INFLUENCE TACTICS OF LEADERS

Power and Influence
Influence is the ability to affect the behavior of others in a particular direction

Power is the potential or capacity to influence
A leader must acquire power to influence others

A Model of Power and Influence

 
 
Essentially Ethical and Honest Influence Tactics

Essentially Dishonest and Unethical Influence Tactics

Machiavellians
People in the workplace who ruthlessly manipulate others. They tend to initiate actions with others and control the interactions. They regularly practice deception, bluffing, and other manipulative tactics.


Influence Tactic Effectiveness
Most-effective tactics:

Rational persuasion
Inspirational appeal
Consultation
Least-effective tactics:
Pressure
Coalition
Legitimating

Sequencing of Influence Tactics
Begin with the most positive, or least abrasive tactic

If necessary, proceed to a stronger tactic
Use a more abrasive tactic such as upward appeal only as a last resort
Begin with low-cost, low-risk tactics

If necessary, proceed to higher-cost, higher- risk tactics

Influence Tactic Direction
The more position power an individual exerts over another, the less the need for caution in the use of influence tactics

Inspirational appeal, ingratiation, and pressure used primarily in a downward direction

Influence Tactic Direction
Personal appeal, exchange, and legitimating used primarily in a lateral direction

Coalitions used most in lateral and upward directions
Rational persuasion used most in an upward direction

Implicit Leadership Theories
are personal assumptions about the traits and abilities that characterize an ideal organizational leader. These assumptions, both stated and unstated, develop through socialization and past experience with leaders. The assumptions are stored in memory and activated when group members interact with a person in a leadership position.


Implicit Leadership Theories (cont’d)
Prototypes are positive characterizations of a leader.

Antiprototypes are traits and behaviors people do not want to see in a leader.

Implicit Leadership Theory Dimensions

POWER, POLITICS, AND LEADERSHIP

SOURCES OF POWER
Power may :

• be granted by the organization 
• stem from characteristics of an individual 
• stem from ownership 
• stem from control of resources 
• be derived from capitalizing on opportunity 
• stem from managing critical problems 
• stem from being close to power

Types:
-Position power
-Personal power
-Power stemming from ownership
-Power stemming from providing resources
-Power derived from capitalizing on opportunities
-Power stemming from managing critical problems
-Power stemming from being close to power

Four Bases of Position Power
Legitimate power is the lawful right to make a decision and expect compliance

Reward power stems from having the authority to give employees rewards for compliance
Coercive power is the power to punish for noncompliance
Information power stems from formal control over the information people need

Sources of Personal Power
Expert power is the ability to influence others through specialized knowledge, skills, or abilities

Referent power is the ability to influence others through desirable traits and characteristics
Prestige power is power stemming from one’s status and reputation

Ownership Power
A leader’s strength of ownership power depends on

how closely the leader is linked to shareholders and board members
how much money he or she has invested in the firm

Resource Dependence Perspective
An organization requires a continuing flow of human resources, money, customers and clients, technological inputs, and materials to continue to function

Organizational subunits or individuals who can provide these key resources accrue power

Power from Capitalizing on Opportunity
Power can be derived from being in the right place at the right time and taking the appropriate action

Strategic Contingency Theory
Topic is best way to cope with the firm’s critical problems and uncertainties acquire relatively large amounts of power

A subunit can acquire power by virtue of its centrality
Centrality is the extent to which a unit’s activities are linked into the system of organizational activities

Power from Being Close to Power
The closer a person is to power, the greater power he or she exerts

The higher a unit reports in a firm’s hierarchy, the more power it possesses

Empowerment
refers to passing decision-making authority and responsibility from managers to group members. Almost any form of participative management, shared decision making, and delegation can be regarded as empowerment.

Effective Empowering Practices

Factors Contributing to Political Behavior
Pyramid-shaped organization structure
Subjective standards of performance
Environmental uncertainty and turbulence
Emotional insecurity
Machiavellian tendencies
Disagreement over major issues

Power-Gaining Strategies
Develop power contacts
Control vital information
Keep informed
Control lines of communication
Bring in outside experts
Make a quick showing
Remember that everyone expects to be paid back

Relationship-Building Strategies
Display loyalty
Manage your impression
Ask satisfied customers to contact your boss
Be courteous, pleasant, and positive
Ask advice
Send thank-you notes to large numbers of people
Flatter others sensibly

Potential Political Blunders
Criticizing the boss in a public forum
Bypassing the boss
Declining an offer from top management
Putting your foot in your mouth

Unethical Political Tactics
Back stabbing
Embrace or demolish
Setting a person up for failure
Divide and rule
Playing territorial games

Controlling Politics
Be aware of its causes and techniques
Avoid favoritism
Set good examples at the top of the organization
Encourage goal congruence
Threaten to discuss questionable information in a public forum
Hire people with integrity

TRAITS, MOTIVATES, AND CHARACTERISTIC OF LEADERS

Universal Theory of Leadership
The belief that certain personal characteristics and skills contribute to leadership effectiveness in many situations
Three categories:

-Personality traits
-Motives
-Cognitive factors

Leader Personality Traits
General Personality Traits

Traits observable both within and outside the context of work
Task-Related Personality Traits
Traits closely associated with task accomplishment

General Personality Traits of Effective Leaders

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Task-Related Personality Traits of Leaders

Emotional Intelligence

… refers to the ability to do such things as understand one’s feelings, have empathy for others, and regulate one’s emotions to enhance one’s quality of life.

