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LEADERSHIP IN ORGANISATION.

Most research on leadership and organization point out that organisations are operating in a
complex and dynamic environment. This challenge is often cited as the reason for organization to
undergo transformation so that they stay relevant but this transformation requires leadership.
Leaders in organization by virtue of their influence in an organization are in good position to
play the role of transformation. So leadership plays a critical role in the organization success
A leader is someone who establishes a direction and influences other people to follow that
established direction.
Leadership is defined as the process of influencing others to work willingly towards goals, to the
best of their capabilities, perhaps in a manner different from that which they would otherwise
have chosen
Leadership means willing followership
Styles of leadership.
As suggested by Tannembaum and schimdt, they categorized leadership styles into four
categories dictatorship, Autocratic, Democratic, and Laize-faire. While D. Hersey and
Blanchard also suggested four styles as Telling, selling, Participating, and delegation. The two
categoriesof leadership styles are the same but the difference lies in the wordings used.
Dictatorship (Telling). This involves total domination of the followers by the leaders. The leader
gives specific directions on how to do and what to do without any question from the follower.
Under the dictatorship the followers are always inexperienced, unskilled, unaware of their rights.
Dictatorship has the following advantages and disadvantages
Advantages

Ideal in times of emergencies


Facilitates quick decision making
The best style to use when the followers are unable and unwilling.

Disadvantages

Breeds passive resistance


Needs continual pressure and direction from leader to get things done.
Communication flows in one direction. From the leader to the followers inform of
directions and instructions.

Autocratic (selling ). This involves domination of followers using unilateralism to achieve


singular objective. This style of leadership is similar to dictatorship. But when leaders are giving
are giving directives, they are supportive to followers to accomplish goals
Democratic style (participating). This involves making decisions by consulting followers while
controlling the group. It allows followers to determine how tasks will be tackled and who will do
the task. Leaders display a supporting style that emphasizes two way communication and
collaboration to enhance motivation.
Advantages.

Encourages folowers participation and wise delegation


Encourages motivation
Decreases burden on leaders and facilitates specialisation
Creates commitment because followers feel they are needed or their views are vital in
decission making.

Disadvantages

Delays decision making


Not ideal in times of emergency
Undermines confidence of leaders since everything is refered back to subordinates.

Laissez-faire (delegation). A leader has little control over followers. A leader leaves followers to
control themselves and tackle their problems. So a leader sets goals but gives little directives or
support in achieving them. But he remains accountable and over sees their activities.
Advantages

Ideal when leading a team which is highly motivated, skilled and experienced.

Disadvantages

Not ideal in times of emergency

THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP.
Theories of leadership are categorised in to three categories as traits theory, behavioral, and
situational theories.
1. TRAITS THEORY
This states that there are certain characterize or traits that make someone a leader. Genetics play
a big role in the acquisition of these traits or characteristics. These traits include intelligence,
aggressiveness, self confidence, and objectiveness. This means that if you desire effective leaders
select people with the right genetically endowered characteristics.
Strength of traits theory
Its important for selection of leadership candidates who may need further development. No one
is born a leader but a person with the right traits can improve on the traits.
Weakness of the traits theory
The list of traits required for effective leadership is quite long and often contain contradictory
traits of which a few may emerge to differentiate leaders from non leaders
Theory does not explain why people with the same set of leadership traits in the same
organization do become leaders and in case of twins, they may all became leaders or only one
might became a leader.
The implication of trait theory for a society is that we select people with the right traits to
become leaders but the demand for leadership in society exceeds the supply of genetically
qualified leaders. This implies a need for society to develop leaders to fill the gap brought about
by genetic limitation.
2. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES
These include Tannembaum and schimdt, Ohio State of leadership model,
Tannembaum & schimdt.

Developed in 1958, they asserted that leadership behavior ranges from dictatorship on one end to
Laize-faire on the other end. Here authority exercised by leaders will always verse freedom
exercised by followers. They indentified four leadership styles as dictatorial, autocratic,
democratic, and Laize-faire. This ranges from boss- centered to subordinate centered.

Authority exercised by a leader

Freedom enjoyed by followers

Dictatorial

Autocratic

Democratic

Laize-faire

Dictatorial. A leader makes decisions and enforces them


Autocratic. Leader makes decisions, announces and sells them
Democratic. Makes decisions, asks for comments and amends them
Laize- faire. Leader presents problems to the group and asks them to solve them. He also
allows subordinates to act as they wish with in specified limits

For strength and weakness refer to the strength and weakness of each of the above leadership
style as discussed earlier

The Ohio state of leadership model


Robert Blake and Jane Mounton who carried out research in managerial behaviors and developed
the managerial grid observed two dimensions of leadership as concern for people (people
oriented leadership) and concern for production (task oriented leadership). The two concerns do
not seem to correlate with positively or negatively. High concern for people doesnt mean high or
low concern for production. The two carried out research and the result where plotted on the
graph below
HIGH

9
8
7
6
5
4

PEOPLE

3
2
1
1
LOW

PRODUCTION

9
HIGH

A Improvished manager. The manager is lazy who shows little concern for employee or work.
B Country club manager. The manager has attentive relationship with employee needs, but
pays little attention to result / production.

