What Ensures An Effective Leadership?

The past research on leadership has revealed many of its aspects and has come up with many successful leadership theories and a wide array of leadership styles; however, none of the theory and style could assure the promising success if followed in an organization or even in a department of the organization. The present complex yet intriguing scenario demands a multi-skilled leader, capable of using the variety of leadership styles when dealing with different confronting situations.
Research concludes that it is not only the leadership styles, leadership skills and traits that ensure the effective leadership but, the various situational factors and the interaction between leaders and followers also play an immense part in analyzing the effective leadership.
For the proper analysis of situation and then gradually deciding the style to be implemented; one should judge the situation from different dimensions.

Degree Of Authority
First thing to be assessed is the amount of power a leader is entrusted with in an organization. Such as the degree of financial resources and the expertise available, the deadlines for the particular task and the directions and limitations accompanying the task. The more the leader is allowed to play a free hand by the organization, the better he be able to lead the group properly and obtain the results without the use of autocratic approach.

Nature Of The Task
The nature of the task affects the leadership style too. If the goals are well defined to the followers along with the steps available to be taken, the more easily the best results would be obtained. The good quality can be ensured and the followers could be made responsible as well as rewarded for their tasks. However, if the work is task oriented and the goals are unstructured, there will be room for distractions and, there are high chances that the efforts of followers are not channeled well. Hence, the outcome would not be productive either.

Communication skills
The factors like interpersonal communication skills, mutual understanding and the relationship between the leader and followers are of immense importance to judge the effectiveness of any applied style as the authority exercised by leader and the task to be accomplished are highly under the control of the organization but, here in personal relations and understanding, the leader is totally independent of organization.Hence,if the relations exercised by both the parties are good and are based on mutual understandings, the democratic or participative style can prove to be effective for leadership.

Judging The Most Appropriate Leadership
Considering the authority of leader, the nature of task and the relations between leaders and followers’ one could decide the situation and based on that situation, leadership style and the degree leadership success could be assessed.
If the leader’s power is weak and the task is not clearly defined, along with poor, dotted relations with the followers, the situation is unfavorable. The successful leadership can be ensured by adopting a style that focuses more on task by using autocratic style where, all the decisions are taken solely by leader and the subordinated are directed to do certain tasks. Though, the subordinates would be uncertain of their future but, the maximum results could be achieved by directing the team mates at all steps.
On the other hand, when the situation is extremely favorable such as the power exercised by the leader is maximum, the tasks are articulately defined and, the strong, well-supported relations are established, the leader can focus solely on the attainment of goal by adopting the democratic style which permits the followers to come up with useful suggestions and, they are well integrated in the decision making process too.
However, when the situation is a balance between favorable and unfavorable i.e. moderate; the successful leadership can be achieved when the leader focuses on the relations. Under this situation, the leader should follow employee-centered style where the goals are defined to subordinates and they are given full freedom to do it in the way they want to do. The leader focuses on the human aspect and the goals solely.
The authentic leadership comes when the leader critically analysis the situation well and integrate it with different styles and approaches. Neither the task oriented approach nor the good relationship approach could be effective unless it is well integrated with the true essence of goal. The more amalgamated sort of styles one pursues, the more successful he would be. The things like his confidence on system and the subordinates, the expectations from the subordinates and from the organization play imperative part in determining the leadership success.However, once all the assessments are made carefully, keeping in view the above-mentioned factors and the styles are implemented accordingly, the increase in inclination towards leadership effectiveness can be assured.