Leadership MG1001 - Session 9 Notes

Leadership

  • Leadership is the ability to inspire, guide, and influence teams towards the accomplishment of common goals. Productive leadership demonstrates optimism and provides positive energy for staff.

  • Leadership provides direction for a company and its workers.

Contingency Theories of Leadership

  • Fiedler’s Contingency Model states that there is no one “best” leadership style for any project; the best style depends on the leader’s inherent strengths and how they interact with the team and situation.

  • Two types of leaders in Fiedler’s model:

    • Relationship-oriented

    • Task-oriented

  • The Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) test determines which type a leader is.

Task-Oriented vs. People-Oriented Leadership

  • Task-Oriented:

    • Focuses on goals and outcomes.

    • Thrives under tight deadlines but can cause stress.

    • Offers a strong hierarchy and structure.

    • Overlooks team members' feelings in favor of results.

    • Prioritizes the leader's vision over creativity.

  • People-Oriented:

    • Focuses on the people achieving the goals.

    • Struggles with time crunches but alleviates team stress.

    • Acts more like a colleague than a manager.

    • Prioritizes physical and emotional wellbeing.

    • Encourages collaboration and innovation.

The Fiedler Model (cont'd)

  • Least-preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire:

    • Determines leadership style by measuring responses to 18 pairs of contrasting adjectives.

      • High score: relationship-oriented leadership style

      • Low score: task-oriented leadership style

  • Situational factors in matching leader to the situation:

    • Leader-member relations

    • Task structure

    • Position power

LPC Scale

  • The LPC scale uses contrasting adjectives to determine leadership orientation. Examples include:

    • Pleasant vs. Unpleasant

    • Friendly vs. Unfriendly

    • Rejecting vs. Accepting

    • Tense vs. Relaxed

    • Cold vs. Warm

    • Supportive vs. Hostile

    • Boring vs. Interesting

    • Quarrelsome vs. Harmonious

    • Gloomy vs. Cheerful

    • Open vs. Closed

    • Backbiting vs. Loyal

    • Untrustworthy vs. Trustworthy

    • Nasty vs. Nice

    • Agreeable vs. Disagreeable

    • Insincere vs. Sincere

    • Kind vs. Unkind

  • Types of Leadership based on LPC Score:

    • >73: Relationship-Oriented

    • <54: Task-Oriented

    • 55-72: Mixture

Fiedler's Contingency Model

  • Effective Leadership = Dominant Style matches Situation

  • Task-Oriented:

    • Highly Favorable and Highly Unfavorable Situations

  • Relationship-Oriented:

    • Anything in between

Fiedler’s Contingency Theory

  • Leader-Member Relations:

    • Rated as “good” or “poor” based on the level of trust and confidence the team has in the leader. More trust leads to a higher likelihood of success.

  • Task Structure:

    • Rated as “High” or “Low,” referring to whether the task is clear and structured or vague and unstructured.

  • Leader’s Position Power:

    • Rated as “Strong” or “Weak,” referring to the authority the leader has over the team, including the ability to reward or punish.

Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT)

  • Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style which is contingent on the level of the follower’s readiness.

  • Acceptance: leadership effectiveness depends on whether the followers accept or reject a leader

  • Readiness: the extent to which the followers have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task

    • Leaders must relinquish control over and contact with followers as they become more competent

Situational Leadership Styles

  • Telling (S1):

    • Leader tells people what to do and how to do it.

  • Selling/Coaching/Explaining (S2):

    • Leader makes decisions but provides background and engages with the follower to reinforce buy-in.

  • Participating (S3):

    • Leader offers less direction and allows group members to take a more active role in decision-making.

  • Delegating (S4):

    • A hands-off approach where group members make most of the decisions and take responsibility.

Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Model of Leadership

  • Leader Styles (S1 to S4):

    • Telling (S1): High task behavior, low relationship behavior. Provide specific instructions and closely supervise performance.

    • Selling (S2): High task behavior, high relationship behavior. Explain decisions and provide opportunity for clarification.

    • Participating (S3): Low task behavior, high relationship behavior. Share ideas and facilitate in decision making.

    • Delegating (S4): Low task behavior, low relationship behavior. Turn over responsibility for decisions and implementation.

