Chapter 10: Leadership, Supervision, and Command Presence (SGT/2015)

Question 1

What is Leadership

Answer 1

-influencing, directing, guiding, and controlling
others. It is an art.
-When others obey because of fear, they are
yielding
-An authority pushes workers while a leader
stimulates and motivates workers

Question 2

Define Resistance to Leadership TNG

Answer 2

-many supervisors perform leadership tasks in the
traditional, stereotyped fashion
-some supervisors resist b/c of para-military environment:
I lead, you follow

Question 3

Define Developing Leadership Ability

Answer 3

-it is not inherited
-formal authority does not make a person a leader
-the best leaders make their jobs appear easy b/c they have
the fewest problems

Question 4

The Autocratic Leader

Answer 4

• highly authoritative
• makes decisions without worker’s input
• workers know where they stand b/c he is by the book
• he directs, commands, and controls his workers
• he rules through fear, intimidation, and threat
• usually effective in emergency and no-time decision making situations

Question 5

The Democratic Leader

Answer 5

• seeks ideas and suggestions from workers
• he treats workers as associates in a joint venture
  - increases their feeling of responsibility
  - sense of achievement, recognition, and personal growth
  - most important, increases commitment to organization
• purely democratic leadership works poorly in emergency situations
• will be popular and respected

Question 6

Free-rein Leader

Answer 6

• plays down his role and exercises minimum control
• he does not interfere with workers, permits a laissez-faire operation
• lack of supervision is as harmful as excessive amount of supervision
• this type does not work well. He eventually looses control of workers

Question 7

Selecting a Leadership Style

Answer 7

all types of leadership will work if conditions are favorable

Question 8

What is Command Presence and Leadership

Answer 8

-individual has complete command of his mental and physical faculties and emotions
-outward appearance the person had ability and qualifications to take command of any
situation
-the leader’s attitude permeates a group. If he displays anxiety, the group will.

Question 9

Elements of Leadership

Answer 9

• a high level of discipline is perhaps the best mark of good leadership
• ordinarily, if good leadership is present so is high morale

Question 10

Leadership Ethics

Answer 10

• leaders must strictly adhere to high standards

- leader must avoid all appearances of evil

Question 11

Psychology of Leadership

Answer 11

• must understand what motivates workers

- should use autocratic style sparingly

Question 12

Motivating Employees

Answer 12

-application of incentives which encourages a certain positive pattern of behavior
-workers are stimulated best when they are provided with positive incentives that satisfy
individual needs
-motivators are different for different people. Motivators over time may lose their appeal
-money and material incentives are vastly overrated
-better motivators are: praise, recognition, etc.
-negative motivators (fear, coercion, intimidation, and punishment) should be avoided unless
when positive motivators have failed
-punishment must be used reasonably and fairly
-leader can try to eliminate motivation barriers:
-avoid heavy-handed practices that impose unfair demands on workers
-improve communications so workers understand his goals, direction, etc.
-make the added effort to improve morale
-avoid courses of action that cause strife, confusion, anxiety, mistrust
-give workers a feeling of trust
-reward workers for their excellence
-provide training
-pay, commendations, formal promotions, working conditions don’t necessarily improve performance, but they do often prevent morale from deteriorating

Question 13

Situational Analysis and Self-Appraisal

Answer 13

• supervisor should constantly look at his own strengths and weaknesses
• workers can’t be treated like figures in a formula

Question 14

Leadership Characteristics

Answer 14

-friendly, never a pessimistic or negative attitude, sincere, remembering a person’s birthday
or birth of a child
-enthusiasm for the job, zeal to do the right thing
-ambition, within reason. Never take credit for someone else’s work.
-Physical stamina. High frustration tolerance.
-has a sense of direction with clear goals. Takes personal responsibility. Doesn’t break
promises.
-intelligent. Has imagination and humor. Makes objective observations. Has vision and
insight.
-technical skills.
-faith. Has faith in himself and workers.
-verbal aptitude. He is persuasive and tactful.
-courtesy.
-modesty

