LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTION

Leadership is a veritable tool in any organization. The success or failure of an organization is anchored on the leadership pattern or style adopted. This has thus made it a focus of study by researchers, theorists and students over the years. A basic knowledge of contingency theory will assist the Guidance Counsellor who is the manager in and outside the school system in the organization and administration of the school’s guidance programme. These programmes are geared towards the total development of the individual mentally, socially and emotionally in line with the goal of the National Policy on Education (NPE 2014).

TYPE OF LEADERS

The success of the guidance programme depends heavily on the counsellor who is the manager of the programme. Depending on how they pilot the programme, they may be categorized by their subordinates since they do not work in isolation. They may fall into any of the types of leaders described below.

Max Weber one of the theorists on leadership, classifying leaders based on the authority they exercise came up with three types of leaders: - traditional, charismatic and legal rational or bureaucratic.

The traditional leaders lead based on tradition. The authority to lead is hereditary and does not consider whether or not the person is invested with the power, has the ability and capability to perform the responsibilities of his/her office. Although it is considered primitive and outmoded it still exists in modern day monarchies. 

Charismatic leaders have personal charisma or qualities that endow them to people or their subordinates. 

The legal rational or bureaucratic leaders function based on the authority invested in the office or position they occupy (leaders appointed based on qualification or technical competence).

Ogmu (2002) Egbochuku (2008) and some other researchers, identified three types of leaders: - autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire.

Autocratic leaders can be likened to a dictator; they make decisions militarily without consulting with their subordinates. They can employ the use of force if need be to exact compliance to their laid down rules and regulations.

Democratic leaders operate on the basis of participation through consultation or discussion either at a meeting or conference. Agreement on issues affecting the organization is reached by consensus.

Laissez-faire leaders waver, they are indifferent and indecisive. They have no control mechanism and care little about the welfare of their subordinates or work performance.

Getzels and Guba (1957) employing social systems theory to explain organizational behaviour came up with three types of leaders: – nomothetic, idiographic, and transactional leaders. 

The nomothetic leaders are interested on how the organizational goals, task to be performed can be achieved by subordinates following laid down rules and regulations. They are hardly interested in the personal needs of their subordinates. 

Idiographic leaders are relationship oriented leaders who pay peculiar attention to the uniqueness of the individual member of the organization and respect their needs. 

Transactional leaders combine the charisma of the nomothetic and idiographic leaders. This category of leaders recognizes collective effort in the attainment of organizational goals and the need to satisfy their followers’ personal needs in the course of discharging their organizational duties.

What type of leadership do you have?