Leadership: what is it in psychology, definition of the concept, functions, examples

We can safely say that people are history. Everyone is familiar with names such as A.V. Suvorov, L.N. Tolstoy, Marilyn Monroe or Winston Churchill. Despite the fact that their occupations are completely different, they have one thing in common: all of them, of course, can be called leaders. I will talk about the definition of leadership in psychology: what it is and what concepts exist in this article.

A few words about the concept

This is the ability to organize and captivate a mass of individuals, to make one’s own idea a priority for hundreds and thousands of others, and to single-handedly achieve what seemed impossible.

The lives of celebrities and great figures have been subjected to careful analysis by psychologists, sociologists and political scientists. And based on these studies, skills and abilities were identified that help unlock the potential of an ordinary person and its realization in society.

According to one of the many definitions, leadership is a process of influencing society, when an individual can resort to the help of others in order to achieve common goals. To study such influence, it is necessary to understand who a leader is and what set of qualities he possesses. But we will touch on this topic a little later.

Tip #1: Don't be afraid of not knowing something.

The important thing to remember is to maintain good posture, eye contact, and control your gestures. You should project self-confidence and believe in your ability to take your team from point A to point B. Additionally, you should not be afraid or afraid of situations in which you have to admit your mistakes.

It’s worth imagining a situation where the team leader says “I don’t know,” looks down and gets worried. Such a person is susceptible to the fact that the role of leader will soon pass to someone else, as people will feel uncertainty and fear. Now let’s imagine that the person says: “I don’t know the answer at the moment, but I will look into this question and return to this topic a little later.” Surely this behavior will allow you to maintain your position as a leader. But the feeling of fear of defeat can play a bad joke.

It is important to remember that not knowing something does not make a person a bad leader. In contrast, ineffective leaders refuse to admit when they are wrong.

Essence

Any system related to the socio-economic sphere needs a leader. After all, the main resources for its improvement are the potential, talents, strength and productivity of subordinates, as well as the manifestation of initiative. And all this is put together by those who have leadership qualities.

This feature is an inspiring, tactical and generative aspect in the formation of any group. And in the executive key, his operational, organizational role, designed to “keep the fire going,” comes to the fore.

It can manifest itself in how a person knows how to organize work activities despite the complexity of the tasks, convince employees to achieve goals, form a general picture of the future and maintain motivation to work.

The very concept of “leadership” in psychology comes from the German word “lead”, translated meaning “path”. Therefore, a leader is one who leads and shows direction.

His fundamental responsibility is to help others adapt painlessly and quickly to changing conditions and apply a creative approach to their work. In addition, the property aims to encourage employees to share knowledge, gain skills and experience through corporate courses and training, and develop new skills.

But quality can be of two types:

• formal;
• informal.

In the first case, this is a leader who should be obeyed. It is he who distributes responsibilities among subordinates. But in the second, the impact occurs due to a person’s personal traits. Often such a leader has greater influence on the opinion of the team.

Transformational style

Such a leader tends to use his ideas to inspire other people. This personality is characterized by excellent communication skills. That is, such a person speaks quite clearly to his wards. He expresses his thoughts clearly. It’s not difficult with him, because the team of such a person always knows what he wants.

Types of leadership suggest that such a person tends to delegate his own powers to his wards. He spends a lot of time communicating with his team and gets real pleasure from such pastime. The purpose of such meetings is to raise the collective spirit, unite people, and develop in everyone a sense of the importance of involvement in what is happening.

In addition, the leader draws a lot for himself from such conversations. He understands the thinking of the team, its mood, development trends. This leader is also interested in the emotional side of what is happening. If he observes a lack of enthusiasm in someone, he tries to develop interest.

Varieties

The term “leadership” comes from psychology. This process involves social influence, when a person receives help from others to achieve a common goal. The set of characteristics of a leader depends entirely on what type he belongs to.

The most famous classification identifies the following types:

• Business. Places in teams united by work or production tasks. Here you will need such features as competence, experience, the ability to make quick decisions, as well as authority. The main requirements in this case: productivity and creative thinking.
• Emotional. Characteristic of psychological groups. A person gains weight due to individual sympathies and his own charisma and charm. Such a leader must inspire respect, trust and love among those around him.
• Situational. It can belong to both the first and second categories. Its difference is that it is unstable. Expressed under specific circumstances, such as during an emergency.

But there are also differences in terms of the scale of issues within the competence of a specialist. According to this condition, they distinguish:

• Everyday - in a school or university environment, in leisure organizations, in the family circle.
• Social – sports or creative associations, production or trade union companies.
• Political – figures of the state and society.