Leadership Motives

Leaders generally have a strong desire to influence and control others

This desire is evident in four needs or motives

Cognitive Factors

Leaders must have problem-solving and intellectual skills to effectively gather, process, and store essential information

Five cognitive factors related to leadership effectiveness have been identified

Nature versus Nurture

Are leaders born or are they made? Both.

Individuals inherit a basic capacity to develop personality traits and mental ability that sets an outer limit on how extensively these traits can be developed
Environmental influences, in turn, determine how much of an individual’s potential will be developed

The WICS Model of Leadership in Organizations
This model of leadership encompasses and synthesizes

   -wisdom
     -intelligence, and
      -creativity
to explain leadership effectiveness

The WICS Model (cont’d)
According to the WICS model, a leader needs the following for the successful utilization of intelligence:


Creative skills to generate new ideas
Analytical skills to evaluate whether the ideas are good ones
Practical skills to implement the ideas and to persuade others of their value.

Trait Approach
Strengths :

-Serves as a guide to leader selection
-Can guide individuals in preparing for leadership

Limitations

-Does not identify which characteristics are absolutely needed
-Does not specify how much of a trait or characteristic is needed
-Can breed an elitist conception of leadership

Biographical Characteristics
-Age

-Gender
-Marital Status
-Birth Order
-Number of Dependents
-Personality Determinants
-Heredity
-Environment
-Situation

What is Personality?
The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others, described in terms of measurable personality traits that a person exhibits.



Job fit -- job satisfaction!

CHARISMATIC AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Charisma Defined:
Charisma has been defined various ways
Charisma is a Greek word meaning “divinely inspired gift”
In leadership, charisma is a special quality of leaders whose purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others

Charisma: A Relationship
Key to charismatic leadership is the interaction between leader and group members
Charismatic qualities must be attributed to the leader by group members
Charismatic leaders use impression management to cultivate their relationships with group members

The Effects of Charisma
Group members;
-trust the leader’s beliefs
-have beliefs similar to those of the leader
-accept the leader unquestioningly
-have affection for the leader
-willingly obey the leader
-identify with and attempt to emulate the leader

Types of Charismatic Leaders
Socialized charismatics restrain the use of power to benefit others
Personalized charismatics exercise few restraints on power to serve their own interests
Office-holder charismatics attain their charisma from the position they hold
Personal charismatics gain esteem from others’ faith in them as people
Divine charismatics are endowed with a gift of divine grace

Vision in Charismatic Leadership
-Vision is the ability to imagine different and better conditions and ways to achieve them
-A vision is a lofty, long-term goal
-Charismatic leaders inspire others with their vision

Charismatic Leaders
-Articulate ideological goals

-Impression management
-High need for power, high self confidence
-Set example model behaviors
-High expectations of follower performance
-Behave in ways that arouse motives relevant to the groups mission

Followers feelings towards Charismatic Leaders
-High Trust

-Obedience
-Emotional involvement
-Satisfaction
-Self-esteem
-Motivation
-Belief in likeliness of success

Vision and Leadership
Leadership skills include:

Having a vision of the future.
Effectively expressing your ideas to various audiences using a variety of methods.
Garnering support and commanding resources to support your ideas.
Developing and shepherding your ideas into successful policies, programs, and services.

Vision: something seen otherwise than by ordinary sight (as in a dream); a vivid picture created by the imagination; unusual wisdom in foreseeing what is going to happen; something seen, especially a lovely sight.

Effective Expression of Ideas:
-A vision cannot begin to be realized if you cannot express your vision to others.

-The audiences may be as diverse as your professional colleagues, elected officials, corporate and community leaders, your target population, or the public at large.
-You must be able to express yourself to each and all of these diverse audiences and gain their acceptance and support of your ideas.

The Magic of Vision
-Vision sees what must be tomorrow, beyond what is today
-Customers help you see the vision
-Vision inspires
-Vision is clarity
-Vision is a worthy commitment
-Vision generates supportive actions

Developing and Shepherding Ideas
-The vision will not be realized if there is not a plan behind it.
-You must be able to translate the vision into logical, manageable steps that can be understood and approached methodically.
-You must be able to maintain the energy to nurture this plan along, step by step as tedious as it may be.

How You Know You Need a Vision
-Is there evidence of confusion about purpose?
-Do employees complain about insufficient challenge?
-Do employees say they are not having fun any more?
-Is the organization losing market share or reputation for innovation?
-Are there signs of declines of pride in your organization?
-Is there excessive risk avoidance?
-Is there an absence of sharing?
-Is there a strong rumor mill?
 
Communication
-Management by Inspiration
-Using metaphors and analogies to appeal to the intellect, imagination, and values of group members
-Gearing language to different audiences
-Management by Anecdote
-Inspiring and instructing team members by telling fascinating stories

Developing Charisma
-Create visions for others
-Be enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic
-Be sensibly persistent
-Remember names of people
-Make an impressive appearance
-Be candid
-Display an in-your-face attitude

Transformational Leadership
-The transformational leader helps bring about major, positive changes
-Transformational leaders move group members beyond their self-interests for the good of the group, organization, or society

How Transformations Take Place :

Attributes of Transformational Leaders :

-Charismatic

-Create a vision
-Encourage the personal development of their staff
-Provide supportive leadership
-Practice empowerment
-Innovative thinking
-Lead by example

Concerns About Charismatic Leadership
-According to the concept of leadership polarity, leaders are often either revered or vastly unpopular
-Charisma may not be necessary for leadership effectiveness
-Charismatic leadership has a dark side
-Some charismatic and transformational leaders neglect their social responsibility