...Leadership Approach Paper LDR/531 February 25, 2013 Leadership Approach A leader has the ability to lead and influence a group of people to follow in his or her direction to achieve organizational goals or in other words, getting people to want to do what you want them to do rather than just getting them to do what you want them to. The purpose of this paper is to explore the situational leadership theory as an approach to studying leadership and discuss the strength and weaknesses of this approach and how the theory relates to real-world scenarios. The situational leadership theory is an approach to studying leadership and suggests that there is not a one size fit all when leading a group of people. Hersey and Blanchard (1977) proposed a contingency theory that specifies the appropriate type of leadership behavior for different levels of subordinate “maturity” in relation to the work. A high-maturity subordinate has both the ability and confidence to do a task, whereas a low-maturity subordinate lacks ability and self-confidence (Yukl, p. 233, 2010). The theory identifies the appropriate leadership behaviors when confronted with subordinates who are at different levels of maturity in relation to the task at hand. The level of subordinates’ maturity is divided into four quadrants, M1 to M4. (M1)– This leadership approach is when the followers have low desire and ability to complete the task at hand. The followers avoid doing...
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...Leadership Models Essay Abstract It is not possible to reflect every aspect of each theory, due to the complexities of the models and the wide-ranging opinions of scholars that have studied each concept over many years. However, the purpose of this paper is to discuss four leadership models that are not only interesting but will support growth to those aspiring to become scholars, practitioners and leaders in a particular field of study. These theories were selected to provide information and to offer a review of the characteristics and main points of significance of each theory. The following models will be examined: Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership, Situational leadership and Charismatic leadership. It is important to look at each model separately to understand and define the uniqueness of each of the theories. In addition, to providing definitions for each model, a brief summary will state general similarities. The summation will also indicate that each of the leadership theories is unique with a particular purpose and outcome. Leadership Models Essay Many leadership models have accumulated for as long as there have been leaders. To determine the characteristic associated with leadership styles and the relationship to the zeitgeist some theorists have defined leadership into attribute approaches and periods. “The scientific study of leadership can be roughly divided into three periods: the trait period from around...
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...Leadership Style and Theory Sarah Spencer LDR/531 August 31, 2015 John Bevell Leadership Style and Theory Many people believed leaders were born with inherited traits, but over time leaders became understood as being developed through learned behaviors, skills, and style. The different theories and styles of a leader discussed throughout this paper as well as the leadership styles identified. The leadership theories are defined. Finally the results of the mentor meeting focusing on leadership style detailed in this paper. Leadership Style The six styles of leadership discussed are an ambassador, advocate, people mover, truth-seeker, creative builder, and experienced guide. An ambassador is a style that makes a leader comfortable in most situations (Galford and Maruca, 2011). This style can defuse situations, and is less likely to start conflict for their benefit (Galford and Maruca, 2011). They are good at assessing, developing, and helping others understand what is expected (Galford and Maruca, 2011). An advocate instinctively acts as the spokesperson (Galford and Maruca, 2011). Their main skills are articulate, rational, logical, and persuasive (Galford and Maruca, 2011). This leadership style uses both linear and nonlinear approaches (Galford and Maruca, 2011). People movers instinctively take the lead (Galford and Maruca, 2011). They have characteristics such as talent-spotter, motivator, career-builders, and nurturing (Galford and Maruca, 2011). People...
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...Situational Leadership John Barry Organizational Leadership Situational Leadership The purpose of this paper is to identify the applications and effectiveness of the Situational Approach in Leadership. Leadership is a method by which one individual impacts others toward the achievement of group or organizational goals ("Leadership is a process," 2013, para. 1). A leader’s capability to affect others based on a diversity of factors other than his or her proper authority or position. Paul Hersey, a professor, developed situational Leadership in 1977 and Ken Blanchard, a leadership specialist who wrote "The One Minute Manager" focuses on more than the leader. Instead, a leader's actions depend on the condition and the subordinates. The model, which is considerably flexible to every condition or culture, provides a structure that leaders can use to evaluate an individual’s Performance Readiness Level to execute a specific task. The understanding behaviors are behaviors “to which a leader is likely to maintain personal relationships between himself and the members of his group by opening up channels of communication, delegating responsibility and giving subordinates an opportunity to use their potential” (Hersey & Blanchard, 1981, p. 35). In this approach, the leader should determine the circumstances and get used to his or her leadership approach to suit the specified task, accepting that the method may not essentially function in a dissimilar situation. Hersey...
