Balancing Leadership Roles

Name: Balancing Leadership Roles
Author: Laura Portolese

Learn how to balance your roles as a leader.

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Leaders take on many roles within an organization. Sometimes they need to be a motivator or a coach. And other times, they may need to communicate a vision across the organization. Let's address the types of roles leaders play. You'll also receive some suggestions on how you might utilize each role in different situations. Sometimes employees accept their colleagues as leaders right away, but more often than not, the leader must first build trust to be effective at their job. There are several ways a leader can build legitimacy to ensure that company goals are met. These methods are called sources of power. First, there's what's called legitimate power. Legitimate power is the type of power someone has simply because of their position or title. For example, a director of human resources has legitimate power simply because of the title that they hold. Having a title gives you, as a leader, automatic authority. However, this isn't always enough to get people to follow you. The second type of power is expert power, which stems from your own personal abilities and experience. Suppose you have 10 years of experience in cybersecurity and people look to you when they have some challenges or issues regarding IT and related topics. Because of this as a leader, you'll likely have employees' trust in this field. Leaders also have reward power, which is your ability to reward employees who are doing a good job with higher salaries, more hours or promotions. Because it's likely you'll be in charge of determining the rewards people receive, it's also likely that you'll be able to build trust with them when you use this power effectively. Coercive power stands as the opposite of reward power. This type of power focuses on the leader's ability to punish people if they aren't meeting expectations, like writing someone up if they're late to work or firing them if they aren't meeting expectations. The exclusive use of this type of power may motivate people for a short time, but it's unlikely to do so for the longterm or to help to build trust. This type of power as a leader should be used sparingly. Have you ever worked with or for someone who was just a great person? Maybe they were positive, upbeat, and wonderful to work with. This type of power is charismatic power. It's often inborn with certain successful leaders and inspiring to others. Using this type of power can help build trust, genuinely caring about employees' wellbeing, helping out when asked, and being empathetic are all examples of using charismatic power. Now that you know about the different types of power in leadership, let's take a look at how these types of power can be applied to make you the best leader possible.

Advanced Provider : Laura Portolese 5 Lessons · 16m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

This course discusses how leaders take on many different roles within an organization and derive authority from multiple sources. It also highlights the leader’s responsibility for ensuring that the corporate vision is met, and that goals and expectations are clearly communicated. Finally, this module identifies specific strategies for encouraging a hesitant team to embrace change.

What You'll Learn

Identify the types of authority and power leaders use within organizations
Articulate the corporate vision and communicate goals and expectations clearly
Lead with integrity while delegating with humanity
Coach team members, provide expertise, and nurture talent
Apply strategies to help employees accept and embrace organizational change

Key Takeaways

Leaders take on many different roles within an organization and derive their authority from multiple sources.
A leader is responsible for ensuring the corporate vision is met and that goals and expectations are clearly communicated.
Specific strategies can help encourage a hesitant team to embrace change.
Leadership involves coaching, providing expertise, and nurturing talent alongside leading with integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

It covers how leaders take on different roles and derive authority from multiple sources, the leader's responsibility for meeting the corporate vision and communicating goals and expectations clearly, and strategies for encouraging a hesitant team to embrace change.

What will I learn from this course?

You will learn to identify the types of authority and power used by leaders in organizations and how leaders assist employees in accepting organizational change.

What topics are included in the lessons?

The lessons cover Leadership Powers; Articulating the Vision and Communicating Goals; Leading with Integrity and Delegating with Humanity; Coaching, Providing Expertise, and Nurturing Talent; and Motivating Teammates to Embrace Change.

Does this course address managing organizational change?

Yes. The course identifies specific strategies for encouraging a hesitant team to embrace change and teaches how leaders assist employees in accepting organizational change.

Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

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Professional Development Units (PDUs): 0.5

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