The responsibilities and tasks of a leader are multifaceted, requiring different roles to meet the various needs and situations of the organization. However, a leader’s roles are not isolated from one another; they complement each other and operate concurrently.
Mintzberg has analyzed the application and combination of leadership roles according to the demands of the job. The study found that, in addition to individual characteristics, the need for leadership roles is defined by the organization. This observation indicates that success is not only dependent on the leader’s skills. Mintzberg’s definition of ten leadership roles is divided into three groups: interpersonal, informational, and decisional (Pardeep 2015, 13). Identifying leadership roles in my organization is not easy, as leadership roles occur in parallel, complementing each other. However, I began to examine the roles through examples that arise in the workplace.
Interpersonal leadership roles are related to relationships. The figurehead role is crucial in formal matters and represents the team to outsiders. In the liaison role, the manager is responsible for interacting with peers and external contacts. Defining the leader role and responsibility involves interaction between the manager and employees (Pardeep 2015, 13). At the CEO and managerial levels, I believe all leadership roles are fulfilled, but in my organization, the interpersonal and decisional roles are particularly emphasized. Senior management participates frequently in representational events and belongs to various executive groups, thus fulfilling the figurehead role. The liaison role, in my opinion, is a responsibility of all leaders. This is evident in our organization, for example, through team leaders maintaining contacts with external networks via meetings or visits, as well as holding internal team meetings. The leader role is reflected in my supervisor (development manager) through an encouraging work approach. In this role, they motivate the team for training, content development, and new ideas, and provide support in these areas.
Informational roles, as the name suggests, are related to the dissemination of information. In the monitor role, the leader’s task is to gather and receive information related to the organization’s operations. When acting in the disseminator role, the leader serves as a distributor of specialized information within the organization. The spokesperson role can be seen, for example, in a supervisor being an expert for their department, while a senior executive is an expert in their field (Pardeep 2015, 13).
In our organization’s IT team, the informational roles (monitor and disseminator) are particularly emphasized. These roles are evident in activities such as communicating about data protection issues, changes, and current topics through various channels. I work in the development team, which is a mix of all leadership roles. In development work, informational roles are crucial to ensure that information about development outcomes (services) is widely disseminated, enabling new partnerships and customer relationships. The monitor role is visible, for example, in surveys conducted by leaders (such as those related to well-being) within the organization. These surveys are reviewed with team leaders during development discussions. The disseminator role is reflected in meetings held within teams where valuable information is shared with colleagues and team members. The spokesperson role is seen when, for instance, the development manager speaks about our organization at trade shows, speaking events, or network meetings. Leaders also participate in interviews, addressing societal issues while reflecting on our organization’s activities. Team project managers share information about their activities with various partners.
The decisional roles of a leader include the entrepreneur role, disturbance handler role, resource allocator role, and negotiator role. In the entrepreneur role, the leader identifies new ideas and initiates changes and projects. The disturbance handler role is crucial for managing risks within the organization. As a resource allocator, the leader makes decisions regarding resources, budgets, and schedules. In the negotiator role, a senior executive is responsible for decisions at the organizational level, while a manager is responsible for decisions within their own unit (Pardeep 2015, 13-14).
In our organization, we strive to develop new functions, highlighting the entrepreneur role in initiating new ideas and projects, especially by the development manager and project coordinators. In the finance department, decision-making roles such as the resource allocator and disturbance handler roles are clearly evident. The finance team keeps the rest of the organization informed about available resources, which guide the organization’s operations. Additionally, the role of identifying risks is seen in the collection of information, dissemination, and problem-solving by our financial managers, IT department leaders, and information security officers. As mentioned earlier, leadership roles complement each other, and some situations require the simultaneous execution of multiple roles, such as handling threats to the organization or communicating with networks. More reflections on the roles of leaders can be found in my post, “Roles of Manager in Different Working Communities.”
Currently, I would assess my skills and behavior in relation to leadership roles as average. On a scale of 1-10 (1 = very poor, 10 = very good), I would rate my interpersonal roles at an 8, as I believe I am good at building relationships, a strong presenter, and a good communicator. For informational roles, I would rate myself at a 7, as I am proficient at seeking out information and communicating it, but I could improve in identifying and integrating essential information to meet the needs of the organization or the job. My average proficiency in decision-making roles is also a 7. I recognize that I find it challenging to make significant decisions, but I am eager to generate new ideas, initiate new activities, and am open to change. Currently, and also looking forward to the next year, I identify the entrepreneur, liaison, and spokesperson roles as prominent in my leadership profile. The Entrepreneur role in me is expressed as a development-oriented and courageous to try new ideas. The liaison role is particularly evident in collaborative opportunities and in creating and maintaining networks. The spokesperson role comes naturally to me, as I enjoy public speaking, present things coherently, and always strive to keep the organization’s operations and goals in mind when engaging with stakeholders.
References:
Pardeep Kumar. An Analytical study on Mintzberg’s Framework: Managerial Roles. International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies (IJRMBS 2015), Vol. 2 Issue 3. https://studylib.net/doc/8085279/an-analytical-study-on-mintzberg-s-framework–managerial-… Accessed: 20.05.2024.