Leader - who is he in management psychology. His features and qualities, differences from the leader

Who is a leader and what is leadership

Leader from English leader - leads.

Imagine a bus (life) rushing along the road (time), but there is no driver. And if no one is driving, the bus is still rushing, but it’s not clear where. So the leader is the person who got behind the wheel. He took responsibility, he chooses the path and the final route.

You need to understand that if you don’t get behind the wheel of a bus, it will still rush forward, because life’s time is ticking. And you are still responsible for where you arrive. Only you will not arrive where you want.

Even if you are a passenger, you are still responsible for where you arrive, since at any moment you can transfer to another bus going on a different route with which you are on the same route. Either buy your own car and go along your own personal route, or buy your own bus and take fellow travelers (like-minded people).

conclusions

It is clear how informal leadership differs from leadership. If the leadership process is based on the use of individual abilities, then we are talking about informal leadership. In this case, leadership qualities are noticed by the employees themselves, gradually turning an ordinary person from their social circle into an authority, an example to follow in the work process. If the influence comes from a person who occupies a leadership position, but is not friendly towards employees, then we are talking about leadership. This is formal leadership, certified in documents.

In life, these 2 qualities are rarely found in one person, but this combination can be considered ideal. However, if a manager does not have the qualities of a leader, he must work on this in order to become one in the future. Otherwise, an informal leader may always appear who will “outdo” the manager and take his position.

Charismatic leader

Charisma is, first of all, when a person is himself. He is not afraid of losing face, he does not pretend to be anyone. The power of a charismatic leader is primarily based on his personal qualities. Example Zhirinovsky.

A charismatic leader is not afraid of condemnation, mistakes, is not afraid to take responsibility, and is not afraid to speak in public. An example is Hitler, who with his speeches put the crowd into a trance.

They are primarily energetic and independent, with high self-esteem. Most of our citizens have low self-esteem and lack self-confidence. Therefore, they instinctively obey a charismatic leader, because they are afraid of responsibility or simply afraid that something might not work out.

And a charismatic leader, if something happens, will not hesitate to shift responsibility to his followers. And he will not suffer from feelings of guilt. How to become like this, additional information. materials.

Charisma is translated as a divine gift and every person has it, it’s just blocked by our upbringing. Remove mental blocks and you will see your charisma.

Scientific approaches in management psychology

Since the 50s last century, thanks to the development of cybernetics, systems theory, computerization of management and other innovations, several approaches in the field of management psychology emerged. These are:

Systems approach . Its supporters consider the focus on only one side of management to be a flaw in previous theories. The use of this approach allows management to see the entire organization in the unity and interdependence of all its elements. It is understood that any organization or other controlled social group is a system that, like a living organism, functions only under the condition of the interdependence of all its “organs.” This means that each such “organ” makes a necessary contribution to the life of the entire “organism”. An organization is an open system that interacts with the external environment, which greatly influences the survival of an enterprise (division, etc. of a social group).

The situational approach (since the early 70s of the 20th century) put forward the theory of the equal use of all management systems - from strictly regulated to those based on relative internal freedom. The choice of system depends on the circumstances that affect the operation of the organization in a given period of time. The essence of the approach comes down to two theses :

• lack of a universal recipe for effective management in all cases;
• a direct relationship between the level of management efficiency, mobility and adaptability to the environment or situation in which the organization is located.

The empirical, or pragmatic, approach , which was based on the study of the sphere of management of firms and military institutions, began to actively disseminate the acquired knowledge. Proponents of the approach understood that management theory was important and necessary, but they argued that practical management skills were of greater benefit. After analyzing management experience, they developed special management training methodologies based on certain situations. Representatives of this approach, who especially strongly influenced the dissemination of the concepts of “manager” and “management”, promoted the idea of ​​mandatory professionalization of management, i.e. turning it into a separate profession.

The quantitative approach has developed management techniques on the basis of mathematical, cybernetic, statistical knowledge obtained as a result of the latest achievements of science and technology, thanks to the development of computerization, which has largely freed management work from routine technical procedures.

