Unit III

Leadership & Influence Process

Leadership involves influencing task objectives and strategies, influencing.

Commitment and compliance in task behavior to achieve these objectives, influencing group
maintenance and identification and influencing the culture of an organization.

Concept of Leadership

Some of the widely accepted definitions of leadership are as follows:

• According to George R Terry, “Leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive

willingly for group objectives.”

• Robert Tannen baum, Irving R. Wechsler and Fred Massarik define leadership as
“interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and directed through the communication
process, toward the attainment of a specialized goal or goals.”

• Harold Koontz and Heinz Weihrich have defined leadership as the art or process of
influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically towards the achievement
of group goals.

Definition of Manager

A manager is a professional who takes a leadership role in an organization and manages a

team of employees. Often, managers are responsible for managing a specific department in their
company. There are many types of managers, but they usually have duties like conducting
performance reviews and making decisions. Managers are often the line of communication
between a company's employees and its high-level executives.

Responsibilities of Manager

 Leading a team
 Training employees
 Making decisions
 Managing conflicts
 Conducting performance reviews
 Managing their department's budget
 Hiring new employees

Management versus Leadership

Managers have to be leaders, and leaders are often, but not always, managers. But a
distinction can be made between the processes of management and leadership. Management is

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concerned with achieving results by effectively obtaining, deploying, utilizing and controlling all
the resources required, namely people, money, facilities, plant and equipment, information and
knowledge. Leadership focuses on the most important resource, namely people. It is the process
of developing and communicating a vision for the future, motivating people and gaining their
commitment and engagement. According to Bennis and Nanus, “Managers do things right,
leaders do the right thing.” (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005,) The distinctions between leadership
and management as proposed by Kotter are summarized below.

Leadership Manager

Establishing direction: vision of the future, Plans & budgets; decide actions and
develop strategies for change to achieve goals timetables, allocate resources.

Aligning people: communicate vision and Organizing & Staffing: decide structure and
strategy, influence creation of teams which allocate staff, develop policies, procedures and
accept validity of goals. monitoring.

Motivating and inspiring: energize people to Control & problem solving: monitor results
overcome obstacles, satisfy human needs. against plan and take corrective actions.

Motivating and inspiring: energize people to Control & problem solving: monitor results
overcome obstacles, satisfy human needs against plan and take corrective actions.

Outcomes: Produces positive and sometimes Produces order, consistency and predictability
dramatic changes.

According to Mintzberg, leadership is one of the interpersonal roles. Mintzberg’s

research suggested that, in practice, the distinction between leadership and management is
blurred. The roles overlap. Leadership is one dimension of a multi-faceted management role. The
effective manager requires at least some leadership qualities. The neat conceptual distinction
between leader and manager does not translate neatly into practice

Leadership Styles

The three common leadership styles are:

 Autocratic leadership involves centralized decision making, with the leader making
decisions and using power to command and control others.
 Democratic leadership is participatory, and authority is delegated to others. The
democratic leader uses expert power and the power base afforded by having close,
personal relationships to be influential.
 Laissez-faire leadership is passive and permissive, and the leader defers decision making.

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Trait Approaches:

Trait Approach

This theory as described by Kelly (1974) attempts to classify what personal

characteristics such as physical, personality and mental, are associated with leadership success.
Trait theory relies on research that relates various traits to the success of a leader. A lengthy list
of traits has been made to describe an effective leader in terms of certain characteristics. A broad
classification of six categories of traits is given below:

1. Physical characteristics of the leader, such as age, height, weight.

2. Background characteristics-education, social status, mobility and experience.

3. Intelligence-ability, judgment, knowledge.

4. Personality-aggressiveness, alertness, dominance, decisiveness, enthusiasm, extroversion,

independence, self-confidence, authoritarianism.

5. Task-oriented characteristics-achievement needs responsibility, initiative, and persistence.

6. Social characteristics-supervisory ability, cooperativeness, popularity, prestige, tact,

diplomacy.

