Chapter 18

Leadership
Leaders in organizations make things happen. But what makes leaders different
from nonleaders? Whats the most appropriate style of leadership? What can you
do to be seen as a leader? Those are just a few of the questions well try to
answer in this chapter. Focus on the following learning outcomes as you read
and study this chapter.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
18.1 Define leader and leadership.
18.2 Compare and contrast early theories of leadership.
18.3 Describe the three major contingency theories of leadership.
18.4 Describe contemporary views of leadership.
18.5 Discuss contemporary issues affecting leadership.
SPOTLIGHT: Manager at Work
What is the difference between being a manager and being a leader? Are these
terms synonymous? Management guru Peter F. Drucker once said,
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. You
might begin the study of Chapter 18 by asking your students for their
perspectives on these questions and the quotation from Dr. Drucker.
This chapters Spotlight: Manager at Work, looks at the legacy of Steve Jobs. In
many ways, Jobs epitomizes the leader of a high tech company. How he was
extremely charismatic and extremely compelling in getting people to join with him and
believe in his vision. But also how he was despotic, tyrannical, abrasive, uncompromising,
and a perfectionist.
Jobs broke the rules of management and remade them to fit his vision. Students,
who are all familiar with Apple products, may not know the reputation of Jobs as
a leader. He was extremely hard on employees and demanded results. On the
other hand, in his passion he would push people to deliver great products.
Students are asked Jobs leadership approach would work for other
organizations. This is a difficult question. Leadership is not the same for
everyone and does not work the same in every situation. In this chapter, students
will be exposed to the principles of the complex and fascinating topic of
leadership. In their study of Chapter 18, students will explore the evolution of
leadership theory and examine leadership issues in the twenty-first century. As
they learn about leadership styles of effective leaders, they will discover the
importance of striving to develop traits and to practice behaviors at the present
time. By putting their knowledge of leadership into action, your students will begin
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to acquire the ability to influence others to achieve the goals of the organizations
they will serve in the near future.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
The quality of leadership is an important element in an organizations
success, since leaders influence employees to work together toward the
fulfillment of a companys mission and the achievement of its goals.
1.

WHO ARE LEADERS, AND WHAT IS LEADERSHIP

Certain distinctions can be made between managers and leaders.
A.
While managers are appointed and have legitimate power within
the organization, a leader is someone who can influence others
and who has managerial authority.
B.
Leadership is the process of influencing a group to achieve goals.

2.

EARLY LEADERSHIP THEORIES

Researchers began to study leadership in the early twentieth century and
developed behavioral theories that focused on the leader (trait theories)
and how the leader interacts with his or her group members.
A.
Leadership Trait Theories
1. Research in the 1920s and 1930s focused on traits of the
leader, with the intent to isolate characteristics that might by
used to differentiate leaders from nonleaders.
2.
Identifying a set of traits consistently associated with the
process of leadership proved to be more successful than
one set of traits that would always differentiate leaders
from nonleaders.
3.
Six traits associated with effective leadership are described
in Exhibit 18-1.
B.
Leadership Behavior Theories
1.
Researchers began to hope that a behavioral theories
approach would provide more definitive information about
the nature of leadership than did trait theories.
2.
Four main leader behavior studies are summarized in
Exhibit 18-2.
a.
University of Iowa Studies. Kurt Lewin and his
associates explored three leadership styles:
autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire.
b.
The Ohio State Studies identified two important
dimensions of leader behavior: initiating
structure and consideration.
c.
University of Michigan Studies identified two
dimensions of leader behavior: leaders who were
employee oriented and leaders who were
production oriented.
d.
The Managerial Grid is a two-dimensional grid
used to appraise leadership styles using concern
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3.

3.

for people and concern for production as

dimensions.
Predicting leadership success involved more than isolating
a few leader traits or behavior. The lack of success in
attaining consistent results led to a focus on situational
influences.

