Leadership is a combination of two main characteristics: the exerting influence over members of an organization and the help given to a group or organization to help it reach its goals. Good leaders are easy to spot in action because they are effective in both of these areas. Ineffective leaders cannot motivate themselves or their employees enough to influence productive behavior or to help the organization reach its goals. Managers give leadership influence to employees to change attitudes, learning, motivation, stress, and work group effectiveness. Research has shown that a good leader can stimulate behavioral change within employees of an organization and improve overall growth (George, & Jones, 2005, pg. 426).
Recently, I was appointed the supervisor for a clerical support assistant in my department. This is the first time I will be accountable for applying formal leadership authorities. To sufficiently fulfill this role, I have done some preliminary research on leadership theories and models and compared them to my own thoughts and feelings concerning leadership. The pros and cons list has helped me decide which theory fits best with my personality. TheoryProsCons Contingency Theory Building strong working relationships Outdated, variable levels of influential leadership Path-Goal Theory Leader is shown to be more effective because goals are more clearly defined Rewards are achieved as goals are accomplished Vroom & Yetton Model Employees are more likely to follow decisions made Longer decision making processes
Fred Fiedler developed the Contingency Theory of Leadership that determines types of leaders by their characteristics and the situations they find themselves in. The relationship-oriented leader will want to get along with their employees and thus will perform in a way which gains their adoration. This does not take away from the fact that they desire a high level of performance from their employees, but their top priority is to maintain good relationships. The top priority of a task-oriented leader is for their subordinates to complete all tasks and meet all goals. While both styles of leadership can be useful in different contexts, it is important to realize under Fiedler’s Contingency Theory it is next to impossible for a relationship-oriented leader to become a task-oriented leader and vice-versa (George, & Jones, 2005, pg. 381).
Under Fiedler’s theory, situational factors affect the manager’s ability to lead his/her subordinates easily towards high levels of attainment and performance. Leader-member relations affect the ability to lead because relationships must be conducive for learning from one another and for the subordinate to accept the leading actions of the manager. When employees do not trust their leaders it is difficult to learn from them. Task structure may also affect the ability of a manager to facilitate order through his/her subordinates. The goals that need to be achieved from any given task should be laid out for every group member to know and acknowledge. If the task is not defined, the outcome can not conclude to be exactly what the manager and team needs it to be. Finally, position power is the final factor affecting a manager’s ability to successfully lead his group to goal attainment. The manager must have the power to reward and punish the employees for doing their part within the project. If this power is void, it makes little sense for employees to follow the guidelines set forth by him or her. Hence, this makes it very hard for the leader to successfully motivate his or her subordinates (George, & Jones, 2005, pg. 381-382).
The Fiedler model might be considered a little outdated and several other leadership trends have arisen since his theories surfaced. Robert House developed the Path-Goal theory that describes how leaders motivate employees by the behaviors they engage them in. This process is established by determining what outcome the workplace is trying to attain. If there are specific goals to be met, designating what they are and a path to get there is important for this stage. At this level, the employee must also know what tasks need to be done and how to do them. Next rewarding the employees for performance at a high level that aims towards achieving these goals is important. This lets the employees know that their managers are watching and looking out for their wellbeing. Finally, making these employees as well as their coworkers believe that the type of behavior that will bring them to this goal attainment is possible and necessary. Expressing confidence in their abilities is important in motivating them to do their best and reach their goals (George, & Jones, 2005, pg. 385-386).
Victor Vroom and Philip Yetton developed their own leadership theory that recognizes the fact that employees will be more inclined to follow decisions of their managers if they are involved in the process. There are several decision making styles used within this type of leadership approach (George, & Jones, 2005, pg. 389-390). According to the U.S. Army Handbook from 1973, great leaders draw from a participative, delegative, and authoritarian leadership style. For example, when the employee is new, a more forceful approach may be appropriate with the authoritarian style. Employees that are familiar with their jobs and duties would benefit from a participative approach which allows them to interact and feel as though their ideas and thoughts are valued (Clark, 1997).
I think the best leaders are ones who draw their decisions from a participative approach. Creativity and ideas are drawn from a diverse audience. Although the leader is given the reigns and the power to control, set rules, reward, and punish, it seems more wise for them to take a step back and allow the team to come to a conclusion before rushing to make a decision. Great leadership can change attitudes and behaviors pending the decision-making process individual leaders use to reach their goals.
References:
Clark, D. (1997) Leadership Styles. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html
CTU Online. (Ed.). (ca. 2008). Phase 2 Course Material [multimedia presentation]. Colorado Springs, CO: CTU Online. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from CTU Online, Virtual Campus, MGM335 Organizational Behavior Principles: 0801B-04. Website: https://campus.ctuonline.edu/MainFrame.aspx?ContentFrame=/Classroom/course.aspx?Class=23719&tid;=39
George, J. and Jones, G. (2005). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. (4th ed.)Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Reference:
- George, J. and Jones, G. (2005). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior. (4th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
- www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html
