17. Effective Leader Flashcards
Leader
Someone who can influence others and who has managerial authority
Leadership
What leaders do; the process of influencing a group to achieve goals.
Trait Theories (1920s-2930s)
- Research focused on identifying personal characteristics that differentiated leaders from non-leaders was unsuccessful.
- It proved impossible to identify a set of traits that would always differentiate a leader (the person) from a nonleader.
8 Traits associated with leadership:
- Drive
- Desire to lead
- Honesty and integrity
- Self-confidence
- Intelligence
- Job-relevant knowledge
- Extraversion
- Proness to guilt
Behavioral theories
Leadership theories that identify behaviors that differentiated effective leaders from ineffective leaders.
3 leadership styles (identified from the University of Iowa Studies)
- Autocratic
- Democratic
- Laissez-faire
Autocratic style
A leader who dictates work methods, makes unilateral decisions, and limits employee participation.
Democratic style
A leader who involves employees in decision-making, delegates authority, and uses feedback as an opportunity for coaching employees
Laissez-faire style
A leader who lets the group make decisions and complete the work in whatever way it sees fit.
2 dimensions of leader behavior (Ohio studies)
- Initiating structure
- Consideration
- High consideration/high structure leaders generally, but not always, achieved high scores on group task performance and satisfaction.
- Evidence indicated that situational factors appeared to strongly influence leadership effectiveness.
Initiating structure
the role of the leader in defining his or her role and the roles of group members.
Consideration
the leader’s mutual trust and respect for group members’ ideas and feelings
2 dimensions of leader behavior (Michigan studies)
- Employee oriented
- Production oriented
-> Leaders who are employee oriented are strongly associated with high group productivity and high job satisfaction.
Employee orientated behavior
emphasizing personal relationships
Product orientated behavior
Emphasizing task accomplishment
The 5 managerial styles
- Immproverished management
- Task management
- Middle-of-the-road management
- Country club management
- Team management
Fieldler contingency model
A leadership theory proposing that effective group performance depends on the proper match between a leader’s style and the degree to which the situation allows the leader to control and influence.
Least-preferred coworker (LPC) questionnaire
A questionnaire that measures whether a leader is task or relationshiporientated
Leader-member relations
the degree of confidence, trust, and respect employees had for their leader; rated as either good or poor.
Task structure
the degree to which job assignments were formalized and structured; rated as either high or low.
Position power
the degree of influence a leader had over activities such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases; rated as either strong or weak.
Situational Leadership theory
A leadership contingency theory that focuses on followers readiness
REadiness
The extent to which followers have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task
Four stages of follower readiness
R1: People are both unable and unwilling to take responsibility for doing something. Followers aren’t competent or confident.
R2: People are unable but willing to do the necessary job tasks. Followers are motivated but lack the appropriate skills.
R3: People are able but unwilling to do what the leader wants. Followers are competent, but don’t want to do something.
R4: People are both able and willing to do what is asked of them.
Path-goal-theory
A leadership theory that says the leader’s job is to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide direction or support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the goals of the group or organization.
Four leadership behaviors (Path-goal model)
- Directive leader
- Supportive leader
- Participative leader
- Achievement orientated leader
Directive leader
Lets subordinates know what’s expected of them, schedules work to be done, and gives specific guidance on how to accomplish tasks.
Supportive leader
Shows concern for the needs of followers and is friendly.
Participative leader
Consults with group members and uses their suggestions before making a decision.
Achievement orientated leader
Sets challenging goals and expects followers to perform at their highest level.
Leader-member exchange theory (LMX)
the leadership theory that says leaders create in-groups and out-groups and those in the in-group will have higher performance ratings, less turnover, and greater job satisfaction.
Transactional leaders
leaders who lead primarily by using social exchanges (or transactions).
Transformational leaders
leaders who stimulate and inspire (transform) followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
Charismatic leader
an enthusiastic, self-confident leader whose personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways.
Visionary leadership
the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future that improves upon the present situation.
Team leader’s job (2 priorities)
- Managing the team’s external boundary
2. Facilitating the team process
Team leadership roles
- Coach
- Conflict manager
- Troubleshooter
- Liaison with external constituencies
Leadership issues in the 21. century
- Managing power
- Developing trust
- Empowering employees
- Leading across cultures
- becoming an effective leader
Legitimate power
The power a leader has a result of his or her position
Coercive Power
The power a leader has to punish or control
Reward power
The power to give positive benefits or rewards
Expert power
The influence a leader can exert as a result of his or her expertise, skills, or knowledge
Referent power
The power of a leader that arises because of a person’s desirable resources or admired personal traits
Credibility
The degree to which followers perceive someone as honest, competent, and able to inspire.
Trust
The belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a leader
5 dimensions of the concept of trust
- Integrity
- Competence
- Consistency
- Loyalty
- Openness
Integrity
honesty and truthfulness
Competence
Technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills
Consistency
Reliability, predictability, and good judgment in handling situations
Loyalty
Willingness to protect a person, physically and emotionally
Openness
Willingness to share ideas and information freely
Empowerment
Increasing the decision-making discretion of workers such that teams can make key operating decisions in developing budgets, scheduling workloads, controlling inventories, and solving quality problems.
Leading across cultures
- Effective leaders do not use a single style. They adjust their style to the situation.
- National culture is certainly an important situational variable in determining which leadership style will be most effective.
Describe the three major contingency theories of leadership.
- Fiedler’s model attempted to define the best style to use in particular situations.
- Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory focused on followers’ readiness.
- The path-goal model developed by Robert House identified four leadership behaviors: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented.
Describe contemporary views of leadership.
- Leader-member exchange theory (LMX) says that those in the in-group will have higher performance ratings, less turnover, and greater job satisfaction.
- A transactional leader exchanges rewards for productivity.
- A transformational leader stimulates and inspires followers to achieve goals.
- A charismatic leader is an enthusiastic and self-confident leader whose personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways.
- A visionary leader is able to create and articulate a realistic, credible, and attractive vision of the future.
- A team leader has two priorities: manage the team’s external boundary and facilitate the team process.
