Learner Name Abdulrahman Adnan Mustafa Thekrallah

Learner Registration No.

Study Centre Name Success Point College
Qualification Title OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
Unit Reference No. R/617/5012
Unit Title Strategic Leadership
Word Count 4132
Submission Date 05/ August/ 2021

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Date: 05/ August/ 2021 Date:

Document Format: Word (.doc, .docx) only

Task 1: A.C. 1.1. Identify different skills and characteristics of successful leaders.

There is no doubt that the leader represents an essential and important element in all stages of any
organizational success. Without leadership, there will be confusion, friction, underperformance, chaos,
breakdown and high employee turnover rate (Pierotti, 2021). These consequent damages will only be truly
felt by the employee who worked under managers lacking the leadership skills. However, I believe that
the problem facing most of the organizations at the present time is the lack of a leadership skills that
current managers are possessing.

There are many definitions of leadership, most of them reflect the assumption that it involves a process
whereby intentional influence is exerted over other people to guide, structure, and facilitate activities
and relationships in a group or organization (Yukl). Therefore, the more successful the manager as a
leader, the better the work and the results are, and the team performance will surely be more effective
and productive. Leadership leads individuals to work with high morale and creates cooperation between
team members in order to achieve the organisation’s short and long term goals.

Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence subordinates to do the required work in order to
achieve the desired goals while maintaining a high spirit among the subordinates, keeping them always
motivated to give their best. Managers should possess emotional and intellectual intelligence to be a
successful leaders. These traits may include the ability to give chance for new ideas to be heard and
grow as long as it’s going in the right direction. Many ideas have been transformed into success stories
because they were heard and supported until they succeeds. Innovation is based on creativity not on
imitation of others.

A chance must be given to subordinate’s team or group members so they’ll have a great amount of
freedom to create and suggest new ideas and the leader has to insure that this freedom will always lead
to contribute to the success of the organization and toward achieving the intended goals. Team or group
members are the source of any organization’s strength, so taking care of their career development makes
them the best and most innovative profit source for the organizations. Respecting, encouraging and
developing team members to provide opportunities for them to participate in the decision-making
process and to achieve successes for the organization will motivate them to do their best on their own to
support their leaders and organizations.

Leaders has to radiate positive energy to turn work into something enjoyable, not just a job. They have
always to motivate and encourage their teams to keep them interested and engaged in the work. Leaders
must have the ability to understand that their subordinates are different. Not all employees are having the
same potentials and the leader must know how to take advantage of each member capabilities to exploit
the benefits out of his team. There are many other traits leaders must have to be successful such as
decision making while taking the responsibility of their decisions, problem solving, clear vision,
empathy, integrity and intelligence.

Task 1: A.C. 1.2. Assess how different leadership styles can influence an
organization

Different ways people communicate when they lead teams or groups defined as their leadership styles.
Psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify three different styles of leadership; an authoritarian or
autocratic leader, democratic or participative leader, and delegating or “laissez-faire” leader (Cherry, 2020).

Leadership style impacts the organization by affecting employee morale, productivity, decision-making
speed, and metrics. Successful leaders carefully analyze problems, assess the skill level of subordinates,
consider alternatives, and make an informed choice. By choosing the most appropriate leadership style
for the situation, an effective leader provides a lasting impact.

Autocratic leadership provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when and how it should be
done. Dictatorial leaders are independent in making decisions, defining roles and distributing
responsibilities among their subordinates. Under this style of leadership, member’s efforts reduce as
soon as the leader is not around, they lack the spirit of innovation and motivation to work. Moreover,
this climate does not help in communication with subordinates and building relationships with them.
This may also lead to high absenteeism and turnover rates. Autocratic style best applied in a crisis where
there is little or no time for group decision-making or when the leader is the most knowledgeable
member of the group. It also can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive
actions.

Democratic leadership is based on building the leader trust, respect and commitment between him and
others by sharing the matter with them and getting their ideas. A democratic leader promotes
accountability by allowing employees to have their input in decisions that affect their goals and their
work. Democratic leaders keen to raise the morale of the employees by listening to their concerns and
motivating them with what they lack. Despite of its many advantages like trust and innovation, the
democratic style is not good in a high-pressure situation that requires a fast decision making. In some
cases employees may not have enough experience, skill and information about the situation, the problem
to be solved, or the goal to be reached. Which may lead to misleading and incorrect options that will not
contribute to solving the problem and will slow down the decision making.

