Leadership Theories PDF

LEADERSHIP  Introduction Leadership is the ability to develop a vision that motivates others to move with a passion toward a common goal. So leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more c...

LEADERSHIP  Introduction Leadership is the ability to develop a vision that motivates others to move with a passion toward a common goal. So leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive (united) and coherent (rational).  Definition ⚫leadership is the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. M Chemers. ⚫"Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen." Alan Keith. Four factors of leadership ⚫Leader - You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know and what you can do. To be successful you have to convince your followers not your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. ⚫Follower -You must know your people. The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions and motivation. ⚫Communication- "Nonverbal communication is powerful. For example, when you lead by example, it shows your team that you won’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself. Poor communication can damage the relationship between a leader and their employees." ⚫Situation-We must use our judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. What we do in one situation will not always work in another.  Styles of leadership The three major styles of leadership are (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973) : ⮚Authoritarian or autocratic ⮚Participative or democratic ⮚Delegative or Free Reign Autocratic –An authoritarian leader makes all decisions alone, using rewards and punishment to enforce them. This style, often seen as unprofessional, is sometimes called 'bossing people around. Can create ” de-motivation and alienation to staff May be valuable in some types of business where decision need to be made quickly and decisively. Democratic- The participative leader include one or more employees in the decision making process. Communication flow freely; suggestions are made in both directions. The participation encourages member commitment to the final decision o. Consultative: process of consultation before decisions are taken. Persuasive: leader takes decision and seeks to persuade others that the decision is correct Laissez-faire- The free-rein leader gives power to subordinates to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation. Deligative style is generally not useful. Can be very useful in business where creative ideas are important. Can be highly motivational, as people have control over their working life Relies on good team work and interpersonal relations. Theories of leadership TRAIT THEORY BEHAVIRAL THEORY CONTINGENCY THEORY SITUATIONAL THEORY  BEHAVIORAL THEORY These theories of leadership are based upon the belief that great leaders are made, not born. Rooted in behaviorism, this leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states. According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through teaching and observation. The behavior approach says that anyone who adopts the appropriate behavior can be a good leader.  Managerial grid It describes the relationship between the leader's concern for task and concern for people, but this theory differs in its perspective. The managerial grid Considers leadership style based on their focus on task and people. The Managerial Grid is based on two behavioral dimensions: Concern for People – This is the degree to which a leader considers the needs of team members, their interests, and areas of personal development when deciding how best to accomplish a task. Concern for Production – This is the degree to which a leader emphasizes concrete  CONTIGENCY THEORY The contingency approach to leadership centers around the idea that to be effective in their role, a leader’s style must be appropriate to the situation to be effective in their role. If a leader only has one strategy up their sleeve, they will be very effective in some cases and entirely ineffective in others. The contingency theory provides a potential solution to this problem. Practicing the contingency leadership style involves examining the situation first, then adjusting your response as a leader according to that context (or changing the person in charge of leading to best suit the situation). Blanchard's situational theory- The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard. The theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity of the people they're leading and the details of the task. Using this theory, leaders should be able to place more or less emphasis on the task. According to Hersey and Blanchard, there are four main leadership styles: Telling (S1) – Leaders tell their people exactly what to do, and how to do it. Selling (S2) – Leaders still provide information and direction, but there's more communication with followers. Leaders "sell" their message to get the team on board. Participating (S3) – Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares decision-making responsibilities. Delegating (S4) – Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group.  Path-Goal theory- According to path-goal theory, the leader‟s responsibility is to increase subordinates‟ motivation to attain personal and organizational goal.A person may do these by adopting a certain leadership style, according to the situation: ⮚Directive leadership – it tells subordinates exactly what they are supposed to do, which includes planning, making schedules, setting performance goals and behaviour standards. ⮚Supportive leadership - it shows concern for subordinates‟ well being and personal needs. Participative leadership - Decision making is based on group consultation and information is shared with the group. Achievement-oriented leadership - Challenging goals are set and high performance is encouraged while showing confidence in the groups' ability.  