National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services Federal Mln.lstry of Agriculture and Water Resources

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

LEADERSHIP AND. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Extension Bulletin No 81

Agrlc. EXtension Series No 10

LEADERSHIP AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Extension Bulletin No.81 AgticExtension Series No. 10

Prod11ced and Dismbw.:d By

National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Service Ahmadu Bello University

Zaria.

2000

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

l\l;uch of the bulletin is based on papers presented during vmious National Workshops orgunizcd by the National Agricultural E'i.ten­sion and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) and an intensive re view· of literature relevant to the topic. The authors gratefully acknowledge the intellectual contents of the papers, and contribu­tions of the publication review committee and in p:micular that of Professor T.K. Atala. The comments by the publication re view committee and Professor T.K. A tala on the final draft of the bulletin are gratefully acknowledged. Responsibility for any etTers remains, however, with the authors.

Akpoko, J. G, Omotayo, A.M. andAuta, S. J. 2000

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page Acknowledgement

Table of Content Introduction

What is Leadership? Leadership and Extension Management The Essentials of Leadership Role Leadership Styles lntetpersonal Skills Conllict Management Strategies Delegation Tips on Effective Leadership and Inteq)crsona! Skills Conclusion Bibliography

l1l

Page

tn

::; ()

II l)

17 18

INTRODUCTIO:'\ Under the Training and Visit (T & V) extension system which

is cli!Tcntly being used for extension dcli veJ)' nationwide, the spheres and responsibilities of the core extension personnel are clearly specified at all levels. The core ex tension personnel comp1i ses the Director of Extension (DOE). the Zonal Extension Officers (ZEOs), Sul~jcct Mauer Specialists (SMSs). the Bluck Extension Supervisors (BESs). Block Ex tension Agents(BEAs) (WIA) and the Village E:< tcnsion Agents (YEAs).

At headquarters, the DOE is responsible to the Programme \bnager on matters of extension . Under the DOE are the ZEOs, with general responsibi lity for direction of the SMSs. The BESs assi st in the organizational aspects of the work of the BEAs/VEAs. The BEAs/VE/\s arc responsible for the execution of field exten­sion act i vi tics.'' orking directly ,..,·ith the f<m11crs. The responsibilities of all other extension stall is. then.:!"orc, ultimately to make the YEAs more c!lccti vc in their work.

In essence. eYery extension worker. from the village exten­sion agent to the top most person in the extension management hierarchy is a leader. It is obvious, however, that eiTecti ve leader­ship requires that each worker understands some basic concepts and techniques of leadcrships. This bulletin. discusses the basic concepts or leadership. leadership and extension management, the essenti als or leadershi p ro les. leadership styles, confli ct man­agement strategies and t! ps to effective leadership in agricultural ex tension .

Vd-IAT IS LEADERSHIP? There are as many definitions of the concept leadership as

there arc definers. Others define leadership as an activity of influ­enci ng people to co-operate towards some goal which they find desirable. Simibrly leadership can be considered as a relationship bet ween an individual and a group. bui It around some common interest

and behaviour as directed or detetmincd by the leader. A more recent

definition of the concept, sees leadership as: a process by which one

person attempts to influence the behaviour of another (or a group)

with the expressed purpose of achieving a goal (or goals). However.

a leader, as it should be viewed in the cunt · zt of this bulletin, is one

who influences or attempts to influence the hehaviour of an indi vidu<il

or a group of people to cooperate toward some goals which they.

that is the people, have found desirable.

LEADERSHIP AND EXTENSION MANAGEMENT The demands of extension work nccessari ly imposes lead­

ership status on the extension worker. The spheres and rami fica­

Lions of leadership role expectations, however. differ dependin& on the position, task specilications and t11e type or group the ex­tension worker deals with, in or outside the extension organiza­

tion. Thus, while a YEA is expected to play leadership role among his clientele i .c. the fanners. a Zonal Extension Officer (ZEO) or the

head of women in Agticulture (WIA) is essentially a manager and

leader of extension workers under him/her within the extension

organization.

