Leadership

Learning Outcomes

 What is the difference between a manager and a leader?

 Leadership theories
 Can a person be an informal leader?
 What are some of the contemporary issues in leadership?
 Management VS. Leadership

 Leadership and management are two terms that are often confused. What is the difference between them?
Leadership Theories

 (1) trait theories, which propose leaders have a particular set of traits that makes them
different from non-leaders;
 (2) behavioral theories, which propose that particular behaviors make for better leaders;
and
 (3) contingency theories, which propose the situation has an effect on leaders.
 Trait Theory: Are Leaders Different from
Others?
 Trait theories of leadership Theories that propose traits—personality, social, physical, or intellectual—differentiate
leaders from non-leaders
 Nelson Mandela, Richard Branson of the Virgin Group, and Steve Jobs of Apple are considered as leaders, they
described as charismatic, enthusiastic, decisive, and courageous
Behavioral theories of leadership

 Theories that propose that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from non-leaders
 The Leadership Grid:
The grid, has 9 possible positions along each axis, creating 81 different positions in which the leader’s style may fall, but the
emphasis has been placed on 5:
impoverished management (1,1);
authority-obedience management (9,1);
middle-of-the-road management (5,5);
country club management (1,9);
and team management (9,9).
The grid shows the dominating factors in a leader’s thinking with respect to how to get results from people, without focusing on
what the specific results are
 Behavioral Theories: Do Leaders Behave in
Particular Ways?

 People-oriented behavior by leaders is related to employee satisfaction and motivation, and leader
effectiveness;

 Production-oriented behavior by leaders is slightly more strongly related to the performance by the
leader, the group, and the organization.
 Behavioral Theories: Do Leaders Behave in
Particular Ways?

 when leaders should be production oriented and when they should be people-
oriented:
When subordinates experience a lot of pressure because of deadlines or unclear tasks, leaders who are people-
oriented will increase employee satisfaction and performance.
When the task is interesting or satisfying, there is less need for leaders to be people-oriented.
When it’s clear how to perform the task and what the goals are, leaders who are people-oriented will increase
employee satisfaction, while those who are task-oriented will increase dissatisfaction
When people don’t know what to do or individuals don’t have the knowledge or skills to do the job, it’s more
important for leaders to be production oriented than people-oriented
 Contingency Theories: Does the Situation
Matter?
 Situational, or contingency, theories of leadership try to isolate critical situational factors that affect leadership
effectiveness.

 The theories consider :

the degree of structure in the task being performed,
the quality of leader-member relations,
the leader’s position power,
group norms,
information availability,
employee acceptance of the leader’s decisions,
employee maturity,
and the clarity of the employee’s role
 Situational, or contingency, theories: Theories that propose that leadership effectiveness depends on the situation.
 Contingency Theories: Fiedler
contingency model

 A theory that proposes that effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader’s
style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader

 Fiedler identified three contingency dimensions that together define the situation a leader faces:
• Leader-member relations. The degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader.
• Task structure. The degree to which the job assignments are procedures (that is, structured or unstructured).
• Position power. The degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline,
promotions, and salary increases
 Contingency Theories: path-goal theory

 A theory that says it’s the leader’s job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide the
necessary direction and/or support to ensure that their individual goals are compatible with the
overall goals
 According to this theory, leaders should follow three guidelines to be effective:
1- Determine the outcomes subordinates want. These might include good pay, job security, interesting
work, and the autonomy to do one’s job.
2- Reward individuals with their desired outcomes when they perform well.
3- Let individuals know what they need to do to receive rewards (that is, the path to the goal), remove
any barriers that would prevent high performance, and express confidence that individuals have the
ability to perform well.
 Contingency Theories: path-goal theory

 Path-goal theory identifies four leadership behaviors that might be used in different situations to motivate
individuals:
• The directive leader lets followers know what is expected of them, schedules work to be done, and give specific guidance
as to how to accomplish tasks. This behavior is best used when individuals have difficulty doing tasks or the tasks are
ambiguous. It would not be very helpful when used with individuals who are already highly motivated, have the skills and
abilities to do the task, and understand the requirements of the task.
• The supportive leader is friendly and shows concern for the needs of followers. This behavior is often recommended
when individuals are under stress or otherwise show that they need to be supported.
• The participative leader consults with followers and uses their suggestions before making a decision. This behavior is
most appropriate when individuals need to buy into decisions.
• The achievement-oriented leader sets challenging goals and expects followers to perform at their highest level. This
behavior works well with individuals who like challenges and are highly motivated. It would be less effective with less
capable individuals or those who are highly stressed from overwork.
 Followers
What qualities do effective followers have?