C Team manager. Shows high attention to employees needs, relationship and also focuses on
result / production. He achieves much in leading a well motivated and committed staff and also
achieves performance.
D Middle road manager. This manager balances the necessity of getting work done and
concern for employees needs
E Task oriented manager. Exhibits high concern for production while vertically ignoring
employee needs.

Strength of Ohio State


Aids in showing that there should be a balance between high concern for people and high
concern for production
Ideal in team building. For example a 1.9 manager can be balanced by a 9.1 manager that
is to say task manager being balanced by a country club manager
Weakness of Ohio State
it assumes that 9.9 team manager is the effective leadership yet it is not true with
organizations that use machines where the whole system is automised hence there is
concern for production but not concern for people.
Doesnt talk about other factors that influence style of leadership other than concern for
people and concern for production. Such other factors include organization context,
technology, and culture of organizations.
Charismatic leadership model
This model builds itself on leaders trust in him / herself, ability to sense un exploitated
opportunities, formulate and communicate an idealized vision. The early research on charismatic
leadership was completed by Max Webber who identified a society in three types of authority
systems as traditional, legal-rational, and charismatic.
Traditional Authority system. Here the traditional and unwritten laws dictate who has authority
and how that authority should be used.

Legal-rational authority system. A leader`s authority is derived from society`s belief in laws that
govern it.
Charismatic authority systems. Authority of a leader is derived from society`s belief in
exemplary characteristics of a leader
Strength of charismatic
Empowers employees
Creates commitment
Creates high level of performance
Limitation of charismatic
The concept is vague and illusive. Is charisma born or learnt? Which charismatic leader
should we follow
Give false impression of magical leadership
Transactional and transformational (McGregor burns model)
McGregor burns a scientist and political historian, he explains that followers are central to a
leader because followers involve themselves in negotiation central to transaction of power,
secondly because followers have minds hence developing concept of transactional and
transformation
Transaction. Here a leader and follower negotiate a transaction which results into course
of action or decision. The leader in most cases use rewards to motivate followers. The
focus is on routine performance agreed upon by leader and follower. There is usually
close supervision and reward upon performance.
Transformational. Here a leader broadens and elevates the interest of followers, generates
awareness and acceptance of the purpose of organization and move follower to look
beyond their interests for good of others.
Comparison between transaction and transformation
TRANSACTION

1. Focuses on controlling

TRANSFORMATION

1. Focuses on empowering

2. Motivates extrinsically
3. Commitment results from reward
4. What is good for leader / follower is also
good for organization

2. Motivates intrinsically
3. Commitment is personalized
4. Whatever is ideal for organization is ideal
for leader / follower

Strength of transaction and transformational


positively affirms the role of followers in leadership
Rightly asserts that as leaders influence followers, followers also have influence in
leadership
Limitation of transactional and transformational
It doesnt specify the leadership qualities involved in leadership

3. SITUATIONAL / CONTINGENCY THEORIES.


This contends that there is no best leadership trait or behavior style. The effectiveness or exercise
of leadership depends on the situation, characteristics of a leader, followers, tasks and
environment of the organization. The various strands of this theory range from situational
approach (asserting that leadership has nothing to do with traits or behavior but depends of
common surrounding of the group) to interactionist approach (asserting that leadership depends
on both characterists of a leader and situation in which a group finds itself)
John Adairs` functional model
It`s sometimes called action centered model. This model is concerned with what leaders actually
do. The leadership process is made up of three interrelated variables as task needs, need of
individual group members and needs of the whole group. According to Adairs, the total situation
dictates the relative priority that must be given to all the three sets and effective leadership
consist of identifying and acting on that priority.

Hersey and Blanchard model.

This theory assumes that leadership behavior and effectiveness is based upon one major
situational factor that is readiness or maturity of followers to act. Hersey and

Blanchard

identified four major leadership style as telling, selling, participating, and delegating. They go
ahead to say that the effectiveness of the above leadership styles depends on four possible levels
of maturity of follower
STYLE

FOLLOWERS MATURITY

Telling

unable and unwilling

Selling

unable and willing

Participating

able and unwilling

Delegating

able and willing

Comparison between leader and manager


On agenda and goals of action. A manager will plan and budget, he will target setting,
establishing procedures for reaching target. While as a leader creates a sense of direction. He sets
vision out of dissatisfaction with status quo.
On developing human network for achieving goals. A manager organizes and staffs. He designs
organization structure, hires the right people. Whiles as a leader communicates the vision. He
sells the vision, gives credibility in a way that needs of followers are fulfilled. Builds political
support for vision
On execution. A manager controls and he is a problem solving. He monitors results against plan,
ensuring order and establishing incentive methods. While a leader inspires and motivates, he
stimulates others to translate the vision into achievement.
Main concern. A manger is concerned with logic, structure analysis and control. While a leader
will deal with people rather than a thing

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