leadwership midterm brub

Chapters 1-6

Different ways of viewing leadership

Trait, Ability, Skill, Behaviour, Relationship, Influence Process

Trait

Distinguishing quality of an individual (emotional intelligence, personality factors)

Ability

Capacity to lead; ability can be natural and/or acquired

Skill

Competency to accomplish a task; means and methods for responsibilities

Behaviour

Refers to what leaders do; they are observable and relate to task behaviours and relationship (process) behaviours

Relationship

Communication between leaders and followers; authority and influence are shared → perspectives, critical thinking, communication, feedback, teamwork, collaborating together

Influence Process

Influences group, achieve a common goal; interactive event, directs energy to influence individuals

Approach

A general way of thinking about a phenomenon, not necessarily based on empirical research

Theory

usually includes a set of hypotheses, principles, or laws that explain a given phenomenon

Dark side of leadership

the destructive side of leadership where a leader uses their influence or power for personal ends; these leaders are toxic; followers worse off, playing to the basest fears

Leadership and Management

Management, structure and coordinate functions; Leadership, seeking constructive change; Management is about establishing order.

Some leadership qualities (Ch2)

being trustworthy, just, honest, encouraging, positive, dynamic, dependable, intelligent, decisive, communicative, informed, and a team builder.

Research points to these six key traits (Ch2)

intelligence, confidence, charisma, determination, sociability, and integrity.

Intelligence

Language, perceptual skills, reasoning ability; being well-informed is crucial, knowledge about leadership positions

Confidence

Positive about ability to succeed; they understand what is required, comes from practice and awareness/understanding to build confidence

Charisma

special magnetic charm and appeal; gives exceptional powers of influence → used in role models, competence, goals/values; high expectations, show confidence, inspiration

Determination

Focused and attentive to tasks; know where, how they get there → it includes initiative, persistence and drive; they have determination to get the job done

Socialbility

capacity to establish pleasant relationships; traits include friendliness, being outgoing, corteus, tactful, and diplomatic → good interpersonal skills

integrity

Refers to honesty and trustworthiness; inspires confidence in others; loyal, dependable, transparent -> faith, trust, and enhances influence

Kinds of leadership (Ch3)

the authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire styles; these styles affect how others respond to us, how they respond to their work, and how effective we are as a leader

Theory X

Made up of three assumptions about human nature and human behaviour; taken together, these assumptions represent a philosophy of leadership that many leaders exhibit to one degree or another

1. The average person dislikes work and will avoid it if possible

2. People need to be directed and controlled.

3. People want security, not responsibility.

Theory Y

present a distinctly different perspective from the ideas set forth in theory X; it is a perspective that can be observed to a degree in many leaders today

1. The average person does not inherently dislike work

2. People are self-motivated.

3. People accept and seek responsibility.

Theory Z

one that emphasizes common cultural values, beliefs, and objectives among its members with a focus on communication, collaboration, and consensual decision-making

- It can be like a hybrid of both X and Y theories; overlap is common, style is driven by philosophy

Authoritarian Leadership

perceive followers need direction, exert influence and control; communication directed to them; praise, criticism not objectively based -> creativity and personal growth hindered

Democratic leadership

emphasizes self-direction; guide, not direct; communication at an equal level; stronger motivation and creativity

- Downside, it takes more time and commitment from the leader; work is accomplished, but not as efficiently as if the leader were authoritarian

Laissez-faire leadership

stands alone as a style, do not try to control followers and do not try to nurture and guide followers -> nominal leader who engages in minimal influence

- Nonleadership or hands-off; no appraisal or regulations, very individualistic; group members have difficulty finding meaning in their work, they become unmotivated and disheartened

Task leadership

Task-oriented, goal oriented; Sense of control, self-mastery; Achieving goal, accomplishing the work.

facilitate goal accomplishment; initiating structure; production orientation -> assists in reaching goals, exhibit some task behaviour

Relationship-oriented leadership

concern for people, building trust; respect, building relationships in a work setting -> listening, considerate behaviour, helping people feel comfortable

