Leadership Style and Theory

8/8/2019 Leadership Style and Theory

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"If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in the ditch."

LEADERSHIP


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IntroductionIntroduction

y The study of leadership in organizations is very crucial in the field of OB.

y An effective leader is capable of inspiring and motivating even the most inefficient employees

to strive towards attaining the goals of the organization.

y Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led

Leadership is the process of influencing and supporting others to work enthusiastically

toward achieving objectives

-John NewStrom and Keith Davis


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In management, leadership has a creative role. A leader has to fulfillmany functions:

1) He has to lay down specific policies and objectives and inspiresubordinates to work towards the attainment of the goal.

2) The leader has to frame policies and plans to achieve theobjectives and ensure proper implementation of plans.

3) He must encourage the innovative ideas to run the organisation.

Leader functions


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NATURE OF LEADERSHIPNATURE OF LEADERSHIP

Distinction between Leadership and ManagementDistinction between Leadership and Management

y Leaders take a personal and active interests in achieving goals whereas managers tend to

play a relatively passive role in accomplishing the goals.

y Managers need power to be entrusted to them by the organization to deal with people .

Leaders have power within themselves and the required drive to lead people and

motivate them to work enthusiastically towards achieving goals.

y Managers limit their interactions with people to the minimum extent required to carry

out their managerial responsibilities.Leaders interact with people frequently and in a

more natural way. In the process they inspire people, motivate them and lead them.


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Traits ofEffectiveLeadersTraits ofEffectiveLeaders

y Although there are no specific characteristics that can define the leadership qualities in a

person , most researches have shown that there are certain traits that differentiate

leaders from non-leaders.

FewLeadership Traits

y Initiative

y Ambition

y Desire to lead

y Self confidence

y Analytical ability

y Knowledge process,technology,inductry,etc

y Creative

y Flexibility


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LeadershipLeadership SkillsSkillsy Behavioral expert Robert Katz, had identified that the leaders primarily use three skills

technical, human and conceptual skills.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

y A technical skill is to have knowledge and be competent and proficient in a specific work oractivity. For example, to use excel and know how to implement macros is an advancedtechnical skill. To drive a 300 Ton truck is also an advanced technical skill. Just like these there

are thousands of examples of technical skills in every organization.HUMAN SKILLS

y A human skill is one that enables you to develop the ability to work with people. Theseabilities are the ones that we recognize as the ones that helps us to get along with people, tocommunicate and work with your team, crew or associates. These are the fundamentalabilities in every human activity, in order to get the most of the groups you work with.

CONCEPTUAL SKILLS

y A conceptual skill is one that enables us to understand and better decide the actions andmeasures that has to be taken in a particular field of work.

y Based on his observations Katz stated that the level of importance of each set of skills(technical, human and conceptual) was directly correlated with the level that the person hasin the organization. The next figure displays this relationship.


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LEADERSHIP STYLELEADERSHIP STYLE

The Managerial GridThe Managerial Grid byby Robert R. Blakeand JaneS.Mouton

y The Managerial Grid graphic below is a very simple framework that

elegantly defines FIVE basic styles that characterize workplace behaviour and

the resulting relationships. The FIVE managerial Grid styles are based on how

two fundamental concerns (concern for people and concern for results) are

manifested at varying levels whenever people interact.


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y The concept distinguishes 5 different leadership styles, based on the concern for people and theconcern for production:

Authority Obedience style(High Production / Low People)(9:1)

y Description: Authoritarian or compliance leader.

yCharacteristics: The task-oriented manager is autocratic, has a high concern for production,and a low concern for people. He finds employee needs unimportant and simply a means toan end.He provides his employees with money and expects performance back. There is littleor no allowance for cooperation or collaboration. He pressures his employees through rulesand punishments to achieve the company goals. Heavily task-oriented people are very strongon schedules. They are intolerant of what they see as dissent (it may just be someone'screativity).

