Leadership
- 2. Details of the Content Creator/Compiler : Sh. Rabeesh Kumar Verma, Assistant Professor (Agril. Extension) Email id: rabeesh4700@gmail.com Mobile No: 7988338378 University: CCS, University, Meerut, U.P. Stream: Agriculture Department Name: Department of Agriculture Extension Subject Name : Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology Course Code: D-196 Course Duration: Nov 1 to March 30. Subtopic Name: Rural Leadeship, types and their Role Content Type: PDF File Search Keyword: Leadership, characteristics of Leadership, Role etc. Topic : Rural Leadership and their Role Leader: is a person who has ability to influence the attitude and overt behaviour of the people. According to Linderman, a leader is an individual whose relations, judgments and feelings are accepted (responded to) by the group, as the bases of belief and action. In the view of Allport, leadership according to our present usage means the direct, face-to- face contact between leader and followers; it is personal social control. Leadership: Is the process of influencing the behaviour of the individual in a given situation or situations. Leadership is the phenomenon of influencing, guiding, influencing and directing the action and thought of the people in the intended direction. Chaudhary Chhotu Ram Post Graduate College, Muzaffarnagar, U.P- 251001
- 3. According to Davis (1977) "Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically". Dahama and Bhatnagar (1985), leadership is the process who in any social situation with his ideas and actions influence the thoughts and behaviour of other Leadership are the process of influencing the thoughts and behaviour of others towards goal setting and goal achievement. We can safely say that leadership is the phenomenon of influencing, guiding , directing the actions and thoughts of the people in the intended direction. The leader of a group must somehow perceive what the group wants. He must contribute something that will move the group closer to the goal and his contribution must be accepted before he can be said have patterned the behaviour of the group. Some other definition given by scholars are following:
- 4. Function of leaders: According to Barnard, a leader performs four main functions. They are: According to Dhama and Bhatnagar (1985) a leader has following functions to perform: 1. Excutive 2. Planner 3. Policy makers 4. Expert-in human realtions as well as technical field 5. External group representative 6. Controller of internal relationship 7. Purveyor of reward and Punishments 8. Arbitrator 9. Exemplar 10. Group symbol 11. Father figure and 12. Scapegoat Characteristics of effective leader: Visionary Emotional stability Honesty Function of leaders Control of the instrumentality of action Manipulation of means Stimulation of coordination action Determination of objective
- 5. Demonstrate Integrity Command over communication skills Risk Taking Enthusiasm Make hard decisions Motivate and inspire others Lead by example Empowers others Factors determining effectiveness of a leader: The most important factors identified through researchers in relation to effectiveness of leaders are listed below: Need fulfilment Prestige Value membership Cooperative relationship Heightened interaction Clarity of goal Small units Determinants of effectivenessin leadership Awareness of the function of the group Ability in performing the functions Achievements of goals Assignments of group functions to members Appraisal of effects of distributionof functions Attainmentof positive value as a leader
- 6. Homogeneity Outside events Increased position Role of leader: Reddy (1985) has identifies 8 important role of the leader which are following: Dahama and Bhatnagar (1985) ascertained the role expectations of farm leaders in view of the new strategy of agricultural production from the experts in the field of agricultural extension. By working out the index, following were identified as the expected role of farm leaders. 1. Raising demonstration plots and showing it to others. 2. Keeping themselves abreast with the latest agricultural technology. 3. Adopting themselves all the improved agricultural practices. 4. Organizing meetings and other discussion groups. 5. Serving as marketing advisers. 6. Supplying the improved seeds to the farmers. 7. Assisting the farmers in getting credits. Role of leader Group spokesperson Group harmonizer Group discussion chairman Group educator or Teachers Group executive Symbol of group ideals
- 7. 8. Serving the innovative farmers in the village. 9. Educating the farmers to grow more than two crops a year. 10. Acting as liaison officers between the extension workers and the farmers. 11. Educating the farmers in the latest agricultural technology. Role of local leaders in rural development Leaders help in coordinating the activities of group member in order to achieve the well-defined goals and objectives. 2. Establishing and maintaining good social climate among group member. 3. Leaders assist the groups to organize themselves. 4. They play very vital role desiminating the message of extension agency among the villagers 5. Assists extension workers in planning and executing various development programmes. 6. They act as demonstrators for the innovations. 7. Helps in maintaining intergroup and intragroup coordination thus effective functioning of the group . 8. They also act as spokesman for their respective groups. 9. Local leaders help the group to make the effective decisions and develop scientific decision-making process. 10. They encourage the members to learn from each other's experiences. Classification of Leaders: Various writers has classified leaders in different categories based on different disposition and characteristics. One such classification has introduced by Dhama and Bhatnagar (1985). They are as following: a) Democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire b) Formal and informal leaders c) Professional and lay (voluntary) leaders d) Political, religious, social
- 8. e) Elected, selected or nominated f) Popular and unpopular g) Traditional and progressive leaders Advantage of leadership: A. Adivi Reddy (1987) has discussed the various advantages of using local leaders which are as following: Local leaders virtually play the role of extension teachers and hence the volume of coverage with improved practice is increased. 2. Cost of extension is reduced, as local leaders are not paid for their work. 3. Local leaders themselves become better taught, because of the experience they gain in teaching and influencing others . 4. People accept a new idea more readily from a local person who has practically tried it, while they may resist if the ideas were to come from a paid extension worker. 5. The frequent association of extension personnel with the local leaders enhances his prestige. Limitations: 1. Persons selected as leader may not have the expected following among neighbours. 2. Sometimes they may not be willing to devote required time to work or may be a poor teacher. 3. Considerable time is required to locate and train local leaders. 4. Local leaders may try to use prestige with position for personal advantage. Public recognition and publicity given to informal local leaders may sometimes jeopardize their position, and adversely affect their influence among the people. References: O. P. Dhama and O.P. Bhat (1985) Education and Communication for Development. Oxford and IBH Publishing. Co. Pvt. LTD. A.Adivi Reddy (1987) Extension Education Sree Lakshmi Press, 2001 - 344 pages TNAU Study notes