There is the general belief that the effectiveness ofjob per­

formance in any organization depends largely on how such or­

ganizations are structured and managed. Often, failures or poor perfonnancc of public institutions like the Extension Organiza­

tion in Ni geria is blamed on inefficient administration and man­

agement. Skills or dimensions commonly ascribed to "org:miza­

tional behaviour" are motivation, leadership, communication, con-

flict management, delegation, decision-making and team build­ing. What this may imply is that an organization is likely to func ­

tion efficiently if the p1inciples and practices of leadership, moti ­

vation, decision-making, conflict management. delegation and team building are properly applied in its day-to-day functioning_

2

1'1-JE ESSENTIALS OF LEADERSHIP ROLE There arc some essenti als and inherent facts or pre-requisite

1 person must possess heforc he can perform leadership role in a ~roup . Three of these arc:

ability to influence others; '- the leader must be a member of the group, and 11. a common goal must exi st a t the point of influence.

LEADERSHII' STYLES Different people will have different attitudes to different

.hi ngs and situati on. T he same is true of leadership. This differ­~n t attitude or perception in exercising leadership function is termed ~lyles of leadership. T he generall y recognized styles of leader­-;hip arc autocrati c. democratic and laizcs-faire.

1\ utocratic leadership: The autocratic leader centralizes power and decision-mak­

ing around himself. He structures the work situation and expects subordinates to do \Vh at they arc to ld . T he leader determines all po licies, acti viti es and goals of the group or organi zation . He takes no part in the work except when conducting meetings , tell­ing others what to do. Members of the group led by an autocrat arc usuall y uncertain about what to do and onl y act on what they arc told to do. T he major advantage of autocratic leadership is that decisions can be taken qui ckly, hecause only one person de­cides for the group. The major disadvantages are: 1. dependency: 11. lack ofin itiati ve;

111. slow down of group ac ti vi ties, especially when the leader

is not around, and 1v. fear and conflict develop casi I y.

3

The Democratic Leadership The democratic or pa1ticipati ve leader is one in which the leader share• with the group members, policies decision making, planning and execution of activities. Subordinates are encouraged to express their ideas and suggestions in decision-making. The leader helps to develop a fee ling of responsibility on the part of every member of the group gives constructive c1iticisms and praises the members when the group achieve a set objective. This type of leadership sty le is considered better for many reasons including: t. high productivity andqualityofwork: 11. high morale- both individual and as a group: 111. sense of group feeling, and IV. group members feel secured and satisfied to belong.

Other personal qualities of a democratic leader are: t. he gives clear instructions based on good decisions: n. he sets good examples for his collr::·tgues; 111. decides on facts and not hear-say; J\'. he is a very active and careful planner: v. he keeps good records; v1. he is knowledgeable and takes good decisions: vu. he understands and appreciates each group members prob-

lems: Vltt. he is a good teacher and good communicator: IX. he is a leader and not a "boss'', and x. he is trustworthy and dependable. The democratic leadership style seems to offer the best for achie\­ing maximum results in agricultural extension. However, situa­tion may arise when a leader may need to apply different leader­ship styles.

4

The Laizer-fain.• leadt~r

The lai;er-faire ic<1dcr is nne who believes that the group members can get on'' ithout him. He gives minimum guidance, and remain in tile h:1c kground. lie seems to have no confidence in himself. The !\'SUi ts of this style of Jc;ldCrship j f Used dominantly, arc: 1. low moral :md producli vi ty: 11. too much freedom which cause laxity: 111. group members have complete freedom, become restless ,

<111u lad incentives to work , and i'. chaos <1nd breakdown of la"v and order becomes com­

mon. Generally. no panicular style of leadership is considered

<I'- the hcsl. \!lost successful leaders are those who carefully nd­.iu~t to situations and apply a wide range of interpersonal skills <ln d arc able to unite :md stimulate fo llowers toward defined ob­jcdi\·cs in spcc1fic situations

1\TERPERSOl\'AL SKILLS Interpersonal sk ills refer to the ski lis. ability ancVor int1icacies

im ol\·cd in successfully maintaining or managing a relationship i intcrac·tingl with other people. In general, leaders usc three different types nr ski lis n~nnc ly: technical , human, and conceptual.