This approach made a significant contribution to the development of the following concepts :

• the concept of operational management (about the requirements for a manager not only as a holder of knowledge of management theory, but also as an expert in mathematics, sociology, psychology, economics, systems theory, etc.);
• the concept of management decisions (states that a manager, first of all, must be able to make informed, most effective decisions; management training should be reduced to acquiring this quality);
• the concept of scientific or mathematical management (believes that the current state of affairs in the world suggests that management should be supported by the achievements of science; this is achieved by using mathematical models and theories).

The most common approaches have become quantitative and statistical [6, p. 7].

Throughout the 20th century, management psychology increasingly acquired the features of complex scientific knowledge, and today it has been able to take shape in the form of a rich theoretical base that has included in its arsenal of knowledge the experience of a wide range of other sciences. This direction, like psychology in general, is characterized by such a feature as pluralism of views on the subject being studied, which is clearly seen in the example of the diversity of scientific approaches. However, it is difficult to argue with the statement that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Advice for an aspiring leader

1. Determine the destination (where the bus is going);
2. Determine what qualities are needed to achieve this goal. What you should become. Determine your role in achieving the goal. (Learn to become a driver, or become a manager and hire a professional driver).
3. Determine what prevents you from achieving your goal. Remove obstacles;
4. First, learn to subordinate yourself to your goal, to do this, determine your ideal future (where to go), make a plan to achieve it (bus route).
5. Break the plan into subplans and small tasks and tie it to a timeline. The output should be a schedule of actions towards an ideal future.
6. Track the obstacles in your path, and look for the causes of these problems in yourself. Because you will not be able to influence external circumstances, you will be able to influence your qualities.

Subject of study of management psychology

This area of ​​psychology studies the psychological characteristics manifested in organizational management and professional communication.

In a narrow understanding of the subject of study, it is worth highlighting the following objects and phenomena:

Psychological features of management activities:

• Psychological problems of a manager’s work in general, its distinctive features in certain areas of activity;
• Psychological analysis of the role and personality of the leader, requirements for them;
• Psychological subtleties of making management decisions;
• Leadership style and ways to adjust it.

Psychological features of the functioning of the organization:

• Possibility of using psychological techniques in management;
• Rules for the formation of a favorable and sustainable internal corporate microclimate;
• Factors in creating optimal interpersonal connections in a team, problems of psychological compatibility;
• Features of the coexistence of formal and informal structures in an organization;
• Application of motivational techniques in the work of an organization;
• Values ​​in the team, creating your own corporate culture.

Psychological features of the relationship between a manager and subordinates:

• Factors in the creation and functioning of an organization’s communication system;
• Subtleties of management communication;
• Choosing the best system for interaction between the manager and subordinates;
• Increasing the level of awareness as an indicator of management effectiveness [6, p. 16].

Leader Personality

5.1 Leader behavior and principles

1. Energy, initiative;
2. Act confidently and without fear;
3. Help your followers, earn trust and respect;
4. Don't assert yourself at the expense of others, it pushes people away.
5. Speak emotionally and ignite people with your plans. This requires wild disagreement with the current state of affairs and an image of an igniting future;
6. Don't wait for orders, take the initiative.

5.2 Personal qualities of a leader

1. Intolerance to the current state of affairs is a pain in the ass (how to create intolerance using the example of lack of money is in this article).
2. Focus on the goal. Perseverance in achieving it;
3. Intelligence, ability to make multiple moves and manipulate;
4. Planning many moves ahead;
5. Understanding mission and purpose in life. That is, he has an answer as to why he does this or that action;
6. Ability to make long-term plans and not deviate from them;
7. Charismatic;
8. Absolute self-confidence, adequate or inflated self-esteem;
9. Flexibility of thinking and ability to adapt to changing conditions. Example: when the Soviet Union collapsed, the “red directors” with outdated thinking were unable to adapt to new conditions and collapsed their enterprises. And many Komsomol members, whose principles of communism were easily replaced by the thirst for money and power, became oligarchs, for example Khodorkovsky.
10. Sociability: ease of communication, lack of stiffness and constriction, in thoughts and gestures.
11. Fast decision making. Don't procrastinate.
12. Stress resistance.
13. Ambition.
14. Ability to gain and maintain people's trust. Honesty and fairness towards them.