These characteristics according to some people are considered valid indicators of

successful leaders, but if you compare leaders by various physical personality and intelligence
traits, you may find very little agreement on these. Some findings point out to the fact that
leaders are intelligent individuals. But they do not provide any clue as to whether leaders are
brighter than their followers or are as close to them in intelligence. Again, some of the
personality traits are overlapping with each other. Therefore, you need to be cautious in stating,
personality or any other characteristic as a cause of successful leadership. You must ask the
questions: Who is a successful leader? Is he far superior physically? Is he far brighter? Is he
more mature as a person? Is he more motivated to achieve his goal? Does he have more
consideration for his followers? etc. Some of the traits may describe a successful leader but
predicting successful leaders on the basis of traits alone is not a correct approach. The followers
have a significant effect on the job accomplished by the leader. Trait theory completely ignores
the followers and the situations that also help a leader to be successful. Secondly, we should also
weigh in our own mind, which of the objectives, ‘confident’ or ‘independent’ or ‘intelligent’ is
relatively more important in becoming a, successful leader. You may observe one or all the
above traits as important in ' a successful leader whereas your friend may feel that an
enthusiastic, aggressive and authoritarian person is a good leader. To be more objective, traits of
the person as well as demand of the situation together determine the effectiveness of the leader.

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Behavioural Approach

Behavioral Model According to this model a leader behaves according to certain role
expectations of the group. According to these role expectations, traditional leadership theorists
say that every leader can be identified by one of the four basic styles.

a) Democratic-the leader is a catalyst for group decision-making and shared responsibility (Lal
Bahadur Shastri).

b) Laissez Faire-the leader leaves all decision making and responsibility to the group.
Uninvolved (King Farouk).

c) Autocratic-takes all decisions and assigns all responsibility to himself (Aurangzeb, Tipu,
Ashoka, Shah Jahan). d) Benevolent autocratic-a paternalistic leader. 'You do what I say; I know
what is best for you'.

We see the behavioral model as a combination of trait and behavioral theories, viewed
in rather static tens of role expectations. The leadership style comes from the basic temperament
of the leader and the nature of the groups the leads. This approach was an improvement on the
trait model in that it added the expectations of the group members, not relying solely on the
leader's importance. The behavioral model takes into consideration not only the leader's qualities
but also the leader’s attitudes and response to the group's needs and expectations. However, this
model was also found wanting in that it did not consider how the followers perceive them.
Leader’s attitudes and his responses, nor the effect of the environment which is unique to each
situation.

Power and influence approach

Leadership Power

Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others with or without resistance by
using a variety of tactics to push or prompt action.

Power is the ability to get things done. People with power are able to influence others
behavior to achieve a goal or objective. Others may resist attempts to make them do certain
things, but an effective leader is able to overcome that resistance. Although people may regard
power as evil or corrupt, power is a fact of organizational life and in itself is neither good nor
bad. Leaders can use power to benefit others or to constrain them, to serve the organization’s
goals or to undermine them.

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The Six Sources of Power

Power comes from several sources, each of which has different effects on the targets of that
power. Some derive from individual characteristics; others draw on aspects of an organization’s
structure. Six types of power are legitimate, referent, expert, reward, coercive, and informational.

Legitimate Power

Also called “positional power,” this is the power individuals have from their role and status
within an organization. Legitimate power usually involves formal authority delegated to the
holder of the position.

Referent Power

Referent power comes from the ability of individuals to attract others and build their loyalty. It is
based on the personality and interpersonal skills of the power holder. A person may be admired
because of a specific personal trait, such as charisma or like ability, and these positive feelings
become the basis for interpersonal influence.

Expert Power

Expert power draws from a person’s skills and knowledge and is especially potent when an
organization has a high need for them. Narrower than most sources of power, the power of an
expert typically applies only in the specific area of the person’s expertise and credibility.

Reward Power

Reward power comes from the ability to confer valued material rewards or create other positive
incentives. It refers to the degree to which the individual can provide external motivation to
others through benefits or gifts. In an organization, this motivation may include promotions,
increases in pay, or extra time off.

Coercive Power

Coercive power is the threat and application of sanctions and other negative consequences. These
can include direct punishment or the withholding of desired resources or rewards. Coercive
power relies on fear to induce compliance.

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Informational Power

Informational power comes from access to facts and knowledge that others find useful or
valuable. That access can indicate relationships with other power holders and convey status that
creates a positive impression. Informational power offers advantages in building credibility and
rational persuasion. It may also serve as the basis for beneficial exchanges with others who seek
that information.

All of these sources and uses of power can be combined to achieve a single aim, and individuals
can often draw on more than one of them. In fact, the more sources of power to which a person
has access, the greater the individual’s overall power and ability to get things done.