The technical skills This is a person ·s knowledge and ahility in any subject

mallcr arc:1: process or technique, e.g .. the skill of an agronomist, l he ag ricultur~d cng i ncer. the vcteri nary doctor, etc.

The human skills Is the abi lity to work effectively with people and to build

lCl\111 \\uri\. ll is oll1crwi~c rcfctTcd lO as interpersonal skill. The

tcdmical :-;kill deals with things, human skill conccms people. while the conceptual ~k i II deals with ideas.

5

•

The conceptual skills This is the ability to understand and utilize mode ls, frame­

works and broad relationships. such as formulating lo ng range plans.

The technical and conceptual ski lls can be taught or ac­quired through systematic training or on the job ex perience, the

interpersonal ski ll is somewhat more dirficult to acquire through such broadly organi zed methods. The extension worker needs the application of interperson al ski lis in team bui I ding for effec­tive functioning of any group.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES The day to day activities of the extension leader require

routine and careful appli cati on of interpersonal ski lls . This is be­cause the extension leader deals with pt"ople of different back­grounds, point of vi ews. values, needs and personalities, and through the interaction of people of such diverse characteti sti cs, a variety of conflicts (interpersonal and inter-group) often develop. Four basic stmtegies for resolution of interpersonal and inter-group conflicts have been identified. These are: avoidance, defusion, containment and confrontation.

Avoidance Two basic approaches are used in "avoidance''. The first

is to ignore the conflict because the matter is either tri vial o r a symptom of larger problems. T he second circumstance for which avoidance strategy is appropriate is when dec isive action is re-

quired or a consensus is unlikely .

Defusion When a conflic t situation is kept aside or its importance is

played down, thi s strategy is described as "defusion". The ap-

6

proach under this strategy is to divert attention from the conflict situation.

Containment The third type of strategy is "containment", in which the

conflict situation is addressed by controlling the issues and the m<tnncr in which they arc discussed by either bargaining or struc­turing the interaction.

Confrontation When an attempt is made to integrate or reconci le the

parties involved in conflict, the strategy is referred to as "confron­tation". The resolution under this method is to redesign the or­ganization, particularly when the sources of conflict come from tJ· ~ co-ordinati on of work and when the work can be easi ly di­" 1ded into clear and sci f contained work groups. These strategies me summarized in Table I be low:

7

Table 1: Conflict Management Strategies .

Conf1ict Resolution Type of Appropriak Situation Slratcl!v Stratcl!v

Ignoring the contl ict /\ voiJanrc When tile 1s~uc is tri l"l :tl \\'hen till' is~u.:: is sy mpl<~tn:ll il PI rntlf\..'

h:t\ir pres>il'\.: ·· .-unkm~.

Imposing a solution :\ voi uanu: \\'hen quic~ . dec i ~i\c' al't l< HI I\ llc'l~lkd .

\Vb.:n unporular !kt:i>i<>lb need Ill he JII:Jdc· anJ Ulllst:nsus amo11~ tile ~rnups appc:H' \'Crv un li~L·k

Smootbing De fusion r\s s!<>p-gap lllcaslll'l' let ]ic'llplc l'< 1\ll J, '''-1~ :111J rc~ain rx:rspcctil ..:. Whl·n !ik' l'lliill~c·! h

over lit lll-1\'0rk issu..:s

Appealing to super- Ddusion When thcr.: i~ :1 mutual!~

orJinatc goal impm1ant goal that lll'ililL'r <!l'tlLIJl<.'an acbic\·l' 1\' itllllllt the CO! lj)<.'ratiOil nf th..: <>il:c'l·. \Vh .. ·n "-lln:l\ ·~d Dr :-.lie~.:.._· ...... Pl. p\·~...-r~di

or~an itat i <'ll is intt:•'P:trdv.