CONTINGENCY THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP

A.
The Fiedler contingency model, developed by Fred Fiedler, is a
contingency theory proposing that effective group performance
depended upon the proper match between a leaders style of
interacting with his/her followers and the degree to which the
situation allowed the leader to control and influence.
1.
Fiedler developed the least-preferred coworker (LPC)
questionnaire, which measures whether a person is task
or relationship oriented. This questionnaire contained 18
pairs of contrasting adjectives. Respondents were asked
to think of all the coworkers they had ever had and to
describe the person they least preferred to work with, using
the 18 sets of adjectives. Fiedler believed that a persons
basic leadership style could be determined on the basis of
their answers.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Fiedler also isolated three situational criteria that he

believed could be manipulated to create the proper match
with the behavioral orientation of the leader:
a.
Leader-member relations described the degree of
confidence, trust, and respect subordinates have in
their leader.
b.
Task structure described the degree to which job
assignments were formalized and procedurized.
c.
Position power described the degree of influence
a leader had over power-based activities such as
hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary
increases.
Next, Fiedler used the above variables to evaluate the
situation. He defined eight different situations in which a
leader could find himself or herself. (See Exhibit 18-3)
The Fiedler model proposes matching an individuals LPC
and an assessment of the three contingency variables to
achieve maximum leadership effectiveness.
Fiedler concluded that task-oriented leaders tend to
perform better in situations that are either very favorable or
very unfavorable to them.
He concluded that relationship-oriented leaders perform
better in moderately favorable situations.
Fiedler believed that an individuals leadership style was
fixed; he concluded that leader effectiveness could be
improved in only two ways:
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a.

B.

C.

Bring in a new leader whose style fits better to the

situation.
b.
Change the situation to fit the leader.
8.
Research has generally supported the validity of Fiedlers
model. However, some drawbacks are associated with the
model.
Hersey and Blanchards Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) is a
leadership contingency theory developed by Paul Hersey and Ken
Blanchard that focuses on followers readiness.
1.
Hersey and Blanchard propose that successful leadership
is achieved by selecting the right leadership style that
matches the level of the followers readiness.
2.
Readiness is the extent to which people have the ability
and willingness to accomplish a specific task.
3.
SLT uses the same leadership dimensions identified by
Fiedler: task and relationship behaviors.
4.
Each of the two leadership dimensions is considered either
high or low and then combined into four specific leadership
styles.
5.
Research efforts to test and support this theory generally
have been disappointing, possibly because of internal
ambiguities or inconsistencies in the model itself.
Path-goal theory, developed by Robert House, is a leadership
theory that purports that it is the leaders job to assist his or her
followers in attaining their goals and to provide the direction or
support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the
overall objectives of the organization. (See Exhibit 18-4)
1.
Four leadership behaviors were identified by House:
a.
The directive leader lets subordinates know what is
expected of them, schedules work to be done, and
gives specific guidance on how to accomplish
tasks.
b.
The supportive leader is friendly and shows
concern for subordinates needs.
c.
The participative leader consults with subordinates
and uses their suggestions before making a
decision.
d.
The achievement-oriented leader sets challenging
goals and expects subordinates to perform at their
highest level.
2.
The path-goal theory proposes two classes of situational or
contingency variables that moderate the leadership
behavior-outcome relationship:
a.
Variables in the environment that are outside of the
control of the follower
b.
Variables that are part of the personal
characteristics of the follower
3.
The following hypotheses have evolved from path-goal
theory:
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a.

4.

4.

Directive leadership leads to greater satisfaction

when tasks are ambiguous or stressful than when
they are highly structured and well laid out.
b.
Supportive leadership results in high employee
performance and satisfaction when subordinates
are performing structured tasks.
c.
Directive leadership leads to higher employee
satisfaction when there is substantive conflict within
a work group.
d.
Achievement-oriented leadership increases
subordinates
expectancies that effort will lead to high
performance when tasks are ambiguously
structured.
e.
Subordinates with an external locus of control will
be more satisfied with a directive style.
f.
Achievement-oriented leadership will increase
subordinates expectations that effort will lead to
high performance when tasks are ambiguously
structured.
Although not every research finding has been positive, the
majority of the evidence supports the following logic
underlying path-goal theory:
a.
Employee performance and satisfaction are likely to
be positively influenced when the leader
compensates for shortcomings in either the
employee or the work setting.
b.
However, if the leader spends time explaining tasks
when those tasks are already clear or when the
employee has the ability and experience to handle
them, the employee is likely to see such behavior
as redundant or even insulting.