5.3 Character of the leader

The psychological characteristic of a leader’s character is steadfastness in achieving a goal, a willingness to go ahead, and energy to cope with any obstacles.

This feature arises in a person as a result of metamorphosis from the example below. That is, this is a wild disagreement with the surrounding reality, and an image of an igniting future ahead. As in the examples below.

5.4 Why a person becomes a leader

A person becomes a leader first of all when he allows himself to be who he is. He does not waste energy on controlling and suppressing his emotions, he shows up as he is. This is charisma.

And also, as a rule, in the life of a leader there is some kind of traumatic episode, which determined the qualities of his personality. For example, he lived in poverty and at some point he decided to become rich at all costs.

Or how Michael Tyson was beaten by his peers as a child and at some point the resentment reached such a degree that he decided to become the strongest in the world at all costs, and he did.

At such moments, a powerful emotional release occurs, and the neural chains are rearranged at the physical level, in fact, a new personality is created.

All attention, all focus and energy are subordinated to one goal. This is usually accompanied by tears or anger, that is, a powerful release of energy.

Another example: Mikhail Dashkiev, for whom this moment occurred when his mother was embarrassed to invite guests to the house because they had torn wallpaper and did not have money for new ones. His resentment towards life was such that he decided to become rich at all costs, and he did.

5.5 What a leader should be

Most people have feelings of irrational fear, shame and guilt. This manifests itself as uncertainty, indecision, shyness, fearfulness.

Thoughts are constantly spinning in my head about what people will think and what they will say about me. It prevents you from focusing on your tasks, it distracts your attention, and it reduces your effectiveness by 80 percent.

And the worst thing is that uncertainty is reflected in your body , your gait, your gaze, gestures, timbre and volume of your voice. That is, your voice becomes quiet, your eyes shift, guilty, your back slouches. All this is subconsciously read by the people around you, and they will not perceive you as a leader.

A leader must be confident and speak clearly. The back should be straight, the shoulders should be straightened, the voice should be loud and not compressed. Thoughts must be clear, goals clear.

Clarity of thought is given by a detailed elaboration of the plan, calculation of various options for the development of events several steps ahead. It is imperative to work out an action plan for the most negative scenario. This will give you extra confidence.

5.6 Common mistakes of leaders

1. They build communication incorrectly, assert themselves at the expense of others, thereby turning followers against themselves;
2. Does not distinguish constructive criticism from criticism caused by envy and the “crabs in a bucket mentality”;
3. Afraid to express himself, afraid to make a mistake;
4. Reacts to a mistake as a failure, and not as an experience that allows you to act more effectively in the future;
5. He burdens himself with a feeling of guilt, does not understand that those who do nothing are not mistaken;
6. He does everything himself, does not assign tasks to others;
7. Does not plan your time, which results in loss of efficiency;

Varieties

The term “leadership” comes from psychology. This process involves social influence, when a person receives help from others to achieve a common goal. The set of characteristics of a leader depends entirely on what type he belongs to.

The most famous classification identifies the following types:

• Business. Places in teams united by work or production tasks. Here you will need such features as competence, experience, the ability to make quick decisions, as well as authority. The main requirements in this case: productivity and creative thinking.
• Emotional. Characteristic of psychological groups. A person gains weight due to individual sympathies and his own charisma and charm. Such a leader must inspire respect, trust and love among those around him.
• Situational. It can belong to both the first and second categories. Its difference is that it is unstable. Expressed under specific circumstances, such as during an emergency.

But there are also differences in terms of the scale of issues within the competence of a specialist. According to this condition, they distinguish:

• Everyday - in a school or university environment, in leisure organizations, in the family circle.
• Social – sports or creative associations, production or trade union companies.
• Political – figures of the state and society.

