I: Leadership Flashcards
[Week 10: Leadership]
- What are the differences between leaders and managers?
Leaders and managers play different roles within an organization, although these roles can overlap. According to the presentation:
Leadership: Produces change and movement. Leaders establish direction, create a vision, clarify the big picture, and set strategies. They align people by communicating goals, seeking commitment, building teams, and motivating and inspiring others. Leaders focus on empowering subordinates, inspiring energy, and satisfying unmet needs.
Management: Produces order and consistency. Managers focus on planning and budgeting, establishing agendas, setting timetables, and allocating resources. They organize and staff by providing structure, making job placements, and establishing rules and procedures. Managers also control and solve problems by developing incentives, generating creative solutions, and taking corrective action.
- How is the trait approach different from the “leaders are born, not made” approach?
The Trait Approach suggests that certain personality traits can predispose individuals to be more effective leaders, but it does not guarantee leadership success. It acknowledges that while some traits may make leadership more likely, leadership can still be developed and refined.
The “Leaders are born, not made” approach, on the other hand, implies that leadership qualities are innate and cannot be developed. This older view suggests that only those with natural leadership traits can become effective leaders.
The key difference is that the trait approach is more flexible, recognizing that traits can influence leadership but are not the sole determinant, allowing for the possibility of leadership development through experience and learning.
- Which personality trait predicts leadership effectiveness but not leadership emergence, and why?
Agreeableness is a personality trait that predicts leadership effectiveness but not leadership emergence. This is because agreeableness, which involves being cooperative, compassionate, and caring, may not be the dominant or assertive trait that typically causes individuals to emerge as leaders. However, once in a leadership position, agreeableness contributes to effective leadership by fostering good relationships, building trust, and maintaining a supportive work environment.
- Which trait correlates most strongly with effectiveness and emergence as a leader?
Extraversion is the trait that correlates most strongly with both leadership effectiveness and leadership emergence. Extraverted individuals are often more assertive, outgoing, and willing to take charge, which helps them emerge as leaders. Additionally, their sociability and energy often translate into effective leadership by engaging and motivating followers.
- What is the participation-leadership effect?
The Participation-Leadership Effect refers to the phenomenon where the more visible and salient an individual is within a group, the more likely they are to be seen as a leader. This effect is particularly noticeable in group discussions, where participation is often unequal, and one or two members dominate. As the size of the group increases, the likelihood that a single individual will account for most of the participation also increases, leading to their emergence as the perceived leader.
- What is most surprising about the link between intelligence and leadership effectiveness?
The most surprising aspect of the link between intelligence and leadership effectiveness is that the relationship is weaker than previously believed. While intelligence is often considered the most important trait in all of psychology and is crucial for leadership, studies show that the correlation between intelligence and leadership effectiveness is relatively modest (r = .24). This suggests that other factors, such as emotional intelligence, personality, and leadership style, also play significant roles in determining leadership success.
- What three categories of skills can leaders develop? Which skills are most important at the bottom levels of management? At the top?
The three categories of skills that leaders can develop are:
Technical Skills: The ability to perform specific tasks or work with a basic product or process. These are “hands-on” skills.
Human Skills: The ability to work effectively with people, including communication, empathy, and team-building skills.
Conceptual Skills: The ability to work with ideas and abstract concepts, including strategic thinking and long-term planning.
Most Important at the Bottom Levels of Management: Technical skills are most critical because managers at this level often need to understand and oversee specific processes and tasks.
Most Important at the Top Levels of Management: Conceptual skills are most important because top-level managers are responsible for strategic planning, setting organizational vision, and making decisions that affect the entire organization.
- What are the two main leadership styles? What are the advantages and critiques of leadership style research?
The two main leadership styles are:
Task-Oriented Leadership: Focuses on the tasks that need to be accomplished to meet specific goals. Leaders with this style prioritize efficiency, organization, and the completion of objectives.
Relationship-Oriented Leadership: Focuses on building relationships with team members, emphasizing communication, trust, and emotional support.
Advantages of Leadership Style Research:
Helps identify and categorize leadership behaviors, making it easier to understand different approaches to leadership.
Highlights the importance of both task-oriented and relationship-oriented behaviors in leadership effectiveness.
Critiques of Leadership Style Research:
The research is unclear about which styles are most effective in different situations, and no universal style is effective in every context.
There is an implication that the most effective style combines high task and high relationship focus, but this is not always supported by research. The effectiveness of a leadership style can vary based on the situation and the followers.
- Describe leader-member exchange theory and provide an example of how it can be applied in organizations.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory focuses on the relationship between leaders and followers. It posits that leaders develop different types of relationships with various subordinates, leading to an “in-group” and an “out-group.”
In-Group: Members who have higher-quality relationships with the leader. They receive more trust, support, and resources, and in return, they often go above and beyond in their roles.
Out-Group: Members who have lower-quality relationships with the leader and tend to stick strictly to their job descriptions without additional involvement.
Application Example:
In an organization, a manager who applies LMX theory might focus on improving relationships with all team members, aiming to bring more employees into the in-group. By offering more support, feedback, and opportunities to a broader range of employees, the manager can enhance overall team performance, job satisfaction, and reduce counterproductive behaviors.
- State the differences between transactional and transformational leaders. Explain why transformational leaders achieve higher leader performance.
Transactional Leaders: Focus on exchanges between the leader and followers, where followers are rewarded for meeting specific goals or standards. This style is more about maintaining the status quo and managing through contingent rewards and penalties.
Transformational Leaders: Inspire and motivate followers to exceed expectations by focusing on higher-level goals and the greater good. They provide a vision, encourage innovation, and focus on developing their followers’ potential.
Why Transformational Leaders Achieve Higher Performance:
Transformational leaders achieve higher performance because they not only meet the immediate needs of their followers through rewards and penalties but also inspire and engage them on a deeper level. They foster a sense of purpose, enhance motivation, and encourage innovation, which leads to greater satisfaction, commitment, and ultimately better organizational outcomes. Research shows that transformational leadership improves performance beyond the influence of transactional leadership.
- Describe role congruity theory and explain how it can be used to understand the glass ceiling in organizations.
Role Congruity Theory suggests that prejudice towards female leaders arises from the perceived incongruity between the female gender role and leadership roles. Society often views leadership qualities as masculine, leading to bias against women who seek leadership positions. This incongruity can result in women being evaluated less favorably than men for leadership roles and facing more obstacles in their leadership journeys.
Understanding the Glass Ceiling:
Role congruity theory helps explain the glass ceiling, which refers to the invisible barriers that prevent women from reaching top leadership positions. Due to role incongruity, women are less likely to be promoted to senior roles, and even when they are, their leadership is often judged more harshly compared to their male counterparts. This theory sheds light on the systemic biases that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions.
- When and why do women’s leadership behaviors outperform men’s, according to recent research?
According to recent research, women’s leadership behaviors outperform men’s, particularly when evaluated by others rather than through self-assessment. This finding is based on a meta-analysis that showed women are often rated as more effective leaders by others, even though men tend to rate themselves higher.
When and Why:
When: Women’s leadership behaviors tend to outperform men’s in contexts where leadership effectiveness is evaluated by followers or peers, rather than by the leaders themselves.
Why: Women are often more likely to engage in transformational leadership behaviors, such as individualized consideration and inspirational motivation, which are highly effective in fostering team performance and satisfaction. Additionally, women may also be more collaborative and empathetic, traits that are increasingly valued in modern leadership contexts.
