adjust to various circumstances. It facilitates their movement from one stage to the next and equips them with the abilities and information needed to deal with challenging circumstances and again, this is possible through effective communication.

  1. Leadership theories suggest that there are various styles and traits that make someone an effective leader. While every individual has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, here are some general strengths and weaknesses of myself when it comes to leadership theories:

click to edit

Strengths:

-Visionary: Some people have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and are able to communicate it effectively to others. This can be a valuable trait in a leader as it inspires others and creates a shared sense of purpose. Ultimately my strengths as a leader is seeing the end goal and putting steps in place in order for my team to achieve the goal ahead.

-Decisive: Some people are naturally decisive and able to make tough decisions quickly. This can be an asset in a leadership role where decisions need to be made efficiently. This doesn't mean I don't adhere to advice and council from my group members, it just means that I believe in the decision being made is the best for the outcome of the group.

-Strategic: Strategic thinkers are able to see the big picture and identify the steps needed to achieve a goal. This can be valuable in a leadership role where long-term planning is required. This links to both visionary and decisive.

-Empathetic: Leaders who are empathetic are able to understand and relate to the needs of their followers. This can create a sense of trust and make it easier to motivate and inspire others. This one is important because it requires social skills, it requires you to be able to pick up on small ques and use that to lead your team members effectively in order to maintain moral.

click to edit

Weaknesses:

-Micromanaging: Some leaders can be overly controlling and micromanage their team members. This can create a sense of mistrust and demotivate employees. Personally, I prefer to keep a grip on things and that means constantly wanting to be in the loop which can come across as micromanageming.

-lack of experience in the business sector when it comes to management. On the sports field I have led through captaincy from a young age. In church, I was a youth leader for 5 years until I decided it was time for me to be led instead of lead even if it's just for the next two years. However these roles have instilled and grown various characteristics of leadership in me, I am yet to deliver what I know in a business environment, which is why lack of experience is for now, one of my weakness.

In terms of the learning activity we did, the color of leadership style I got was RED. RED LEADERS use their logic-based skills to makesure that groups are being realistic and achievementf ocused. They analyze the team’s goals and actions and decide the best possible way to achieve the goals, given specific conditions and circumstances. Reds do a lot of calculating, analyzing, systematizing, organizing and budgeting. They are great at providing solutions that make the most logical sense.

R

r1

r2

r3

r4