Define the term leadership, and explain the difference between leading and managing. Leadership is defined as a process in which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Although leadership and management overlap, each entails a unique set of activities or functions. Managers typically perform functions associated with planning, investigating, organizing, and control, and leaders deal with the interpersonal aspects of a manager's job. Table 16–2 summarizes the differences between leading and managing. All told, organizational success requires a combination of effective leadership and management.
Review trait theory research and the takeaways from this theoretical perspective. Historical leadership research did not support the notion that effective leaders possessed unique traits from followers. More recent research showed that effective leaders possessed the following traits: intelligence, self-confidence, determination, honesty/ integrity, sociability, extraversion, conscientiousness and problem-solving skills. In contrast, bad leaders displayed the following characteristics: incompetence, rigid, intemperate, callous, corrupt, insular, and evil. Research. also demonstrated that men and women exhibited different styles of leadership. The takeaways from trait theory are that (a) we can no longer ignore the implications of leadership traits; traits influence leadership effectiveness; (b) organizations may want to include personality and trait assessments into their selection and promotion processes; and (c) management development programs can be used to enhance employees' leadership traits.
Explain behavioral styles theory and its takeaways. The thrust of behavioral styles theory is to identify the leader behaviors that directly affect work-group effectiveness. Researchers at Ohio State uncovered two key leadership behaviors: consideration and initiating structure. These behaviors are similar to the employee-centered and job-centered behaviors uncovered by researchers at the University of Michigan . The takeaways from this theoretical perspective are as follows: (a) leaders are made, not born; (b) there is no one best style of leadership; (c) the effectiveness of a particular style depends on the situation at hand; and (d) managers are encouraged to concentrate on improving the effective execution of their leader behaviors
Explain, according to Fiedler's contingency model, how leadership style interacts with situational control, and discuss the takeaways from this model. Fiedler believes leader effectiveness depends on an appropriate match between leadership style and situational control. Leaders are either task motivated or relationship motivated. Situation control is composed of leader–member relations, task structure, and position power. Task-motivated leaders are effective under situations of both high and low control. Relationship-motivated leaders are more effective when they have moderate situational control. The three takeaways are: (a) leadership effectiveness goes beyond traits and behaviors, (b) leaders are unlikely to be successful in all situations, and (c) leaders need to modify their style to fit a situation.
Discuss House's revised path–goal theory and its practical takeaways. There are three key changes in the revised path–goal theory. Leaders now are viewed as exhibiting eight categories of leader behavior (see Table 16–5) instead of four. In turn, the effectiveness of these styles depends on various employee characteristics and environmental factors. Second, leaders are expected to spend more effort fostering intrinsic motivation through empowerment. Third, leadership is not limited to people in managerial roles. Rather, leadership is shared among all employees within an organization. There are three takeaways: (a) effective leaders possess and use more than one style of leadership, (b) the theory offers specific suggestions for how leaders can help employees, and (c) managers are advised to modify their leadership style to fit relevant contingency factors.
Describe the difference between laissez-fair, transactional, and transformational leadership. Laissez-faire leadership is the absence of leadership. It represents a general failure to take responsibility for leading. Transactional leadership focuses on clarifying employees' role and task requirements and providing followers with positive and negative rewards contingent on performance. Transformational leaders motivate employees to pursue organizational goals above their own self-interests. Transactional and transformational leadership are both important for organizational success.
Discuss how transformational leadership transforms followers and work groups. Individual characteristics and organizational culture are key precursors of transformational leadership, which is comprised of four sets of leader behavior. These leader behaviors in turn positively affect followers' and work-group goals, values, beliefs, aspirations, and motivation. These positive effects are then associated with a host of preferred outcomes.
Explain the leader–member exchange model of leadership and the concept of shared leadership. The LMX model revolves around the development of dyadic relationships between managers and their direct reports. These leader–member exchanges qualify as either in-group or out-group relationships. Research supports this model of leadership. Shared leadership involves a simultaneous, ongoing, mutual influence process in which individuals share responsibility for leading regardless of formal roles and titles. This type of leadership is most likely to be needed when people work in teams, when people are involved in complex projects, and when people are doing knowledge work. Shared leadership also is beneficial when people are working on tasks or projects that require interdependence and creativity.
Review the Level 5 model of leadership and the principles of servant-leadership. Level 5 leadership represents a hierarchy of leadership capabilities that are needed to lead companies in transforming from good to great. Servant-leadership is more a philosophy than a testable theory. It is based on the premise that great leaders act as servants, putting the needs of others, including employees, customers, and community, as their first priority.
Describe the follower's role in the leadership process. Followers can use a four-step process for managing the leader–follower relationship. Followers need to understand their boss and themselves. They then conduct a gap analysis between the understanding they have about their boss and themselves. The final step requires followers to build on mutual strengths and to adjust or accommodate the leader's divergent style, goals, expectations, and weaknesses.