Influence of leadership

Persuasion

The art of rational persuasion allows you to use rational, logical arguments to explain your point
of view.
Instead of telling someone to do something because you’re in charge and you said so, you can
persuade them that this is the best course of action to take.

Collaboration

As an influence technique, you can provide support to your subordinates, so they have more
reason to commit to a task.
When you collaborate with your team, they see a committed leader which ultimately gives them
more reason to commit on their own.

Inspiration

Model the behavior you'd like to see from your team and explain how the outcome you want is
linked to what the members of your team value.
Instead of telling your team to act a certain way, start acting this way yourself. Remind them that
this behavior can help you all achieve a common goal.

Consultation

You can help members of your team become more motivated and committed to a common issue
or task by asking for input or advice from them.
By asking to consult with members of your team, you show that you value their input, which
gives them more reason to fully commit to their work.

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Leader Member Exchange Theory

The leader-member exchange theory is a concept that examines the relationship between
management and employees. It evaluates the effectiveness of these relationships and determines
how they directly influence the growth and productivity of each employee. Also known as
Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory or LMX, this theory has been around since the 1970s and is
prevalent in organizations across various industries.

Consider these three core elements of the leadership theory:

Leader: LMX theorists focus on dyadic relationships (i.e., two-way relationships)

between a supervisor and each of their employees. When the leader has mutual respect
for their in-group team members, they’re more likely to all perform more effective work
together. The opposite is true for out-group team members—leaders might take a more
detached, disinterested leadership style for these employees if they feel they don’t work
as hard as the in-group. In reaction, out-group members feel less and less of an urge to do
high-performing work for the leader.

In-group: An in-group leader-member exchange relationship features high-quality

Exchanges between both the leader and the employee. This might exhibit itself through
greater organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) from the team member as well as in
increased focus and interest from the supervisor. In-groups are high-performing and
desire to perform even more exceptionally due to the favor the leader has bestowed on
them.

Out-group: If an employee has a lack of mutual trust with their supervisor, it’s likely
they’re one of the out-group members in their supervisor’s mind. This might lead to a
greater turnover intention among these members, as well as lower job satisfaction and
less interest in performing to the best of their abilities.

Situational Approach
Situational Approach / life cycle theory of leadership (fiedler Hersen, Ken Blanchard 1970)
Situational leadership is a style in which the leader or the manager must adjust his style to
match the development level of the followers he is leading.

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 1) Telling or Directing Style: - This is autocratic style focused on high task/ low
relationship. Leader defines the roles of followers and tell them what, when, where, and
how to do different task. One way communication flows from the leader to the followers.
2) Selling/Coaching Style: - The leader behavior is high task / high relationship. Leaders
provide information and direction, but their more communication with followers. Leader
try to ‘sell’ their message to the followers to make them understand what is important for
the organization.
3) Participating Style: - is high relationship / low task focus. Leader focused more on the
relationship and people and less on direction. The followers is empowered to make many
of the decisions since he has the knowledge to so. High level of trust and communication
between the leader and the follower.
4) Delegating style: - It is considered as low relationship / low task. Leader passes most of
the responsibility on to the followers. The leader still monitors progress but they are less
involved in decision. The style involves letting run their own show.

Path goal theory (House 1971)

The path-goal theory of leadership says that a leader's style, traits and behaviors influence
team productivity, motivation and satisfaction. Path-goal theory assumes that a leader
complements their employees and can compensate for their shortcomings. Effective leaders,
according to this theory, give their employees a clear path to follow to achieve goals, removing
challenges and obstacles. The theory provides guidance for ways leaders can encourage and
support employees in reaching their goals.

Path-goal theory identifies four key types of leadership behavior:-

1. Achievement-oriented

With this type of leadership style, the leader focuses on encouraging excellence by setting
challenging goals. Leaders encourage employees to pursue their highest level of performance
and the leader trusts their ability to handle this. The leader encourages employees to display
excellent work achievements and be continually improving. Employees who are comfortable
working fully independently and have strong problem-solving skills are suitable for this type of
management.

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2. Directive path-goal clarifying

In directive leadership, the leader provides employees with clear guidelines for the processes
and expectations for them, as well as how they should best carry out tasks. This style of
leadership aims to reduce ambiguity in job functions and clarify work processes.
This can give employees a higher level of certainty regarding procedures, policies and rules.
Leaders define the relationship between performance goals and rewards, including pay increases
and promotions, explicitly to promote clarity and transparency. With this style of leadership,
leaders supervise employees closely, which makes it most appropriate for inexperienced
employees who need guidance and to be checked on regularly.