Country Club style (Low Production / High People)(1:9)

y Description: One-sided, thoughtful attention to the needs of employees.

y Characteristics: The relationship-oriented manager has a high concern for people, but a lowconcern for production.He pays much attention to the security and comfort of theemployees.He hopes that this will increase performance.He is almost incapable of employingthe more punitive, coercive and legitimate powers. This inability results from fear that usingsuch powers could jeopardize relationships with the other team members.

y Results in: A usually friendly atmosphere, but not necessarily very productive.

Impoverished management style (Low Production / Low People) (1:1)

y Description: A delegate-and-disappear management style. A basically lazy approach.

y Characteristics: The manager shows a low concern for both people and production.He (orshe) avoids to get into trouble. His main concern is not to be held responsible for anymistakes.

y Results in: Disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony due to lack of effective leadership.


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Organisational-man management style (Medium Production /Medium People). (5:5)y Description: The manager tries to balance between the competing

goals of the company and the needs of the workers.y Characteristics: The manager gives some concern to both people and

production, hoping to achieve acceptable performance. He believesthis is the most anyone can do.

y

Results in: No Compromises in the production nor the people needsare fully met.

Team Management style (High Production / High People).(9:9)y Description: The ultimate. The manager pays high concern to both

people and production. Motivation is high.

y Characteristics: The manager encourages teamwork and commitmentamong employees. This style emphasizes making employees feel partof the company-family, and involving them in understandingorganizational purpose and determining production needs.

y Results in: Team environment based on trust and respect, which leadsto high satisfaction and motivation and, as a result, high production.


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Fiedlers Contingency Theory For LeadershipFiedlers Contingency Theory For Leadership

y The Fiedler contingency model is a leadership theory of industrial and organizational

psychology developed by Fred Fiedlery Fiedler (1967), differentiated situation from contingency. He emphasised the fact that differing

roles, traits and behaviours of leaders did not just require an specific understanding of

interactions with subordinate, it also required favourable conditions.

y Fiedler's model assumes that group performance depends on: Leadership style, described in

terms oftask motivation and relationship motivation.


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Situational favourableness, determined by three factors:

y 1. Leader-member relations - Degree to which a leader is accepted and

supported by the group members.

y 2. Task structure - Extent to which the task is structured and defined, with

clear goals and procedures.

y 3. Position power or the leaders position -The ability of a leader to

control subordinates through reward and punishment.

y H

igh levels of these three factors give the most favourable situation, low levels,the least favourable. Relationship-motivated leaders are most effective in

moderately favourable situations. Task-motivated leaders are most effective at

either end of the scale.

Fiedler suggests that it may be easier for leaders to change their situation to

achieve effectiveness, rather than change their leadership style.


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Hersey and Blanchards situational theoryHersey and Blanchards situational theoryy The situational leadership model focuses on the fit of leadership style and followers

maturity .

y In contrast to Fiedlers contingency leadership model and its underlying assumption that

leadership style is hard to change, theHersey-Blanchard situational leadership model

suggests that successful leaders do adjust their styles.

y The situational leadership model views leaders as varying their emphasis on task and

relationship behaviors to best deal with different levels of follower maturity.

yThe two-by-two matrix shown in the figure indicates that four leadership styles arepossible.

Telling Style giving specific task directions and closely supervising

work; this is a high-task, low-relationship style.

Selling Style explaining task directions in a supportive and persuasive

way; this is a high-task, high-relationship style.

Delegating Style allowing the group to take responsibility for task

decisions; this is a low-task, low-relationship style.


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LeaderLeader--member exchange theorymember exchange theory

y According to this theory, leaders often behave differently

with different subordinates. They establish close relationshipswith a small group of subordinates early in their interactions.

In Group :Good relation with leaders and high frequency of

interactions.

Out-Group: Formal relation with leader and less frequency of

interaction compared to in-group.

The theory suggests that the leaders give promotions to the in-

group employees quickly and also that employee turnover

rate in such groups is low.

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Leadership Style and Theory