Leadership Skills Basic Theory

Leadership Basic Theory

John Sweeney

Today’s Lecture

1. John Adair 2. Leadership3. Teambuilding

To follow:4. Motivation and People Management5. Decision Making6. Communication

John Adair • Leading authority on leadership

& leadership development

• Successful Military Career

• World’s first Professor of Leadership Studies (Surrey University)

• Pioneering work at ICI (Leadership Development Strategy)

• Since 2006, he has been Honorary Professor of Leadership at the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong

Adair asked successful Chief Executives:

What are the attributes most valuable at the top levels of management ?

Exercise 1

Take some paper and make a list of the five or sixqualities expected in those working in your field.Check it out with your neighbour

Notice that words may vary – ‘hard-working’ and ‘industrious’, for example – but the concepts of the traits, qualities or abilities remain the same.

What do we think? 1. 6. 11. 16. 21.

2. 7. 12. 17. 22.

3. 8. 13. 18. 23.

4. 9. 14. 19. 24.

5. 10. 15. 20. 25.

What do we think? 1. Ability to take decisions

6. Willingness to work hard

11. Ability to adapt to quickly to change

16. Ability to administer efficiently

21. Single-mindedness

2. Leadership 7. Analytical ability

12. Willingness to take risks

17. Open-mindedness

22. Capacity for lucid-writing

3. Integrity 8. UnderstandingOf others

13. Enterprise 18. Ability to ‘stick to it’

23. Curiosity

4. Enthusiasm 9. Ability to spot opportunities

14. Capacity to speak lucidly

19. Willingness to work long-hours

24. Skill with numbers

5. Imagination 10. Ability to meet unpleasant situations

15. Astuteness 20. Ambition 25. Capacity for abstract thought

Leadership v Management

Management Leadership

Leadership – 5 distinctive nuances

1. Give Direction2. Provide inspiration3. Build Teams4. Set an example5. Be accepted

The Seven Qualities of Leadership

Enthusiasm Integrity Toughness

Fairness Warmth Humility

Confidence

Functions of Leadership

The Leader

•Qualities•Personal Character

The Situation

•Partly Constant •Partly varying

The Group

•The followers•Their needs and values

Leadership at Work

Task Needs Team Needs

Individual Needs

Levels of Leadership

• Team Leadership– Teams of 5-20 people

• Operational Leadership– A numbers of teams whose leaders report to you

• Strategic Leadership– Overall responsibility for a whole business

What do leaders do?

What do leaders do?Adair’s 8 functions of Leadership

Leaderships skills are required to handle the functions effectively

What do leaders do?Adair’s 8 functions of Leadership

Defining the task

Planning the task

Briefing Controlling

Evaluating Motivating

Leaderships skills are required to handle the functions effectively

1. Group Influence2. Command3. Coolness4. Judgment5. Application/responsibility

Leadership Qualities/Attributes to exercise the functions?

Team-building

Adair’s Theory of Team-building

Team-building is part of the leadership ‘holy’ trinity of Task, Team and Individual

1. Task

Purpose Objectives Resources

Responsibilities

Programme Target

Authority Training Priorities

Progress Supervision Example

2. Building & Maintaining Team

Standards Objectives Team Members

Team Spirit

Size of Team Discipline

Grievances

Consultation Priorities

Briefing Represent Support

3. The Individual Targets Induction Achievem

ent Responsib

ilities

Authority Training Recognition Growth

Performance Reward The task The

person

Time/attention

Grievances Security Appraisal

Bibliography

• Adair John, 2007, Leadership skills 2007, London, IPD• Adair John, 2003, Adair on Leadership, London, Thorogood

Publishing

What do we think? Ability to take decisions

Willingness to work hard

Ability to adapt to quickly to change

Ability to administer efficiently

Single-mindedness

Leadership Analytical ability Willingness to take risks

Open-mindedness

Capacity for lucid-writing

Integrity UnderstandingOf others

Enterprise Ability to ‘stick to it’

Curiosity

Enthusiasm Ability to spot opportunities

Capacity to speak lucidly

Willingness to work long-hours

Skill with numbers

Imagination Ability to meet unpleasant situations

Astuteness Ambition Capacity for abstract thought