3. Supportive

With supportive leadership, the leader pays attention to the needs and well-being of
employees and makes work pleasant for them by being friendly and empathetic. Leaders who
operate under this style treat employees with respect and offer support when needed. This
management style is useful when employees have personal problems or need a boost in
motivation or confidence.

4. Participative

This type of leadership behavior involves consulting with employees on important

decisions related to work, task goals and paths to reach goals, enabling the employee to be
directly involved in the decision-making process. This typically results in the employee exerting
greater effort to achieve the goals they selected. Leaders often use this style of leadership when
employees are highly involved or have specialist knowledge. In these situations, their insight can
be invaluable to the leader.

Transformational and Charismatic Leadership

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those
who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate.
Transformational leaders take control of situations by conveying a clear vision of the group's
goals. These leaders have a marked passion for the work and an ability to make the rest of the
group feel recharged and energized.

Transformational leaders focus on helping members of the group support one another and
provide them with the support, guidance, and inspiration they need to work hard, perform well,

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and stay loyal to the group. The primary goals of transformational leadership are to inspire
growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in group members.

Components of Transformational Leadership

The four main elements of transformational leadership are:

1. Intellectual stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo;
they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to
explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.
2. Individualized consideration: Transformational leadership also involves supporting and
encouraging individual followers. To foster supportive relationships, transformational
leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so
that leaders can offer immediate recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.
3. Inspirational motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they can
articulate to followers. These leaders can also help followers experience the same passion
and motivation to fulfill these goals.
4. Idealized influence: The transformational leader serves as a role model for followers.
Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and
internalize their ideals.

Effects of Transformational Leadership

Better performance: Those led by transformational individuals have better performance and are
more satisfied than those in groups with different types of leaders.

Better well-being: Employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in

their employers also reported higher levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after
researchers controlled for factors linked to well-being, such as job strain, education, and age.

Sense of empowerment: This is attributed to the fact that transformational leaders believe that

their followers can do their best, leading group members to feel inspired and empowered.

Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leadership is defined by a leader who uses his or her communication skills,
persuasiveness, and charm to influence others. Charismatic leaders, given their ability to connect

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with people on a deep level, are especially valuable within organizations that are facing a crisis
or are struggling to move forward.

The characteristics

Every charismatic leader looks a little bit different. However, there are many key
characteristics that most charismatic leaders share:

 Strong communicator
 Empathetic and relatable
 Confident
 Motivational
 Engaging and charming
 Optimistic

How to apply charismatic leadership

As we mentioned before, one of the potential pitfalls of charismatic leadership is its

tendency to focus too much on the leader instead of the people. To prevent this from happening,
and to maximize the potential of this leadership style, we recommend taking the following steps:

 Practice vulnerability

A common negative association with charismatic leaders is that they’re not authentic. To
combat this, we recommend practicing vulnerability. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that
you always need to be perfect or demonstrate strength as a leader. But the truth is
that vulnerability lies at the root of human connection. When you’re brave enough to show your
authentic self, your employees will be more trusting of you and find you more relatable.
So if your organization is facing challenges, don’t try to sweep it under the rug and pretend like
everything is okay. Instead, have the courage to share your fears, doubts, and insecurities with
employees – who are likely already aware of the issues and may be experiencing anxiety
themselves. Being vulnerable in situations like this will make it more likely that a company
moves forward together as a team.

 Develop your listening skills

Imagine that you had a deep, thoughtful conversation with someone at your company.
During this interaction, you shared personal details with the other person and felt more bonded to
them as a result. But the next time you run into them, they don’t seem to remember anything you
talked about! This is a surefire way to make someone feel terrible and overlooked.
As a charismatic leader who engages in many conversations on a daily basis, it may be tempting
to tune out what the other person is saying or operate on autopilot. As you can see in the example
we shared, this can have detrimental effects. So work on developing and practicing your active
listening skills. If you think you need some more guidance in this area, look for training
opportunities or to a coach to help you develop this skill.

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  Be transparent

Don’t praise an employee or make empty promises simply because it sounds good. This is
a trap that Charismatic leaders can fall into since they’re so focused on inspiring and motivating
others. In the process, it’s easy to say things that aren’t entirely true for the sake of making
someone feel good. Instead, always prioritize being honest, sincere, and straight forward in your
communication. Over time, your employees will learn to trust what you say and increasingly
look to you for information and feedback.

