LEADERSHIP
We have covered enough ground to enable us to define leadership as a concept within the context of organization and order. We also need to do so at this point because tomorrow is a very long day.
When the word leadership is mentioned it is often used in reference to a particular leaders approach or personal style. The assumption being that leadership cannot exist apart from the leader. This is not altogether true. The leader is a key influence on group efforts but is really no more than a symbol of leadership. The leaders role is to galvanize leadership within a group or organization, harnessing potential to achieve corporate ends. Leadership can and does exist outside the leader. In fact it is the availability or unavailability of leadership within a group that determines the success or failure of a leader.
If we focused on leaders, our writing would have to concentrate on biographies and individual leader triumphs and tragedies. We would also be forced to distinguish between successful leaders and leaders who have failed. Much as this may make interesting reading, it would not help us identify much about the corporate character of leadership.
LEADERSHIP
Leadership is the (sum total) shared responsibility of all those in authority and control of institutional resources or charged with organizational responsibility to achieve corporate goals. Leadership is a multilevel distributed function. Leadership requires participation and contribution at all organization levels. Leadership is singularly responsible for the achievements of an organization. The responsibility for success or failure of an organized effort rests squarely on leadership. Leadership is a corporate organization responsibility shouldered by all members of that organization.
Leadership implies group participation. To attribute an organizations achievements to a single leader may sound glamorous, but it would deny and not recognize the support that leadership provided. It would deny that the organizational framework managed and controlled by leadership makes any contribution to corporate initiative. Failing to acknowledge group participation would suggest that there is no shared responsibility for success and that the team of people running, managing or organizing are mere adjuncts of the leader having no leadership competence to speak of.
To seek to change an organization by replacing its chief executive would be presumptuous without leadership support. The importance of the contribution of leadership in steering, implementing and realizing objectives cannot be understated. In short leadership is an organization competence or institutional ability quite apart from the leader and the leaders ability to lead.
Leadership is an organizations corporate responsibility for the Determination, Direction, Discipline and Development of its business. Leadership comprises the principles, the process and the practice of participation in corporate affairs by every member of the organization. Leadership sums up the total contribution of each member to the success of the whole. Leadership performance can be evaluated by the effect, impact or efficiency of the organization in its environment.
LEADERS & LEADERSHIP
Leaders are singular. Leadership is corporate. Though the influence of leaders can be immense their impact cannot be realized without corporate leadership. Leadership is essential for organization continuity and growth. Leaders are transitory (replaceable) and can be fairly evaluated for specific interventions and periodic choice of direction. But an organizations success is due to the contribution and participation of its corporate leadership in performing its social responsibility.
THE LEADER
The leader is a critical element of leadership but not its core. The leader is a symbol of leadership and not the source of it. The leader is a leadership facilitator but not the force of it. The leader is instrumental to accessing leadership. The leader can stand in the way of leadership and can also be opposed and withstood by leadership. Leaders can dominate leadership and vice versa. A great deal of attention is paid to the symbolism of the leader perhaps because of the magnetism and glamour of the power, pomp and privilege of the position.
LEADERSHIP ELEMENTS
The leader handles authority and power supported by systems and structure with the participation of the people in the organization. Weakness in any one box will destabilize leadership and will eventually incapacitate the organization. Over emphasis in any one box will render the organization vulnerable to instability and unsatisfactory performance. Leadership requires balance in the leadership box to avoid a mismatch between organization potential and performance. Leadership is required to turn organization capacity into ability and resources into results
LEADERSHIP AND AFRICA
In talking about Africa we can talk about leadership because we will be examining Africa’s corporate achievements. The role and performance of leadership in Africa can be evaluated against these achievements. Examining the influence of the leader in the achievements of leadership will be important (in some instances crucial) to understanding Africa’s current leadership dynamics. We will not concern ourselves with the character, charisma, competence or contribution of individual leaders; our emphasis will be to evaluate the leadership elements that affect the performance of leadership in Africa.