Reading: The Leading Function

Business Management for Every Enterprise

Unit 3

The Leading Function

The Need for Leading

In the Leading stage, the Senior Management, Managers, Department Heads, and any other person who is authorized to Direct:

- Establish good communication system to facilitate easy exchange of information and feedback regarding the work.
- Assign work to the subordinates / groups
- Review and monitor the performance and the results  of the work done

Leading Function

Leading can be termed as maximum utilization of the existing manpower in the most effective manner for achievement of goals and objectives.

In the organizational structure which follows a hierarchical pattern, each employee is part of the leading function, where each employee in a higher position directs those who are in subordinate positions. 

The employees are made to realize their own benefits in helping the organization grow

Employees are able to recognize their own contributions in the successful completions of tasks and thus they develop a sense of pride in their achievements. They feel responsible towards their own jobs and are motivated to perform better. 

The person leading subordinates should give equal importance to all those working under them, without giving anybody the sense of being ignored 

Aim & Magnitude of Leading

Leadership & Good Directing

A successful leader must possess leadership qualities along with other abilities to be able to lead employees towards successful completion of the assigned tasks aimed at achieving the objectives. 

Possessing leadership qualities is just an asset and is not essential, because some self-motivated groups / teams do not need a leader to motivate them. They are able to perform their tasks efficiently without a leader.

The Leading function requires the leader to focus and motivate employees to enable them to complete their tasks and achieve organizational objectives.

This also means that a good leader take accountability and responsibility for the failures & errors and guides employees in resolving issues. 

A good leader will facilitate an environment of continuity and momentum and there is flexibility in allowing change. 

Delegating

A key aspect of Leading is proper delegation of tasks among employees at various levels, to enable execution of tasks efficiently and within the defined time.

Steps in Delegation
- Work should be practically achievable
- Tasks should be easy to understand and execute
- Expectations from the work should be expressed in terms of measurable results