Barga1ning Cuntainmc-nl \\'hen tk t\\·<l pan il'S arl' nl :\·latth'ly t.'l(tl .tl f1011'Cl'. \VhCi l thl'l'c' :ll"l' Sl'I'L' ;·; tJ :ICCc'pt ;Jhic-:tltcrnatl\e sollll t\llb that hHit p:u1ies \\<Hild he 1\'i lll!lg In considn.

Stn.Jclllring the Containment \\'hen prL'I'Hl:.IS attcmrts It! "!'''Illy J i,l·LI' ' intcractil'll u•n ll i..-t ts~u~·, leu tnn>nll tct •>calatl<>n

ratl\L'r thant" 1':uh k nt solult••ll. \\ llc'll ~l

ICS ]l<:Cil'd third pan~ i-. :11 :JIJ,thk It! J11.tll.llk Sllllli: structure and enuld ~L'I'I'<.' as a mcuialor.

lmcgrat i1·e problem Ctm!'rontation When there i-. amininnnn k·1 c'l .. r tmst solving )X'tll <.'e ll ~l'\>ll[lS and thL'I\' I' II<> 11 111..: J'l'-''-'<il.'

for a quick ,, ,J u~ion . \\ l~c· :Jti ·"· Pt·,::t!\1 /.:t:; , •II hendns i't\l11l mcr~i ng th,· J Jilntng perspL-cti,·e., :111d insights ol till' group-, , i11 makim.> kev l.kt:i, ions.

Redesigning the Ctmi'n>l1lation \Vhc·n the "'"'1-ccs 11!' L' ,>Jl llil· t l'lllllc' l'n>lllth·

organi1.ation Cllon.Jinatinn•lf 1\'llrk . \\'ll,·n tik' 11t1rh c;ni

he l'asi ly di,·tJct.l i1Ht< de·& ;'n >ic:L·t l'l'Spnnsibilili L'S (s~· i f-Ctlllt :Jllh'd \\ tli'K

gmups)<\r whcn adi,·ities rl'quire a '"' t1l intl'rt.l.:partmental comdtn: lli t~n m·er tilll<.' !lateral rdat ll>lls).

8

\\ .hi k tile i"urcgoing mc~hlllt' '- '-·~!il he :tpplicd ;r1 :-i llt: tl il)tJS

" ·here con rl il'! has : d rc~tdy < k · eloped. it is usu~d i ~ lllllre hc:nc!'ic ialto

ad;lpl n1casurL·s \\·hi ... ~ . ,\.lHtld minimi;c ~~~ "~'·-'' ,·n: ._.t l n!l;.:t itt :1 :1

org:lll i/:llion. L xpcri t'necs has shm,·n thal "ottlt' grottp ll1<t inlt' ll: lllcc

hch:tl iours. ir properly ~tpp l icd hy lc:ulcrs. c:utminimi;c or P'"'-''·,·nt

L"\lllllict in the I\ l ltl cm ironment. On tilt' other h:t tld. if 11 n Htgly :tppli(·cl.

can n:sult in cunrl icl. 1.-i rst.the hcha ' llJLlrs of k adus which arc sc l l"­

uri en ted ~md " h il'l1 c <ttl kad to i n tcr)llT~on ~t! ~t!lll i nllT·::.:mup l-,, n th.·t. II)( I utk':

.\ggression

Dci'l:tti ng ~ ~ gruup member or mcm hn s. L' \ lm:s si n ~' l.'lli' Y

or u nrL': r snn:~ hk di..;appnll al or :ttt :rt: k ing th,· Ltsk :11 hand.

