CHAPTER 10 Leadership

Different paths to becoming a leader In work settings, formal leaders are generally appointed In other settings, formal leaders are generally elected In less formal settings, leaders often emerge Important issues in leadership research Who becomes a leader? Leadership styles Leader effectiveness New directions in leadership

Who becomes a leader? Are certain people “born” to be leaders? The trait approach: leaders are born (the great person theory) Contrary to the trait approach prediction, with the arguable exception of traits such as energy and ambition, leaders do not all share the same traits high need for power, low need for affiliation high need for achievement self-confidence charisma However, many different combinations of traits can be found in different leaders

Who becomes a leader? It depends on the situation. The situational approach: situations “call out” leaders Situations require certain skills, expertise, and competencies The person(s) who possess the requisite attributes will emerge as the leader(s) (e.g., The Admirable Crichton) To continue as a situational leader, the leader must be adaptable and innovative

The Admirable Crichton

The Admirable Crichton

Who becomes a leader? It depends on the situation. The situational approach: situations “call out” leaders Situations require certain skills, expertise, and competencies The person(s) who possess the requisite attributes will emerge as the leader(s) (e.g., The Admirable Crichton) To continue as a situational leader, the leader must be adaptable and innovative

Who becomes a leader? The interactionist approach Both leader characteristics and situational requirements play a role Under the right circumstances, just about anyone might be the best leader This approach has the advantages of being more accurate and more optimistic than the two previous approaches, although it is also more complex. Implication for career planning: find a profession that is a good match to your skills, experience, and personality traits, so that you are more likely to emerge as a leader.

Gender and leadership Why are women underrepresented as leaders? Women might be more interested in jobs than in careers. Women might still choose gender-typed occupations. Selection procedures might direct women into entry-level positions. Women in male-typed jobs might receive more negative evaluations. Lack of female colleagues might reduce networking. Women might have lower job aspirations. Home and child care responsibilities might inhibit career commitment.

Gender and leadership Societal stereotypes have traditionally limited women’s leadership opportunities Stereotypically masculine attributes such as being assertive, decisive, task-oriented and directive are usually seen as being more consistent with leadership prototypes than stereotypically feminine attributes are. Studies show that members of both genders express a stereotyped preference for male bosses. This preference appears to be unjustified, because there is no convincing evidence that, in general, men are better leaders than women.

Minority group membership and leadership Some survey findings indicate that minority group members hold less than 10% of all management positions Possible reasons for this outcome Discrimination in hiring, training, mentoring, and promotion The existence of “old boy” networks Fewer mentoring opportunities Possible solutions to this problem Affirmative action and anti-discrimination legislation Targeted training and mentoring activities

Leadership styles Person-oriented versus production-oriented leaders: showing consideration versus initiating structure Impoverished management style Task management style Country-club management style Middle-of-the-road management style Team management style Performance-oriented versus maintenance-oriented styles (Misumi et al.)

Leadership styles Gender and leadership style Agentic versus communal orientation Degree of emphasis on participation and collaboration (building relationships, sharing information, fostering an atmosphere of inclusion) Cultural differences in leadership styles Germany: more task-oriented United States: more person-oriented India: even more person-oriented (family model)

Leader effectiveness: who succeeds and who fails? Fiedler’s contingency model: matching leaders and tasks Low LPC versus high LPC leaders Low LPC leaders are more effective under low or high situational control High LPC leaders are more effective under moderate situational control Tests of the theory have produced mixed results, in part perhaps because situational control is difficult to measure.

Leader effectiveness: who succeeds and who fails? Transactional leadership (“Let’s make a deal.”) Control of rewards Setting difficult but achievable goals Persuading subordinates to accept them Charismatic or transformational leadership (“Let me inspire you.”) A clear vision and a plan for getting there Relating this vision to followers’ needs and values Using innovative ways to achieve the goals Willingness to take risks and make sacrifices Sensitivity to needs and feelings of others Personal charisma, self-confidence, high energy level

New directions in leadership Teamwork: sharing the leadership responsibility Participative management: commitment, morale, profit Effective delegation of power and responsibility Empowerment Leadership and the new technology Leadership development 360 degree feedback Leadership coaches Action learning programs Formal leadership programs On-the-job development

New directions in leadership Leadership development Developing a clear and compelling vision Being perceived as trustworthy and competent Inspiring followers through example Using the resources of followers effectively Self-leadership Three types of development strategies: work context strategies, task performance strategies, thought self-leadership strategies Leadership versus management