HR Competency: Leadership (Leadership & Navigation) Flashcards
Coercive Leadership Approach
Definition
Positive
Negative
The leader imposes a vision or solution on the team and demands that the team follow this directive.
Effective during crises when immediate and clear action is required.
Ineffective at other times when it can damage employees’ sense of ownership in their work and motivation
Authoritative Leadership Approach:
Definition
Positive
Negative
The leader proposes a bold vision or solution and invites the team to join this challenge.
Effective when there is no clear path forward, the proposal is compelling and captures the team’s imagination.
Ineffective when the leader lacks real expertise.
Affiliative Leadership
Definition
Positive
Negative
Leader creates strong relationships with and inside the team. The team members are motivated by loyalty.
Effective especially when a leader has inherited a dysfunctional and dispirited team that needs to be transformed.
Ineffective when used alone (affiliative leader fears damaging a relationship.)
Democratic Leadership
Definition
Positive
Negative
The leader invites followers to collaborate and commits to acting by consensus.
Effective when the leader does not have a clear vision or anticipates strong resistance to a change. Team members must be competent; leaders must have strong communication skills.
Ineffective when time is short, since building consensus takes time and multiple meeting
Pacesetting Leadership
Definition
Positive
Negative
The leader sets a model for high performance standards and challenges followers to meet these expectations.
Effective when teams are composed of highly competent and internally motivated employees.
Ineffective when expectations and the pace of work become excessive and employees become tired and discouraged.
Coaching Leadership
Definition
Positive
Negative
Focuses on developing employees’ skills to align their goals with organizational goals.
Effective when leaders are highly skilled in communication, and motivation, and time management. Team members must also be receptive to coaching.
Ineffective when employees resist changing their performance.
Trait Theories of Leadership
Leaders possess certain innate characteristics that followers do not possess and probably cannot acquire. Sometimes referred to as the “Great Man” theory.
Blake-Mouton Theory of Leadership
Leadership involves managing tasks and employees.
5 types of managers, team leader is only one considered a real leader:
Country club managers (low task, high relationship) create a secure atmosphere and trust individuals to accomplish goals, avoiding punitive actions so as not to jeopardize relationships.
Impoverished managers (low task, low relationship) use a “delegate-and-disappear” management style. They detach themselves, often creating power struggles.
Authoritarian managers (high task, low relationship) expect people to do what they are told without question and tend not to foster collaboration.
Middle-of-the-road managers (midpoint on both task and relationship) get the work done but are not considered leaders.
Team leaders (high task, high relationship) lead by positive example, foster a team environment, and encourage individual and team development.
Situational Theories of Leadership
Leaders can flex their behaviors to meet the needs of unique situations, employing both task or relationship behaviors with employees.
Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership
Leaders adapt their behaviors to meet the evolving needs of team members.
TELLING when the employee is not yet motivated or competent.
SELLING when the increasingly competent employee still needs focus and motivation (“why are we doing this”).
PARTICIPATING when competent workers can be included in problem solving and coached on higher skills.
DELEGATING when very competent team members can benefit from greater levels of autonomy and self-direction.
Fiedler’s Contingency Theory
Theory asks:
“How can the situation be changed to improve the effectiveness of both leader and employees?”
Goal = “situational favorableness,” which means:
1- Leader-member relations are strong
2 - task structure/requirements are clear
3 - leader has necessary power
If situation is not favorable, it must be changed.
Path-Goal Leadership Theory
Leader must adjust behavior based on what each employees’ goals/needs are
Directive—Help the employee understand the task and its goal.
Supportive—Try to fulfill employee’s relationship needs.
Achievement—Motivate by setting challenging goals.
Participative—Provide more control over work and leverage group expertise through participative decision making
Emergent Leadership Theory
Leaders are not appointed but emerge from the group, which chooses the leader based on interactions.
Ally: Bureaucratic black belts
Know the organization’s systems well, decision making processes, and how to make things happen.
Ally: Tugboat pilots
They usually have a deep history with the organization and can predict reactions. They can point out other potential allies who may have a related interest and can benefit from an HR initiative.