Domination

(h er <t:-:-;L' rti ng au tlw rn y or supcr inri t~ <'I m:tnipu lating g oup or ind tl· iuua ltncmbc rs t hrou~ ll ri :It tc ry. comtn:tnds. intcr­

ruptil l tlS during d isntssions. thrc: tt;;. emoti on:!! prL·:;surc. c tt·.

Dcpcndenn.· DclihLT:t!ch polari;tng gruup tu <tc·!liv\ L' s~· I J i sh ends. l in­

tng up 1\'l lh ce rt ain strong mdividu~ds or ~HHtps ll l · l: nco ur~t :! in g

the fort11dti,lll 1ll\· liquL·s.

Blocking Rc~ i :-t ing :; tuhorn ly. d i \ ~ I grcl·in~ Ll !lrl' :t >Pn:d~ 11 ith i;k':t' m

upini11ns o r indi , · i du ~tl s or groups whic h arc co n .~idcrcd ;tni :Ign­

ni S\ ic IO the C:! liSC or tilL' leader. hri ng1 ng_ Ll p :til i ..; ~l!l' I h :tt h;:d lli1CC

been p<~sscd . :lll d sho\\' ing I<IC h or illilTCst in i l k ::... o!' itH.Iil idu:ds

Or g i'Ollj)S \\'hO il i"L' Jl (}\ C011 Sidcred ; !'\ l';l\·lHiriiCS 0 1' the Jcadn .

1\gri cul tmal L .\ tcnsion Lc1dcrs shot tld as llHtL·h as poss i­

b le :11oid thl· hl·h:!\ ioms d i scussed : ii •P \~· . I lL'\ .. :J,'L: Id >l r i·, c l<l

C)

culti vate those behaviours which help in team building and which encourage group harmony. Some of these team bui I ding and groui:> hatmony maintenance behaviours are presented below:

Encouraging This include praising. agreeing with and accepting reason­

able contributions and ideas of subordinates and other members of the group.

Harmonizing Reconciling disagreements and relieving tensions by the

use of practiced and pleasant humour.

Ob:;ea·ving

Carefull y watching how the group operates. identifying the strengths and weakness as of indi viduals in the group and skillfully providing a feedback to individuals within the group and the group as a whole on what is observe<..! .

Sensitizing Making sure that all group members have a sense of be­

longing in the group and ensuring that all members of the group have a fairchance to participate in decision mu.king.

Setting standards Offering standard for the group to attempt to ac hieve or

mecl. Creating an environment for healthy competition.

Supporting Making compromises to move along with the group, grace­

ful ly admitting erTors whenever an en·or is committed, being self­disciplined in order to maintain group harmony.

10

Following Going along with group, accepting ideas and opinions of

others, serving as audience in group di scussions and accepting the principle, that leading means service to others.

The suggestio:-~s concerning group maintenance behaviours as discussed above require extension leaders to carefully interpret and apply them as the situation dictates. Behaviours such as ag­gression, domination, dependence and blocking are subject to in­dividual interpretations. For instance, the extension leader must

draw a line betw:cen aggression and assertiveness. While aggres­sive individuals may humiliate, manipulate, openly criticize and unfairly dominate others, assertive people are direct, honest, cx­prcssi ve and make others feel valued. Be ing unassertive on the other hand can be counterproductive. Unassertive people may look timid. show an inferiority complex and elicit either pity or s<.:o rn from others. Both aggression and unasseni vencss arc less effective for achieving a desired goal. It is, therefore, important that the extension leader develops appropriate positi ve behaviours that would improve group cohesion and interpersonal effective­ness. This can be achieved by communicating effectively with subordinates and colleagues creating a climate where subordin<Jtes arc fully involved in their jobs and providing opportunities for subordinates to grow on the job. The I alter can partly be achieved through the practice of delegation. The next part of this bul lcti n therefore discusses the practice of delegation.