CONTEMPORARY VIEWS ON LEADERSHIP

The most current approaches to looking at leadership are discussed in
this section of the text.
A.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory states that leaders
create in-groups and out-groups and those in the in-group will
have higher performance, less turnover, and greater job
satisfaction.
1.
The leader will categorize a follower as an in or an out.
Both leader and follower must invest in the relationship.
2. The leader does the choosing, but the followers characteristics
drive the decision.
3. Research is supportive of the LMX theory.
B.
Transformational-Transactional Leadership
What is the difference between transactional and transformational
leaders?
1.
Transactional leaders are leaders who lead primarily by
using social exchanges (or transactions).
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2.

Transformational leaders are leaders who stimulate and

inspire (transform) followers to achieve extraordinary
outcomes. Evidence supporting the superiority of
transformational leadership over transactional leadership is
overwhelmingly impressive.

LEADER WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard, displayed strong leadership when he undertook
the challenge of turning a banking giant into an organization that moved from
independent clusters to a company with a common synergy and vision. Banja
sought to break down the silos wanted to stitch them together again under a
single umbrella structure. Now as CEO, Banga is the companys cheerleader,
shaking up the companys low-key corporate culture with hugs and fist bumps in
the hallways. One analyst describes him as energetic, open, and engaging.
What can you learn from this leader who made a difference?
C.

D.

Charismatic-Visionary Leadership
1.
A charismatic leader is an enthusiastic, self-confident
leader whose personality and actions influence people to
behave in certain ways.
a. Five personal characteristics of charismatic leaders
have been identified. Charismatic leaders have a
vision, are able to articulate that vision, are willing
to take risks to achieve that vision, are sensitive to
both environmental constraints and follower needs,
and exhibit behaviors that are out of the ordinary
b. An increasing amount of research shows
impressive correlations between charismatic
leadership and high performance and satisfaction
among followers. Most experts think that individuals
can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviors.
c. Charismatic leadership may not always be needed
to achieve high levels of employee performance.
This type of leadership may be most appropriate
when an employees job has a significant amount of
ideological content.
2.
Visionary leadership is the ability to create and articulate
a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future that
improves upon the present situation.
a. If the vision is properly selected and implemented,
it can energize individuals to use their skills, talents,
and resources to fulfill the vision.
b. An organizations vision should tap into peoples
emotions and inspire enthusiasm. Visions that are
clearly communicated are generally more accepted.
Team Leadership. As work teams become more prevalent in the
workplace, the role of team leader becomes increasingly
important.
1. The existence of work teams necessitates that
managers learn how to become effective team leaders.
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2. Skillful team leaders master the difficult balancing act

of knowing when to leave their teams alone and when
to become involved.
3. A team leader has two priorities:
a. Managing the teams external boundaries
b. Facilitating the team process
4. These two priorities can be broken down into four
specific leadership roles (see Exhibit 18-5):
a. Liaisons with external constituencies
b. Troubleshooters
c. Conflict managers
d. Coaches
5.

LEADERSHIP ISSUES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The concept of leadership is continually being refined. This section of the
text examines several contemporary issues in leadership.
A.
Managing Power
Power is the capacity of a leader to influence work actions or
decisions. Because leaders must influence others, we need to
look at how leaders acquire power. French and Raven identified
five sources or bases of power.
1.
Legitimate power is the power a leader has as a result of
his or her position in the organization.
2.
Coercive power is the power a leader has because of his
or her ability to punish or control.
3.
Reward power is the power a leader has because of his or
her ability to give positive benefits or rewards.
4.
Expert power is influence that is based on expertise,
special skills, or knowledge.
5.
Referent power is power that arises because of a
persons desirable resources or personal traits.
6.
Most effective leaders rely on several different bases of
power.
B.

Developing Trust
1.
Credibility is the degree to which followers perceive
someone as honest, competent, and able to inspire.
2.
Trust is the belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a
leader.
3.
Research has identified five dimensions that make up the
concept of trust:
a.
Integrity (honesty and truthfulness)
b.
Competence (technical and interpersonal
knowledge and skills)
c.
Consistency (reliability, predictability, and good
judgment in handling situations)
d.
Loyalty (willingness to protect a person, physically
and emotionally)
e.
Openness (willingness to share ideas and
information freely)
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4.

C.

D.

