Leadership

• Process - use of non-coercive influence to direct and energize others to behaviorally commit to the leader’s goals

• Characteristic behaviors - the creation of vision and goals and the motivating of others to obtain voluntary commitment

Leadership is both a process and a set of characteristic behaviors

Fiedler Contingency Theory of Leadership Effectiveness

• Premise: There must be a match between

the leader’s style and the demands of the

situation for the leader to be effective.

• Assumption: Leadership style does not

change. If a mismatch occurs between style

and the situation, change the situation.

• Leadership is defined by the primary source of

motivation for the leader as determined by

responses to a survey called the Least Preferred

Co-worker Scale (LPC):

– relationship-motivated leader (high LPC)

– task-motivated leader (low LPC)

– independence motivated leader (middle LPC)

Take a Look at Your Leadership Style

• Fiedler’s Least Preferred Co-worker Scale

• Are you a high or low LPC?

• Do you agree with the survey results?

Situation defined in terms of three variables

1 Leader-Member

Relations

2 Subordinate Task

Structure

3 Position Power

1 Leader-Member Relations

•Acceptance of leader by subordinates

•Acceptance of leader by peers•Support from superiors

2 Subordinate Task Structure

• Is the goal of the task clearly stated or known?

• Is there only one way to accomplish the task?

• Is there only one correct answer or solution?

• Is it easy to check whether the job was done right?

(Note: Leader experience increases task structure.)

3 Position Power

The extent to which the leader possesses:– reward – punishment

and/or – legitimate

power.

Outcomes

• Leader Effectiveness - performance of the group

in relation to other similar groups.

• If there is a match between the leader’s style and

the situational determinants, the leader will be

effective

Good \/ Poor

Structured Unstructured Structured Unstructured

High Low High Low High Low High Low

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Very Moderately Veryfavorable favorable unfavorable

Task-oriented Person-orientated Task-orientedLow LPC High LPC Low LPC(quad. 1-3) (quad. 4-6) (quad. 7-8)

Leader-MemberRelations

Task Structure

Position Power

Quadrant

Situationalfavorableness

MatchingLeaderStyle

Path-Goal Theory

• Premise: The leader’s responsibility is to clarify the path that subordinates need to take to obtain work-related goals.

• Assumption: Leaders can change styles and are astute in assessing situational contingencies.

Leadership is defined in terms of four styles

– Directive - gives directions– Supportive - shows concern– Achievement - emphasizes

excellence– Participative - involves

subordinates

Situation

• Subordinate Attributes:– Authoritarianism– Internal-external orientation– Ability

• Work-Setting Attributes– Task– Formal authority system– Primary work group

Outcomes• Job Satisfaction

– Job leads to valued rewards• Acceptance of Leader

– Leader leads to valued rewards• Motivational behavior

– Expectancy that effort leads to performance– Instrumentality that such a performance is the

path to valued rewards

NOTE: Desired outcomes can be obtained if the leader correctly matches style with the situation

Vroom, Yetton, Jago’s Model of Leadership Decision Making

• Premise: Effective leaders know when to

involve subordinates in decision making.

• Assumptions: Leaders can change their

decision styles; participation in decision

making leads to commitment to that

decision; and participation in structured

decisions is wasteful.

Leadership is defined in terms of degree of subordinate participation

in decision making

• autocratic

• consultative

• group

Situation is defined in terms of:

• Problem or decision attributes – Technical quality – Structure of the problem/decision

• Leader’s level of information about the problem

• Subordinate commitment, information and goal orientation

Outcomes

High quality decisions that elicit subordinate commitment.

Effective Leaders Use Political Skills Ethically

Political Skills Survey (Perrewe, et. al, 2004 – Academy of Management Journal)

(1 = strongly disagree; 7 = strongly agree)• I find it easy to envision myself in the position of

others• I am able to make most people feel comfortable

and at ease around me• It is easy for me to develop good rapport with

most people• I understand people well• I am good at getting others to respond positively

to me• I usually try to find common ground with others.

Comparative Sample230 Employees (50% managers)

Add up responses – divide by 6

Average Score – 3.76S.D. - .62Alpha = .71

Transformational Leadership

Premise: Implementing organizational change is the major challenge that present and future leaders face in the rapidly changing global business environment

Transformational leadership occurs when the leader:

• broadens and elevates the interests of their employees

• generates awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of the group

• stirs employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the good of the group

Characteristics of the Transformational Leader

creates and articulates a vision sets high expectations serves as a role model energizes others demonstrates personal excitement demonstrates charisma

expresses confidence uses success to celebrate progress

toward vision facilitates change expresses personal support demonstrates empathy by listening,

understanding, etc. expresses confidence in people

A Survey of Corporate Leadership – Team Discussion

• Examine the characteristics of the transformational leader as well as the lists generated by executives from the handout (A Survey of Corporate Leadership)

• As a team, select one leader (someone’s boss, a public corporate leader, a friend, yourself, etc.)

• Analyze the leader– Is he/she transformational? Does she/he follow

the 10 commandments?

The Alternative to Effective Leadership