Leadership Styles

Leadership ConceptsAre you Born a leader or are you Made a leader?

Leadership ConceptsAre leaders born or made?Thomas Carlyle suggested the “great man” theory, that is, that leaders are born with innate qualities or traits that set them apart from other “mere men”Researchers since have found that there is not one set of traits that makes someone a leaderTraits that are found in leaders are also found in followersTrait theories did not show leaders were successful in different situations using very different methodsAs the limitations of early explanations for leadership development became clear, researchers turned to other areas for investigation

Leadership ConceptsAreas that researched turned to in order to explain what makes a good leaderBehavioral TheoriesSituational TheoriesContingency Theories

Behavioral Theories1940 saw a shift in belief towards that which supported the idea that Leadership could be taught.Anyone could become a leader with the right informationNot based on personality traitsBased on what the leader did to make people follow themTwo aspects of behavior became apparent in the research

Behavior TheoryTwo Aspects of BehaviorBehavior focused on the structural elements of the jobEstablishing rules and guidelines for employeesBehavior that considered the needs of the employeesStanding up for employeesExplaining decisionsThere were leadership characteristics that were not explained by behavioral theoriesHow or why one behavioral aspect worked in one situation but not another

Situational TheoriesSeeks to explain leadership effectiveness in different situationsElements that are considered How the leaders and followers interactHow the work is structuredThere are three main situational theoriesBlake-Mouton managerial grid, 1968Path-goal theory, 1971Hersey-Blanchard theory, 1977

Blake-Mouton Managerial gridConsiders two aspectsConcern for peopleConcern for productionUses 9 levels to measure each aspectLeaders on the lowest (1,1) level show no concern for people or productionLeaders on the highest extreme show maximum concern for both people and productionLeaders scoring (9,9) are the most effective leaders

Path-goal TheoryProposes that a leader can impact the behavior of a group by establishing goals and providing direction on reaching those goalsFour leadership styles may be used to accomplish thisDirectiveSupportiveParticipativeAchievement

Path-goal TheoryDirectiveSpecifics what is to be doneSupportiveLeader provides encouragement for the group membersParticipativeLeader involves the group in decision making processAchievementLeader establishes a difficult goal and encourages the group to accomplish it

Hersey-Blanchard TheoryDescribe leadership in terms of maturity level of the followersTwo types of maturityPsychological maturity (motivation)Job task maturity (level of experience)This model provides four styles of leadership appropriate in different circumstancesTellingSellingParticipatingDelegating

Hersey-Blanchard TheoryTellingWith an immature team member base the leader must be direct in providing guidance and defining rolesSellingWith some experience, leader is directing in a more general sense; Encouraging motivated followers with lack of experienceParticipatingFollowers may lack necessary motivation and require support and encouragement to act on their ownDelegationFollowers have the maturity to accomplish their tasks, leader identifies the goal and the followers are accountable to produce the results

Contingency TheoriesBegins with an assessment of leader’s styleUses the “least preferred co-worker” scaleIndentify the co-worker (past or present) with whom you had the most difficulty working and rate this person on a scale of 1 to 8 on a series of measures such as level of cooperation and friendlinessThe result is know as the Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) A high score indicates the leaders has a greater concern for people than tasksA low score indicates a greater concern for tasksLPC score could predict the situation in which the leader would have a better chance of success

Contingency TheoryDescribes situations in terms of three aspectsLeader-member relationsRelationship between the leaders and members of the group are the key factor in determining the level of influence the leader will have within the groupTask StructureJobs that are highly structured provide a leader with greater influence than those that require little structurePosition PowerSituations in which the leader has the discretion to assign tasks or to reward or punish members of the group provide the leader with a greater chance of success

Leadership StylesWhat kind of leader are you?

Leadership StylesThere are many different types of leadership styles that are appropriate and effective in different situations. We have all experienced different types of leadership stylesWhat type of leader are you?

Leadership StylesAuthoritarian or DirectiveDemocraticLaissez-FaireCoachingTransactionalTransformative

Authoritarian or DirectiveEffective in situations requiring immediate actionsEffective in situations that are life threateningCan be the best style when productivity is the highest concern

DemocraticMost effective in environments of highly skilled professional employeesGood style for individuals who are self motivated and accomplish tasks on their ownMost effective style when relationships in the work environment are of primary concern

Laissez-faireAllows group members to operate on their ownProvides no direction or guidanceCan lead to chaos if members lack confidence in their abilitiesMay be an acceptable style for those who are highly motivated and can work independentlyIn general it results in lower levels of productivity

CoachingCoaches work with the group members to develop skills and abilities so that they will be able to operate independently

TransactionalFocus on getting the job doneOffering a reward in exchange for accomplishing goalsManage by exceptionSeeking out areas where rules are not being followed and making correctionsTaking action when a goal is not met

TransformationFocuses on the relationships in the groupBuilding relationships to achieve organizational goalsSet the ideal for the group and act as a role modelInspire Excellence within the groupStimulate new ideas and perspectivesTransformative leaders are coaches who work with individuals to develop their skills and abilities and improve their performance

Leadership StylesAuthoritative or DirectiveDemocraticLaissez-faireCoachingTransactionalTransformative

LEADERSHIP STYLESHow many leadership styles do you embody?

Leadership Styles

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Leadership Styles