Practicing Leadership

Prepared by
Dr. Sahar Yassin. PhD Public Health, Prof.
Management Information System consultant
Cairo university
Objectives

l To unlock or
develop the
LEADER within
you
The content

I-What is Leadership?
1-Definition
2-Leadership Vs. Management
3- Theories of leadership
4-Components of leadership
5-Leadership Myths vs. Realities
6-The value of leadership
II-Characteristics of Leaders
I-What is Leadership?
What is Leadership?

Leadership is the art or process of

influencing people so that they will strive
willingly towards the achievement of a
group goal.
1-Definition of Leadership?

l“It is the
ability to get
followers”
(In the past)
It is the ability to get
leaders

(At present)
Why Followers Follow?

1-Force Power:
Followers follow
out of Fear.
Here the
commitment of the
followers is
superficial.
Why Followers Follow?

2-Utility
Power: ‫ﻗوة‬
‫اﻟﻣﻧﻔﻌﮫ‬
Followers follow
because of the
benefits that come
to them if they do
Why Followers Follow?

3- Power of
Personality:
It is the
INFLUENCE
that some
people have.
Types of Power
Your
Leadership
choice

Fear power Utility Power Influence

FEAR Fairness Honor

Temporary Functional Sustained

Reactive Reactive Proactive
Control Control Control
Word of Wisdom
“Leadership is the art of getting others
do what you want because they want
to do it”
Dr. Eisenhower
1890-1969, Thirty-fourth President
of USA
2-Management vs. Leadership

ope l
Leaders vs. Managers
l LEADERS: l MANAGERS:
l innovate l administrate
l focus on people l focus on syst. & struct.
l inspire trust l rely on control
l have a long-range view l have a short-range view
l ask what and why l ask how and when
l have eyes on horizon l have eyes on bottom line
l originate l initiate
l challenge status l accept status
l do the right thing l do things right
Leaders vs. Managers
l Ideally leader-managers are the best

l However, not every one can be good at both

managing and leading
 Management and Leadership
l Management
l Leadership
1. Planning and budgeting:
1. Establishing direction:
allocating resources
developing vision
2. Organizing and staffing:
2. Aligning people :
providing policies,
communicating direction
procedures
3. Motivating & inspiring:
3. Controlling & problem
energizing people to
solving: monitoring,
overcome barriers
correcting
4. Produces dramatic change:
4. Produces predictability and
help realize vision
order: achieve results
 3-Leadership Theories

3.1-Traits theories
3.2-Style theories:
a)Decision making style
b)Motivation style
C)People-task orientation style
3.3-Situational theories:
a)Contingency
b)Path-goal theory
c)Life-cycle theory
17
 3.1-Leadership Traits
l A leader is strongly motivated to excel and
succeed
l Traits commonly associated with effective
leadership:
l Adaptable
l Alert to social environment
l Ambitious & achievement oriented
l Assertive
l Cooperative
l Decisive
l Physical: age, height, weight

18
 3.1-Leadership Traits
l Dependable
l Dominant
l Energetic
l Persistent
l Self confident
l Tolerant of stress
l Willing to assume responsibility
l Willing to suffer the consequences of
unpopular decisions

19
 Leadership Skills

l Skills are competencies and capabilities

that a leader posses
l Leadership skills include:
l Intelligence
l Conceptual abilities
l Creativity
l Diplomacy
l Fluency in speaking
l Knowledge about task

20
 Leadership Skills

l Administrative ability
l Persuasiveness

l Social ability

l Emotional balance

l Judgment

l Problem solving

21
 3-Leadership Theories

3.1-Traits theories
3.2-Style theories:
a)Decision making style
b)Motivation style
c)People-task orientation style
3.3-Situational theories:
a)Contingency
b)Path-goal theory
c)Life-cycle theory
22
Types of Leadership Style
 Subordinate-centered
Boss-centered
leadership leadership

Use of authority
by the manager Area of freedom
for subordinates

Manager Manager Manager Manager Manager

Manager
makes Manager defines permits
presents presents presents
decision “sells” limits, subordinates
ideas and tentative problem
and decisions asks group to function
invites decision gets
announces questions suggestions, to make within limits
Subject to
it makes decision defined by
change
decision superior.

Continuum of Prof.
Leadership
Laila M. Kamel Behavior (HARVARD Business 25
Review )
3.2-Decision Styles

Autocratic Style

One person (or small group) makes

the decision alone.
Types of Leadership Style

l Autocratic:
l Leader makes decisions without
reference to anyone else
l High degree of dependency on the
leader
l May be valuable in some types of
business where decisions need to be
made quickly and decisively
 Autocratic Decision Style
l When to use?

