LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP.

LEADERSHIP - MEANING Leadership traits refer to personal qualities that define effective leaders. Leadership refers to the ability of an individual or an organization to guide individuals, teams, or organizations toward the fulfillment of goals and objectives. It plays an important function in management, as it helps maximize efficiency and achieve strategic and organizational goals. Leaders help motivate others, provide guidance, build morale, improve the work environment, and initiate action. Leadership is a psychological process of influencing followers and providing guidance, directing and leading the people in an organization towards attainment of the objectives of the enterprise..

DEFINITION In the words of Koontz and O‘ Donnel, “leadership is the ability of a manager to induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.”.

Leadership Styles The term leadership styles can be defined as a leader‘s behavior towards group members. It refer to the pattern of behaviour which a leader adopts in influencing the behaviour of his subordinates in the organizational context..

1. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership is also known as authoritarian, directive, leader centered or monothetic style. Under this style, leader concentrates all authority in himself, instructs a subordinate as to what to do, how to do it, when to do it etc. He also exercises close supervision and control over his subordinates..

It is the leader who decides policies and modifies them according to his own wishes. He considers himself superior and all his colleagues as inferior, inexperienced and ignorant. This type of leadership has the advantage of quick decision- making, but it causes pain to the employees and results in dissatisfaction..

There are three categories of autocratic leaders a. Strict Autocrat – A strict autocrat relies on negative influence and gives orders which the subordinates must accept. He influences the actions of the subordinates by frightening, criticizing, and imposing penalties b. Benevolent Autocrat – The benevolent is effected in getting high productivity in many situations and he can develop effective human relationship. His motivational style is usually positive. c. Manipulative Autocrat – A manipulative autocrat leader is one who makes the subordinates feel that they are participating in decision making process even though he has already taken the decisions..

Advantages of autocratic style 1- Faster decision—rnaking. 2. It gives strong rnotivation and satisfaction to the leader s.•vho dictates tern-rs- 3- Since only leader takes the decision, hence no cornrnunication gap — 4- Irnproves productivity as people need to follos.•v a proven set of syste rns and procedures 5- It handles crisis situations effectively. 6- Efficient vvhen vvorking vvith an inexperienced or newv te.

Disadvantages of autocratic style I. Autocratic style leads to frustration, lover rnorale and conflict arnong subordinates. 2. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. Inernbers develop a systern of dependency instead of deciding things on their ovvn. 4. Chances of lack of trust betwveen leader and group can be rnore..

2. Participative Leadership This style is also called as democratic, consultative, group centered or ideographic style. A participative leader is one who consults and invites his subordinates to participate in decision making process. Under this style, subordinates are freely allowed to communicate with the leader and also with their fellow subordinates and take their own initiative..

Advantages of participative style i. Inviting viewvs, opinions, suggestions and ideas from subordinates for making quality decisions. ii. Leads to higher group engagement and productivity iii. Can result in more creative solutions iv. Irnproves motivation and morale v. Reduced grievances and ernployee turnover.

Disadvantages of participative style I. Extra til-ne to irnplernent a decision. 2. Secrecy rnaintenance difficult. 3. The involvernent Of n-rultiple people can lead to rnore cornrnunication gaps and confusion 4. It Inay not yield positive results s.vhen subordinates prefer rninirnun-l interaction yvith the leader. 5. Chances Of getting poor ideas frorn unskilled rnen-lber..

3. Laissez Faire or Free-rein Leadership Under this style of leadership, the leader largely depends upon the group and its members to establish their own goals and make their own decisions. The leader is passive and assumes the role of just another member in the group. Only very little control is exercised over group members. This style is also known permissive style of leadership. This style is suitable to certain situations where the manager can leave a choice to his groups..

Advantages and disadvantages Advantages: — I. Nfernbers of the group feel free to explore thernselves. 2. Good co—ordination and interaction is rnaintained betyveen the rnernbers. Disadvantage: — I. If the rnernber of the group is not capable, probability of getting inappropriate result increases..

LEADERSHIP THEORIES Leadership is the process of influencing others towards the accomplishment of goals. Recent efforts by behaviorists have shown a trend towards integrating the numerous theories of leadership. A number of theories and approaches to study leadership have been developed. There are broadly three theories of leadership..

