actions in his or her area of responsibility, the leader should never allow a subordinate to be criticized or penalized except by himself or herself or such other authority as the law prescribes. EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP The special authority and responsibility granted to you is an example of position power. The mere fact that you are a manager, however, does not make you an effective leader. Some managers are highly effective leaders; others are rather ineffective. We emphasize this point because one popular idea is that position power closely relates to effective leadership. This may or may not be true. In today’s complex and technical Navy, the traditional form of “heroic” personal leadership is changing to a manager form. The wide range of skills we need to accomplish our goals requires us to take an active part in the team effort of decision making. In most cases, the “ours is not to wonder why, ours is but to do or die” approach is outmoded. Today’s approach puts greater emphasis on human relations and group motivation as a means of achieving effective performance. LEADERSHIP VARIABLES Leadership is a function of three broad variables: (1)  the  characteristics  of  the  leader,  (2)  the characteristics  of  the  followers,  and  (3)  the characteristics of the situation involving the leader and followers. Numerous studies show that a leader’s effectiveness depends on that person’s ability to relate to these variables in choosing the appropriate style of leadership. When leading sailors who are highly dependent and insecure, you no doubt use a somewhat autocratic style. Your style is firm, with clear procedures and firm directions. In this situation you must be Psychologically strong. When your subordinates are emotionally mature and perform in a creative, self-motivated manner, these tactics are destined for failure. Of course, you are unlikely to have workers who all fall into one category. Also, situations tend to change from minute to minute. Therefore, you must focus on all three variables all the time. Two of the qualities a leader needs to deal within this constantly shifting relationship of leader, follower, and situation are flexibility and social sensitivity, Social sensitivity refers to your ability to think and feel what the other person is thinking and feeling.  Flexibility  is  your  ability  to  behave appropriately in dealing with others. Leaders often overlook the first variable. You must be constantly aware of your own reactions and feelings. Leaders with high sensitivity and flexibility are usually emotionally mature. The more leaders have “worked through” their own biases, prejudices, fears, and anxieties, the more personally aware they are. These personal hang-ups often prevent leaders from being as effective as possible. Personal awareness of how these hang-ups affect your actions helps minimize their effects on your leadership decisions. AUTHORITY As a manager you have many responsibilities. To accomplish your mission, you must often delegate specific tasks to subordinates. In addition to delegating the task, you must also delegate the authority necessary to carry it out. Always remember that, although you may delegate a task to a subordinate, you retain responsibility for its accomplishment. Managers have several types of authority. Legal Authority The Unform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) sets forth your legal authority. Your orders are backed up by the punitive articles that provide punishment for a subordinate’s insubordinate conduct or failure to obey a lawful order. Some UCMJ articles provide you with the power to “quell all quarrels, frays, and disorders” among persons subject to the Uniform Code. Others give you the power to apprehend anyone (subject to certain prescribed conditions) suspected of having committed an offense against it. Earned Authority Besides legal authority, and at least as important, is that authority you earn for yourself. Earned authority grows out of the respect a leader commands. It stems from leadership qualities that make others obey even if no law requires them to do so. Since America was founded on the principles of individual freedom and individuality, its leaders must be able to inspire cooperation as well as to enforce obedience. Moral Authority This is the authority that makes a person step in and take over when an emergency arises and action is required. Good leaders will take action even though the emergency is not technically their responsibility. Moral authority is a matter of individual conscience that cannot 4-2