E.

Given the fact that many organizations have moved to selfmanaged work teams, establishing trust in the leadership
is critical.
5.
Some suggestions for leaders to use in building trust are
found in Exhibit 18-6.
Empowering Employees
Another method of leadership increasingly used by contemporary
managers is the empowerment of employees.
1.
The increased use of empowerment is being driven by two
considerations:
a.
Quick decisions often need to be made by the
individuals who are most knowledgeable about
particular issues.
b.
Organizational downsizing has given managers
larger spans of control, and in order to cope,
managers are turning to employee empowerment.
Leading Across Cultures
National culture is an important situational variable in selecting the
most appropriate style.
1.
Findings from research are provided in Exhibit 18-7).
2.
The GLOBE research program (introduced in Chapter
Four) identifies universal aspects, including vision,
foresight, trustworthiness, dynamism, positiveness, ability
to provide encouragement, and proactiveness.
Becoming an Effective Leader
1.
Leadership training takes many different forms, however,
not everyone has what it takes to make a great leader.
Depending on the type of training, leaders may learn skills
such as vision creation, trust building and mentoring.
2.
Substitutes for Leadership. Certain individual, job, and
organizational variables can act as substitutes for
leadership, negating the importance of having an
individual leader. Possible variables of this type include
characteristics of followers (e.g., experience, training,
professional orientation, or the need to be independent).
a. Routine, unambiguous, or intrinsically satisfying
jobs may require little leadership.
b. Cohesive work groups, explicit formal goals, and/or
rigid rules and procedures may serve as substitutes
for leadership.

Answers to Review and Discussion Questions

1.

What does each of the four behavioral leadership theories say about
leadership?
The University of Iowa Studies explored three styles of leadership:
autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Initial results found that a
democratic style leader was more effective. However, later studies had
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mixed results. When group member satisfaction was examined, it was

found that a democratic style was more effective than an autocratic one.
The Ohio State Studies found that a leader who was high in both initiating
structure and consideration sometimes achieved high group task
performance and high group member satisfaction, but not always. The
University of Michigan Studies presented two dimensions of leadership:
employee orientation and production orientation. Researchers concluded
that leaders who were employee oriented were able to get high group
productivity and high group member satisfaction. Finally, the Managerial
Grid attempted to categorize various leadership behaviors. Ultimately,
the grid offered no answers to the question of what made a manager an
effective leader; it only provided a framework for conceptualizing
leadership style. (LO: 2, Compare and contrast early theories of
leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 3, Describe the three
major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking

skills)
2.

Explain Fiedlers contingency model of leadership.

Fiedlers model proposed that group performance was based upon the
leaders style and the amount of control in a given situation. After a
leaders style is assessed through the least-preferred coworker
questionnaire, three contingency dimensions are examined: leadermember relations, task structure, and position power. Ultimately, the
model suggests that effectiveness is achieved when a leader is matched
to a particular situation or if the situation is changed. (LO: 3, Describe the
three major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB: Analytical

Skills)
3.

How do situational leadership theory and path-goal theory each explain

leadership?
Situational leadership theory focuses upon the readiness of followers. It
treats the leader and follower relationship like that of a parent and child.
As the child (follower) matures, the parent (leader) relinquishes more
control. Path-goal theory puts the focus on the leader and his or her
ability to guide followers and remove obstacles. (LO: 3, Describe the
three major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB: Analytical

Skills)
4.

What is leader-member exchange theory and what does it say about

leadership?
Leader-member exchange theory states that leaders establish in-groups
and out-groups. Those in the in-group will have higher performance,
lower turnover, and greater job satisfaction. This is due to the leader and
follower investing in the relationship. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary
views of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

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5.

Differentiate between transactional and transformational leaders and

between charismatic and visionary leaders.
A transactional leader guides and influences followers by exchanging
rewards for the followers productivity. A transformational leader
stimulates and inspires followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes. A
charismatic leader is an enthusiastic, self-confident leader whose
personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways. A
visionary leader is one who articulates an appropriate vision for the future.
(LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership, AACSB: Analytical

Skills)
6.

What are the five sources of a leaders power?

The five sources of a leaders power are legitimate, coercive, reward,
expert, and referent. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership,

AACSB: Analytical Skills)

7.