Classification based on leader functions

• Organizer. His needs are the needs of the entire group. Therefore, he is active in achieving common goals.
• Fighter. He is characterized by such traits as perseverance, self-confidence, perseverance and developed willpower. He is no doubt entering the fray.
• Creator. Possesses innovative, creative thinking and solves problems of any complexity. He follows a method of communication rather than giving orders.
• Comforter. The strength of such a person is empathy. He treats everyone with respect, shows understanding and empathy.
• Diplomat. The situation is under his control and he masters it down to the smallest detail. This person knows how and on whom he can influence.

It is important that in any society several of the species described above may be present. Each of them takes its place and does not compete with the others.

Psychologist Daria Milai

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How to become a leader - an example from life

Remember the widely publicized case with Dmitry Medvedev, when some teacher complained to him about his low salary. Dmitry Anatolyevich replied: “A teacher is not a profession, a teacher is a calling. And if you need money, go into business!” This is a significant difference between a leader and an ordinary person.

The leader builds his own life, and does not wait for handouts from the state. It doesn’t even occur to him that someone will earn him money; he is truly convinced that he himself will build his life as he wants.

And this teacher is a complete nonentity if he suffers from lack of money. What example does he set for children by begging? Not to be independent? Not taking responsibility for your life into your own hands? Below I will give an example of how a professional teacher can easily make money.

A leader is a person who does not depend on anyone, does not ask for anything, decides everything himself and does not depend on the assessment of others. But there is an important point: a leader must rely on other people.

How to get people to support him? A leader must be useful both for himself and for others in order to eliminate the so-called “crab effect.”

Help on what the “crab effect” is:

If you put one crab in a bucket of water, it will come out without difficulty. If you put several crabs, then as soon as one starts to crawl out, the rest will cling to it and throw it back, that is, everyone will die .

What would I have done if I were in the place of the teacher who complained to Dmitry Anatolyevich? After all, at the mere mention that I wanted to go into business, my colleagues would attack me. They would say:

• Why do you need this? After all, there is no stability there, the salary here is small, but stable;
• Business is dangerous;
• What if it doesn’t work out, what to live on?

That is, they would exhibit the same “crab effect”.

I would start by maximizing my teaching skills, that is, techniques and teaching methods that would give results close to 100%. After the methods were identified and worked out, I would start tutoring in parallel with my main job. For example, preparing schoolchildren for the Unified State Exam.

Since my methods and techniques had already been honed, the percentage of admission to top Moscow universities for my students would be close to 100%, and word of mouth would instantly spread this news among the parents of future graduates.

Now think about how much parents of graduates would be willing to pay if they were sure that their child, after my training, would be admitted to any Moscow university with a 100% guarantee? I think my income would increase significantly, especially since I can teach schoolchildren from other regions without leaving home, via Skype.

In this way, I would combine my calling with business, and eliminate the “crab effect,” since I would receive support from the school’s parent committee, because they are extremely interested in the success of their children in life, and I can help them with this, and guaranteed.

The technique of how to combine your calling with income growth is in this article: “The practical benefits of understanding the meaning of life and your purpose.”

Thus, leadership is the ability to achieve your goal, and at the same time help others, and not complain about life .

Story

The concept of leadership begins in the 20s of the twentieth century. It was then that interest in the control mechanism as a science first appeared. First of all, scientists have discovered the presence of identical properties in the most famous leaders. This is how the “Theory of Great Men” appeared.

But, alas, she did not achieve success, since it turned out to be quite difficult to identify unifying character traits. Of course, among them were the presence of developed intelligence, a broad outlook, and a memorable appearance. But it was still not possible to create a generalized picture, since those who did not have such characteristics still became leaders.

The researchers then came up with the idea of ​​situational focus. It says that one becomes an authority due to certain circumstances. And depending on what the task is, a person with leadership inclinations may change.

F. Feeder, having carried out labor-intensive work, established that the leadership style is associated with the atmosphere prevailing in the team. So, for example, if the situation between employees is favorable, then they perceive the boss kindly, respect him and listen to his opinion. In this case, a goal-oriented leader will be effective. Since the position allows him to be demanding and distribute precise responsibilities. But this scheme also works in the opposite direction, when collective relations are negative.