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...Leadership Models MBA FP 6006 Capella University Introduction This paper investigates two leadership theories which support innovation within an organization. The paper discussed discovery and delivery skills of innovative leaders and my own discovery and delivery skills and how I can utilize them to support innovation within an organization. Leadership Lens The article titled “Diagnosing educational leadership problems: a Situational approach “(Gates, Blanchard, & Hersey, 1976) joins the original theorists with a practitioner of Situational Leadership Theory (formerly known as “Life Cycle Theory of Leadership”) to explain a then-seven-year-old conceptual framework that was born equally from writer and practitioner quests for a leadership style that would prove apropos when applied to most contexts, and two behaviors that were the core of prior leadership models: task behavior and relationship behavior. Task behavior refers to how much a leader will detail for followers the steps and requirements needed to complete a particular task. Relationship behavior alludes to a leader’s level of participation in communication with followers so as to supply socio-emotional support (or “psychological strokes”) and active facilitation. The co-creators of this mode of thinking, acting, and behaving have each secured their places in the history of leadership theory in spite of less than favorable assessments of their mental baby. What began...
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...Leadership Theory Mid Term Paper For this paper I decide to look at four of the leadership theories. The ones I chose are Trait, Contingency, Situational, and Behavioral. I will talk about the definitions of those four theories. Also I will discuss the overviews of the four theories including positives and negativities of each. Leadership Theories There is a wide and ever growing variety of theories to explain the concept and practice of leadership; to me leadership is a dynamic and complex process. Per our text book leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes. (Daft, 2011) The theories that I will talk about simplify leadership into different theories. The first I will talk about is the Trait Theory. Trait theory assumes that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. (Cherry, 2012) Also Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. (Cherry, 2012) Per our text book traits are the distinguishing personal characteristics of a leader, such as intelligence, honesty, self confidence, and appearance. (Daft, 2011) Contingency Theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. (Cherry, 2012) Success with this theory depends upon a number of variables and qualities...
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...Situational Leadership Research on leadership is a subject that has been approached in many different ways. Theories on leadership can be classified according to the type of variable that is emphasized the most. Three types of variables relevant to these theories include (1) characteristics of leaders, (2) characteristics of followers, and (3) characteristics of the situation (Yuri, G., 2010). In the textbook Leadership in Organizations, Yuri, G. classifies these theories into the following five approaches: (1) the trait approach, (2) the behavior approach, (3) the power-influence approach, (4) the situational approach, and (5) the integrative approach. This paper briefly discusses the situational approach of studying leadership. Method Description Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) evolved from the Life Cycle of Leadership Theory developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1969). Hersey and Blanchard’s theory has four major situational variables: (1) task behavior, (2) relationship behavior, (3) follower (or subordinate) maturity, and (4) effectiveness (Johansen, B. P., 1990). Task behavior refers to the extent leaders are likely to organize and explain what activities each of the subordinates is to perform and when, where, and how tasks are to be accomplished (Johansen, B. P., 1990). Relationship behavior is defined as the extent to which leaders are likely to maintain personal relationships between themselves and members of their team and provide socio-emotional support...
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...Abstract Based on the Leadership in Action simulation, this paper will describe the current established methods of control and current culture in Smith & Falmouth (S&F). As a Chief Operational Office (COO), Hadi will provide recommendations for restructuring the department to become more profitable by the end of the fiscal year. Affecting Change As a new COO, existing staff will have resistance to the upcoming change and the new organizational structure. It is important to gain their trust to improve the culture and empower employees to achieve the new goals. The leadership style should be situational and adapt to the different situational factors. Delegation and supportive leadership will provide control and power to the existing leaders and supply them with whatever their teams need to accomplish the end goals. Smith & Falmouth (S&F) Smith & Falmouth is a mid-size tele-shopping company operating in the US and Canada. The company established S&F Online as part of its strategy to expand online. This division is a major element in S&F strategy to grow over the next three years. S&F Online CEO, Irene Seagraves, put in place three main teams; a logistics team, web development team, and a marketing manager to coordinate marketing efforts. Irene set a clear goal for the COO and that is to streamline online operations, increase the each of Online Sales Channel and increase profits. As a new COO, existing senior staff and teams showed resentment and lukewarm reception...
