What is a leadership style?The way a leader leads.
What are the different styles?AutocraticDemocraticLaissez-Faire
AutocraticThe leader has complete authority and control.
Tells group members what to doSecures dependence upon him/herselfGives instructions and others carry them outConscious of his/her position and authorityGroup work is rareBelieves that others cannot be trusted with large tasksExpects and secures discipline and immediate
acceptance of all ordersUrges group members to bring their problems to
him/her and takes interest in all of the decision making
NOT JUST LOUD, ANGRY, AND UNREASONABLE!
LEADER
M M M MM
AUTOCRATIC
DemocraticThe entire group shares in decision making.
Shares decision making with the groupDevelops participation, opinion giving, and decision
making as much as possibleClear-cut and good communicationPraise and criticism are given objectivelyEncourages worthwhile suggestionsHigh degree of teamworkLeads to the development of independent leadership
NOT JUST CHEERFUL, OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, AND ARTIFICIAL!
LEADER
M
MM
M
M
M
M
M
DEMOCRATIC
Laissez-faireThe leader exerts little influence or control.
Leader sits back and gives the group controlLittle communicationSets no clear goals for the groupDoes not make decisions or help the group
arrive at decisionsLow group productivityLittle team work or group cohesionExpectations are left to individual group
membersNOT JUST LAZY, UNINVOLVED, AND DETACHED!
LEADER
MMMM
LAISSEZ – FAIRE
Dissecting Leadership StylesWithin the three categories of leadership style,
there are more narrowly defined styles.Joining Leader
-tends to guide, not to rule, and encourages group decisions-Submerges his/herself in the group’s identity-participates as group member and agrees with the group’s decisions; allows for individual recognition
Delegating Leader-defines a problem and then turns it over to the group to work through a solution-sets few guidelines; is identified as a resource for the group-often does not announce his or her own ideas
Consulting Leader-give group members a chance to influence the decision-presents a problem and then asks for ideas to solve it-may offer a tentative solution to gauge the group’s reaction-encourages the group to increase the number of alternatives to be considered-selects the solution that he/she regards as most promising
Persuading Leader-makes decisions without consulting the group; tries to persuade the group members to accept it-describes how the decision fits the interests of the groups and its individual members
Telling Leader-makes a decision and tells the group members what they are to do-assigns roles to members-relies primarily on his/her own judgment-may or may not consider how the group feels about the decision
Which is best?IT DEPENDS ON:
Group sizeMeeting formality and purposeFamiliarity of group members
Which style?Telling & Persuading leaders are most effective in
large groupspassive groupsgroups which meet infrequently, and/or when a group decision or deadline must be met
quickly.Consulting leaders are most effective in
large groupsmotivated groupsrepresentative groups, and/or organized groups.
Which style?Delegating & Joining leaders are most effective in
small groupshighly motivated groupsgroups with a high tolerance for ambiguitygroups with a relatively strong need for independencegroups where the members understand and identify
with the goals of the organizationgroups where the members have the necessary
knowledge and experience to deal with problems and/or groups where the members expect to share in the
decision making.
Dimensions of LeadershipThe willingness to lead (“desire to lead”)
“Do I want to take the lead?”Ability to accomplish the tasks and achieve
the goals of the group (“task ability”)“Do I have the right people with the right skills
to achieve our goals?”Ability to establish and maintain cordial and
socially-satisfying relationships in the group (“social ability”)“Do I care whether or not people like me?”
SupportingPraise, listen, and facilitate
For people who have:High CompetenceVariable Commitment
CoachingGuide and support
For people who have:Some CompetenceSome Commitment
DelegatingTurning over responsibility for day-to-day decision-making
For people who have:High CompetenceHigh Commitment
DirectingStructure, control, and
supervise
For people who have:Low CompetenceHigh Commitment
Situational LeadershipSituational Leadership
Situational Leadership StylesDirecting style – is for people who lack competence but are
enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started.
Coaching style – is for people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build self esteem, and involvement in decision-making to restore their commitment.
Supporting style – is for people who have competence, but lack confidence and motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster confidence and motivation.
Delegating style – is for people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by themselves with little supervision or support.
The 2 C’sCompetence – is a function of knowledge
and skills, which can be gained from education, training, and/or experience
Commitment – is a combinations of confidence and motivation. Confidence is a measure of a person’s self-assuredness – a feeling of being able to do a task without much supervision, whereas motivation is a person’s interest in and enthusiasm for doing a task well.
Leader’s BehaviorDirective behavior – involves clearly telling
people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, and then closely supervising their performance.
Supportive behavior – involves listening to people, providing support and encouragement for their efforts, and then facilitating their involvement in problem-solving and decision-making.
The Changing Roles of Leadership Leadership happens when anyone in the
group does or says something that moves the whole group further toward any of these three goals:The accomplishment of a taskThe resolution of internal group problemsThe ability of the members to work together
effectively as a group
A Good LeaderInvolves everyone in the group and maintains
productivity. People tend to support what they help create.Creates a feeling of ownership.
Views leadership as service. This creates an atmosphere of trust that helps the group accomplish its tasks.Serves for the good of the group.
Helps the group to see how it can deal with internal conflicts that may disrupt meetings, slow down accomplishments or goals, or alienate group members.Avoids pointing blame.
Encourages the group to accept conflict as a natural group occurrence and to discuss and work through it so that members can return to the tasks at hand.Establishes an environment of growth.
In short, a good leader may serve as aFacilitatorAdviserObserverConsultantTeacherParticipant/group member
Hazards of LeadershipBeware of the following mistakes:
Loving the feeling of “being in charge” and becoming an autocratic leader who misuses the position.
Becoming carried away with your own importance and losing sight of the group’s goals.
Failing to listen to the advice of others with experience.Trying too hard and becoming involved in too many
things.Failing to organize.Becoming frustrated by the group members; not all
group members will respond to the same motivating techniques.
Tips for successful leadership1. Match the task to the capabilities of the
group member.2. Involve different people.3. Delegate tasks.4. Monitor progress.5. Admit mistakes.6. Evaluate the task.7. Use criticism effectively.8. Express appreciation.