Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Leader
Leading
The management function of influencing people to
act or not act in a certain way.
Leadership traits that are often suggested as useful
include:
a sense of responsibility,
self-confidence,
high energy level,
empathy,
internal locus of control, and
a sense of humor.
Internal Locus of Control:
b. Self confidence.
Supervisors who believe in their ability to get the
job done will convey confidence to employees.
c. High energy level.
Many organizations expect supervisors to willingly
put in long hours in order to handle the variety of
duties that come with the job.
d. Empathy.
Supervisors need to be sensitive and higher
management. Supervisors who have difficulty
understanding what makes people tick are at a
disadvantage.
e. Internal locus of control.
People with an internal locus of control are
thought to be leaders because they try harder to
take charge of events.
f. Sense of humor.
People with a good sense of humor are more fun
to work with or for.
Characteristics of a
Successful Supervisor (Ch. 1)
The characteristics of a successful supervisor
include:
positive attitude
loyal
fair
good communicator
able to delegate
wants the job
Additional Characteristics of a
Successful Supervisor
Additional criteria for a successful supervisor
include:
technical skills
human relations skills
conceptual skills
decision making skills
The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Stephen
Covey
Habit 1
Be proactive. This refers to the taking of
responsibility to make things happen.
Habit 2
Begin with the end in mind. Start with a clear
picture of where you are going and what the
destination will look like.
The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Stephen
Covey
Habit 3
Put first things first. The principle is based upon
two factors--importance and urgency.
Habit 4
Think win/win. The principle means that
agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial.
The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Stephen
Covey
Habit 5
Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
One key to effective interpersonal
communications is to listen with the intent to
understand.
Habit 6
Synergize. The whole is greater than the sum of
the parts.
The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People by Stephen
Covey
Habit 7
Sharpen the saw. Enhance personal abilities.
Leadership Styles
Authoritarian
Democratic
Laissez-faire
Theory X
Theory Y
Authoritarian Leadership:
A leadership style in which the leader retains a great
deal of authority.
This style of leadership is characterized by the supervisor
giving orders and employees following the orders.
An example would be a military commander who expects
unquestioned obedience.
Decisions are made quickly.
Works best in an emergency or crisis or where employees
lack maturity.
Employees may become dependent on decisions from
supervisors and will not do anything of their own.
Democractic Leadership
A leadership style in which the leader allows
subordinates to participate in decision making and
problem solving.
This style of leadership is characterized by the supervisor
actively seeking input from the employees.
An example would be work groups or teams for problem
solving
Employees feel they have a say in the ways things are done
and may feel more satisfied with their jobs.
Decisions take longer.
A supervisor who leaves most decisions to the group may be
viewed by some employees as weak.
Laissez-faire Leadership
A leadership style in which the leader is uninvolved
and lets subordinates direct themselves.
This style of leadership is characterized by the
noninvolvment of the supervisor.
An example would be research and development settings.
Works best in an atmosphere where creativity and innovation
is required.
Many employees see this method as no leadership at all.
Theory X
A set of attitudes based on the view that people
dislike work and must be coerced to perform.
Theory X assumes that people dislike work and try to avoid
it and must be coerced to perform.
Employees would prefer to be directed.
Employees have to be watched and occasionally
disciplined to keep them performing.
A Theory X supervisor would most likely be autocratic.
Theory Y
A set of attitudes based on the view that work is a
natural activity and that people will work hard and
creatively to achieve objectives they are committed
to.
Employees can be trusted and discipline is not necessary
to get them to perform adequately.
Theory Y supervisors are more likely to adopt the
democratic style.
Theory Z
A set of attitudes that emphasize employee
participation in all aspects of decision making.
Assumes employees work as hard as they can.
An extension of Theory Y with the addition of organizational
structure and the response of management to the
employees.
Employees are trusted, and their input or ideas are actively
sought.
This approach to supervision would be more consistently
democratic.
Authoritarian style of
leadership
Organizations or departments that require
a regimented method of performance,
quick response, or
employees need a lot of direction.
The military, and military-type organizations such as
correction facilities, would be an example.
Fire fighting would be another.
This style would also be appropriate in organizations where
employees require a lot of direction, such as a fast-food
restaurant where there is high turnover of personnel.
Democratic style of
leadership
Organizations and departments that require
input from employees for problem solving or
product and process improvement.
This style works in organizations where there is a highly
skilled work force, especially if work requires teamwork
to complete work effectively.
An example may be companies that supply the auto
industry with parts and materials.
These companies are being driven by competitive forces
to improve quality and reduce prices through continuous
improvement.
Laissez-faire style of
leadership
Organizations or departments that require
innovative employees and
where creativity is important.
Examples include
research and development departments,
software companies,
and design departments.
Beauty salons might be another type of company where
this style of leadership works best.
Contingency Theory
Supervisors are not likely to use or represent a
single type.
Contingency models of leadership attempt to
describe the situations under which a specific type
of supervisor will be most successful.
Contingency models of leadership maintain that the
best style of leadership depends on the
circumstances.
Contingency Models
Type of organization.
The organization lends itself to a type of
leadership.
For example, if supervisors are expected to manage
large numbers of employees, a democratic leadership
style may be time consuming and relatively challenging
to use.
When there is a large number of employees to manage
or they are dispersed over a large area, laissez-faire
style leadership may be the result whether it is intended
or not.
Effectiveness of the group.
Regardless of the characteristics of individual
employees, some groups are more successful in
handling decisions than others.
When employees have little experience making
decisions, authoritarian style leadership may be easier
to use.
The problem or task.
Problems range from simple to complex.
Tasks range from structured to relatively
unstructured.
Although it appears that each of these variables
suggests a specific type of leadership, such as a
structured task is best handled with more control by the
supervisor, in reality each problem or task is also related
to the other characteristics of the situation.
Time available.
An autocratic leader is in a position to make
decisions quickly.
Group decision making usually requires more time
for discussion and sharing ideas.
Giving Directions
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Developing and Maintaining
Good Relations
A supervisor needs support from many
people in the organization to be successful.
They need the support of their employees.
They also need the support of their boss and co-
workers.
Ways to get along with almost everyone
include
projecting a positive attitude,
taking an interest in other people, and
helping out.
A supervisor who is liked and respected by
employees will inspire them to work harder
and better.
Supervisors should be role models for employees
by following the rules of the company.
They should also be fair in the treatment of
employees and ethical.
Employees work most cooperatively with a
supervisor they trust.
Building trust takes time and effort,
yet it can be lost with a single act that is
unreasonable.
Trust is built by fair and predictable behavior.
No matter how good you are at planning, organizing,
and leading, your ability to get along with your boss
can determine the course of your career within the
organization.
That may not always seem fair, but the fact is that
your boss is the one who most often decides
whether you will be promoted, get a raise, or even
have a job next week.
A boss who likes to work with you is more likely to
take a favorable view of your performance.
A supervisor can assume that his or her boss
expects the following:
Loyalty
positive attitude about the company and his/her boss
Cooperation
works with others in the organization to achieve organizational
goals.
Communication
kept informed about the department’s performance.
Results
ensures department meets or exceeds its objectives
If you get along with your peers, they will help you
look good and get your job done.
If your peers resent you, the poor relations can
cause an endless stream of problems.
Quite often your peers are competing with you for
raises, bonuses, or promotions.
Regardless, the more you cooperate, the better you
all will look.