Page 31 - Develop your leadership skills- John Adair. -- 2nd ed

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22 ■ Develop your leadership skills

certain functions have to be performed. And a function is what
you do, as opposed to a quality, which is an aspect of what you
are. For example, someone has to define the objectives, make a
plan, or hold the team together if it is threatened by disruptive
forces.

Now we are on firm ground. For you can learn to provide the
functions of leadership that are called for by task, team and
individual needs. This is the entrance door to effective leader-
ship. Moreover, you can – by practice, study, experience and
reflection – learn to do the functions with skill: they will
become your leadership skills. That does not mean that you
will be performing all of them all of the time. But they will be
like sharp, bright and well-oiled tools in your tool box, ready
for instant use when need calls.

Your role as leader

You can now be crystal clear about your role as a leader. Let me
explain the common but often misused word role. A metaphor
drawn from the theatre, it points to the part assigned or
assumed in the drama. In its wider social use, a role can be
roughly defined as the expectations that people have of you. Of
course, if different people have different expectations, you may
experience role conflict. You may find, for example, that there
is considerable tension at certain times in your life between the
expectations of your parents, those of your life partner and
those of your children.

We do not expect people to act outside their roles in the context
of work. For instance, if a police officer stopped your car