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Situational Leadership

The 15 Functions of Leadership

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Leadership functions are the ways that a leader can add value to a group. Leadership is a basic social construct that emerges in any group that serves to unify the actions of the group to a common purpose. This requires a degree of social dominance over the other members of the group. Leadership is a remarkably persistent feature of social systems that is nearly universal in a group of any size. Leadership serves a few critical functions:

Strategy

Developing group goals and a plan to achieve those goals.

Tactics

Acting on the moment to take opportunities and manage risks as they arise.

Decision Making

Social processes of decision making such as consensus often lead to suboptimal or even irrational decisions. Leadership serves to tightly bind decision authority and accountability. This can lead to rational decisions, as they are the product of a single mind as opposed to a process of social compromise and positioning.

Problem Solving

Overcoming obstacles to lead the way forward.

Organization

Orchestrating resources to get things done.

Management

Directing and controlling resources.

Relational Capital

Networking and managing relationships to connect the group.

Stakeholder Management

Pitching the value of the group to stakeholders and the media to obtain resources and external influence.

Time Management

Making good use of time with prioritization and continuous improvement of productivity.

Influence & Motivation

Selling strategy, tactics and decisions to the group to get people moving in the same direction with commitment and energy.

Change Management

Pushing change through by communicating its urgent purpose. A leader sidelines resistance to change and empowers agents of change.

Leading by Example

Acting as a good example for the group that inspires others to be ethical, diligent, committed and resilient.

Developing Others

Leaders develop the knowledge, abilities and character of team members.

Culture

Shaping the culture of an organization, team or group to establish productive norms, expectations and shared meaning.

Resilience

Leading the group through stresses, problems and failures to prevent a loss of motivation, focus and direction.

Notes

Communication is often listed as a function of leadership. However, communication is the means by which a leader achieves their function and is not a function in itself.
Overview: Leadership Functions
Type
Definition
The ways that a leader can add value to a group.
Related Concepts

Leadership Functions

This is the complete list of articles we have written about leadership functions.
Abilene Paradox
Accountability
Authority
Communication
Decision Making
Leadership
Leadership Decisions
Management
Media
Norms
Prioritization
Problem Solving
Productivity
Resilience
Stakeholders
Strategy
Tactics
Time Management
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The definition of credibility with examples.

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A guide to creative leadership.

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The definition of managing up with example techniques.

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The definition of coaching with examples.

Civility

The definition of civility with examples.

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A list of common leadership skills.

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A vocabulary for describing leadership style.

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The definition of transformational leadership with examples.

Charismatic Authority

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Paternalistic Leadership

The definition of paternalistic leadership with examples.

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Command And Control

The definition of command and control with examples.

Authoritarian Leadership

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A list of common types of boss.

Constructive

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