DELEGATION Delegation si mply means getting work done through other

people. Delegation does not mean "dumping" or abdication of

responsibility and authorily but rather it should be practiced as a process of job enrichment. Extension leaders may not a! ways be able to accomplish all planned activities. Therefore~ tasks that

11

·--~"' h,: d•J<t•: ;•;, •It' ._· : ·· .. -..ti\ ,-:\ h <'l.hcr r1!L' I11hL·h <lithe C\ll'nsJon k';Jm

·,!luulu he tkk:.:tkd \() c·n;thlc k;tdcrs l<l i'<>L·t , <Hl tilL: hi~;h~prilll'it\ '

L:sks th~ti ;11\' 1111 )S\ nJliL';tl tnthl'IJ"O\\ 11 jWI"I'Ilr!ll;\llCC.

! )l .. :k'~~:.tl\)P hli'-) ..:, ~_ )J": k' ~td\·Jnt~~~~C':'<

1. it i ~ .._J;·,, "''k". ·.:i••i~ .mdgr<Hll\1 suhl'rdJnatL><

Ji. it ~~t \ \.', :i 1L' k,t l!_,, -~ ii!lJL'. oi!ld 111. ullli~v, til · · ~.;,_ilJ, ,lml ;; h iltl.i('~ (ll ~.uhordin;t\c; :1nd lrccs

the Jc;~d•.'r \,I Jn.u J::;: L·.

D~-~i ) :J.L tl:~·,,.- ._·;,_,- ;t , ::·.h <t!ll:t:,'L''> ·d··lck:,'.Jlil~'"- m;lll: k:Jd­

., .::\: <·.<..'11.iL:•I , ·J 'i'< \,J ! Ll·' •.• ! ~.k k~titlt1 ' 1 lll.I"L'S j)Ullsihi]tl~ ;Jtld

~<~· ~1.~0iL·~ \Yh\ ~ ·· .. , .-·, .··c; :~Pt d~~lpgat<.~

l h·.~ i'ni\l\\·in" :11 •: i•t ••ill ; ·.•:Ji < : • !.rr.~·,;JJb •xl1. Slll\lC lc:!dcr:, dll llill

]IU\\L'! ;_]\:, ti,-.; r~· -~~ ~ i ·: ; t \r.' jlL'()I)k dt..']K't1\Jcn l I )]] t]lClll:

11. k;trlh.i! '. llh• ) J · ,i!J~;Ii.C-. '·.\!II k•;tl'lliiH'Ill\!Ch aht1LilllWII lL'I..'iJ

lii(jliC.<

!li. kdr, ~i sid> ~. •rdill;' t;,:-:.: · ;,~!l~trc:

1\·. l:1ck oi.tru-.1 i11 i'''(lp !c: \'. f,_~:\1' 111' )\ lS !tl g <,'\111\l·u! () i.lhci!· t\cp:trlllll'11l. or ll1111:

\ I. )l: :il\llt ~\ - ti1~,· 1k~ !l< ~ :,1 t:~kc ncdit lor :til <ll'llJ(.'\'l'tllt..'JHs.

;,nd

\ i l. t~lL·k ,,1 · It•],· :i !Iii\. \'.h ' .. !\' !11 !asks ;111d dUIIL'S to h~,_· de)~

c'c'. ~\ 1, ,~ ,_:. :tr" 1Hl', .: iL- ~: r ~; ::,J !.ll\1\'-. illt' \he m~tl1~\0.C!'.

\\'hilt.: '>lll1il.' ~~llik :thtl\t..' i c :trs m;J\ 11111 he entire!\ unrca­

~ (lJJ;Jblc in :,<lllll' ltt ,•,•:l!lil::ti o w;_ jl<~!'tJL'lll;trly ''here there :ll'l' o\cr

/ L' < lil ll.i~ . <1 \'P I.~.·r,IJll ht:t:;: t '' ; t ;'-: ,~ nltJJ:iiL's.lcddcrs ,,·Jwumkrst;tlld

people and their reaction to work would reap great benefits from the practice of delegation.

