HND – 8. Leadership Lim Sei Kee @ cK
Leadership The ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals Leaders Persons with managerial and personal power who can influence others to perform actions beyond those that could be dictated by those persons’ formal (position) authority alone
Management Use of authority inherent in designated formal rank to obtain compliance from organizational members Managers Persons whose influence on others is limited to the appointed managerial authority of their positions “Not all leaders are managers, nor are all managers leaders”
Focus on things Do things right Plan Organize Direct Control MANAGERS LEADERS Focus on things Do things right Plan Organize Direct Control Follows the rules Focus on people Do the right things Inspire Influence Motivate Build Shape entities
Trait Theories Leadership Traits: Ambition and energy The desire to lead Honest and integrity Self-confidence Intelligence High self-monitoring Job-relevant knowledge Theories that consider personality, social, physical, or intellectual traits to differentiate leaders from non-leaders.
Honest - Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions Honest - Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust. Competent — Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings. Forward-looking — Set goals and have a vision of the future. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. Inspiring — Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights.
Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others. Courageous — Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress. Intelligent — Read, study, and seek challenging assignments. Imaginative — Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems.
Behavioral Theories Behavioral Theories of Leadership Theories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Theories that attempt to isolate behaviors that differentiate effective leaders from ineffective leaders Trait theory: Leaders are born, not made. Behavioral theory: Leadership traits can be taught.
Leadership Studies The Ohio State Studies sought to identify independent dimensions of leader behavior Initiating structure Consideration The University of Michigan Studies sought to identify the behavioral characteristics of leaders related to performance effectiveness Employee oriented Production oriented
Ohio State Studies Initiating Structure The extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or her role and those of subordinates in the search for goal attainment. Consideration The extent to which a leader is likely to have job relationships characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinate’s ideas, and regard for their feelings.
University of Michigan Studies Employee-Oriented Leader Emphasizing interpersonal relations; taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among members. Production-Oriented Leader One who emphasizes technical or task aspects of the job.
The Leadership Grid The Leadership Grid Describes leadership style in term of concerns for production and people. These concerns reflect attitudes rather than actual behavior. Concern for production includes results, bottom-line performance, profits, and mission. Concern for people includes group members and coworkers. Best style is team management — at 9,9 on the Grid (high concern for both production and people).
Leadership Grid (cont.). Five key Grid combinations. 1/1 — low concern for production, low concern for people. 1/9 — low concern for production, high concern for people. 9/1 — high concern for production, low concern for people. 5/5 — moderate concern for production, moderate concern for people. 9/9 — high concern for production, high concern for people. Draws on both studies to assess leadership style “Concern for People” is Consideration and Employee-Orientation “Concern for Production” is Initiating Structure and Production-Orientation
The Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton)
Contingency Theories While trait and behavior theories do help us understand leadership, an important component is missing: the environment in which the leader exists. The effects of leader traits are enhanced by their relevance to situational contingencies. Major situational contingency theories. Fiedler’s leadership contingency theory. Fiedler’s cognitive resource theory. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model. House’s path-goal theory of leadership.
Contingency Theories Fiedler’s Contingency Model The theory that effective groups depend on a proper match between a leader’s style of interacting with subordinates and the degree to which the situation gives control and influence to the leader. Least Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Questionnaire An instrument that purports to measure whether a person is task- or relationship-oriented.
Situational Theories Of Leadership Describe the person they least enjoyed working with. If you describe the person you least able to work with in favorable terms – relationship-oriented If you describe the person you least able to work with in unfavorable terms – task-oriented
Example of LPC rating Unfriendly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friendly Uncooperative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cooperative Hostile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Supportive Guarded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Open
Fiedler’s Model: Defining the Situation Leader-Member Relations The degree of confidence, trust, and respect subordinates have in their leader. Task Structure The degree to which the job assignments are procedurized. Position Power Influence derived from one’s formal structural position in the organization; includes power to hire, fire, discipline, promote, and give salary increases.
Matching leaders and situations Task-oriented leaders tend to perform better in situations that are very favorable to them and in situations that are very unfavorable to them. Relationship-oriented leaders perform better in moderately favorable situations.
Findings from Fiedler Model
Cognitive Resource Theory A theory of leadership that states that stress can unfavorably affect a situation and that intelligence and experience can lessen the influence of stress on the leader. Research Support: Less intelligent individuals perform better in leadership roles under high stress than do more intelligent individuals. Less experienced people perform better in leadership roles under low stress than do more experienced people.
Fiedler’s Cognitive Resource Theory A refinement of Fielder’s original model: Focuses on stress as the enemy of rationality and creator of unfavorable conditions A leader’s intelligence and experience influence his or her reaction to that stress Stress Levels: Low Stress: Intellectual abilities are effective High Stress: Leader experiences are effective
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory Situational leadership theory (SLT) Leaders should adjust their leadership styles—telling, selling, participating, and delegating—in accordance with the readiness of their followers Acceptance: Leader effectiveness reflects the reality that it is the followers who accept or reject the leader Readiness: A follower’s ability and willingness to perform At higher levels of readiness, leaders respond by reducing control over and involvement with employees
Situational Theories Of Leadership A model aims to provide a practical way for a leader to decide how to adapt his or her style to the task. Model focuses on four leadership styles: The delegating style lets the members of the group decide what to do. The participating style asks the members of the group what to do, but makes the final decisions. The selling style makes the decision but explains the reasons. The telling style makes the decision and tells the group what to do.
Hersey and Blanchard’s SLT Unable and Unwilling Unable but Willing Able and Unwilling Able and Willing Follower readiness: ability and willingness Leader: decreasing need for support and supervision Supportive Participative Directive High Task and Relationship Orientations Monitoring
House’s Path-Goal Theory The Theory: Leaders provide followers with information, support, and resources to help them achieve their goals Leaders help clarify the “path” to the worker’s goals Leaders can display multiple leadership types Four types of leaders: Directive: focuses on the work to be done Supportive: focuses on the well-being of the worker Participative: consults with employees in decision-making Achievement-Oriented: sets challenging goals
The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership Choices for adjusting leadership styles to meet situational contingency demands:
Environmental factors Task structure Formal authority system Work group Leader behavior Directive Participative Achievement-oriented Supportive Outcomes Performance satisfaction Subordinate factors Locus of control Experience Perceived ability
Presentation Q Define the term ‘leader’. What is the differences between leaders and managers? Discuss trait theories of leadership. Compare between Ohio State Studies and University of Michigan Studies. Discuss the leadership grid.