Do you think that most managers in real life use a contingency approach
to increase their leadership effectiveness? Explain.
As managers participate in mentoring, development training, networking,
and on-the-job experience, they should become more comfortable and
adept in their use of a contingency approach to increase their leadership
effectiveness. Organizations that offer leadership training often include
contingency approaches. Ask your students to give examples to illustrate
how their managers in the workplace use a contingency approach for
successful leadership. (LO: 3, Describe the three major contingency
theories of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

8.

Do the followers make a difference in whether a leader is effective?

Discuss.
It is the leaders ability to get the follower to carry out the goals of the
organization that ultimately determines a leaders success. However, if
the followers are not skilled or do not have the appropriate knowledge to
accomplish the task then the effectiveness of the leader suffers. You may
want to use the example of a coach who has lost key players due to
unexpected injuries. If this player is taken out of the game, then the team
may lose the game regardless of the quality of the coaching. (LO: 5,
Discuss contemporary issues affecting leadership, AACSB: Analytical

Skills)

Ethics Dilemma
This ethics dilemma explores the potential problems exposed in the show
Undercover Boss. According to their website, the show
[F]ollows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner
office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their
companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects
that their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their
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organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while
discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.
While potentially entertaining, is this candid camera approach fair to employees?
Should the workplace be a subject for public scrutiny where CEOs get to play
gotcha on their employees. Have students discuss the issues of privacy and
how this behavior by CEOs potentially violates employees trust in their leaders.
(LO: 1, Define leader and leadership, AACSB: Ethical understanding and

reasoning abilities)
Skills Exercise: Developing your Choosing an
Effective Leadership Style Skill
Students are provided with six suggestions for choosing an effective leadership
style. They are then asked to consider two different situations from their past
experiences. In one, they are to think of a group or team which they had been a
part and evaluate the leadership style of the leader. In the second, they are
asked to observe a successful sports team and evaluate the leadership styles.
Students should be able to use terms from the text while sharing their
experiences and observations. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of
leadership, AACSB: Communication abilities)

Working Together: Team Exercise

In groups of three to four individuals, students brainstorm a list of characteristics
associated with a bad boss. In addition, they will develop a list of steps to take if
they find themselves working for a bad boss. Though students responses will
vary, try to encourage them to identify effective communication as an important
component. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership, AACSB:

Communication abilities)
My Turn to be a Manager

Think of the different organizations to which you belong. Note the different
styles of leadership used by the leaders in those organizations. Write a
paper describing these individuals styles of leading (no names, please)
and evaluate the styles being used. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views
of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

Write the names of three people you consider to be effective leaders.

Make a bulleted list of the characteristics these individuals exhibit that you
think make them effective leaders. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views
of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

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Think about the times that you have had to lead. Describe what you think
your own personal leadership style is. What could you do to improve your
leadership style? Come up with an action plan of steps that you can take.
Put all this information into a brief paper. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary
views of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

Managers say that increasingly they must use influence to get things
done. Do some research on the art of persuasion. Make a bulleted list of
suggestions that you find on how to improve your skills at influencing
others. (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership, AACSB:

Reflective thinking skills)

Heres a list of leadership skills: building employee communities, building

teams, coaching and motivating others, communicating with impact,
confidence and energy, leading by example, leading change, making
decisions, providing direction and focus, and valuing diversity. Choose
two of these skills and develop a training exercise that will help develop or
improve each of them. (LO: 5, Discuss contemporary issues affecting
leadership, AACSB: Analytical Skills)

Steves and Marys recommended readings: Stephen M. R. Covey with

Rebecca Merrell, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes
Everything (The Free Press, 2006); Nancy S. Ahlrichs, Manager of
Choice (Davies-Black Publishing, 2003); John H. Zenger and Joseph
Folkman, The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great
Leaders (McGraw-Hill, 2002); Robert H. Rosen, Leading People (Viking
Penguin Publishing, 1996); Margaret J. Wheatley, Leadership and the
New Science (Berrett- Koehler Publishers, 1994); Max DePree,
Leadership Jazz (Dell Publishing, 1992); and Max DePree, Leadership Is
an Art (Dell Publishing, 1989). (LO: 1, Define leader and leadership,
AACSB: Analytical Skills) (LO: 2, Compare and contrast early theories
of leadership, AACSB: Analytical Skills) (LO: 3, Describe the three
major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB: Analytical Skills)
(LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership, AACSB: Analytical
Skills) (LO: 5, Discuss contemporary issues affecting leadership,