• is about three things: (1) treating followers with dignity and respect, (2) building relationships and helping people get along, and (3) making the work setting a pleasant place to be

Product orientation

Means the leader stresses the production and technical aspects of the job

Administrative skills

divided into three specific sets of skills: 1) managing people, 2) managing resources, and 3) showing technical competence

- Administrative skills include planning, organizing, assigning, coordinating

1) Managing People - management by walking around; recruiting and retaining; communication

2) Managing Resources - obtaining and allocating; wide range of activities; ultimate responsibility; can be for equipment, finance, for example

3) Showing technical competence - specialized knowledge; functional competence -> e.g., knowing ftraffic laws, criminal laws, policies

Interpersonal Skills

are people skills - those abilities that help a leader work effectively with followers, peers, and higher-ups to accomplish the organization’s goals

Divided into three parts: 1) being socially perceptive, 2) showing emotional intelligence, and 3) managing interpersonal conflict

3 parts of interpersonal skills

1) Socially perceptive - insight and awareness; motivation and problems; create effective change

2) Showing emotional intelligence - ability to understand emotions; it is a learned skill; awareness and regulation

- emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive and express emotions, to use emotions to facilitate thinking, to understand and reason with emotions, and to manage emotions effectively within oneself and in relationship with others

3) Handling conflict - Inevitable; Need for/result of change; Effective and productive

- Conflict can be defined as a struggle between two or more individuals over perceived differences regarding substantive issues or over perceived differences regarding relational issues

Conceptual skills

about working with concepts or ideas; they involve thinking or cognitive aspects of leadership and are critical to such things as creating a vision or strategic plan for an organization

- Conceptual skills for leaders can be divided into three parts: (1) problem solving, (2) strategic planning, and (3) creating vision.

3 parts to conceptual skills

1) Problem solving skills refer to a leader’s cognitive ability to take corrective action in a problem situation in order to meet desired objectives

- 1st step is to identify or recognize the problem; problems arise when there is a difference between what is expected and what actually happens

- 2nd step is to generate alternative solutions where there is more than one possible resolution to problem

- 3rd step is to select best solution to the problem; the solutions we choose have a major impact on how we feel about outcome of problem solving

- 4th step is implementing the

2) Strategic planning - requires developing careful plans of action based on the available resources and personnel to achieve a goal

3) Creating Vision - challenge the future; communicate and engage; implement and model

Strength

An attribute or quality of an individual that accounts for successful performance; it is a characteristic, or series of characteristics, where we demonstrate our performance is at its best

• A skill can become a strength; they are positive features of ourselves that make us effective and help us flourish

Positive psychology

“the scientific study of what makes life most worth living” focuses on individuals’ strengths and the factors that allow them to thrive

Gallup/Clifton Strengths

Themes of human talent; talent times investment → To identify traits/strengths of peak performers

- Four domains of leadership strengths: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking

VIA Institute on Character and Inventory of Strengths

Six universal core virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence -> 24 strengths organized under these six basic virtues

→ Focused on character

Centre of Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP)

To identify strengths and weaknesses to improve performance;

provides feedback that specifies the individual’s realized strengths, unrealized strengths, learned behaviours, and weaknesses

Realized strengths

are personal attributes that represent our strongest assets; we are energized when we use them because they help us perform well

Unrealized strengths

are personal attributes that are less visible; we feel good when we tap into unrealized strengths because they support our efforts and help us achieve our goals

Learned behaviours

represent those ingrained things we have learned throughout our life experience; although valuable, they do not excite or inspire us

Weaknesses

are our limiting attributes, they often drain our energy and result in poor performance

Steps to incorporate strengths in personal/work settings

1) discovering your strengths,

2) developing your strengths,

3) addressing your weaknesses,

4) recognizing and engaging the strengths of others, and

5) fostering a positive strengths-based environment around you

How do we go through steps to improve strenghts?

- Leaders can do this by creating for their followers a positive climate, positive relationships, positive communication, and positive meaning