Leadership

A Leadership Story:

A group of workers and their leaders are set a task of clearing a road through a dense jungle on a remote island to get to the coast where an estuary provides a perfect site for a port.

The leaders organise the labour into efficient units and monitor the distribution and use of capital assets – progress is excellent. The leaders continue to monitor and evaluate progress, making adjustments along the way to ensure the progress is maintained and efficiency increased wherever possible.

Then, one day amidst all the hustle and bustle and activity, one person climbs up a nearby tree. The person surveys the scene from the top of the tree.

And shouts down to the assembled group below…


“Wrong Way!”
(Story adapted from Stephen Covey (2004) “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Simon & Schuster).

“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things”
(Warren Bennis and Peter Drucker)

Types of Leadership Style :

Autocratic:

Leader makes decisions without reference to anyone else

High degree of dependency on the leader

Can create de-motivation and alienation of staff

May be valuable in some types of business where decisions need to be made quickly and decisively


Democratic:
Encourages decision making from different perspectives – leadership may be emphasised throughout the organisation

Consultative: process of consultation before decisions are taken

Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeks to persuade others that the decision is correct

May help motivation and involvement
Workers feel ownership of the firm and its ideas

Improves the sharing of ideas and experiences within the business

Can delay decision making

Laissez-Faire:
‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities are shared by all

Can be very useful in businesses where creative ideas are important

Can be highly motivational, as people have control over their working life

Can make coordination and decision making time-consuming and lacking in overall direction

Relies on good team work

Relies on good interpersonal relations
 

Paternalistic:
Leader acts as a ‘father figure’

Paternalistic leader makes decision but may consult

Believes in the need to support staff


Change Leadership :

The most challenging aspect of business is leading and managing change

The business environment is subject to fast-paced economic and social change

Modern business must adapt and be flexible to survive

Problems in leading change stem mainly from human resource management

Leaders need to be aware of how change impacts on workers:


Series of self-esteem states identified by Adams et al and cited by Garrett

Adams, J. Hayes, J. and Hopson, B.(eds) (1976) Transition: understanding and managing change personal change London, Martin Robertson

Garrett, V. (1997) Managing Change in School leadership for the 21st century Brett Davies and Linda Ellison, London, Routledge

Trait theories:

Is there a set of characteristics that determine a good leader?

Personality?

Dominance and personal presence?

Charisma?

Self confidence?

Achievement?

Ability to formulate a clear vision?

Trait theories:
Are such characteristics inherently gender biased?

Do such characteristics produce good leaders?

Is leadership more than just bringing about change?

Does this imply that leaders are born not bred?


Behavioural:
Imply that leaders can be trained – focus on the way of doing things

Structure based behavioural theories – focus on the leader instituting structures – task orientated

Relationship based behavioural theories – focus on the development and maintenance of relationships – process orientated


Contingency Theories:
Leadership as being more flexible – different leadership styles used at different times depending on the circumstance.

Suggests leadership is not a fixed series of characteristics that can be transposed into different contexts

May depend on:

Type of staff

History of the business

Culture of the business

Quality of the relationships

Nature of the changes needed

Accepted norms within the institution


Transformational:
Widespread changes to a business or organisation

Requires:
Long term strategic planning

Clear objectives

Clear vision

Leading by example – walk the walk

Efficiency of systems and processes


Invitational Leadership:
Improving the atmosphere and message sent out by the organisation

Focus on reducing negative messages sent out through the everyday actions of the business both externally and, crucially, internally

Review internal processes to reduce these

Build relationships and sense of belonging and identity with the organisation – that gets communicated to customers, etc.


Transactional Theories:
Focus on the management of the organisation

Focus on procedures and efficiency

Focus on working to rules and contracts

Managing current issues and problems

Leadership style may be dependent on various factors:

Risk - decision making and change initiatives based on degree of risk involved

Type of business – creative business or supply driven?

How important change is – change for change’s sake?

Organisational culture – may be long embedded and difficult to change

Nature of the task – needing cooperation? Direction? Structure?

WILL GO ON......