LEADERSHIP

Leadership:
Involves the ability to influence the actions of others, helping others to work towards a goal, motivating others to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do.

Leadership versus Management

• higher authority and greater levels of responsibility could appear to make a person a leader; yet many might argue not necessarily
• some managers function as effective leaders, but many fail to lead
• oftentimes a person a group who holds no title is recognized as a leader
• four possible cases: individual who manages, but does not lead; individual who leads but does not manage; individual who leads and manages; individual who has management and leadership ability, but no people to follow them
• management affects work; leadership affects people

Managerial Functions

• Planning: short/long term-decisions on what needs to be done,where,who will be responsible, timing, how
• Organizing: providing structures to implement plans (priorities,procedures,performance guidelines)
• Implementation: delegating tasks,assigning responsibilities, functioning as consultant
• Communicating: transmitting information and tracking performance
• Controlling and evaluating: ensuring goals and plans achieved

APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP

TRAIT LEADERSHIP THEORY

• according to trait leadership, leaders are born not made; they have distinctive physical and psychological characteristics: persuasiveness,self-reliance,appearance, dominance
• years of study leave this theory inconclusive; disagreement on which traits
• 1971 study by Edwin Ghiselle concluded there are the following traits common to leaders: supervisory ability,need for occupational achievement, intelligence,decisiveness, self-assurance, initiative

BEHAVIOURAL LEADERSHIP: THEORY X AND Y

THEORY X: The Traditional autocratic Approach

• people have an inherent or natural dislike of work and will avoid it if they can
• because of people's aversion to work, they must be coerced, controlled, directed, threatened; otherwise they will not put forth effort to achieve organizational goals
• people typically prefer to be directed, to avoid responsibility, to show little ambition and to seek security
• "mediocrity of the masses"
• managers adapting this theory are paternalistic using authoritative control not democracy
• Theory X works when people are struggling to meet lower level needs of safety and survival but fails when people meet adequate level and are motivated by higher needs

THEORY Y: A Participatory Approach

Affluence and established safety and security requires leaders to focus on social and psychological needs

Assumptions:

• mental and physical work are as natural as play, given favorable conditions
• people will exercise personal initiative and self-control when there is commitment to organizational /institutional goals
• under suitable conditions, people can learn not only to accept but seek responsibility
• the capacity for creative problem solving within organizations is widely distributed-not narrowly-
• under current conditions of modern life, the potential of people is only partially realized-People have more to offer given the chance

It's rare to find manager who follows strictly one of these (X and Y); most fall somewhere between

THREE FACTOR THEORY- R. Tannenbaum W. Schmidt (1973)

according to these researchers a wide range of factors determine whether autocratic, particpative or somewhere between

BOSS CENTRED LEADERSHIP-----<------------->-------SUBORDINATE-CENTRED LEADERSHIP

Use of authority by manager ..................................Area of Freedom for Subordinates

Manager factors: personal values, level of security/insecurity,leadership tendencies,confidence in subordinates

Subordinate Factors: need for independence, willingness to take responsibility, tolerance for ambiguity, problem-solving interest,comprehension of goals and commitment to goal, relevant knowledge and experience, expectations

Situation Factors: time constraints, group effectiveness, organizational type, nature of problem

The University of Michigan Studies:Job-Centred versus Employee-Centred Styles of Leadership

R Likert (1961) wanted to discover methods and principles of managerial leadership that resulted in optimum performance

Study found two leadership styles: Job-centred and Employee-centred

Job-centred managers were directive, closely supervised, used negative use of power, emphasized TASK

Employee-centred showed concern for employee-delegated responsibility, gave confidence, promoted personal growth

Employee-centred manager is preferable, more productive but still 1/3 in employee-centred low in performance

Conclusion : there are other variables involved

OTHER VARIABLES:

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Maturity of employees: are employees motivated to achieve? Responsible? Do they have ability, education and experience?

Levels of MATURITY

M1: low level, individual/group unable or unwilling to assume responsibility; not confident or competent

M2: low-moderate;unable but willing; motivated but without skill

M3: moderate-high; able but unwilling

M4: able and willing-intrinsically motivated

Situational Leadership Style

LEADERSHIP BY TEMPERAMENT STYLE: KEIRSEY AND BATES

Temperament provides the overall colouration of a person's character-their signature that colours their actions and makes them unique-a consistency observed from an early age

As social creatures we wish to please (or displease) those who have authority over us. a high achiever probably has more need to please.

Keirsey and Bates believe to be effective leader we should become aware of differing temperaments and be aware of how your temperament interacts with each.

4 BASIC TEMPERAMENT STYLES:

DIONYSIAN TEMPERAMENT (God of wild nature and wine)

EPIMETHEAN TEMPERAMENT (loyal and long suffering)

PROMETHEAN TEMPERAMENT (pioneer of civilization)

APOLLONIAN TEMPERAMENT ( god of manly beauty, poetry, music, and wisdom of oracles)

DIONYSIAN TROUBLESHOOTER -SP

• negotiates with facility; realistic deals with practical problems; loves to fix a mess
• gains cooperation of others
• strengths: practical, adaptable, informed, flexible and patient
• encourages risk-taking
• tries not to judge others accepts them as they are
• approval and appreciation are often expressed
• weakness: may become impatient with abstract or theoretical ideas, avoids the unfamiliar; present day orientation may interfere with past decisions and commitments

  How to appreciate Dionysian Followers

  • recognize clever ways-person is process oriented not product
  • celebrate successes
  • offer support when thing aren't working
  • applaud boldness, stamina, adaptability
  • allow freedom of task method

EPIMETHEAN TRADITIONALIST- SJ

• stabilizes, consolidates, a "company person"
• establishes policy, procedure, rules, schedules, hierarchies
• loyal, orderly, socially responsible
• learn duties and get busy; decisive, persevering
• weakness: decision may be too quickly made; can defend an outdated system;resistant to change; sees worst case scenario first; worrying about things that may never happen

  How to appreciate Epimethean followers

  • focus on product as they are product oriented
  • reward responsibility, loyalty, hard work=give appreciation
  • notice the careful and thorough approach

PROMETHEAN VISIONARY -NT

• needs to conceptualize, inspired builder with technical knowledge
• uses intellect to sort complexity, future oriented, agent of change
• global viewpoint
• weakness: focus on principles may ignore feelings, distant cold, can appear as sceptic

  How to appreciate Promethean followers

  • acknowledge ideas, be intelligent listener
  • avoid personal comments; avoid complimenting the routine
  • don't let rules get in way, comment on logic,reasoning and principle

APOLLONIAN CATALYST -NF

• personable "people-person"-can draw out best in people
• sensitive to possibilities for people-natural democratic leader-they appreciate
• enthusiastic spokesperson, charismatic
• can turn liability into asset-positive outlook
• weakness: spend to much time with others, neglect obligation, drained by others, torn by both sides, trying to please all, foster dependent relationships

  How to appreciate Apollonian Followers

  • express appreciation in personal terms-appreciate their uniqueness
  • provide constant feedback
  • encourage personal growth, avoid impersonal treatment

  Source: Mastering Human Relations 3rd Edition, A Falikowski, 2002. Pearson Education

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