The implicit theory of leadership (ILT)

This theory was developed by Robert Lord and colleagues (1987), emphasized on
follower’s perceptions of characteristics of effective leadership.

Implicit leadership theories (ILTs) are everyday theories that individuals hold about leaders
in general (or ideal leaders). They are mental representations of leaders and influence how an
individual acts toward leaders or as leaders based on these cognitive representations.

Prototype Description

1) Sensitivity Sympathetic, Sensitive, Compassionate, Understanding

2) Dedication Dedicated, Disciplined, Prepared, Hardworking

3) Charisma Charismatic, Inspiring, Involved, Dynamic

4) Attractiveness Attractive, Classy, Well-dressed, Tall

5) Masculinity Male, Masculine

6) Strength Strong, Forceful, Bold, Powerful

7) Intelligence Intelligent, Clever, Knowledge, Wise

Endogenous Theories

The endogenous theory is a financial theory which argues that financial or economic growth is
generated from internal (rather than external) procedures and inputs. The theory notes that
productivity can be improved by the efficiency of a skilled labor force and by rightly using
technology.

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Performance Maintenance Theory (PM Theory)

PM theory was developed by Jyusi Musumi, Peterson in (1985). PM theory is a leadership

theory that explains leadership behavior by classifying leaders into two categories which are
performance and maintenance.

 Performance

Performance is a type of leader who aimed at success as a priority

 Maintenance

Maintenance is a type of leaders who aimed at relationship management as a priority.

Characteristics of performance leaders:-

1) Does not care about relationship work

2) Work and evaluate with individualistic style
3) Everything must be done in order
4) Strict about progress of work
5) Communicate with top down communication

Characteristics of maintenance leaders:-

1) Relationship come first because good relationship affect the success of their work
2) Working and evaluate as a group rather than individual
3) Collective consensuses to make some important decision
4) Communicate with both top down and bottom up
5) Treat with fairly and concern about employee’s benefits

Nurturing task-participative Model of Leadership (NT-P) J.B sinha

Nurturing task oriented leadership theory combined elements of task behaviors arguing that the
preferred leader in india is both person - centered and task - centered.

Nurturing task leader cares for her / his subordinates grow up, mature and assume greater
responsibility. Once the subordinates reach a reasonable level of maturity, the generate pressure
on the leader to shift to the participative style.

Nurturing task is leading found to be an effective mean to overcome participatory gaps and
enable the subordinates to assume greater control over their work and their goals, building a
sense of belonging and a family spirit that fosters team orientation among otherwise alienated co-
workers, creating a culture for learning and improvements of a performance, leading to
excellence and eventual take-off of the organization.

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Leader is both alert to the change in the subordinate behave to be able to shift her / his approach
as well as willing to let go, so as to allow the subordinate to assume greater control and
responsibility over her / his work and the organizations goals

Once the leader-subordinates relationship is on a more reliable they become partners in a creative
culture for learning and improvement which makes for continues striving for excellence a nd a
willingness to share the gain of such a improved performance.

Consultative style of management

While the leader has the authority to make the final decision, they prefer to listen to every
team member's viewpoint before acting. They ask employees for thoughts, views, and opinions,
allowing them to feel involved. However, the leader will ultimately make the final decision.

Consultative leadership essentially involves people who have trouble finding ideas for a
particular solution in the decision-making process. A leader may also include their team in the
decision-making process just to listen to different viewpoints. Having different viewpoints helps
them make more strategic decisions than they would've made on their own. When leaders
involve their team in the process, it also helps their team build their leadership and decision-
making skills.

Key components of the consultative leadership style

The consultative leadership style has a few key components that make up how it works. Here are
the main components of the consultative leadership style:

 Mentor role for leaders

With this leadership style, leaders take on the role of a mentor and embrace opinions from their
team and colleagues. They essentially facilitate the team through the decision-making process.

 Influence and engagement

Consultative leadership focuses on new thoughts and ideas from a variety of individuals. While
the leader may not accept every new idea, they typically do—even if they contradict with their
own thoughts.

 Focus on greater creativity and innovation

The consultative leadership style promotes the stimulation of creativity among individuals as
they work toward a solution. When people share ideas, it can foster new ways of thinking and,
hopefully, better solutions to different problems.