Laissez-faire leadership is when the leader allows subordinates to make decisions and decide how to
work to achieve the goals. It depends on little or non-interference and leaves the freedom to subordinates
to act with the least amount of direction. This style can have potential benefits when subordinates
possess the skills and experience needed to succeed, when they are experts or have more knowledge than
the leader and when the team values independence as it helps them feel good about their work. This
leadership style is not appropriate in situations where subordinates lack the knowledge or experience
needed to complete tasks and decisions making. Some people aren't good at setting their own deadlines,
managing their projects, and solving problems on their own. The leader must be flexible enough to
decide which leadership style to use based on the situational context.

Task 2:
A.C. 2.1. Appreciate and comment on different leadership theories, models and
principles.
A.C. 2.3. Evaluate the usefulness of leadership theories, models and principles.

Leadership in organizations in all its forms means first and foremost the issues related to leadership
behavior, which in turn affects the attitudes, motives and behaviors of subordinates working to reach the
set goals. The leader depends on his leadership behavior on the support provided by the organization on
one hand, and the restrictions he/she places on his actions on the other hand. Accordingly, there are
personal and organizational aspects that affect the leadership behavior we need to take into account so
that the leadership behavior becomes more effective. Directing, along with planning and organizing, is
one of the most important functions of any management. It has a strong connection with the members
concerned with achieving the stated goals. These goals cannot be implemented except through
influencing the behavior of individuals which in turn affects their attitudes and motives in a way that
enables them to carry out the tasks assigned to them and accordingly, in achieving the desired goals.
Hence, directing is about “guidance” of subordinates and mentoring them in order to achieve the
intended organizational values and goals.

There are three theories with regard to the theoretical aspects that contribute to the organization
leadership styles and their relationship to human’s behavior. Douglas McGregor proposed these
opposing motivational methods as Theory X and Theory Y management (McGregor, 1960), while William
Ouchi developed Theory Z (Ouchi, 1981). Theory X is a theory based on the assumption that the average
human hates work by nature and therefore needs someone to force him to work. On the contrary, Theory
Y assumes that ordinary human likes to work, and able to achieve the goals if the suitable motivating
means implemented and can, with a high degree of trust, contribute to achieving the organizational
goals. Theory Z is based on the importance of leading subordinates by involving them in making
decisions, using the method of dialogue and persuasion, and increasing their motivation to work using
techniques such as goal setting, behavior modification and training. It views job rotations and continual
training as a means of increasing employees’ knowledge of the company and its processes while
building a variety of skills and abilities. The benefits of Theory Z, Ouchi claimed, would be reduced
employee turnover, increased commitment, improved morale and job satisfaction, and drastic increases
in productivity (Chapter 10: Motivating Employees: Theory X, Theory Y, and Theory Z, n.d.).

There are other theories related to the leadership, such as Trait theory which links between leadership
and the characteristics of the personality of the leader, and mentions in particular, a set of characteristics
that distinguish the personality of a leader, such as physical traits, Intellectual, psychological and social.
The Great Man theory assume that a leader is born, not made. The great leader is a person who has
very distinctive abilities and characteristics such as intelligence, self-confidence, courage, etc. Behavior
theory where leadership is linked to the managerial functions and behaviors exercised by the leader
which helps the group to achieve its intended goals. Integrative theory is the integration between
different theories such as the personality of the leader, his knowledge and experience while realizing the
needs of subordinates and knowing how to always motivate them (Yukl).

Contingency Theory focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine
which style of leadership is best suited for a particular work situation. According to this theory, no single
leadership style is appropriate in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including
leadership style, qualities of followers and situational features (A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles and Styles and

Their Relevance to Educational Management, 2015). Contingency theories include many types of theories, including:
Hershey and Blanchard's Situational Theory, Evans and House's Path-Goal Theory, and Fiedler's
Contingency Theory. Contingency theory has many advantages, including that leaders are able to be
effective regardless of their situational context. However, contingency theory has criticisms that there
are not enough details that go into the context of any situation. Contingency theory focuses on the
importance of the situation, but it may not focus sufficiently on the psychology of employees or the
company itself. There are internal and external factors that affect the leader and his position. The type of
company, the size of the team, and the individual's innate leadership style are internal factors. External
factors may include customer and market sentiment. All of these situations play a factor in contingency
theory.