Assignments that can be delegated: It is usually difficult to make exact prescriptions on what can

or cannot be delegated. However, the following are suggested as assignments \\'hich a leader can delegate: 1. problems or issues that require exploration, study, analy­

si s, and recommendations; 11. acti vities beyond day-to-day operations but still within the

scope of the subordinates' job or abilities; 111 . projects that guide human talent in a positive direction

toward the organization's goals and also toward the em­ployees ' continuing development and growth, and

1v. problems which if handled well by the subordinate would conserve the leader 's time.

Tasks that cannot or should be delegated: Leaders have generally agreed on cet1ain tasks that cannot

or should be delegated. These include: 1. setting plans within larger goals or objectives; 11. morale problems that are of considerable importance to

the unit or department; 111. reconciling staff conn ict or differences: IV. coaching and training subordinates and reviewing their

perf01mance; v. assignments that have been given specifically to the leader

by his/her superior; v1. any part of a committee or task-force assignment (espe­

cially if information is confidential) to which a leader is expected to give personal commitment;

VII. certain projects, ideas, or activities of the leader, and vn1. matters on which there is not enough qualified staff avail-

13

able for delegation, or which involve too much of a risk.

How to delegate: Three steps are followed in dcleg<.uiOJI.-

1. assigning responsibility: 11. granting authority, and m. creating accountability.

In assigning responsibilities, extension leaders should not end it with giving clear descriptions of duties and tasks to be per­formed. They should specify what results are expected, and how performance will be measured. The process of granting author­ity can be divided into two phases: (I) a preliminary phase, and (2) a continuing support phase. 1) The preliminary phase: At the preliminary phase, the leader should: 1. ask subordinates to present ideas and plans for achieving

the desired result; 11. suggest possible alternatives and help subordinates to ex­

plore all aspects of the problem situ.:.,ion: 111. prompt subordinates to think about and identify potential

problems and how to over come them, and 1v. agree on the course of action to be followed.

2) The continuing support phase: The continuing support phase requires the leader to help their

subordinates with advice and counsel as the task progresses. It is only when the ingredients of effec tive delegation have

been implemented that subordinates can be held responsible for results (good or bad) of their duties.

Reasons for subordinates refusal to accept delegation: Sometimes, subordinates may not accept delegation . There

are a number of reasons for this. These include:

14

fear of failure; 1. suhon..linates are overloaded with work: 11. when there is confusion due to poor organization, and v. subordinates may also refuse delegation if the task is not

challenging or if it is routine or uninteresting. Extension leaders must there fore. delegate in such a man-

1er as to sti mutate confidence and handle subordinates ' mistakes tactfully.

TIPS ON EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND INTERPER­SONAL SKILLS 1. a leader must inspire confidence in subordinates. To be

an effect ive leader, the extension leader must have the confidence of the people he/she is to lead. To inspire con fidence, he/she should show competence and knowl­edge of technical tools and processes with which his/her rollowcrs work, has knowleuge anti unuerstanding ofthe broad policies of the organization, keep hi s/her promises, and exercises good judgement always;

11. be persistent in dri ving toward the goal. The leader must belief fi rmly in what he/she st1ives to accomplish, and must persistently look for right methods of attaining the goal;

m. communicate clearly without misunderstanding; 1v. be wi I ling to listen receptively. This attribute often distin­

gui shes a leader from the boss or commander. The leader should li sten with an open mind to subordinates' point of view and have the desire to understand and make the best use of the other person's point of view;

v. have a genuine interest in the welfare of the people being led;

vt. a leader should understand why people behave the way they do and sympathizes with them;

