Kay 235: Introduction to Management

Lecture 8Subject: Leadership

Reading: Starling, Chapter 8

Leadership

Lead and motivate people Obtain their active commitment to

a course of action Requires the knowledge of human

behavior and motivation People skills Diagnosing problems and taking

action

Leadership

Is often the single most critical factor in the success or failure of an endeavor Ataturk and the Turkish War of

Independence Winston Churchill and WWII

Leadership

Skills of Understanding what leadership

style(s) are effective in different situations

Managing communications within the organization

Working with the people, for the people

Leadership

The process of influencing the activities of a group for goal attainment

Contingency Approach: L=f(l,f,s). Leader Follower Situation (Circumstances,

resources…)

Leadership

Trait vs. Contingency approach Born with vs. Learned? Task vs. Relationship Behavior

Leadership

Why don’t we have enough leaders? Schools and employers tell young

people that we need more technicians and professionals than leaders

People are educated as technical advisors to leaders, not as leaders

Some Leadership Traits/Skills?

Transferable between situations Research on leadership is unable to produce only

one personality trait or set of qualities, but…related skills are:

Self-confidence Effective communication Intelligence Maturity Drive Pro-activity Objectivity Managing Groups

   Concern for task: Low 

 Concern for task: High

    Concern for people: High

Human relations style“Supporting” Upside: Trusts people and primarily concerned with developing them as individuals Downside: Harmony as the primary interest; doesn’t get the job done 

Participative style“Coaching”  Upside: Good in motivating others, prefers team management, compromises Downside: Poor decision-maker, allows various external influences to shape decisions

    Concern for people: Low

Hands off Style “Delegating” Upside: Delegates authority, primarily interested in rules and procedures Downside: Shirks from responsibility

Autocratic style“Directing” Upside: Knows what (s)he wants and how   Downside: Has no confidence in others; unpleasant

Leadership Styles Four basic leadership styles

Supporting (human relations) Coaching (participative) Delegating (hands off) Directing (autocratic)

Leadership Styles

The crucial point: The effectiveness of managers

depends on whether the style they use is appropriate for their situation

Right combination for the right situation

Leadership Styles

Variables to look at: Culture Nature of work Expectations Maturity of their

Superiors Subordinates Co-workers

Motivation in Organizations Management is a team activity Most people work at only 20-30% of

their ability If highly motivated, this can be increased

to 80-90% The importance: one of the two

primary ways to elicit better performance The other one: training

Motivation in Organizations Motivation Theories

Hawthorne effect Importance of informal groups

Maslow: Hierarchy of needs Physiological, security, social, self-

esteem, self-actualization Social: groupthink Lesson: Different people need

different treatment: Logic+Feelings

Motivation Theories

Theory X Theory Y

•Dislike work•Lack ambition•Irresponsible•Resistant to change•Prefer to be lead

•Willing to work•Willing to accept responsibility•Capable of self-direction and self-control•Capable of creativity

Communication

Its pivotal role The essence of communication Nonverbal language

Body language, tone, dressing…

Example: Babies

Communication

Common mistakes Goobledygook

Use circumlocution and jargon Hard to understand Missing opportunity to lead

Managing Groups Importance of Groups

Buffering: The crucial link between the individual and the larger organization

Fulfillment, friendship, protection

Efficiency/ Productivity concerns Downside: Groupthink

Stages of group development

Forming Getting acquainted Learning acceptable/ unacceptable

behaviors Storming

Disagreement over objectives and methods

Conflict and hostility

Stages of group development

Norming Resolving conflicts, emergence of

harmony Common vision, norms and values

Performing Accomplishing goals

Types of groups

Functional Groups The manager and her subordinates in

the formal chain of command The importance of group

cohesiveness Downside: Social deviants, social

isolates

Downsides of Functional Groups

Social deviants A person who is unwilling to follow an

important norm of the group Social isolates

Carried further, a member who fails to follow several norms of a group where other members are less tolerant

Types of groups

Task Forces For unfamiliar or complex problems Diversity of skills Made up of from many organizations/

departments Risks of interagency conflict

Managing Meetings

Meetings Is this meeting really necessary?

Are they going to decide on something? Let the agenda known in advance

With a list of attendees Are the participants ready to

contribute? Did they do their homework?

Leading Change

Organizational change The adoption of a new idea or behavior

by an organization Responding to the environment

through internal innovation and change Environmental forces

Clients, technology, economy, international arena…

Internal forces