Classification based on leader functions

• Organizer. His needs are the needs of the entire group. Therefore, he is active in achieving common goals.
• Fighter. He is characterized by such traits as perseverance, self-confidence, perseverance and developed willpower. He is no doubt entering the fray.
• Creator. Possesses innovative, creative thinking and solves problems of any complexity. He follows a method of communication rather than giving orders.
• Comforter. The strength of such a person is empathy. He treats everyone with respect, shows understanding and empathy.
• Diplomat. The situation is under his control and he masters it down to the smallest detail. This person knows how and on whom he can influence.

It is important that in any society several of the species described above may be present. Each of them takes its place and does not compete with the others.

Psychologist Daria Milai

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Who is an anti-leader

An anti-leader is a person who is in power, but does not have the qualities that can force the crowd to act voluntarily for his interests. His behavior does not inspire respect, and his personality does not inspire sympathy.

The anti-leader stands still, is not ready to develop and change. He is confident in his own rightness and is not able to deviate from the original plan. He does not create his own behavioral strategy, but uses already tested methods. Such a person does not adhere to principles; he easily says one thing and acts differently, without taking into account the opinion of the group. For him, the main thing is that people support him and agree; their point of view is not of interest.

An anti-leader provokes conflicts with his behavior, does not monitor harmony in the team and does not want to reconcile the differences that arise. He does not try to support or help, does not provide explanations, or they are so brief that they are not useful. He simply gives out commands using a controlling approach, and may raise his voice or insult a team member.

Anti-leader

Leadership skills are necessary for a person to find support to achieve a goal. Not everyone can earn the respect and love of the team. Only a confident person who is able to listen and support those around him will earn authority. Constant self-improvement and the ability to think outside the box attract and create a desire to act in the name of a common goal.

Story

The concept of leadership begins in the 20s of the twentieth century. It was then that interest in the control mechanism as a science first appeared. First of all, scientists have discovered the presence of identical properties in the most famous leaders. This is how the “Theory of Great Men” appeared.

But, alas, she did not achieve success, since it turned out to be quite difficult to identify unifying character traits. Of course, among them were the presence of developed intelligence, a broad outlook, and a memorable appearance. But it was still not possible to create a generalized picture, since those who did not have such characteristics still became leaders.

The researchers then came up with the idea of ​​situational focus. It says that one becomes an authority due to certain circumstances. And depending on what the task is, a person with leadership inclinations may change.

F. Feeder, having carried out labor-intensive work, established that the leadership style is associated with the atmosphere prevailing in the team. So, for example, if the situation between employees is favorable, then they perceive the boss kindly, respect him and listen to his opinion. In this case, a goal-oriented leader will be effective. Since the position allows him to be demanding and distribute precise responsibilities. But this scheme also works in the opposite direction, when collective relations are negative.

But at an average level of positivity, the more advantageous option will be when the leader focuses on the relationship between members of the association and the creation of a positive situation.

Behavior

A natural leader is motivated by power, efficiency and goal achievement. I have met many quite successful people in this regard. The love of power allows them to find a way out even in the most dead-end situations. But they are vulnerable precisely in this very power: as soon as they overdo it, people understand their intentions and turn away from them.

Every leader must be able to cope with difficulties; his success depends on it. Models of behavior that he consciously or unconsciously follows help him cope with difficult situations. I'll try to explain it in a not too abstruse way.

1. Competitive model. This model is followed mainly by men. They constantly compete with someone in their actions. They are characterized by aggressiveness, dominance, charisma, egocentrism, and self-sufficiency. It is important for them to have more privileges compared to their subordinates, to differ from them not only in their status, but also in what they can afford.
2. Cooperative. Such people are respected because they did not come to leadership through a “raider seizure of power.” They are communicative, intellectual, aimed at collaborating with everyone who will benefit the whole group. Most often, everything is OK in their personal lives, they are loyal to female and male leadership.
3. Masculine. This is a type of competitive. The leader must be a man, although there are women too, but they are called “a man in a skirt.” They are competitive, sexy (there are only men here, this style does not suit women), dominant, aggressive.
4. Feminine. This model only works if there are no other candidates for the position of manager. As a rule, these are women who were “thrown into the breach” for lack of other candidates. Such leaders have little ability to compete and dominate. They obey more, do not show aggression, and try to come to an agreement with everyone.

Group Leader: Psychology

This person knows how to maintain calm and composure even under very difficult circumstances. He is stress-resistant, productive and quickly makes important decisions. And most importantly, he takes responsibility for his actions.