Situational Theory is based on the philosophy that leadership functions and behaviors are the core of
leadership. Accordingly, the leader is recognized according to his behavior towards a specific situations.
Path-Goal theory states that a leader's behavior is conditioned by the satisfaction, motivation, and
performance of his subordinates. Fiedler's Contingency theory is the most common theory, according to
Fiedler, an individual's leadership style is the result of his lifelong experiences, and therefore it’s very
difficult to change. Therefore, he believes that the leader should focus on helping people in
understanding his own leadership style and how to match this style to a specific situation rather than
teaching people a specific leadership style. According to Fiedler, effectiveness can only be improved by
restructuring tasks or changing the amount of power a leader has over organizational factors, such as
salary, disciplinary action, and promotions.

There are many factors affecting the choice of the appropriate leadership style, as leaders find
themselves in many situations facing problems resulting from the ineffectiveness of their leadership
style. Therefore, the successful leader must have the ability to sense situations and anticipate the re-
actions of subordinates in response to a specific command or leadership direction and accordingly, the
flexibility to move from one leadership style to another in proportion to the situation. A good leader
must seriously develop these two characteristics because they are of great importance in improving the
quality of leadership. Renowned leadership researchers Hodgson and White believe that the best form of
leadership is one that finds the perfect balance between behaviors, needs, and context. Good leaders not
only possess the right qualities but they’re also able to evaluate the needs of their followers and the
situation at hand. Each leader has a distinctive leadership style based on certain policies, principles and
values in order to reach the goals of the organization as well as the goals of the work group he leads.
Due to above, it becomes clear that leadership is indispensable in all organizations, whatever their filed
and whatever the nature of their activity, leadership is the core of the administrative process and it is the
key to successful management.

Task 2: A.C. 2.2. Discriminate between the leadership skills needed for different
tasks in organizations and at different levels, from strategic to team leader
Different leadership styles, traits and skills are needed based on the level of organizational structure
surrounding a group, and on how group members behave toward being led and whether or not a
leadership struggle occurs. Different skills needed to enable the leader to give unambiguous instructions,
delegate responsibilities, set goals, motivate others and manage deadlines. The more successful the
leadership is, the better the work and the results will be as the performance will be more effective.
Successful leadership leads individuals to work with high morale and creates cooperation in a team to
achieve the organization's goals.

Several skills are related to the effectiveness of leaders. These skills are broadly categorized in three skill
categories, as defined in many researches about leadership. These categories are technical skills,
interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. Technical skills comprise the knowledge and capabilities to
perform specialized tasks related to a specific field and the ability to apply that knowledge in order to
achieve the intended goals. Interpersonal skills means the ability of the leader to deal with people in
general and his subordinates in particular, and to communicate effectively with others, understand their
feelings and to motivate them to accomplish their objectives. It has been proven that this type of skill is
necessary for the success or failure of leaders in modern organizations. Conceptual skills is the
manager’s ability to view the organization as a whole, understand how the various parts are
interdependent, and assess how the organization relates to its external environment (Managerial Skills, n.d.).

The level of management determines the chain of command, the amount of powers and qualities that any
managerial position has. Management levels can be classified into three main categories; Top-Level
Managers, Middle Managers and First-Line Managers. Top-Level Managers are considered the higher
management of any organization, as the managers of this category are at the highest level of authority
and career advancement. They occupy very important jobs such as chief executive officer (CEO), chief
operations officer (COO), and chief marketing officer (CMO). Middle Management consists of branch
managers and department managers. They represent the links between the top managers and the first-line
managers. They have titles like department head, director, and chief supervisor. First-Line Managers is
known as the practical or supervisory level of management. This level consists of supervisors, business
heads, department officers and managers. Manager at this level are whose work is largely related to the
control and direction of workers.

First-Line managers must have high technical skills since they are in direct contact with workers who
translate the organization's goals into reality. Middle managers will have less technical skills compared
to first-line level but they’ll have more conceptual skills. They need to have the ability to understand the
organization’s long-term goals and strategies and transfer these concepts to lower-level managers.
Conceptual skills are most necessary for Top-Level Managers as they are linked with setting strategic
plans and goals. The three levels of management must have good interpersonal skills to deal with
surrounding people. Managers with no interpersonal skill will end-up using only their authoritarian
power to get the intended output from subordinates which might result in alienating employees.