But at an average level of positivity, the more advantageous option will be when the leader focuses on the relationship between members of the association and the creation of a positive situation.

How to develop leadership qualities

As a rule, it is he himself who prevents leadership from emerging in a person. Or rather, its internal barriers. Barriers can be psychological, for example, internal deep-seated beliefs. In the case of a teacher, he is 100% convinced that he cannot earn money by working as a teacher, and he does not even realize that he is limiting himself .

If you have similar problems, read the article: “Development of a leader’s personality - an example of solving problems with money,” there are examples of how such barriers work and how they can be removed.

Or the barrier may be in the form of psychological complexes, for example, excessive shyness; a person cannot speak in public, and without this skill one cannot become a leader .

Or a person experiences irrational fears, that is, in making decisions he is stopped by an internal monologue in his head, what if something goes wrong, what if something happens. A person who is afraid to make a decision also cannot become a leader.

In most cases, in order to overcome some kind of barrier, it is suggested to break yourself, to break yourself over the knee. For example, still go on stage and speak in public, even if the person is shaking with fear.

But why not act smarter, why doesn’t anyone want to choose a different development strategy: for example, remove the barrier. Psychotechnology to get rid of these psycho-complexes once and for all is in this book.

It’s a mistake to force yourself to do something, forcing yourself for a long time will not work, barriers need to be removed, and not waste energy on overcoming them. Ideally, there should still be a deep, essential motivation. For leadership there must be an understanding of one's mission in life, an understanding of its meaning . Examples for discovering the meaning and purpose of life are in this article.

It is critically important to discover exactly your goals and meanings, which emotionally resonate in your body, cause a surge of strength, and emotional uplift . Do not confuse this with what the “matrix” imposes on us, successful success, money, expensive clothes, and under the Soviet Union this was the construction of communism.

Related psychological disciplines

The border sciences for management psychology are the following.

Social Psychology . Explores the patterns of activity and behavior of people included in social groups, and the psychological characteristics of social groups. Each group has a formal and informal hierarchy, and the latter significantly influences the productivity of the entire team. In addition, it is known that a group can influence the opinions of its individual members and their perception of a particular situation.

Management psychology uses the data obtained by this science in order to identify patterns and factors that influence the successful management of a team.

Psychology of Personality . It studies psychological components, qualities, traits, personality traits, their influence on behavior, activity, communication and the individual’s perception of reality. This science has currently accumulated a sufficient amount of theoretical and empirical material. There are many personality theories that decipher and predict various aspects of human behavior in different situations.

Management psychology, based on data obtained in this scientific field, determines for itself a list of precisely those personality traits and qualities, methods of reward and punishment that make the organization’s management system and the professional activities of employees more effective.

Developmental psychology and acmeology. They study the course of development and formation of the human psyche at different stages of life (from newborns to old age).

Management psychology looks at a person as an employee of a certain field of activity and therefore has its own view on the problem of personal development, the formation of professionally significant qualities and the level of competence of a manager [1, p. 17].

How to support yourself as a leader

Where to get energy? Energy in the human body comes from three basic instincts responsible for survival.

1. The individual's survival instinct. To have an idea of ​​the energy of this instinct, imagine that you are lying on the sofa, you are too lazy to get up, different thoughts are spinning. And suddenly a siren howled and the bombing began, buildings were collapsing, there was a fire, etc. You will instantly jump up, all your thoughts will be focused, your energy will be overflowing.

Or the second option, you are walking through the forest, and suddenly a bear is chasing you...

2. The instinct of survival in a group, or the so-called hierarchical instinct. It encourages you to take a higher position in the team. Since your biological survival and the distribution of resources in the group depend on this. Nobody wants to be “smeared” and humiliated, so people strive to climb the social ladder.

A good example in this case is Michael Tyson, who was often beaten by his peers as a child, and what this led to. Who doesn’t know, he became the world heavyweight boxing champion at the age of 19. That is, he became the strongest man in the world.