Benefits of the consultative leadership style

Consultative leadership comes with several benefits for leaders in the workplace. When you
understand these benefits, you can figure out whether it's best to use this leadership style in your
own work environment. Here are some benefits of the consultative leadership style:

 Creates deeper bond among leaders and their subordinates

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A consultative leadership style lets you build a greater relationship with your colleagues and
subordinates. Consistently sharing suggestions and thought processes essentially allows you to

 Create strong bonds and relationships with the people you're collaborating with.

This leadership style helps leaders feel comfortable with their incomplete knowledge of a
particular circumstance or situation. Essentially, it helps them understand that it's OK to learn
and grow alongside their subordinates through the consulting process. It also pushes them to trust
their subordinates.

 Creates a sense of involvement

Consultative leadership fosters pro-activity. In other words, when employees get asked for their
input, it encourages them to voice their opinions more regularly. Therefore, they're more likely to
participate in similar decision-making discussions in the future.

How to become a strong consultative leader

To become a consultative leader, you need to have certain traits and perform certain actions.
Doing this successfully ensures the effective use of the consultative leadership style. Use these
steps to become a strong consultative leader:

1. Help people feel comfortable speaking up

Create a culture that invites people to speak up and share their thoughts on your team. When
your team speaks up, you gain valuable insight, advice and information that you might not have
received unless you asked for outside opinions.

2. Learn facilitation skills

Spend time learning and improving your facilitation skills. You can use these skills to navigate
business problems. Also, facilitation skills can save you time and help you receive the best
results from collaborative thinking.

3. Get to know your team

To ensure the best relationships with your team and staff, spend time getting to know them.
Understand how they process information and whether they're more task- or social-oriented.
Also, get to know their personalities in the workplace to help you better manage a diverse group
of people.

4. Stay in touch
Once you gather information and suggestions from your team, let them know what you're doing
with the information. Staying in touch by letting them know how you're using the information
can help them feel included in the process. While you can't always share everything as a leader,
sharing some information lets they know they were helpful.

Also, stay in touch by remaining visible to your team on a daily basis. Making time for them and
having them know you're present can help them feel valued and unforgott

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Pioneering innovative theory of Leadership

Innovative leadership is a style of leadership that involves applying innovation and

creativity to managing people and projects. Innovative leaders often inspire productivity in new
ways and through different approaches than have typically been used and taken. The ability to
apply innovation is especially important in times of uncertainty, ambiguity and risk, so
companies and industries that often encounter such situations can benefit from bringing on
innovative and creative leaders.

Another element of innovative leadership is the willingness to consider a different concept

or approach, which can be challenging for those who prefer to stick to tried and true methods.
You can see innovative individuals who lead several major global companies. One example is
Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, Inc., who revolutionized the idea of the
personal computer and worked closely with staff members on the innovative “Think different”
marketing campaign that led to the success of the iTunes and the iMac, iPod and iPhone.

Innovative leaders do not necessarily have to be the people behind all of the creative
ideas. They can recognize greatness from their team members and work to develop paths and
success from those ideas. What really helps an innovative leader stand out is their willingness to
adapt to change, experiment with new concepts and envision the path forward for a creative idea.

Skills of innovative leaders

An innovative leader must have certain skills, regardless of the industry in which they work or
the team they oversee. Some of the key skills required for innovative leadership include:

Communication

The ability to communicate is an essential skill for an innovative leader. These leaders can
communicate in all directions, emphasizing the importance of each team member and keeping
everyone aware and involved. Innovative leadership also requires the ability to communicate the
vision and generate awareness and enthusiasm moving forward.

Imagination

Using your imagination is a must when applying the innovative style of leadership. You must be
able to imagine and envision the future from a simple concept, as well as consider the steps it
will take to achieve a particular goal.

Willingness to embrace opportunities

A willingness to embrace new ideas and opportunities is a unique way to approach your work. It
is an important skill to become an innovative leader, as it allows you to look for new

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opportunities and embrace the chance to try them out. This willingness also allows you to see
concepts on a larger scale, rather than worrying about the details.

Empathy

The ability to empathize with others is an important skill across all leadership styles, but in this
application, the skill involves empathizing with the end customer or the person who will benefit
from the innovative idea being developed. Looking for disconnects between the organization and
the target audience allows you to empathize with the audience members' needs and identify ways
to improve the offering to better accommodate those needs.

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