- Quick decisions
- In times of crisis
- When only the decider knows enough to take the decision
- Lack of skills, knowledge and experience of subordinates
- Operational and routine decisions
- When there is a great conflict and too many differences in
opinion
- When other decision styles fail
Autocratic Decision Style

l Advantages:

- Speed
- Consistency i.e. things do not change all
the time and different decisions fit with
each other.
 Autocratic Decision Style

l Disadvantages:
- Quality of the decision depends only on quality of the
decider.
- People may not agree to the decision because they
didn’t contribute.
- Can lead to corruption and abuse of power.
- Is not a suitable style if the decision concerns
important changes or has important effects on other
people.
Consultative style

One person (or a small group) makes

the decision alone after listening to
the opinions of others
Consultative Decision Style

l When to use?
-When the subordinates have skills or
knowledge or experience

-When the decision is complicated, will

make important changes or will affect a
lot of people
Consultative Decision Style

l Advantages:

- The decider uses the knowledge, skills

and experience of other people
- There is more chance that people will
agree on the decision
Consultative Decision Style

l Disadvantages:
- Takes longer time
- There is no certainty that deciders will
pay enough attention to advice and
information from subordinates
- It is often used as a ‘trick’: the manager
only pretends to listen to keep people
happy
Democratic Style

The decision is decided by vote

 Democratic Decision Style

l When to use?
- When the organizational culture demands this
style
- When the decision directly affects a lot of
people
- When a lot of people have high skills,
knowledge and experience
- When people have equal power
Types of Leadership Style

l Advantages:
l May help motivation and involvement
l Workers feel ownership of the firm and
its ideas
l Improves the sharing of ideas
and experiences within the business
 Democratic Decision Style

l Advantages (cont..):
- Quality of decision can be high because people with
many opinions contribute
- Skills, knowledge and experience of different kinds of
people are used to help make decisions
- Although the minority may disagree with the decision,
there is a good chance they will accept it
 Democratic Decision Style

l Disadvantages:
- It is not certain that the majority opinion is
better than the minority
- People in the minority may be unhappy
- It can cause people to split into two groups,
and this may lead to more conflict.
- Can delay decision making
Consensus

Consensus is selecting the action

that all team members can support,
and no member will oppose.
 Consensus

l When to use?
- When it is very important that everyone both
accepts and agrees with a decision
- When the decision directly affects many people
- For strategic decisions which have very long
term effect
- When people have equal power
- When cooperation is very important
- In small groups
 Consensus

l Advantages:
- The decision will almost certainly will be
agreed, accepted and implemented
- There is more chance that people will have
a positive attitude and remain loyal to an
organization which uses this style
- The quality of the decision is not limited by
the quality of one or two deciders
 Consensus

l Disadvantages:
- Take a very long time
- It may be very difficult or impossible to
reach consensus
- People who do not agree feel they cannot
say so
- If there is too much consensus there is
often not enough debate, group-think
Types of Leadership Style
l Laissez-Faire:
l ‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities
are shared by all
l Can be very useful in businesses
where creative ideas are important
l Can be highly motivational,
as people have control over their working life
l Can make coordination and decision making
time-consuming and lacking in overall direction
l Relies on good team work &interpersonal relations
Types of Leadership Style

l Paternalistic:
❙ Leader acts as a ‘father figure’
❙ Paternalistic leader makes decision but
may consult
❙ Believes in the need to support staff
 Leadership Theories
3.1-Traits theories
3.2-Style theories:
a)Decision making style
b)Motivation style
c)People-task orientation style
3.3-Situational theories:
a)Contingency
b)Path-goal theory
c)Life-cycle theory
Said A Rateb,MD,FRCS
46 2010Egyptian fellowship in
Healthcare Management
 Leadership Styles

b)Motivation Style
Advancement
Responsibility
Recognition
Positive leadership Financial rewards
Praise Positive
leads to higher job
Status Motivation
satisfaction

Negative leadership Threats Negative

creates an environment Reprimands Motivation
of fear Financial penalties
Suspension
Termination

47
 c)People-task
orientation style

48
 Leadership Styles

c)Orientation style:
l Task focus:
l Emphasizes technology, methods, guidelines, deadlines
etc
l Usually autocratic
l Works well on short term
l Employee focus:
l Emphasizes workers’ needs
l Builds teams, positive relationships , mutual trust
l Increase job satisfaction & decrease absentism

49
The Managerial Grid

l Appraises leadership styles using two

dimensions:
l Concern for people
l Concern for production
l Places managerial styles in five categories:
l Impoverished management
l Task management
l Middle-of-the-road management
l Country club management
l Team management
The Managerial
Grid

Source: Harvard Business Review.

Robert R. Blake et al.
 Leadership Theories

3.1-Traits theories
3.2-Style theories:
l Decision making style
l Motivation style
l People-task orientation style

3.3-Situational theories:
a)Contingency
b)Path-goal theory
c)Life-cycle theory
52
 Situational Leadership

a)Contingency model
l The most appropriate style of leadership
depends on the situation
l Elements of the situation include:
l Leader-member relation; degree to which leader
is accepted by group
l Task structure: structured or unstructured

l Leader position of power: legitimate ‫ﺷرﻋﻲ‬, expert

and referent power. Ability to exercise influence
inside the organization
53
 Situational Leadership

b)Path –Goal Theory:

l Leaders can influence subordinate
motivation by:
l Teaching employees competencies they
need to perform and gain rewards
l Tailoring rewards to meet employees’ needs

l Acting to support subordinates’ efforts

l Based on the expectancy theory of

54 motivation
 Situational Leadership

c)Life –Cycle Theory:

l Relates leadership behavior to
employees’ maturity levels
l Immature employees require
leadership with high task- low
relationship focus
l As employees mature in their
organization, the style shifts to high
55
task- high relationship
 Transactional and Transformational
Leadership

l Transactional leadership relates more to the

traditional function of management. They do
not place much emphasis on inspiration,
personality and vision ( action centerd
leadership)
l Transformational leadership: leaders transform
the way their staff see themselves and the
organization i.e. encourage, motivate and
develop staff

56
 Leadership Styles

l Exercise: take 10 minutes to reflect on

your own leadership style. Do you think
you need to change?

57