Part 1 of Functions of a Leader

As I have traveled internationally training leaders, I have observed that too many times companies will promote their best employees to become their worst supervisors.  The reason is because many people are promoted because they are a "good employee".  This person arrives to work on time; they know how to perform their duties well; they get along with others; so management says," Let's promote them!"

Unfortunately, these qualities aren't enough in leading people.  What is missing from the equation is what we call the soft skills -how to give feedback, how to delegate, good time management skills, how to handle conflict, how to coach, etc.  Because many leaders/supervisors have never been taught these important skills, it can lead to frustration and disillusionment in their role.  It makes the leader want to say, "If I didn't have any employees, I'd be a great leader!"

A leader is a person who is directing, commanding or guiding; the head of a group or activity.  Leadership means the position or guidance of a leader and the individual's ability to lead.  It encompasses many different areas in dealing with the people issues.  A leader does wear a number of different hats - so training and being mentored is important for the leader to grow in their abilities and responsibility.

What are the functions of a leader?

1.  Planning

This is where you set goals and objectives that align with the company's vision and mission.  It is this function that the leader must know and understand the company's vision, mission and goals.  From that the leader then must set the goals for their department and express the expectations.  The leader needs to become familiar with each employee's job description/position.  It doesn't mean they need to know how to do each job but they need to be familiar with it so they can talk with the employee about the goals and expectations.

This is where it is important to set guidelines, policies, and procedures needed to accomplish the goals.  This may be an individual leader decision or part of the team building process receiving input from the employees.  It is also the leader's responsibility to be aware of the company's overall policy and procedures.  A good company policy/employee handbook will cover these issues.  An effective leader will keep up to date on any changes by periodically reviewing the manual or talking with their HR department.

Once the goals are established for the department, then it is important to set timetables and a  deadline; review costs; production schedules; and expectations.  Here the leader must have good time management skills to make sure the goals are met.

2.  Organizing

This function is where the leader lines up all the available resources to accomplish the tasks.  A review of their team and their abilities, knowledge, and skill is important.  This is where good delegation skills are needed to assign the tasks to the individuals who can do the work.

As a trainer I believe this is one of the weakest skills many leaders have because they haven't been taught how to delegate effectively.  Many times employees are give responsibilities because they are "a warm body".  Delegating is much more then handing out assignments.

Delegation involves turning important work over to someone else so that expected results are mutually understood; to give others authority to do an assignment but keeping the responsibility yourself; and having faith in others to let them do important work for you.

Effective delegating occurs when the leader is willing to take the time and effort to do a skillful job of delegating. 

3.  Staffing

This leadership function is where you determine how many people are needed to do the work to accomplish the goals.  In a perfect world you would have the budget and resources to hire exactly the number of people you need.  In the real world, because of budget restraints, many times the leader must function understaffed.  So it is very important for the leader to determine how to best utilize the people they have to do the work. 

The leader must do an honest evaluation of each team member by looking at their skills, ability and willingness.  Effective performance management systems and well written job descriptions are a vital tool in this assessment.  There are also personality profile tools available to help identify the right people for the right tasks.

Effective communication skills, especially how to give and receive feedback, are essential.  Developing effective coaching skills and being able to evaluate honestly and accurately are also important.

(Part 2 will cover the functions of Acting, Controlling and People)