Its features:

• The ability to move towards a goal. The leader knows what exactly he needs to achieve, and goes towards it despite obstacles and failures. Moreover, he is not going to stop there. If he is determined to get what he wants, then no one can slow him down. Therefore, he has a lot of persistence and perseverance.
• Highly developed intelligence. He regularly has to solve complex problems, think one step ahead and develop strategies for further work. Therefore, he strives to acquire new knowledge not only in the field of professional activity.
• Self-confidence. He should not doubt while moving forward. If a person does not have confidence in his own abilities, then he is unlikely to become the leader of his group. After all, no one will follow a weak individual.
• The ability to unite many like-minded people around you. People do not become authorities on their own; this is a social phenomenon. Therefore, he needs to manage others, to lead them after him. And if this is a good leader, then the work comes out well-coordinated and organized.
• Readiness for change. The leader realizes that everything can change at any moment. Then you will have to adjust plans, make new decisions, and perhaps radically change the methods of self-development and improvement of your team.

But the most important thing in this definition is that a leader in psychology is one who is internally ready to manage others and has an appropriate sense of self.

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Phenomenon

Scientists have long tried to explain what exactly makes people follow a particular individual and ignore others. After all, the social system is created in such a way that it must be led, otherwise it will sooner or later collapse and chaos will ensue.

Society in all eras has needed a competent leader, since a group of people is not able to independently choose the direction for development. It’s much easier for them when there is someone who shows the way and tells them what to do.

What is a manual

The leader is engaged in trying to control and regulate interpersonal relationships in the team. His appearance is spontaneous and depends on the mood in the group.

A manager is the name of a position that gives an individual authority and is appointed from above. This concept is different from the term "leader". But often it is precisely this that includes a greater impact on the masses.

In the activities of a particular company, the boss is involved in drawing up a plan for future work and monitoring the performance of duties by employees. At the same time, the one who has a leadership position directly influences the behavior and emotional component, he knows how to persuade.

Useful books

Today, there is a lot of literature that talks about how to become a leader. Books are most often in the public domain, and you can download them to your computer without any problems. It’s worth considering a good selection that will help you achieve your goal and win a leading position in the team.

So, many experts in the field of personal development recommend reading:

1. Seasons of Life, Jim Rohn. The book is written in a reflective style. She talks about the basic principles of identifying a leader in a team, about people’s behavior and how it affects life and professional activities. Some people say about this book: “This is a textbook that will teach you how to live well.”
2. "The Emperor's Handbook", Marcus Aurelius. As Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius was one of the world's most influential and respected leaders. The Emperor's Handbook is a translation of Aurelius' personal notes on life and leadership. The book will tell you how to become a leader and give advice that a modern person can apply every day.
3. "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini. After 35 years of behavioral research, Dr. Robert Cialdini explains the psychology behind why people say “Yes” and how to apply that knowledge to become a better leader and successful businessperson.
4. True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George and Peter Sims. Former CEO Bill George and co-author Peter Sims explain how they become leaders. The purpose of the book is to convey to the reader a simple idea - you need to obey your inner compass and this will help you achieve your goal.

To summarize, it is worth noting that learning leadership is not difficult. To do this, the main thing is to listen to yourself, understand human nature and put aside all fears and insecurities.

What is the fundamental difference between leadership and management?

The manager manages the process in the company. This includes setting goals, being accountable for completing them, and the overall results of the team. His responsibilities also include monitoring how well his subordinates act.

Often he plays a passive role: there are orders from above - they need to be carried out. But at the same time, he does not think about increasing motivation or stimulating employees.

At the same time, a leader is activity, emotions and respect from the association. Such a person has colossal energy and strives to move forward and achieve more. Not every boss can become like this. The leader chooses like-minded people, but for the manager this point is not important, since his priority is following orders.

comparison table

Authority	Supervisor
Controls interpersonal contact of group members.	Manages only official relations.
Behavior occurs on its own.	Appointment to a position is made by superiors.
Solving pressing problems.	Certain conditions prevent the resolution of difficulties.
Impact on a small association.	Impact on a small cell within a wider system.
Participant of the microenvironment.	Subject of the macroenvironment.

Flexibility

It should be noted that all these types of leadership and management are not perfect. Therefore, the most successful person is called a “flexible leader.” He is able to combine different types of management, guided by the situation. If it is necessary to introduce an authoritarian or democratic style, a flexible leader chooses the most suitable option. This helps achieve the greatest efficiency. And the need for insight and going beyond standard boundaries leads to the choice of a transformational style.