AACSB: Analytical Skills)

Select one of the topics from the section Leadership Issues in the
Twenty-First Century. Do some additional research on the topic and put
your findings in a bulleted list. Be prepared to share this in class. Be sure
to cite your sources. (LO: 5, Discuss contemporary issues affecting
leadership, AACSB: Analytical Skills)

Interview three managers about what they think it takes to be a good

leader. Write up your findings in a report and be prepared to present it in
class. (LO: 5, Discuss contemporary issues affecting leadership,

AACSB: Analytical Skills)

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In your own words, write down three things you learned in this chapter
about being a good manager. (LO: 1, Define leader and leadership,
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 2, Compare and contrast early
theories of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 3,
Describe the three major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB:
Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of
leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 5, Discuss
contemporary issues affecting leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking

skills)

Self-knowledge can be a powerful learning tool. Go to mymanagementlab

and complete these self-assessment exercises: Whats My Leadership
Style? How Charismatic Am I? Do I Trust Others? Do Others See Me as
Trusting? How Good Am I at Building and Leading a Team? Using the
results of your assessments, identify personal strengths and weaknesses.
What will you do to reinforce your strengths and improve your
weaknesses? (LO: 1, Define leader and leadership, AACSB: Reflective
thinking skills) (LO: 2, Compare and contrast early theories of
leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 3, Describe the three
major contingency theories of leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking
skills) (LO: 4, Describe contemporary views of leadership, AACSB:
Reflective thinking skills) (LO: 5, Discuss contemporary issues affecting
leadership, AACSB: Reflective thinking skills)

