Leadership Flashcards
Leader
Person who can influence others to be more effective
Examples of Leaders in Our World
Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler
What makes an effective leader?
Can take accountability for their actions, helps the group achieve their goals, and is insightful along the way
Confidence, humility, team player, communication skills, delegation
Leadership
The process through which leaders exert their influence
A Good Leader
Is a good leader born or made? Is a good leader a popular person or a powerful person? Is it simply one or the other?
Types of Leadership
Trait, Style, Influence, Authority (role/position), Needed Functions (situational)
Trait
People are born leaders
Naturally selected by others, naturally fit into those roles, gravitate towards those roles
Style
The leader is the one who gives the group the most effective style of leadership
Influence
People are leaders because they can influence others
They may not have a title, or consider themselves a leader, but have the ability to influence others
Authority (Role/Position)
People are leaders because they have authority over others
Management roles, level of authority
Needed Functions (Situational)
People are leaders because they are in a situation to be leaders
Circumstances create an environment where an individual naturally jumps into a leadership role
Styles of Leadership
Autocratic leaders, Democratic leaders, Laissez-Faire Leaders, Person-Oriented Styles, Work-Oriented Styles
Autocratic Leaders
Dictate orders, make decisions, no input from group members
They tell people what to do
Hitler, Napoleon
Democratic Leaders
Set policies through group discussion, interaction, consideration
Make sure they are getting input
Obama
Laissez-Faire Leaders
Do not participate at all in group discussions or decision-making
Have a tendency to be very laid back in their leadership style
Person-Oriented Styles
Allow for higher cohesion in the group
Make sure the team is very connected
Not consistently related to productivity, but are related to cohesion
Work-Oriented Styles
All for higher productivity in the group
Role differentiation and proper expectations set out by the leader are related to productivity and fall under “work-oriented”
Just because a leader is work-oriented does not mean there isn’t also cohesion in the group
What is the best style of leadership for productivity and cohesion?
Democratic leadership style, with a balance of person-oriented and work-oriented tasks for a high functioning team
Positive Leadership
Includes: challenging the status quo, inspiring mutual vision, empowering members, leading by example, encouraging members
Challenging the Status Quo
Understanding that what has always worked is not always the right solution (want to see ways to improve and move forward)
Embracing diversity of opinion (hear all ideas, have a number of people provide input)
Not ignoring conflict (properly address it)
If the group is not working to increase expertise, it is losing expertise (importance of staying current, gaining expertise in terms of knowledge and diversity of the group)
Challenge to traditional and individualistic structures in our organizations
Inspiring Mutual Vision
Circular process wherein
good leaders - have a vision/dream of what the organization can be - communicate that vision with enthusiasm and commitment - making a shared vision that all members can adopt and believe in - make it a rational vision based on research and sound implementation procedures - showing enthusiasm for improvement over time, realistically - and back to good leaders
Empowering Members
Through positive interdependence, face-to-face interactions, individual accountability, social skills, good processing
The one-word test to detect a good leader: “we” instead of “me” or “I”
Leading by Example
Model teamwork and risk-taking
Practice what they preach
Accountable and responsible; they can admit mistakes, can make up for those mistakes
Contribute and function as a member of the team
Encouraging Members
A good leader sees that every group member of the team has strengths and encourages each team member to use their strengths to the benefit of the group’s productivity (leader will share strengths that people may not be aware they have)
Leaders recognize individual contributions, especially those that go ‘above and beyond’ expectations
Leaders celebrate individual and group accomplishments