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...Leadership Approach Paper The leader has the ability to attract and influence any group of people to follow their path to achieve organizational goals have power of authority, make people want to do it but it's really what we as leaders want them to do. In this paper we will discuss the situational leadership theory as an approach to the study of leadership and seeing the strengths and weaknesses of this approach, and an example how it works in the organization. According to Yuki, "common practice is to limit the focus to a leading feature type, ie traits, behavior or power" (Yuki, 2010). In the trait theory, will provide a definition and analyze an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Trait Approach Trait approach is defined as "personal attributes (or features) of the leaders, as the characteristics, skills and physical values and personality" (Fleenor, 2006). The idea behind early research was that some people were born traits that allowed them to be leaders, researchers have created lists describe the character traits of leaders. Individuals and lists of character traits are compared to determine the success or failure of such person in a leadership role. Strengths Trait approach to leadership research has some clear advantages. This approach maintains the idea that the leaders of this world are in the open and head. Leaders, consistently been transmitted are different from the villages, and have characteristics that differentiate them from others...
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...Case Analysis Paper 3: A Tale of Two Coaches Bonnie Hyatt Grand Canyon University Leadership Style and Development LDR-600 Kelly Jensen, MBA April 30, 2013 Case Analysis Paper 3: A Tale of Two Coaches Fiedler’s contingency theory is a “leader-match theory” (Northhouse, 2013, p. 135). It attempts to match the style of the leader with the situation and develop a match between the two. Coach Knight and Coach Krzyzewski (Coach K) were both effective in this leadership style because they produced winning teams. Coach Knight is a task driven leader who sores low on the least preferred co-worker scale (LPC). His primary focus was accomplishing the tasks. He did this through discipline and intimidation. He expected nothing less than perfection from his players. Relationships were developed secondary to meeting the goals. Coach K is a relationship-oriented coach who scores high on the LPC scale. He viewed his team as part of his family. He used positive reinforcement, open communication, and genuine caring support to motivate his team. Task accomplishments were secondary to relationships. Both coaches had strong positions of power. They could exercise full authority developing the program and choosing which players would make the team and which players would not make the team. Coach Knight and Coach K used different leadership styles. They were matched to their situation solely on the fact they developed winning teams. Situational leadership theory attempts describe...
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...Leadership Approach XXXXXXXX LDR531 September 5, 2011 John Schobin Leadership Approach The purpose of this paper is to explore the situational leadership theory as an approach to studying leadership. We will also explore the participative style of leadership as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this type of leadership. Finally we will examine an organizational example where participative leadership was used effectively. Situational Leadership Theory The situational leadership theory is a contingency approach to studying leadership. It helps to identify appropriate leadership behaviors when dealing with subordinates who are at different levels of maturity in relation to the task at hand. The level of maturity of the subordinate will determine the actions taken by the leader. The theory categorizes subordinates’ maturity level into four quadrants, M1, M2, M3, and M4. For a subordinate who is low in maturity (M1) the leader should use primarily task-oriented behavior and be very directive with outlining policies and procedures. The leader will also maintain close supervision to monitor the subordinate’s progress. As a subordinate matures (M2, M3) the leader can use less task-oriented behavior and incorporate some relations-oriented behaviors. These relations-oriented behaviors include support, consultation, and praise. For subordinates...
