Leadership Concepts, Styles, and Theories

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, leadership styles, traits, and theories from the lecture notes.

Leadership

The ability to develop a vision that motivates others to move with passion toward a common goal, or a process where a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a cohesive and coherent way.

Process of Social Influence (Leadership)

The definition of leadership describing it as a process in which one person enlists the aid and support of others to accomplish a common task.

Four Factors of Leadership

leader, follower, communication, and situation.

Autocratic Leadership

A top-down, hands-on leadership approach where leaders provide direct orders and commands; effective during emergency situations, simple/structured tasks, and when quick decisions are required.

Democratic Leadership

A leadership style where leaders involve followers in the decision-making process, promoting teamwork and collaboration; effective when followers are experienced and need to analyze situations.

Transformational Leadership

A leadership style where leaders inspire, motivate, and empower followers to exceed expectations while fostering personal and organizational growth.

Servant Leadership

A philosophy and style where the leader's primary focus is to serve others, prioritizing their growth, well-being, and empowerment over personal status or organizational results.

Servant Leadership Key Traits

Empathy, listening, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community.

Trait Theory

A theory arising from the "Great Man" theory that focuses on identifying key characteristics of successful leaders in order to recruit, select, and place individuals with critical traits into leadership positions.

Behavioral Theory

A theory based on the belief that great leaders are made, not born, focusing on actions of leaders rather than mental qualities or internal states, and asserting leadership can be learned through teaching and observation.

Contingency Theory

A theory stating that leadership success depends on various contingencies involving subordinate, task, and/or group variables, meaning an effective leader in one situation may be unsuccessful in another.

Fiedler's Contingency Model

A model stating that group performance depends on leadership style (task motivation vs. relationship motivation) and situational favorableness.

Situational Favorableness

In Fiedler's model, the degree to which a situation gives a leader control, determined by leader-member relations, task structure, and position power.

Leader-Member Relations

The degree to which a leader is accepted and supported by group members.

Task Structure

The extent to which a task is structured and defined, including clear goals and procedures.

Position Power

The ability of a leader to control subordinates through reward and punishment.

Hersey-Blanchard Situational Theory

A situational theory stating that successful leaders should change their leadership style based on the maturity of the people they lead and the details of the task.

S1 — Telling

A Hersey-Blanchard style where leaders tell their people exactly what to do and how to do it.

S2 — Selling

A Hersey-Blanchard style where leaders provide information and direction, engaging in more communication to "sell" their message and get the team on board.

S3 — Participating

A Hersey-Blanchard style where leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction, working with the team and sharing decision-making responsibilities.

S4 — Delegating

A Hersey-Blanchard style where leaders pass most responsibility to the follower or group, monitoring progress while staying less involved in decisions.

Path-Goal Theory

A theory stating that the leader's responsibility is to increase subordinates' motivation to attain personal and organizational goals.

Directive Leadership

A Path-Goal style where the leader tells subordinates exactly what to do, including planning, making schedules, setting performance goals, and setting behavior standards.

Supportive Leadership

A Path-Goal style where the leader shows concern for subordinates' well-being and personal needs.

Participative Leadership

A Path-Goal style where decision-making is based on group consultation and information is shared with the group.

Achievement-Oriented Leadership

A Path-Goal style where challenging goals are set and high performance is encouraged while showing confidence in the group's ability.

Managerial Grid

A framework describing the relationship between a leader's concern for task/production and concern for people.

Concern for People

The degree to which a leader considers team members' needs, interests, and personal development when deciding how to accomplish a task.

Concern for Production

The degree to which a leader emphasizes concrete objectives, organizational efficiency, and high productivity.

Country Club Leadership

A Managerial Grid style featuring high concern for people and low concern for production.

Produce or Perish Leadership

A Managerial Grid style featuring high concern for production and low concern for people.

Impoverished Leadership

A Managerial Grid style featuring low concern for production and low concern for people.

Middle-of-the-Road Leadership

A Managerial Grid style featuring medium concern for production and medium concern for people.

Team Leadership

A Managerial Grid style featuring high concern for production and high concern for people.

Dr. Rensis Likert

A management theorist (1903–1981) who proposed that organizational efficiency is influenced by the system of management used.

Exploitive Authoritative System

A Likert management system where responsibility lies in the hands of people at the upper levels of the hierarchy.

Benevolent Authoritative System

A Likert management system where responsibility lies at managerial levels but not at lower levels of the organizational hierarchy.

Participative System

A Likert management system where responsibility for achieving organizational goals is widespread throughout the organizational hierarchy.