Roles and Functions of Leaders.

 

Managerial Roles

To be effective, leaders perform a number of roles. The roles are sets of expected behaviors ascribed to them by virtue of their leadership position. Along with the basic managerial functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and consulting, leaders are ascribed a number of strategic and external roles as well. Furthermore, one of the major functions of leaders is to provide their group or organization with a sense of vision and mission.

 

For example, department managers need to plan and organize their department’s activities and assign various people to perform tasks. They also monitor their employees’ performance and correct employees actions when needed. Aside from these internal functions, managers negotiate with their boss and other department managers for resources and coordinate decisions and activities with them. Additionally, many department managers must participate in strategic planning and the development of their organization’s mission beyond the immediate focus on their own department or team.

 

Functions of the Leader: Creation and Maintenance of an Organizational Culture

One of the major functions of leaders is the creation and development of a culture and climate for their group or organization. Leaders, particularly founders, leave an almost-indelible mark on the assumptions that are passed down from one generation to the next. In fact, organizations often come to mirror their founders’ personalities. If the founder is workaholic and control oriented, the organization is likely to push for fast paced decision making and be centralized.

 

Leaders are role models for other organizational members. They establish and grant the status symbols that are main artifacts of organizational culture. Followers take their cues from the leaders on what behaviors are and are not acceptable.

 

Recent research about the importance of empathy in leadership suggests another function for leaders, related to cultural factors. Researchers argue that a key function of leaders is to manage the emotions of group members. This function is particularly critical to maintaining followers’ positive outlook in uncertain and ambiguous situations. Followers observe their leaders’ emotional reactions and take their cue from them to determine appropriate reactions.

 

Another behavior that leaders need to model is accepting responsibility for one’s actions. With the power and status conferred to leaders comes the obligation of accepting responsibility for their own decisions and the organization’s impact on others.

 

Additionally, leaders are in charge of selecting other leaders and managers for the organization. Those selected are likely to fit the existing leader’s ideal and, therefore, fit the culture. Many firms, for example, establish a nominating committee of the board of directors. In such committees, top managers nominate and select their successors. Therefore, they not only control the current culture but also exert a strong influence on the future of their organization.