 They manage themselves well. They are able to think for themselves. They can work independently and without close
supervision.
 They are committed to a purpose outside themselves. Most people like working with colleagues who are emotionally,
as well as physically, committed to their work.
 They build their competence and focus their efforts for maximum impact. Effective followers master skills that will be
useful to their organizations, and they hold higher performance standards than their jobs or workgroups require.
 They are honest and credible. Effective followers establish themselves as independent, critical thinkers whose
knowledge and judgment can be trusted.
 They hold high ethical standards. These points suggest that there is a relationship between leadership and followership
and that taking responsibility for one’s own behavior is beneficial for both one’s self and the organization
Break
From Transactional to Transformational
Leadership

Transactional leaders
Leaders who guide or motivate their followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and
task requirements

Transformational leaders
Leaders who inspire followers to go beyond their own self-interests for the good of the organization have a
profound and extraordinary effect on their followers
 Leadership without Authority

 Leading without authority simply means exhibiting leadership behavior even though you do not have a formal position or title
that might encourage others “to obey.”
 Neither Martin Luther King Jr. nor Gandhi operated from a position of authority, yet each was able to inspire many to follow
him in the quest for social justice.
 The workplace can be an opportunity for leading without authority as well.
 Leadership means taking responsibility for hard problems beyond anyone’s expectations.
 It also means not waiting for the coach’s call.
 What are the benefits of leading without authority?
• Issue focus. Leading without authority means that one can focus on a single issue, rather than be concerned with the great number
of issues that those in authority face.
• Front-line information. Leading without authority means that one is closer to the detailed experiences of some of the stakeholders,
such as co-workers. Thus more information is available to this kind of leader
 What Are the Challenges of Online
Leadership?

 How do you lead people who are physically separated from you and for whom interactions are basically reduced to
written digital communications?
 we cannot ignore the reality that today’s managers and employees are increasingly linked by networks rather than
by geographical proximity.
 If leadership is important for inspiring and motivating dispersed employees, we need to offer some guidance on
how leadership might function in this context.
 In face-to-face communications, harsh words can be softened by nonverbal action. A smile and comforting gestures,
for instance, can lessen the blow behind strong words like disappointed, unsatisfactory, inadequate, or below
expectations. That nonverbal component does not exist with online interactions.
What Are the Challenges of Online
Leadership?

 The structure of words in a digital communication has the power to motivate or demotivate the
receiver. Leaders need to be sure the tone of their email correctly reflects the emotions they want
to send. Is the message formal or informal? Does it match the verbal style of the sender? Does it
convey the appropriate level of importance or urgency? The fact that many people’s writing styles
are very different from their interpersonal styles is certainly a potential problem
 Bad Leadership

Unreasonable expectations Poor Communication Lack of recognition Micro-Management

 Toxic Leaders

Credit Stealing Public Shaming Angry Tirades Personal Insults

Toxic Leadership consequences

 A number of negative consequences for organizations with toxic leaders;

 unwanted turnover,
 reduced employee satisfaction and commitment
 increased employee psychological distress, i.e. reduced self-esteem, anxiety, depression,
burnout, disengagement, emotional harm, and physical health problems
 get rid of toxic leaders

 (Holderied, 2006) determined that there are three steps to get rid of toxic leaders, environment, and
organizations as follows:
• The first step: is to be careful and take care of small details and large ones also

• The second step: is trying hard to eliminate the lack of communication, the lack of communication between
supervisors, subordinates, and all units inside the workplace, trying to eliminate passive behaviors as
employees follow their boss in everything for example if the manager comes late one day the employees
come late the next day.

• The third and last step: is correcting any mistakes made in the management before correcting different toxic
situations.