Idea 2: Leadership function – action-centred leadership

At whatever level of leadership you are, you must continually think about task, team and individual needs. To achieve the common task, maintain teamwork and satisfy individuals, certain functions have to be performed. A function is what leaders do as opposed to a quality, which is an aspect of what they are.

These functions (the functional approach to leadership, also called action-centred leadership) are:

• Defining the task: What are the purpose, aims and objectives? Why is this work worthwhile?
• Planning: A plan answers the question of how you are going to get from where you are now to where you want to be. There is nothing like a bad plan to break up a group or frustrate individuals.
• Briefing: The ability to communicate, to get across to people the task and the plan.
• Controlling: Making sure that all resources and energies are properly harnessed.
• Supporting: Setting and maintaining organizational and team values and standards.
• Motivating: Gaining the goodwill and wholehearted commitment of the team and each individual member.
• Evaluating: Establishing and applying the success criteria appropriate to the field.
• Setting an example: Leading from the front while exemplifying the qualities and behaviours expected in the team.

Leadership functions in relation to task, team and individual can be represented by the following diagram.

These leadership functions need to be completed with excellence. You achieve this by performing the functions with increasing skill and also by regularly reviewing and reflecting on your performance.

Before examining the skills of leadership, it is worth seeing which qualities of personality or character can be viewed as having functional value. These are traditionally called the qualities or characteristics of leadership. Again, they can be split into task, team and individual elements.