What is a leadership style?The way a leader leads.

What are the different styles?AutocraticDemocraticLaissez-Faire

AutocraticThe leader has complete authority and control.

Tells group members what to doSecures dependence upon him/herselfGives instructions and others carry them outConscious of his/her position and authorityGroup work is rareBelieves that others cannot be trusted with large tasksExpects and secures discipline and immediate

acceptance of all ordersUrges group members to bring their problems to

him/her and takes interest in all of the decision making

NOT JUST LOUD, ANGRY, AND UNREASONABLE!

LEADER

M M M MM

AUTOCRATIC

DemocraticThe entire group shares in decision making.

Shares decision making with the groupDevelops participation, opinion giving, and decision

making as much as possibleClear-cut and good communicationPraise and criticism are given objectivelyEncourages worthwhile suggestionsHigh degree of teamworkLeads to the development of independent leadership

NOT JUST CHEERFUL, OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, AND ARTIFICIAL!

LEADER

M

MM

M

M

M

M

M

DEMOCRATIC

Laissez-faireThe leader exerts little influence or control.

Leader sits back and gives the group controlLittle communicationSets no clear goals for the groupDoes not make decisions or help the group

arrive at decisionsLow group productivityLittle team work or group cohesionExpectations are left to individual group

membersNOT JUST LAZY, UNINVOLVED, AND DETACHED!

LEADER

MMMM

LAISSEZ – FAIRE

Dissecting Leadership StylesWithin the three categories of leadership style,

there are more narrowly defined styles.Joining Leader

-tends to guide, not to rule, and encourages group decisions-Submerges his/herself in the group’s identity-participates as group member and agrees with the group’s decisions; allows for individual recognition

Delegating Leader-defines a problem and then turns it over to the group to work through a solution-sets few guidelines; is identified as a resource for the group-often does not announce his or her own ideas

Consulting Leader-give group members a chance to influence the decision-presents a problem and then asks for ideas to solve it-may offer a tentative solution to gauge the group’s reaction-encourages the group to increase the number of alternatives to be considered-selects the solution that he/she regards as most promising

Persuading Leader-makes decisions without consulting the group; tries to persuade the group members to accept it-describes how the decision fits the interests of the groups and its individual members

Telling Leader-makes a decision and tells the group members what they are to do-assigns roles to members-relies primarily on his/her own judgment-may or may not consider how the group feels about the decision

Which is best?IT DEPENDS ON:

Group sizeMeeting formality and purposeFamiliarity of group members

Which style?Telling & Persuading leaders are most effective in

large groupspassive groupsgroups which meet infrequently, and/or when a group decision or deadline must be met

quickly.Consulting leaders are most effective in

large groupsmotivated groupsrepresentative groups, and/or organized groups.

Which style?Delegating & Joining leaders are most effective in

small groupshighly motivated groupsgroups with a high tolerance for ambiguitygroups with a relatively strong need for independencegroups where the members understand and identify

with the goals of the organizationgroups where the members have the necessary

knowledge and experience to deal with problems and/or groups where the members expect to share in the

decision making.

Dimensions of LeadershipThe willingness to lead (“desire to lead”)

“Do I want to take the lead?”Ability to accomplish the tasks and achieve

the goals of the group (“task ability”)“Do I have the right people with the right skills

to achieve our goals?”Ability to establish and maintain cordial and

socially-satisfying relationships in the group (“social ability”)“Do I care whether or not people like me?”

SupportingPraise, listen, and facilitate

For people who have:High CompetenceVariable Commitment

CoachingGuide and support

For people who have:Some CompetenceSome Commitment

DelegatingTurning over responsibility for day-to-day decision-making

For people who have:High CompetenceHigh Commitment

DirectingStructure, control, and

supervise

For people who have:Low CompetenceHigh Commitment

Situational LeadershipSituational Leadership

Situational Leadership StylesDirecting style – is for people who lack competence but are

enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started.

Coaching style – is for people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build self esteem, and involvement in decision-making to restore their commitment.

Supporting style – is for people who have competence, but lack confidence and motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster confidence and motivation.

Delegating style – is for people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by themselves with little supervision or support.

The 2 C’sCompetence – is a function of knowledge

and skills, which can be gained from education, training, and/or experience

Commitment – is a combinations of confidence and motivation. Confidence is a measure of a person’s self-assuredness – a feeling of being able to do a task without much supervision, whereas motivation is a person’s interest in and enthusiasm for doing a task well.

Leader’s BehaviorDirective behavior – involves clearly telling

people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, and then closely supervising their performance.

Supportive behavior – involves listening to people, providing support and encouragement for their efforts, and then facilitating their involvement in problem-solving and decision-making.

The Changing Roles of Leadership Leadership happens when anyone in the

group does or says something that moves the whole group further toward any of these three goals:The accomplishment of a taskThe resolution of internal group problemsThe ability of the members to work together

effectively as a group

A Good LeaderInvolves everyone in the group and maintains

productivity. People tend to support what they help create.Creates a feeling of ownership.

Views leadership as service. This creates an atmosphere of trust that helps the group accomplish its tasks.Serves for the good of the group.

Helps the group to see how it can deal with internal conflicts that may disrupt meetings, slow down accomplishments or goals, or alienate group members.Avoids pointing blame.

Encourages the group to accept conflict as a natural group occurrence and to discuss and work through it so that members can return to the tasks at hand.Establishes an environment of growth.

In short, a good leader may serve as aFacilitatorAdviserObserverConsultantTeacherParticipant/group member

Hazards of LeadershipBeware of the following mistakes:

Loving the feeling of “being in charge” and becoming an autocratic leader who misuses the position.

Becoming carried away with your own importance and losing sight of the group’s goals.

Failing to listen to the advice of others with experience.Trying too hard and becoming involved in too many

things.Failing to organize.Becoming frustrated by the group members; not all

group members will respond to the same motivating techniques.

Tips for successful leadership1. Match the task to the capabilities of the

group member.2. Involve different people.3. Delegate tasks.4. Monitor progress.5. Admit mistakes.6. Evaluate the task.7. Use criticism effectively.8. Express appreciation.