T3 Leadership

Leadership

The ability to influence people towards the attainment of organisational goals

Trait theories

Leaders are born; personal characteristics differentiate leaders from non-leaders

Sample leader traits

Ambition and energy, intelligence, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, height and looks

Early vs recent leader traits

Early - intelligence, dominance; recent - credible, honest

Behavioural theories

Leaders can be made; leadership is a set or style of behaviours that help others perform and reach their goal

2 leadership styles (behavioural)

Task-oriented (structure, direction, aiding performance) and people-oriented (concern, respect, care for wellbeing)

Early names for the 2 behavioural styles

Job centred and employee centred

Transactional leadership

Leadership for exploitation (do it better); management by exception plus contingent reward; goal achievement, performance-based reward, high formalisation, stable mature markets

Transformational leadership

Leadership for exploration and change (change the way of doing); empowerment, modelling, low formalisation, turnaround, crisis and emergent markets

4 components of transformational leadership

Idealised influence (charisma), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualised consideration

Full range model

Fit between strategy, structure and leadership; transformational adds to transactional to give performance beyond expectations

Contingency/situational theories

Appropriate leadership style is contingent on the requirements of the situation

S1 Telling style

For low readiness followers (low ability, low confidence); detailed goals and instructions, close monitoring

S2 Selling style

For moderate readiness followers (lack ability but have confidence); task instruction and personal support, explains decisions

S3 Participating style

For high readiness followers (have ability, lack confidence); encourages participation, supports, consults

S4 Delegating style

For very high readiness followers; turns over complete responsibility with little focus on task or people

Traditional leaders

See leadership as a rank to obtain

Servant leaders

See leadership as an opportunity to serve others

Interactive leadership

Leader favours a consensual and collaborative process

Managers focus on

Systems and production (organisation, rational, maintains stability, assigns tasks, position power)

Leaders focus on

People (visionary, promotes change, defines purpose, nurtures, innovates, personal power)

Management vs leadership fish metaphor

Management organises production and supply of fish; leadership teaches and motivates people to fish themselves

High-level leadership loop

Strategy > operating practices > measures of performance > rewards and recognition > behaviour and culture

Ineffective leadership

Fails to produce desired outcome; caused by missing traits, weak skills, badly conceived strategies or tactics

Unethical leadership

Fails to distinguish right from wrong; violates codes of decency, puts own needs before followers or common good

Why people follow

Leaders satisfy basic needs (safety, simplicity, certainty) and group needs (order, cohesion, identity, doing collective work)

Charismatic leadership

Influence based on exceptional personal qualities or extraordinary insight; inspires loyalty and obedience; followers are seduced

Ethical charismatic leader

Uses power to serve others, learns from criticism, open two-way communication, develops followers, stimulates independent thinking

Unethical charismatic leader

Uses power for personal gain, censures critics, one-way communication, insensitive to followers, demands decisions be accepted without question

6 factors influencing obedience

Status of location, legitimacy of authority figure, peer support, personal responsibility, status of authority figure, proximity of authority figure

6 leadership tactics

Rational persuasion, help people like you, rule of reciprocity, develop allies, be assertive, make use of higher authority