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...CRITICAL REVIEW OF SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY Situational Leadership Theory is arguably the most widely known and practiced theory of leadership and managerial effectiveness. In this essay, the origins and fundamentals of the theory are considered, as well as the available evidence that supports or contradicts the its validity. Background Situational Leadership Theory as presented by Hersey and Blanchard developed from the work of J. W. Reddin’s 3-Dimensional Management Style Theory. That theory hypothesizes the importance of a manager’s relationship orientation and task orientation in conjunction with effectiveness (Reddin 1967, 8). From the interplay of these dimensions, Reddin proposes a variety of management styles and theorizes that effectiveness as a manager can be explained as a function of matching a leader’s style to a specific situation. However, his theory does not specify whether certain situational characteristics could be unequivocally incorporated into a predictive model (Vecchio 1987, 444). From Reddin’s suggestion that a leader’s effectiveness varies according to style, Hersey and Blanchard proposed a life-cycle theory of leadership. According to this theory, degrees of task orientation and relationship orientation are to be examined in conjunction with the maturity of a follower or group of followers in order to account for leader effectiveness (Hersey and Blanchard 1969, 29). The main principle of the life-cycle theory is that as the...
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...Leaders and Followers Leadership has been defined as the process of influencing others in a manner that enhances their contribution to the realization of group goals (Haslam, 2004). Studies conducted on leadership styles and theories led to an abundance of information. The study of leadership has identified different styles exhibited by leaders. Leaders predominantly use a single style or may demonstrate the use of different styles depending on the situation. Scholars today have discussed the nature of leadership in terms of interaction among the people involved. The leader is not the work of a single person; but rather a "collaborative endeavor" among group members (Rost, 2008). With such a wide definition it can be assumed that effective leadership may depend on the combination of the leader, the follower, the situation, or any mixture of these aspects. This paper will discuss contingency, transformational, and transactional theories and the relationship between leaders and followers. The implications that these theoretical perspectives have on organizations as well as the organizational psychology development (OPD) professional concern with developing and implementing a talent management and development strategy through an organization's leaders. How these theories play out in my organization will also be discussed. Contingency, Transformational, and Transactional Theories During the 1960's and 1970's leadership theories were developed under the 'contingency' perspective...
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...Business Ethics Business speculators believe that ethical leadership is all about good character of leaders. Ethical leadership is regarding raising the bar, generating value for stakeholders, assisting people to understand their dreams and expectations, and doing these duties with the intensity and significance that ethic connotes. Ethical leaders speak directly to people about their identity and life conditions and they pay special attention to developing the people. Simply I would like to say ethical leaders are common people like us, who are leading their life as examples for people to live better. In this paper, I will explore the leadership style and methods of Robert Nardelli who was named Chief Executive Office of the Home Depot in 2001 (Ries, 2009). Robert Nardelli Leadership Style Home Depot Robert Nardelli presented many latest initiatives to the corporate world such as company-wide analytics, centralized buying and better information systems, these are important for the company to remain competitive. Anyhow, most of his changes results in reduced productivity, significant dissatisfaction, low morale, and high turnover. This result was considered as the most dissatisfaction of customers in retailing history (Brabec, 2006). On the American customer satisfaction index (ACSI), home depot had customer satisfaction scores of 74 in the year 2001. In 2005 anyhow, customer satisfaction score of home depot fell to 67, which was the worst performance on ACSI that year...
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...Task Two: Leadership Practices analysis Task Two: Leadership Practices analysis C200 Managing Organizations and Leading People C200 Managing Organizations and Leading People Table of Contents Section A1 | Leadership Style and Practices | | A1 A1a | Seven Habits Profile Seven Habits Profile and Reflection | | Section A2 | Evaluation of Leadership Practices | | A2a A2b A2c A2d | Leadership Strengths Leadership Weaknesses Theory Based Changes to Maximize Success SMART Goals | | Section B | Works Cited | | B1 | Reference Page | | February 5th 2016 Managing Organizations and Leading People TASK TWO: LEADERSHIPAND PRACTICES ANALYSIS A1. Leadership Style and Practices – Seven Habits Profile A1a. Seven Habits Profile Reflection In this paper I will reflect on my own leadership practices, starting with the results of my Seven Habits profile. Upon first viewing the results of the seven habits profile, the lowest scores caught my attention first. I saw that section 5, putting things first, was the lowest score at 10 points. I agree with the the seven habits profile, this is my biggest weakness when evaluated on the seven habits criteria. I can admit that sometimes I get lost in my work and forget about the things that really matter and the bigger picture. An article in People Management says that people who follow this habit well “recognize that not doing everything is okay. Evaluate...
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