personal skills:Text 02

Read the text carefully and loudly

-Try to correct your pronunciation by using dictionary

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT_AND LEADERSHIP

In this introductory part, we will begin by understanding the basic definitions ot the concepts.

I. Basic definitions of concepts:

a) What is an organisation?
We can simply refer to an organisation as a collection of people working together to
achieve a common goal. These people are working together to achieve a common purpose,
which is usually the organisation's set objectives. Working together, people are able to

accomplish tasks that one individual would not have been able to do. Organisations are
supposed to have a vision, mission, goals and objectives. They undertake various activities
which emanate from those goals. Some scholars have asserted that organisat ions are
systems of inter-dependent human beings. Organisations are supposed to do what an
individual human being would not do or achieve alone.
b) What is management?
Several definitions of management have been given. According to Peter Drucker (1955), a
management guru, management is concerned with a systematic organisation of economic

resources to make these resources productive. Other detinitions look at what

management does. Such definitions refer to management as the process of planning,
and controlling the efforts of organisation members and using all
organising, leading
other organisational resources to achieve stated organisational goals.

c) Organisational behaviour:
To understand organisat ions and management, we need to tirst understand organisational
behaviour. This is a multi-disciplinary field which studies the individual, group and
organisational processes in order to know the behaviour of people in an organisational
setting. There are various definitions of the concept. Pheysey et al. (1971) referred to
organisational behaviour as "the study of structure, functioning and performance of
organisations and the behaviour ot groups and individuals within them".
performance( the ability to perform: EFFICIENCY)
II. Leadership: This is a common term. But what does it mean? If you asked a group ot
top executives in any part of the globe why organisations succeed, you will most likely hear
them all say "executive leadership. Indeed, leadership is the way to success for all
organisations business, politics, sports and the tamily. In tact Aristotle, the philosopher,
advised that if you cannot lead and manage your tamily, you should not aspire to enter
politics. Indeed, he viewed the ancient Greek polis (ancient Greek city state) as starting
from family to forming villages and tinally the city state (e.g.ancient city state of Athens).

We can define leadership as the process of directing and intluencing others to achieve group

These groups a r e usually in organisations. Leaders a r e usually people who

have a lot
goals.
of influence over others. Regarding leadership, we could note the following:

i. A leader intluences other people who may be followers or subordinates;

ii. Leadership involves using ditterent types ot power to influence the subordinates

behaviour.
 a) Qualities of leadership: There are various studies that have suggested qual1ties that
people otten associate with leadership. We shall look at the following (Fiedler 1967):

Has vision and is committed the purpose

to or
goals of the
organ1sation;
Guiding others through providing a role model and through willingness to serve
others first;
Optimism - Very tew pessimists become leaders;
Dedication of one's life to serve a
cause;
A clear sense of
purpose;
Self-knowledge jand
Ability to
encourage and nurture those that report to them.
b) Leadership styles: Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973)
continuum
grouping leaders into three developed a
leadership style
be referred to as the
categories. Based on the use of authority, leaders can
following:
1. Autocratic A leader
who commands and expects
compliance without
Such leader is question.
a
dogmatic and is willing and able to give or with hold rewards
administrative punishments; or

11. Participative(or democratic)-A leader who consults with subordinates on the

proposed decisions and actions and
subordinates; and
encourages participation trom those
Free Rein
(laissez-faire) Leaders who
-

use
very little if at all of their
power but instead
subordinates a high level of give their
independence in their work

Leadership Behaviours demonstrating leadership

style style
Leader take decisions without reterence to
anyone else
There is a high degree of
Autocratic because statt are not
dependency on the leader

encouraged to make
suggestions on
the running ot the
organisation.
This style can demotivate statt and result in a
high staff
turnover

Leaders encourage discussion and

the
debate throughout
group before final decisions are actually
implemented.
Leaders consult and also persuade the team
Democratic betore
implementing a decision.
This approach motivates statt as
they teel involved in the
process of decision-making.
This can
improve development and sharing ot ideas
and experiences within the
organisation
 Leaders exhibit 'let it be' as it is leadership
leaves it
Tesponsibilities are shared by all-and the leader
to the group.
Ihis approach is useful in entities w h e r e c r e a t i v e jaeds

Laissez-taire

are important.
over
an be highly motivational as people have control
restrictions
their own working life, without unnecessary

trom authority.
and on gooa
his approach relies on good team

interpersonal relations between

the groupP.

Table 1: Leadership styles

successful leaders
Behavioural traits of
do -
the leadership styles.
theories have focused on what leaders actually
behavioural
The
. Physique
Technical knowledge
Intelligence
Perception(y) and caring

Courage and risk-taking

Persistence
i n n o v a t i o n and creativity

organisation
Position in the
s u b o r d i n a t e s

a s s e s s m e n t
by
Subjective

Peer assessment
Accountability
and
Responsibility
designate)
work
Delegation, assigning(assign:
Authority, of The
d) refers to
the process
to the subordinate).

Delegation (from superior

task. The
process

of authority:
organisation

Delegation level ot
an
t h e assigned
lower to accompiish
t o the authority
from the top
has
delegated
been
who has
person
of delegation involves:

distributing
smth)
action ot
(allocate:
the
duties
of
Allocation
D e l e g a t i o n o ta u t h o r i t y

Assignment of responsibility

Creation of accountability

downward
direction,
moves in a
decision. It
tinal
take a
to
the right
A u t h o r i t y::
This is
junior.
tO a

a
s u p e r v i s o r

cannot be delegated.
from Responsibility
to pertorm
the duty.
obligation
ochOnsibility:
This is the be held
must
subordinate)
(the
has been delegated
that
The person out.
Accountability: have carried
the
duties that they
to
answerable
 III.
who
Management Process: Henri
Fayol (1903) was one
undertook
systematic approach to analysing and of those management theor
a

gave managers tive functions: defining the job of managers.

.
Planning: setting organisational
objectives and the mehods of achieving
.Organising: establishing the structure
them.
goals and objectives. of tasks to be performed to realise the set
3.
Commanding: giving instructions the subordinates to
4. undertake tasks. to
Coordinating: harmonising the activities of
organisation in order help to
individuals and groups within the
. organisation
Controlling: monitoring which is continuous
an
perfect and achieve its objectives.
to

evaluation (which is an
during
audit) of the activities in implementation and
and ensure that work is done order to correct activities
An ettective manager must:
according to plans.
I.
ldentity symptoms causing
problems within an
organisation;
2.
Analyse or diagnose the causes ot the
situation;
3. Propose how it might be solved;
4.
Suggest treatment and monitor
5.
progress;
Develop strategies to
prevent turther
6. Control and evaluate problems ;and
performance of his/her statt.
7. Some
brainstorming sessions may produce a list of characteristics that
managers have. These include the effective
ftollowing:
Leadership Decisive
Visionary Trusted
Self-starter
Good communicator Knowledgeable
Alert
Analytical Persuasive

.
Differentiating
Leaders and Managers The
McKinsey 7-S framework
In 1982, Peters
and Waterman
developed a mnodel that may help us to distinguish between
managers and leaders the 7-S tramework which shows the link between
skills. Hard technical skills - structure, 'hard' and 'soft
and strategy systems proposed
-

were
of
as distinctive
competences managers while the sot, people-oriented skills skills, style and staff -

were
proposed as more distinctive in leaders.
Both the
managers and leaders were linked
together by the shared values.
We should
emphasize that modern
approaches to business
management recognise the need
tor a leader be
to a
good manager too.

Leadership Senior management 20:80

Middle management 50:50
First line management 8o:20

Management
Figure 1: Balance between leadership and management