  • Follower Readiness (R1 to R4):

    • R1: Unable and Unwilling or Insecure.

    • R2: Unable but Willing or Confident.

    • R3: Able but Unwilling or Insecure.

    • R4: Able and Willing or Confident.

Contemporary Leadership

  • The concept of leadership evolves as the needs of organizations change, influenced by technology, economic conditions, labor conditions, and social and cultural values.

  • Humility: being humble and modest rather than arrogant and prideful.

Contemporary Views on Leadership

  • Transactional Leadership:

    • Upholds the status quo; utilizes rewards and punishments to motivate followers.

    • Emphasizes structure, organization, supervision, performance, and outcomes.

    • Characteristics: Clarifies tasks, initiates structure, provides awards, improves productivity, focuses on management.

  • Use of Transactional Leadership:

    • When working with highly structured organizations that require strict adherence to rules and regulations.

    • Effective for achieving immediate results and meeting deadlines; useful in situations requiring quick action.

Contemporary Views on Leadership

  • Transformational Leadership:

    • Focuses on helping group members support one another and provides support, guidance, and inspiration.

    • Aims to inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence.

    • Characteristics: Innovative, recognizes follower needs, inspires followers, creates a better future, promotes significant change.

  • Use of Transformational Leadership:

    • During organizational change, to inspire employees to embrace change and work towards a shared vision.

    • When innovation is crucial, to foster a culture that encourages new ideas and experimentation.

Charismatic Leadership

  • Defined by a leader's magnetic personality and ability to inspire and captivate followers through charm and persuasive prowess.

    • Elements: Inspires enthusiasm, has charisma, reduces resistance, conveys confidence, provides comfort.

  • Use of Charismatic Leadership:

    • In times of crisis or uncertainty, to provide a sense of hope and direction.

Visionary Leadership

  • Characterized by a leader's ability to articulate a compelling and inspiring vision for the future.

  • Overview: Has a clear and innovative perspective, motivates others, envisions possibilities, challenges the status quo, and encourages creativity.

  • Example: Steve Jobs of Apple envisioned groundbreaking products like the iPhone and iPad.

Team Leadership

  • Characteristics:

    • Having patience to share information

    • Being able to trust others and to give authority

    • Understanding when to intervene

  • Team leader’s job:

    • Facilitating the team process

    • Coaching, facilitating, handling disciplinary problems reviewing team and individual performance, training, and communication

When to use team leadership

  • When high levels of expertise are needed from multiple sources:

    • Many projects require input from many highly skilled individuals. Team leadership allows for these individuals to work together effectively.

  • Decentralized Organizations:

    • In organizations with flat structures or self-managed teams, team leadership empowers members to take ownership and make decisions.

Team Leadership Roles

  • Coach

  • Liaison with external constituencies

  • Conflict Manager

  • Troubleshooter

Four Approaches for Today’s Turbulent Times

  • Level 5 Leadership

  • Servant Leadership

  • Authentic Leadership

  • Interactive Leadership (gender differences)

Level-Five Leadership

  • Based on the idea that great companies are led by individuals who possess a combination of personal humility and professional will.

  • Personal humility: modest, dedicate the success to other people

  • Professional will: strong willingness to produce long-term results. Take the responsibility of poor results

  • Often fearless

  • Fierce resolve (WILL) to do what is best for organization

  • Credit other people

Level 5 Hierarchy

  • Level 5 Executive: Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.

  • Level 4 Effective Leader: Catalyzes commitment to a clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards.

  • Level 3 Competent Manager: Organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives.

  • Level 2 Contributing Team Member: Contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives.

  • Level 1 Highly Capable Individual: Makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills and good work habits.

Servant Leadership

  • Built on the belief that the most effective leaders strive to serve others, rather than accrue power or take control.

  • A leader that prioritizes the growth and wellbeing of others

  • Brings the follower’s higher motives to the work and connect them to the organizational mission and goals.

  • Nonprofit organizations

Authentic Leadership

  • Leaders are seen as genuine and “real.”

  • Leaders practice transparent behavior to build relationships, accomplish company goals and inspire their teams.