VII. a leader must be objective and should not allow the senti-

15

ments of other people to act on hi s own feelings : Vlll. a leader must be fo11h1ight IX. make quick and sound decisions. x. take tisks; XL does not ge t too comfortable \V i th his job: xii. does not waste time putting subordinates on trial for thei r

mistakes; XI II. plan ahead (identi fy problem areas): XIV. shun perfectionism, get on with the job: xv. willing to break tradition (champion new ideas): xv1. hire top-notch people; xvii. communicate, keeps in touch and wanders around: xviii. slow down to criticize. but quick to praise: XIX. sociuble/tlcxiblelt-espectahle;

xx. expect results: xx1. control and influence events: XXII. moti vate staff: XXIll. aware of organizational climate. fan~. liar ,,·ith rura l prob­

lems and have local extension work experience to enable him/her to deve lop empathy for ex tension staff and farm­ers;

xxiv. creative and systematic thinking with a fl air for wri ti ng: xxv. accept change and challenge: xxv1. assign responsibilities according to professional compe­

tence and qualifications, and xxv11. politically neutral.

Although these are the c haracteri stics of good leaders. productivity will suffer if the orgttnization has a negative eli mute. The following are important points for ag1icultural ex tension lead­ers to develop a posi tive organizational climate in the ex tension serv1ce: 1. be a sympathetic li stener and advisor: 11. reward each person fairl y (no favourites):

l6

111. usc group to develop programs, set priorities and solve problems;

1v. set a good example in positive attitude; v. cl:.ui f y roles and responsibilities; VI. take in tcrest in subordinates' work; v 11. delegate responsibilities: VIII. be easily approachable by staff: 1x. diagnose problems before taking action; x. if \Nork fai·ls to meet norms, administer di scipline; x1. provide incentives for good work, and XII. show concern for staff welfare.

In summary, a leader must inspire confidence in people, be dependable. free from the habit of worry. be generous. and have self ~onfidence and a strong sense of fa ir play.

CONCLUSION: In this bulletin , an attempt has been made to discuss leader­

shi p. interpersonal skills, conflict management and how exten­sion leaders can apply the practice of de legation for effective job performance. Some of the points discussed and suggestions made are widely applicable to all leaders particularly in agricultural ex­tension, research, trai ning and rural development organizations.

17

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abimbola, LA. ( 1990). "Leadership, Motivation and Interpersona skills: An introduction "In Manual of the Workshop on ex ten sionTrainingPrinciplcsandMethods, Conducted b~

NAERLS at the NAERLS Conference Hall, Zaria, Dec. 1 Ot - 21-'t: 99 - 109.

Arnold, H. J. and Feldman, D. C. ( 1989), "Organizational Be· haviour: New York: Me Graw-Hill.

De vis Keith (1981) "Human Behaviour at Work" Organiza. tiona! Behaviour: New York. Me Graw-Will. Pp 124 -140.

Macaw F. G. (1957) "What is Wanted in Tomonow's Leaders' in : Leadership on The Joh: Guides to Good Supervisior New York. The Hadden Craftsman Inc. ·

Marcotte P. (1989( "Organizational Behaviour Factors: A Briel Synopsis of Leadership, Motivation and Conflict Manage· ment" In Abe, L. and Marcotte P. (Eds.) Proceedings ol the SACCARIISNAR regional Workshop on human Re­source Management in National Agticultural Research Sys­tems: The Hayne: JSNAR pp. 140 - 163.

Technical Centre for Agricultural and rural Cooperation (CTA). Workshop Proceedings on Supen i.;ion and Manage-ment of Extension Services, held in Lome, 9t11

- 13th December, I 991. Mohammed Umar and Lay le Lawrence (edts). Pp. 55.

Zinyemba, A. ( 1989) "The practice of Delegation" In Abed L. and Marcottee P. (Eds) Proceedings of the SACCAR/ ISNAR. Regional Workshop on Human Resource Man­agement in National Agricultural Research Systems; The Hagne: ISNAR pages 187- 195.

18

I

88ilal~ tnaliiYN .1.8 Gii.I.Nialcl

•