Task 3
A.C. 3.1. Discuss how an organization’s objectives can influence choice of leadership
style.
A.C. 3.2. Evaluate different industries and sectors and what leadership styles may
be most suited to them.
A.C. 3.3. Evaluate different organization functions and situations and what
leadership styles may be most suited to them.

The success of any organization seeking to capture a desired market position depends mainly on the
effectiveness of the organization's leadership in reaching a balance between achieving the organization's
strategic goals and the needs of subordinates. Clear vision and direction, along with organized and
effective planning, are among the most important functions of a successful leader to achieve the desired
organizational goals. Therefore, the leader must choose the leadership style that is appropriate to the
time, place, surrounding circumstances and the nature of subordinates, bearing in mind the goals of the
organization and its future aspirations. The leader must dedicate his efforts to maintain motivation
among his subordinates in order to keep them engaged and interested in completing the tasks assigned to
them. Successful business leaders set goals for their organizations and strive to achieve them by keeping
their subordinates focused on producing results that enable the organization's long-term success and
profitability while ensuring employees achieve their personal goals of professional development and
more. The leader must choose a leadership style that gives subordinates a sense of strength in facing
challenges and ensures the subordinates' confidence in their leader.

Sometimes organizations may find themselves unable to achieve the desired or usual profit, and
therefore they need to change their policy in performing business, or the organization's objective may be
to enter into other business field to increase profit. The organization in such circumstances needs a
transformational leader who has the ability to change focus, strategy and techniques through looking
for Innovative ways in order to get the best performance from each team member. The transformational
leadership style challenges the old traditional ways of doing business in order to achieve a better
strategic position. When organizations seek to recruit individuals with high capabilities and
competencies, they need to employ leaders with a democratic style. Democratic leadership is
collaborative leadership that shares responsibilities and decision-making between the leader and team
members. A leader who knows how to develop a sense of participation among team members, a leader
who knows when to allow his team members to actively participate in decision making without
disturbing the hierarchy and distribution of power in the organization. He must also know how to
manage conflicts between talented team members and how to combine their mindsets and efforts in a
way that serves the goals of the organization.

Sometimes the organizations have to complete the work within a tight schedules, or the organization
have employees who have limited technical capabilities or not interested in working and doing their
tasks or people who do not have the ability to set deadlines for completion their tasks. Organizations in
these circumstances need a leader with a strong authoritarian personality to survive in business, a strong
leader who can be decisive in distributing tasks and setting deadlines for their completion. An
autocratic leader may sometimes be willing to listen to his subordinates, but he is the one who makes
the final decisions according to his judgment. In circumstances where most subordinates are creative,
motivated, and able to work independently, organizations must follow a laissez-faire style of leadership
to provide space and freedom for creative thinking. In this type of leadership, the leader's most important
role is to provide the necessary resources and conditions that allow his subordinates to complete the
work and not interfere deeply in decision-making. This leadership style can be effective sometimes, but
it may lead to the difficulty of forcing subordinates to respect the hierarchy of authority in the
organization and the difficulty of motivating subordinates when needed.

You work in a large organization that owns a large number of departments, sections and employees and
deals with a huge number of customers/ clients. There are a huge number of procedures to be followed,
reports to be submitted, and forms that must be adhered to, as in some governmental organizations such
as municipalities and ministries. The best way to complete the tasks is to follow the specified hierarchy
of the organization, strict application of the stated procedures and adherence to forms and reports
without the need for any additions or personal unrequested efforts, to ensure the achievement of the
desired outputs. In such organizations, a Bureaucratic leadership style is needed as it is considered to
be the most procedure-based leadership style. Bureaucratic leadership refers to organizational leadership
through a highly formal set of processes, procedures, and structures. Here, rules, policies and hierarchies
form a clear set of expectations as well as a clear chain of command. Bureaucratic leaders lead by
following prescribed rules, enforcing existing structures and using approved models.