  • Empower and inspire others with their openness and authenticity

How Authentic Leadership Drives Organizational Performance

  • Self-awareness: Authentic leaders are self-aware and ensure their internal values reflect their behaviors.

  • Relational transparency: Authentic leaders admit their mistakes and build relationships on trust and honesty.

  • Balanced processing: Authentic leaders share openly their feelings and motives, and are thereby also open about their values and morals.

  • Strong moral code: Authentic leaders regulate their behavior according to their moral values, resulting in ethical decisions and behavior.

Interactive Leadership

  • Based on characteristics described as more feminine:

    1. Good communication skills (especially listening and empathy)

    2. Good intermediary skills (for negotiation & conflict resolution)

    3. Well-developed interpersonal skills & a soft approach to handling people

  • Leaders work to make their interaction with subordinates positive for all.

  • Encourage participation, share power and information, enhance other people's self-worth and stimulate excitement about work.

Laissez-faire

  • Leaders are hands-off and allow group members to make the decisions.

  • Encourages autonomy and accountability

  • Promotes professional development

  • When to use:

    • Highly skilled and motivated teams

    • Projects requiring independent thinking

Gender Differences in Leadership Behaviors

  • Women rated higher in:

    • Motivating Others

    • Fostering Communication

    • Producing High-quality Work

    • Listening to Others

  • Women and men rated about equally in:

    • Strategic Planning

    • Analyzing Issues

From Management to Leadership

  • Good management is essential, but good managers must be leaders.

  • Management promotes stability, order, and problem solving

  • Leadership motivates toward vision and change

  • Leadership cannot replace management; there should be a balance of both.

  • Good management è Meet current commitments

  • Good leadership è Moves into the future.

Managers vs. Leaders

  • Managers:

    • Focus on things

    • Do things right [effectiveness]

    • Plan

    • Organize

    • Direct

    • Control

  • Leaders:

    • Focus on people

    • Do the right things [efficiency]

    • Inspire

    • Influence

    • Motivate

    • Build

Leadership Issues in the 21st Century

  • Managing power

    • Legitimate power: The power of position

    • Coercive power: The power to punish/control

    • Reward power: The power to give benefits/rewards

    • Expert power: The influence a leader can exert as a result of their expertise, skills, or knowledge

    • Referent power: The power of a leader that arises on respectful interpersonal relationships rather than manipulation or coercion.

Followership

  • Organization does not exist without followers

  • A leader must understand followers

  • Two Dimensions:

    • Independent & Critical Thinker vs. Dependent, Uncritical Thinker

    • Active Follower vs. Passive Follower

Follower Types

*Independent, critical thinkers:
*are mindful of the effects of their own and others’ behavior on achieving organizational goals.
*can weigh the impact of their boss’s and their own decisions and offer constructive criticism, creativity, and innovation

*dependent, uncritical thinker
*does not consider possibilities beyond what he or she is told, does not contribute to the cultivation of the organization, and accepts the supervisor’s ideas without thinking.

Active/passive follower
*Active followers actively participate, offer opinions, and may even challenge the status quo
*passive followers are more reliant on the leader and may be less engaged

Styles of Followership

  • Alienated follower: Independent, critical thinker but unmotivated and passive.

  • Conformist: Participates actively but doesn’t use critical thinking skills, a “yes man.”

  • Passive follower: Dependent, uncritical thinker; doesn’t involve their brain or take real action.

  • Effective follower: Critical, independent thinker and active in the organization; develops an equitable relationship with leaders and takes risks.

  • Pragmatic survivor: Uses whatever style benefits their own agenda and minimizes risk, a “politician.”

Seven Traits Associated with Leadership

  1. Drive: High effort level, desire for achievement, ambition, energy, persistence, and initiative.

  2. Desire to lead: Strong desire to influence and lead others, willingness to take responsibility.

  3. Honesty and integrity: Builds trusting relationships through truthfulness and consistency.

  4. Self-confidence: Shows self-confidence to convince followers of the rightness of goals and decisions.

  5. Intelligence: Able to gather, synthesize, and interpret information, create visions, solve problems, and make correct decisions.

  6. Job-relevant knowledge: High degree of knowledge about the company, industry, and technical matters.

  7. Extraversion: Energetic, lively, sociable, and assertive.