(a) Trait Theory This theory of studying leadership is taken into consideration to analyze the personal, psychological and physical traits of strong leaders. This theory is known as “great man” theory assuming that leaders are born with certain special necessary traits for leadership. The assumption made in this theory was that some basic traits or set of traits differentiates leaders from non-leaders..

The following traits are usually considered to be possessed by an effective leader: Physical Traits: energy, appearance, height, intelligence, ability Personality traits: adaptability, aggressiveness, enthusiasm and self-confidence, initiative, responsible Social Skills: cooperativeness, interpersonal skills and administrative ability, diplomatic and tactful.

Some important traits of leader are given below 1. Cognitive ability: intelligence and an ability to quickly process large amounts of information 2. Flexibility: An ability to adapt to the needs of followers and to changes in the situation 3. Inner drive: A need for achievement, ambition, and a high energy level 4. Leadership motivation: A desire to influence others in order to reach a common goal 5. Expertise: Specific knowledge of technical issues relevant to the organization 6. Creativity: An ability to generate original ideas 7. Self-confidence: Faith in one’s own abilities and ideas 8. Integrity: Reliability, honesty, and an open communication style.

2. Behavioral Theory Behavioral Theory of Leadership is a leadership theory that considers the observable actions and reactions of leaders and followers in a given situation. Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave and assume that leaders can be made, rather than born, and successful leadership is based on definable, learnable behavior. Behavioral theories of leadership are classified as such because they focus on the study of specific behaviors of a leader..

Ohio State Studies in the late 1940s Aimed at identifying specific behaviors effective leaders executed (compared to ineffective leaders). A survey was conducted with the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), on leaders to identify what types of behaviors were most effective in leading. Nine specific behaviors were identified and measured. Following two dimensions substantially accounted for most of the leadership behavior described by employees: 1. Initiating Structure 2. Consideration.

Initiating Structure In initiating-structure behaviour, the leader clearly defines the leader-subordinate roles so that everyone knows what is expected. Establishing formal lines of communication, and determine how tasks will be performed. Specifying the task to be performed by each member of his group, sets down deadlines, gives directions and puts pressure on them for its fulfillment..

Consideration Extent to which a person’s job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. In consideration behaviour, the leader shows concern for subordinates feelings’ and ideas. He attempts to establish a warm, friendly and supportive A leader high in consideration helps employees with personal problems, is friendly and approachable, treats all employees as equals, and expresses appreciation and support..

University of Michigan’s Studies The Michigan Leadership Studies started in the 1950s Aimed at identifying the principles and types of leadership styles that led to greater productivity and enhanced job satisfaction among workers. The studies identified two sets of leadership styles:.

1. Job-centered leadership behaviour : The first was called job-centered leadership behaviour, which focuses on performances and efficient completion of the assigned tasks. A job-centered leader interacts with group members to explain task procedures and oversee their work..

2.Employee centered leadership behaviour: The second behaviour was identified as employee centered leader behaviour, which focuses on, high performance standards to be accomplished. This can be done by developing a cohesive work group and ensuring that employees are satisfied with their jobs. Thus, the leader’s primary concern is the welfare of the ordinates. The Michigan researchers thought a leader could show signs of one kind of behaviour, but not both..

For behavioral theorists, a leader behavior is the best predictor of his leadership influences and as a result, is the best determinant of his or her leadership success. These theories concentrate on what leaders actually do rather than on their qualities. Different patterns of behavior are observed and categorized as 'styles of leadership’. This area has probably attracted the most attention from practicing managers.

3. Contingency Theory The main assumption of contingency theory is that the behaviour of an appropriate leader varies from one situation to another. The motive of a contingency theory is to identify key situational factors and to specify how they interact to determine appropriate behaviour of a leader. The three most important and widely accepted contingency theories of leadership are.

The LPC theory: The first contingency theory of leadership is Fred Fielder’s Least Preferred Co- worker (LPC) Model. Fielder identified two types of leadership: task-oriented and relationship- oriented. Fielder believes that a leader’s tendency to be task-oriented or relationship oriented remains constant. In- other words, a leader is either task-oriented or relationship- oriented while leading his group members..