Situational leadership style is based on the idea that there is no single way to lead a person or group.
On the contrary, depending on factors such as the characteristics of the followers or the nature of the
task to be performed, each situation will require a different way of leading. Situational leadership can be
very useful in most contexts if applied correctly. Instead of offering one way to lead a group of people,
this theory offers several alternatives. This allows managers to better adapt to the tasks being performed
and the characteristics of their subordinates. On the other hand, when a leader is able to truly understand
his subordinates and effectively direct them, they tend to develop their abilities and to carry out their
missions with higher motives. In fact, when situational leadership is used properly, at some point; the
leader will be able to delegate a significant part of his tasks to his subordinates. However, as with most
of leadership models, situational leadership style has a few disadvantages that makes it not suitable for
all situations. The main disadvantage of this model is that in case of an inexperienced leader, it could be
very difficult to understand the physiology and mentality of his subordinates. Therefore, until the leader
gains some experience in working with teams, it can be more beneficial to have a unique style to follow
in relationship. Moreover, when adapting the situational style, the leader will necessarily have to act
differently with each of his subordinates. This means that some employees will be given higher levels of
freedom, while others will be directed in almost all of their tasks. This can cause frustration among
subordinates, who may sometimes feel that they are being treated unfairly. This defect is not present in
other leadership models, which suggest treating all subordinates equally.

A manager who’s focusing on imposing order in the workplace and focusing on achieving results only,
uses the method of reward and punishment frequently, brings closer employees who perform well while
does not care about those poor performers, he assumes that employees have motivation to work and
therefore he doesn’t dedicate any efforts on motivating his subordinates, What matters him the most is
numbers and percentages of achievements. He always tends to issue orders and instructions without
accepting discussions, and the only way to deal with him and avoid his punishment is to complete tasks
as quickly as possible and obey orders. You feel that this style is more suitable for military leadership
than dealing with people in a companies or organizations. This type of leader is called a Transactional
leader. The most important characteristic of this style of leadership is the focus on short-term goals by
strictly following policies and procedures, no room for other’s opinion. One of the most important
advantages of this leadership style is to reward high performers, give very clear instructions without
ambiguity, and the ability to accomplish goals quickly. The methods of reward and punishment are clear
and known to all. Objectives are specific and must be implemented through traditional processes only.
Personal initiatives are not rewarded or valued. Understanding the characteristics and style of such
leaders helps subordinates to adapt faster to the work environment, thus avoiding frustration, and of
course it is always better to mix different types of leadership according to the work environment.

Finally, we have the so called type of leadership (the magic of character) leadership; Charismatic style.
This is because the leader here adapts a flexible behavior, and depends on personal contacts with his
subordinates; for the purpose of motivating them, and to convey his vision by delivering the information
and ideas that interests his subordinates. The charismatic leader prefers to work in crisis situations,
relying on the values that motivate his subordinates intellectually and mentally, expressing his high
confidence in himself and his subordinates, and using his charming personality to leader others, not
stemming from the authority granted by the official job position of the leader. Charismatic leadership
has characteristics that are possessed by real leaders and accepted by their subordinates. It represents the
leader’s ability to motivate subordinates and build bridges of trust with them and has the ability to push
the subordinates towards the expected performance. The need for this type of leadership arises when
organizations need to gain the confidence of employees, motivate them to be productive, and increase
their interest and dedication in achieving the goals of the organization. This leader brings passion and
commitment as well as the ability to appeal to the personal interests and emotional instincts of
employees, who are wary of their company’s integrity. This leader will be critical to bringing the firm
back from the dead.
 References
A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. (2015).
(Scientific & Academic Publishing) Retrieved from Scientific & Academic Publishing:
http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.mm.20150501.02.html

Chapter 10: Motivating Employees: Theory X, Theory Y, and Theory Z. (n.d.). (Lumen) Retrieved from Lumen:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introbusiness/chapter/reading-douglas-mcgregors-theory-
x-and-theory-y-2/

Cherry, K. (2020, August). Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com: https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Managerial Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from opentextbc:

https://opentextbc.ca/businessopenstax/chapter/managerial-skills/

McGregor, D. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ouchi, W. (1981). Theory Z: How American Management Can Meet the Japanese Challenge. New York.

Pierotti, P. D. (2021). Strategic Leadership lecture . Sharjah: success point college.

Yukl, G. A. (n.d.). Leadership in Organizations. New York: Pearson Education Ltd., London.