Answers to Case Application 1 Questions

1 Describe the leadership style of SheikhaLubnaAlQasimi as she is seen by
many other women as a role model.
The leadership style of SheikhaLubnaAlQasimi can be described as
transformational and charismatic. SheikhaLubnas personal values and beliefs
and her personality traits are projected and used as a source of inspiration by
many other Arab women who perceive her as a role model. She transforms the
beliefs and shapes the values of the next generation of Arab women leaders and
of the youngest generations. Her success impacts the perceptions and attitudes
of thousands of to-be leaders in the Arab World and guides their actions.
2. Why did SheikhaLubna succeed where others have failed?
The success of SheikhaLubna is mainly driven by her personality traits. Her
ambition and perseverance made her believe that her hard work will pay off one
day and will lead to success. Her abilities, and skills, along with her dedication
and commitment to succeed helped her clear the path towards goal
achievement. She also decided to rely on her own to succeed without counting
on her family or fortune. Success was probably more difficult to achieve but was
more gratifying once reached. Most people facing similar situations would take
advantage or their personal and/or professional network and wealth to make the
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road the success easier and to minimize the efforts invested. Moreover, very
often people dont persevere enough in their efforts towards success and get
discouraged very quickly. A strong personality might help them deal with their
lack of goal commitment. Finally, many to-be leaders dont have the skills,
abilities, and personality traits of SheikhaLubna which might slow-down or hinder
their efforts towards success.
3. Do you see the future of women leadership in the Arab world as gloomy or
bright? Why?
Arab women to-be leaders are still facing many obstacles such as lack of
financing, exclusion from informal business networks in which men operate, and
the persistence of the old mentality that business is a male activity. The change
of the mentality is the most difficult to operate as it is rooted in society cultural
values and beliefs which are very difficult to change. Obstacles such as lack of
financing are the easiest to deal with as they just require decision-makers that
have the willingness and readiness to dedicate resources to support women
leadership. The future of women leadership in the Arab world might be more
bright than gloomy as decision-makers in the region are aware that Arab women
are at the forefront of an economic transformation throughout the Middle East,
acting as agents of change in business, government and society as a whole and
that their contributions will be essential for a better future. In societies where
female participation is still very small, hopes for better tomorrows for women
leaders are permitted.
Radical Leadership
1. Explain Tony Fernandess leadership style. What are the benefits and
drawbacks of his style?
The students may choose two or three leadership models that would help to
portray Tony Fernandess leadership style. From the case, it is obvious that
Fernandess leadership style is inclined towards transformational and charismatic
leadership as well as visionary leadership. Fernandes is very persistence and
assertive in doing his work and he always believe the unbelievable and quest for
the impossible and never take no for an answer. He also put greater emphasis
on the employees in which he empowers employees to make managerial
decisions, including strategic plans and leadership positions for the company.
Challenges incurred in implementing Fernandess leadership style might occur in
the recruitment of qualified individuals who are a good fit for this organizational
culture and providing the training and development needed for employees in this
type of work environment. Additional he has to consider the compensation
packages that are able to attract and retain the qualified individuals. He has to
ensure that the right person is placed at the right position, place and time.
2. Based on Tony Fernandess radical approach, how does it foster or hinder his
effort to transform AirAsia into a healthy and money-generating company?
A manager who adopts a radically hands-off leadership style faces challenges as
well as opportunities for managerial success. In an increasingly fast moving and
competitive global economy, international experience of the leader is considered
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an advantage, and the leader must be able to lead change and implement
projects. In dealing with business adversity, Fernandes took the challenge to do
turnaround strategies for AirAsia and since he is very smart, revolutionary and
risk taker in exploiting the market opportunities he was able to transform AirAsia
into successful company. He is very committed and has a strong confidence that
his approach is able to prosper the performance of AirAsia. In using this style, a
leader places a great amount of trust and autonomy in the ability of employees
and in their dedication to the achievement of organizational goals. The efforts
required to reach these goals may require willingness by employees to go the
extra mile and to show a high degree of devotion to the fulfillment of the leaders
vision for the company.
A leader who uses the participative management approach should support
training and development programs for employees in order to equip them for
empowerment and leadership roles. The programs also must be able to instill
the culture of this leadership style. Understanding the cultural fit (employeesorganisation) in order to meet the specific requirements of the organisation will
assist the organisation to flourish. In fact, this leader must be an individual who
gives credit to the employees who are responsible for the successes of the
organization.
Moreover, a leader who adopts the participative management approach should
recruit and train for diversity. The implications for training involve emphasis on
situational and contingency models. Managers must be willing to seek
employees who have strengths that are lacking in management. By hiring
employees who supply needed qualities and skills, managers are gaining
employees whose strengths complement the skills and talents already present in
the organization.
3. How could future leaders be identified in this organization? Would leadership
training be important to this organization? Discuss.
To identify and develop future leaders require a lot of effort. For AirAsia, the
succession planning is essential to develop the individuals who will become their
future leaders. The future leaders will be exposed to the current management
style and encourage them to practice the responsibility and authority given to
them by management. Of course, education is also important coupled with
training and development on leadership and management abilities. In this case,
off-the job T&D and on-the job T&D will assist the employees in becoming the
future leaders. By empowering his employees and allowing autonomy,
Fernandes enjoys the opportunity to observe their skills, dedication, and
leadership qualities firsthand. Thus, his ability to identify potential leaders is
greatly enhanced by his leadership style.
4. What could other businesses learn from Tony Fernandess approach to
leadership?
Many businesses could emulate the characteristics of Fernandes in running and
sustaining his business especially coping with rough economic situation. He is
very determined, strong-minded and passionate about his own products.
Additionally managers in other businesses could learn about the benefits of
empowering and equipping employees to make major managerial contributions
to an organization. By carefully observing and studying Fernandess leadership
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style, other leaders could gain insight into the value of establishing trust between
employees and management and demonstrating confidence in employees ability
to assume leadership roles.

ADDITIONAL CHAPTER INFORMATION

An excellent topic for discussion is the failure of leadership that has been
witnessed in many corporations in recent years. Have students gather articles on
Enron, WorldCom, Andersen Consulting, Global Crossing, and Tyco. You may
want to ask students to find information about the present situation of the former
leaders of these companies.
Another springboard for discussion on leadership is to have students brainstorm
to compile a list of leaders and write the list on the board, where it can be easily
seen by the entire class. Then ask your students to identify the common
characteristics that contribute to the success of all of these leaders. They will
discover that no single, comprehensive list can be developed. This activity is an
effective way to introduce the study of leadership trait theories.

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