The Role of Leadership in Promoting Organizational Growth: A Comparative Analysis of leadership Styles in Five (5) Selected Civil Society Organizations in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to unpack the relationship between leadership and organisational growth while addressing imperative issues such as leadership styles that promote growth or stagnation. Further, the study questions the availability of a particular leadership style peculiar to the Zimbabwean context that if employed at any civil society organization would result in organizational growth and or performance?, as delineated by Hersey and Blanchard who limit styles to Selling, Telling, Participating and Delegating. Five Civil Society Organizations were selected to determine the leadership styles used. The study used Hersey's (1989) “Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description” - LEAD SELF and LEAD OTHER as the instrument. Questionnaires were administered to Directors and their Senior Managers in selected CSOs operating in Zimbabwe. The LEAD SELF measured the self-perception of Directors of their own leadership styles and the LEAD OTHER reflected the perception of employees of the leadership styles of Directors. It was found that a growing number of Directors used the democratic leadership style to create ownership in their organisations. There remain a critical capacity gap amongst key interviewed Directors on accessing the willingness, ability and readiness of their followers resulting in less delegation. It was also found that depending on situations, Directors used various leadership styles, as the leaders chose the style that was considered most appropriate. The study thus recommends that, leadership be included as part of the broader organizational capacity development targeting Directors, Senior Managers and other Staff members. It also further recommends that each Director takes deliberate action to go through in detail the role and responsibility of their followers including clearly articulating organizational mandate, program objectives and linking such to key ability and readiness to the Senior Managers.