Leadership Theories and Responsibilities

Leadership Lecture 6

• The administrative leader is responsible for the daily operations of an organization. The leader ensures the organization runs smoothly and efficiently, and that all of its goals are met.

Chapter Outlines

• The administrative leader is often referred to as "Leader Director" or "Administrative Leader."
• Contemporary leadership studies were conducted by the University of Ohio, University of Michigan, and Harvard University.

Key Responsibilities of an Administrative Leader (Part 1)

• Strategic Planning: Developing and executing long-term goals and objectives for the organization.
• Operational Management: Supervising daily organizational operations, including budgeting, staffing, and scheduling.
• Human Resources: Hiring, training, and managing employees.
• Financial Management: Managing the organization's finances, including budgeting, accounting, and reporting.

Key Responsibilities of an Administrative Leader (Part 2)

• Communication: Effectively communicating with employees, stakeholders, and the public.
• Problem-Solving: Identifying and resolving internal organizational problems.
• Decision-Making: Making sound decisions aligned with the best interests of the organization.

Contemporary Leadership Studies

• University of Ohio: Researchers focused on leadership behaviors using questionnaires. Two primary dimensions were found: initiating structure (task-oriented behaviors) and consideration (relationship-oriented behaviors). These dimensions are independent and vary by situation.
• University of Michigan: Focused on leadership behavior's impact on small group performance. Two primary behaviors were identified: employee orientation (human relations approach focusing on follower well-being) and production orientation (task-oriented approach prioritizing productivity). Initially, these were viewed as opposites, but subsequent research determined they are independent.
• Harvard University: Explored a wide range of leadership theories, including situational leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, and emotional intelligence.
• Robert Blake and Jane Mouton: Their work is part of the contemporary leadership studies.
• William Redden: Part of the studies.
• Rensis Likert: Contributed to the field of contemporary leadership studies. This includes focus on leadership styles and organizational effectiveness.
  • Likert's systems model categorize leadership styles. These include exploitative-authoritative, benevolent-authoritative, consultative, and participative group styles.
  • His work highlighted employee involvement and the role of leadership in creating a positive organizational climate.
  • His work made a lasting impact on contemporary leadership theories.

Different Skills of the Administrative Leader

• Leadership depends on four basic personal skills:
  • Technical Skill
  • Human Skill
  • Conceptual Skill
  • Organizational Skill

Technical Skill

• Technical skills involve knowledge and proficiency in a specific type of work or activity. This includes expertise in a specialized area with analytical ability. Leaders with these skills can effectively use relevant tools & techniques.
• Examples include software programming and accounting.

Human Skills

• Human skills focus on effectively interacting with others for organizational success.
• Key aspects: Collaboration, Empathy, Trust Building, Emotional Intelligence, Decision-Making, and Interpersonal Skills.

Organizational Skills

• Planning and Goal Setting: Identifying clear, achievable goals, and detailed plans to reach them.
• Time Management: Prioritizing tasks, efficiently managing time, and meeting deadlines.
• Task Allocation: Effectively assigning tasks to team members based on their skills and strengths.
• Resource Management: Allocating resources (budget and personnel) for maximum productivity.
• Process Improvement: Streamlining processes and eliminating inefficiencies.
• Problem-Solving: Identifying problems, analyzing solutions, and implementing effective strategies.
• Decision-Making: Making timely, informed, and effective decisions based on available information.
• Adaptability: Adapting to changing circumstances and modifying plans accordingly.
• Attention to Detail: Paying close attention to details.
• Delegation: Empowering team members to take ownership of their tasks by delegating accordingly.

Conceptual Skills

• Conceptual skills involve the ability to work with ideas and concepts. The leader with these skills can shape an organization, understand the intricacies involved in accomplishing goals, understand and communicate the economic impacts that affect a company.
• These leaders can work easily with abstractions & hypothetical notions.

Skills Needed Across Management Levels

• Top management requires a high degree of all skills.
• Middle management needs strong technical and conceptual skills.
• Supervisory management needs a high level of human skills and a good level of technical and conceptual skills.

Factors Affecting Administrative Leader Style

• Administrative Leader Properties: Personal charisma, decisiveness, vitality, empathy, values, beliefs, and experience.
• Subordinate Characteristics: Educational level, characteristics of past leaders, shared or differing values, willingness to take responsibility, behavior towards the leader.
• Organizational Structure: Size of the organization & workgroups, organizational culture, goals, and administrative communications.
• The Mission: How repetitive the task is or if it requires innovation, if the task is temporary or permanent, or if it requires collective or individual performance. How clearly defined the task is.

Leadership Influence

• Administrative leadership influence varies based on the leader's leadership powers and subordinates' perceptions of that power. This leads to the different types of powers.
• Types of Power:
  • Reward power
  • Coercive power
  • Legitimate power
  • Referent power
  • Expertise power

Test your understanding of key concepts in leadership studies, from administrative responsibilities to the dimensions of behavior identified in the Ohio State Studies. Explore how different leadership theories, such as Situational Leadership and those from the University of Michigan, articulate effective practices. This quiz covers essential leadership principles you need to know for effective management.