Guided by the proposed specification, it is easy to determine the personal style or type of your leader in the workplace. Knowing the basic characteristics, you can develop the necessary qualities. In this case, you just need to compare the personal characteristics of behavior and the types of leadership described in the article.

Notable Concepts

As I noted earlier, leadership has been studied by various researchers. In this regard, several ideas have been put forward:

• The theory of leadership qualities. Scientists tried to create a generalized image with features common to all famous people.
• Behavior style. It dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when they tried to identify the peculiarities of the actions of leaders in various situations.
• Situational authority. It is necessary to apply those methods that are suitable for specific circumstances.

Gender factors

Many of you have noticed that there are much fewer women among managers. This is largely due to the historical perception that girls cannot hold such positions. But in our world, such views have been revised: more and more women are becoming managers and coping with their responsibilities quite effectively.

Let me highlight a few concepts:

• flow – the sexual aspect is important;
• selection – various requirements are imposed;
• the idea of ​​androgyny - the distinction is based on the presence of signs of femininity or masculinity;
• Freudianism is a negative attitude towards the fact that the leader is a woman.

Problem

Leadership is an expression of willpower and the ability to influence. Such a person always needs to prove his own superiority and fight for power. Otherwise, someone else will take his place.

It’s hard for representatives of both the formal and informal varieties. After all, the first of them are responsible for the functioning of their subordinates, and the second use complex methods of persuasion and try to maintain their authority.

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Who is a leader - definition

This is a person who knows how to control his own emotions and give motivation to others to take action. She sets specific goals for herself, becomes successful and moves forward regardless of the opinions of others.

Signs

Here are the factors that distinguish him from an ordinary individual:

• knows how to make important decisions;
• remains calm when emergency situations arise;
• inspires trust and a desire to obey;
• formulates thoughts well;
• is not afraid of failures and takes them as additional experience;
• knows how to convince.

Qualities table

Feature Category	Description
Physiological	Charm, attractiveness, excellent health and a high degree of productivity.
Psychological	It can be both an introvert and an extrovert. But the main features include healthy ambitions, the desire to have power, a stable psyche, perseverance and perseverance, and courage.
Intelligent	Unconventional thinking, good education, prudence, erudition, versatility.
Business	Organization, discipline, honesty, decency, attentiveness, sociability, diplomacy, ability to compromise.

Functions

This complex is associated with the type of collective, but there is also something in common here:

• regulation of relationships between employees;
• political;
• planning;
• exemption of participants from responsibility (takes the entire impact);
• monitoring and controlling activities.

Examples

Among such people are:

• Henry Ford;
• Franklin Roosevelt;
• IN AND. Lenin;
• W. Churchill;
• Gandhi;
• Martin Luther.

Anti-leader - what is it?

But there always comes a time when someone appears who doesn’t like the current leadership. He will begin to turn the team against the boss and create many problems, including refusal to obey.

Such an individual expresses dissatisfaction with the formal leader and gathers around him supporters of his thoughts. And if his position only strengthens, then the struggle may become a negative aspect.

But the opposite situation also exists: healthy criticism will only improve functioning, point out mistakes and contribute to their quick correction. In any case, if such a threat appears, it is advisable for the manager to transfer this person to another department or fire him completely.

Tip #4: You need to learn how to manage conflicts

If disagreements arise between team members, you need to be able to direct the situation in a peaceful direction. Without knowledge of the intricacies of conflict management, this is almost impossible to do. You need to be able to identify the source of the conflict and take measures to eliminate it.

It is worth considering the situation as an example. At the printing house, there was a conflict between the head of the sales department and the designer, who made a mistake, and the entire batch of books was damaged and not accepted by the customer. Yes, this situation led to some losses. But what should an effective leader do to solve this situation? We need to ask them to calm down, emphasize that it is unacceptable to be angry with each other, and introduce a new system of double checking of circulations. This will not only resolve the current conflict, but will also prevent future problems.

How to help your child develop leadership skills

Let me remind you that a leader is someone who is ready to take responsibility. He clearly sees his own goal and persistently moves towards it. To teach your baby these properties, just use some useful tips:

• Gaining experience. To do this, children must have free space. Don’t try to protect them from mistakes - they need to make mistakes and draw conclusions from it.
• Competitions. But this does not mean that you should focus solely on winning. A true leader must proudly accept defeat.
• Personal obligations. From an early age, a person should realize that all his actions have consequences.