The second example is Ayaz Shabutdinov, who had a very difficult childhood. According to him, he lived in a dugout that didn’t even have a floor. And as a result, at the age of 20 he became a millionaire. 3. Instinct for the survival of the species, or sexual instinct. He makes you want to be liked. Go to any fitness club, see how people mock themselves, and at the same time they pay a lot of money for it. What motivates them to do this? From a logical point of view, it is absolutely not rational to go to the gym after work in order to get even more tired.

This is an example of the work of the sexual instinct, that is, the desire to please outweighs the desire to relax.

How to get energy when there is no war and you are not dying of hunger, but you are still not satisfied with the current state of affairs? I will give an example from the training of the same Ayaz Shabutdinov.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself 10 years from now when you have achieved your goals. What kind of car do you have, what countries do you vacation in, what kind of sexual partners . You need to feel everything deeply , get positive emotions.

And then imagine that you didn’t do anything, everything went by itself. You worked poorly, did not show initiative, and eventually you were fired. You started living on credit, then the bailiffs took away your apartment, and you found yourself on the streets in winter, hungry. Close your eyes and imagine this situation and the emotions that arise in you. Fear, resentment towards life, etc.

Here are two options for developing your future, with positive and negative emotions. The result is a potential difference, a certain voltage. This tension is the motivation and energy that will support you on your path to leadership.

Essence

Any system related to the socio-economic sphere needs a leader. After all, the main resources for its improvement are the potential, talents, strength and productivity of subordinates, as well as the manifestation of initiative. And all this is put together by those who have leadership qualities.

This feature is an inspiring, tactical and generative aspect in the formation of any group. And in the executive key, his operational, organizational role, designed to “keep the fire going,” comes to the fore.

It can manifest itself in how a person knows how to organize work activities despite the complexity of the tasks, convince employees to achieve goals, form a general picture of the future and maintain motivation to work.

The very concept of “leadership” in psychology comes from the German word “lead”, translated meaning “path”. Therefore, a leader is one who leads and shows direction.

His fundamental responsibility is to help others adapt painlessly and quickly to changing conditions and apply a creative approach to their work. In addition, the property aims to encourage employees to share knowledge, gain skills and experience through corporate courses and training, and develop new skills.

But quality can be of two types:

• formal;
• informal.

In the first case, this is a leader who should be obeyed. It is he who distributes responsibilities among subordinates. But in the second, the impact occurs due to a person’s personal traits. Often such a leader has greater influence on the opinion of the team.

Ability to bear responsibility and share it with the team

The leader has to bear responsibility not only for himself, but also for the entire team. What makes a truly good leader and manager is that he shares responsibility, accomplishments, and blame equally. This is perhaps the most “stressful” leadership quality, but the larger a person’s area of ​​responsibility, the larger his sphere of influence. Yes, you have to be responsible for your decisions, especially unpopular ones, defend team members and keep promises; As a reward, the leader receives trust from management and subordinates, and therefore freedom to find the most effective path to the goal. And this skill is not a given from above, it can also be developed!

How to level up responsibility

BOOKS:

• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Risking Your Own Skin. The Hidden Asymmetries of Everyday Life"
• John Miller "5 Principles of Proactive Thinking"
• Bregman Peter “Emotional courage. How to take responsibility, not be afraid of difficult conversations and inspire others"
• Dalio Ray Principles. Life and work"

VIDEO:

• Rob Cook " The Cost of Work Stress and How to Reduce It "
• Simon Sinek " Why a Good Leader Makes You Feel Safe "

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

• Get into the habit of the “one minute rule”: before reacting to a negative event, exercise self-control and wait 60 seconds. And before you speak yourself, listen to the other.
• Do you trust yourself? Think about which areas you don’t ask for advice from others, and which areas make you feel insecure and doubtful. Try to make choices in such areas on your own and observe the consequences, moving towards confidence.
• Think back to your big failures where you were held accountable. How did you cope with the consequences? How scary do they seem now? Think about what works best to help you cope with failure.
• Ask yourself: what depends on me and what doesn’t? Write a list of what is in your control right now and what you can control. Your attention should be directed to these aspects, since you cannot be held responsible for what is not in your control.