Question 15

Human Relations and Leadership

Answer 15

-there are times when you have to be critical of workers. If you don’t, they won’t know what you
expect from them

Question 16

The Manner of the Leader

Answer 16

-body language gives away the thoughts of an individual

Question 17

The Language of the Leader

Answer 17

• what a leader says give a clue to his mental state
• speech should be positive and direct, not uncertain, negative, or apologetic
• don’t talk down to others

Question 18

Commending and Praising Others

Answer 18

• praise given sincerely will induce continued good performance
• frequent complaint of workers is criticism comes regularly, but praise seldom
• giving praise when it is not merited looses value

Question 19

Reprimanding and Criticizing

Answer 19

• many supervisors do not give criticism when it is due
• often supervisor is afraid of repercussions from social group
• should never loose temper when reprimanding worker
• inform worker in private about unacceptable behavior

Question 20

Knowledge of Subordinates

Answer 20

• should learn as much as you can about your workers

- once supervisors gain worker’s confidence, they will go to him for help

Question 21

The Marginal Employee

Answer 21

• causes dissatisfaction with other workers
• production and morale eventually suffer
• special counseling and recognition will sometimes motivate the disgruntled employee
• sometimes the only other solution is transfer or termination

Question 22

Giving Orders

Answer 22

-interpretations of orders
-what the person actually said, what he thinks he said, and what the recipient thinks he said
-why orders fail:
-poor selection of words, giving orders in haphazard way, giving too many orders, and
neglecting to follow-up
-Direct Commands
-emergency situations
-given to workers who don’t want to follow SOG
-should be simple and direct
-Requests
-most orders should be frames as requests
-most workers view the request as an order
-cooperation is obtained through requests than by commands
-Implied or Suggestive Orders
-good for workers who are reliable and assume responsibility
-often abstract and deprive the supervisor of follow-up
-since they are open to interpretation, they are usually unenforceable
-Request for Volunteers
-supervisor should not ask for volunteers if he is skirting his own responsibilities
-Communicating Orders
-positive orders are more likely than negative
-verbal orders are good for simple tasks
-written orders are good for complex tasks
-Following Up Orders
-supervisor surrenders his authority little by little when he fails to follow up his orders

Question 23

Decision Making

Answer 23

• a wrong decision is sometimes better than no decision at all
• indecisiveness is easily perceived
• decision making process:
  - awareness of a real problem
  - facts must be obtained
  - evaluate and analyze data
  - alternative approaches leading to logical conclusion should be decided
  - decision selected from solutions – pros and cons weighed
  - communicate decision to those who will carry it out

Question 24

Drawing Conclusions

Answer 24

• don’t jump to conclusions
• supervisor’s judgment should be more right than wrong
• the cause of poor behavior may not be readily apparent on the surface

Question 25

Moderation in Supervision

Answer 25

• inexperienced supervisors often over-supervise
• arises from their failure to delegate
• must train workers to do the job, then let them do it
• new supervisors can still be friends with old worker friends, but the relationship has changed

Question 26

Setting an Example

Answer 26

respected leader will be imitated

Question 27

Avoidance of Gender Bias Harassment

Answer 27

-most common acts: unjust favoritism, improper advances, discourteous language, unfair evals, demotions, salary reductions, discharge, any act creating a hostile work environment

Question 28

Symptoms of Leadership Failure

Answer 28

• selfishness, suspicion, envy, failure to give credit, hypercriticism are all causes of failure
• leadership fails more often b/c it is not provided when needed and b/c techniques are flawed
• leadership has failed if:
  
  • discipline is low
  • standards of conduct are low
  • organization has disloyalty, mistrust, and self-interest
• failures will result in: reduced productivity, low morale
• a worker who has produced well does not mean he will be a good supervisor
  
  • he may not manage people well
  • can’t delegate
  • can’t coordinate activities of others
  • can’t follow up with worker’s performance
  • can’t take remedial action