John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Smart Decision Making

Idea 52: Eight functions of leadership

At whatever level of leadership we’re considering, task, team and individual needs must be thought about continually. To achieve the common task, maintain teamwork and satisfy the individuals involved, 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:

1. Defining the task

2. Planning

3. Briefing

4. Controlling

5. Evaluating

6. Motivating

7. Organizing

8. Providing an example

Leadership functions in relation to task, team and individual can be represented by another three-circle model.

These leadership functions need ...