Likert‟s school of leadership Dr Rensis Likert (1903 - 1981) was a management theorist. According to Likert, the efficiency of an organisation or its departments is influenced by their system of management. Likert categorised his four management systems as follows: Exploitive authoritative system Benevolent authoritative system Consultative system Participative (group) system  Exploitative Authoritative System It is the first system in Likert's Leadership Styles. Under this style Likert states that the ultimate power lies in the hands of the top subordinates. The Top management makes the policies and rules and the employees in the lower level are bound to follow the instructions given to them by their superiors. Here, it is observed that the workers at the lower level do not feel free to discuss their work with their superiors. The communication and teamwork in this system are very little.  Benevolent Authoritative System Under this system of Likert’s, it is observed that the authority lies in the hands of the managers and not in the hands of the lower-level workers. The superiors have a small amount of confidence and trust in the employees. The superiors have less control over the employees. They do not use methods of threats. However, the employees are rewarded and punished as per their performance in the organization.  Consultative System This is the third style of leadership given by Likert. In this system, Likert has stated that responsibility and authority are spread widely throughout the organization. The subordinates in the different levels of the organizations are given different responsibilities. The employees and subordinates work as a team on certain decisions. There is fair communication between the employees and the superiors. However, the power to form policies and rules lies in the hands of the top management.  Participative System This is the last style of leadership given by Likert. Under this style, Likert states that the power and responsibility to achieve the goals of the organization is distributed among all the employees and subordinates in the organization. According to this system, each employee has a certain role to play in the success of the organization. The superiors have the utmost confidence and trust in their employees.  CORE LEADERSHIP SKILLS Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence (EQ) enables leaders to build and maintain trusting relationships with team members by understanding the emotions and behaviors of others and themselves. Coaching and Developing Others: Leaders who coach and develop others facilitate growth by delivering feedback and developmental guidance to enhance skills and capabilities for current and future roles.  Compelling Communication: Leaders need to be able to convey information clearly and concisely to individual team members and groups in a focused and influential way that captures their attention. We call this compelling communication. Decision Making: Decision making involves recognizing problems and opportunities by studying information, considering alternatives, and taking timely and informed actions to achieve the best outcomes.  Delegation and Empowerment: Strong leaders can accelerate results and build capability by assigning tasks and decision- making responsibilities to individuals and teams with clear boundaries, expectations, support, and follow-up. Execution: Execution refers to a leader’s ability to carry out an organization’s strategies while focusing on the most critical priorities.  Facilitating Change: Strong leaders can drive change initiatives and encourage others to engage in and implement new approaches to address problems and opportunities.  Gender and Leadership Styles Meta-analysis of male & female leaders on all characteristics and behaviors (Eagly, Makhijani, & Klonsky, 1992) Women were devalued when they worked in male-dominated environments and when the evaluators were men Females evaluated unfavorably when they used a directive or autocratic style (stereotypically male) Female and male leaders evaluated favorably when they used a democratic leadership style (stereotypically feminine)  Transformational Leadership (TL) Research (Lowe et al, 1996) – elements positively related to leadership effectiveness All 4 components of TL idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration The contingent reward component of transactional leadership  Transformational Leadership (TL) Research (Lowe et al, 1996) – elements positively related to leadership effectiveness All 4 components of TL idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration The contingent reward component of transactional leadership  Gender and Leadership Effectiveness Meta-analysis comparing effectiveness of female & male leaders (Eagly et al, 1995) Overall men and women were equally effective leaders Gender differences women and men were more effective in leadership roles congruent with their gender Women were less effective to the extent that leader role was masculinized  Meta-analysis comparing effectiveness of female & male leaders (Eagly, et al, 1995), cont’d. Women were less effective than men in military positions more effective than men in education, government, and social service organizations Women were substantially more effective than men in middle management positions; interpersonal skills highly valued less effective than men when they Top 10 competencies desired for leaders