Fielder used the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale to measure the type of leadership. A leader 79 is asked to describe characteristics of the person with whom he or she is least comfortable while working. They can do this by marking in a set of sixteen scales at each end, by a positive or negative adjective. According to Fielder, the contingency factor favours the situation from the leader’s point of view. This factor is determined by leader-member relations, task-structure and position-power, which are discussed as below:.

Leader-member relations: A Leader-member relation refers to the nature of relationship between the leader and his work group. If the leader and the group enjoy mutual trust, respect, confidence and they like one another, relations will remain good •Task-structure: Task-structure is the degree to which the group’s task is clearly defined. When the task is routine, easily understood, and unambiguous and when the group has standard procedures, the structure is assumed to be high. When the task is non-routine, ambiguous, complex, with no standard procedures and precedents, structure is assumed to be low. ..

Position-power: Position-power is the power vested in the position of a leader in an organization. If the leader has the power to assign work, administer rewards and punishment, recommend employees for promotion or demotion, position-power is assumed to be strong. If the leader does not have required powers, the position-power is weak. From the leader’s point of view, strong position power is favourable and weak position power is unfavourable..

4. The Path-Goal theory The path-goal model of leadership was introduced by Martin Evans and Robert House. Path-goal theory says that a leader can motivate subordinates by influencing their expectations. Leaders can motivate sub-ordinates by making clear what they have to do to get the reward they desire. The path-goal model assumes that leaders can change their style or behaviour to meet the demands of a particular situation. This model identifies four kinds of leader behaviour: directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented..

MANAGERIAL GRID THEORY At conception, the managerial grid model was composed of five different leadership styles. These styles were a relation between a manager’s concern for people, concern for production and his motivation. The motivation dimension really provides the underlying motive of the leader behind a successful leadership style. Thus the managerial grid model categorizes leaders into one of 81 possible categories. Later, two additional leadership styles were added as well as the element of resilience..

High Concern for people Low 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (Country club) Management 5.5 Middle of the road (Improverished) Management (1.1) 9.9 (Team) Management (Task) Management (9.1) 6 1 23 45 Concern for production MANAGERIAL GRID High.

1. The Indifferent or Impoverished (1,1) These leaders have minimal concern for people and production. Their priority is to fly under the radar while they content to seek solutions that won’t bring any negative focus to themselves or their department. Preserving their employment, position as well as their seniority is what drives their elusive and evading behaviours. In short, the indifferent leaders are ineffective and are sorely lacking in any of the traits that can be attributed to successful and effective leaders..

2. The Country Club or Accommodating (1, 9) These leaders will go above and beyond to ensure that the needs and desires of his employees are met. These leaders are making the assumption that their staff will yield maximum results as they are likely to be self-motivated when they are lead in such environment. These leaders will have behaviours that will yield and comply with the needs of their staff. The productivity of the group however, can suffer from the lack of attention on tasks..

3. The Status Quo or Middle-of-the-Road (5, 5) These leaders balance out the needs of their staff with those of the organization, while not adequately achieving either. These leaders will balance and compromise their decisions, often endorsing the most popular one. They dedicate minimal efforts towards facilitating the achievements of their staff or the production results in average or below average levels.

4. The Dictatorial or Produce, Perish or Control (9, 1) Similar to autocratic leader These leaders focus all of their attention to production-related matters and very little towards the needs of their employees. These leaders will direct and dominate while holding the belief that efficiency gains can only be achieved through rigid disciplines especially those that don’t require human interaction. Employees are considered expendable resources. Productivity is usually short lived as high employee attrition is unavoidable. The dictatorial style is inspired by the McGregor X theory.

5. The Sound or Team (9, 9) According to Dr. Robert R. Blake and Dr. Jane Srygley Mouton (and I agree), the sound leader is the most effective leadership style. These leaders will contribute and are committed, can motivate and are motivated while holding the belief that trust, respect, commitment and employee empowerment are essential for fostering a team environment where team members are motivated, thus resulting in maximum employee satisfaction as well as the most efficient productivity. This sound leadership style is also inspired by the McGregor Y theory..