Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Most research on leadership and organization point out that organisations are operating in a
complex and dynamic environment. This challenge is often cited as the reason for organization to
undergo transformation so that they stay relevant but this transformation requires leadership.
Leaders in organization by virtue of their influence in an organization are in good position to
play the role of transformation. So leadership plays a critical role in the organization success
A leader is someone who establishes a direction and influences other people to follow that
established direction.
Leadership is defined as the process of influencing others to work willingly towards goals, to the
best of their capabilities, perhaps in a manner different from that which they would otherwise
have chosen
Leadership means willing followership
Styles of leadership.
As suggested by Tannembaum and schimdt, they categorized leadership styles into four
categories dictatorship, Autocratic, Democratic, and Laize-faire. While D. Hersey and
Blanchard also suggested four styles as Telling, selling, Participating, and delegation. The two
categoriesof leadership styles are the same but the difference lies in the wordings used.
Dictatorship (Telling). This involves total domination of the followers by the leaders. The leader
gives specific directions on how to do and what to do without any question from the follower.
Under the dictatorship the followers are always inexperienced, unskilled, unaware of their rights.
Dictatorship has the following advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Laissez-faire (delegation). A leader has little control over followers. A leader leaves followers to
control themselves and tackle their problems. So a leader sets goals but gives little directives or
support in achieving them. But he remains accountable and over sees their activities.
Advantages
Ideal when leading a team which is highly motivated, skilled and experienced.
Disadvantages
THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP.
Theories of leadership are categorised in to three categories as traits theory, behavioral, and
situational theories.
1. TRAITS THEORY
This states that there are certain characterize or traits that make someone a leader. Genetics play
a big role in the acquisition of these traits or characteristics. These traits include intelligence,
aggressiveness, self confidence, and objectiveness. This means that if you desire effective leaders
select people with the right genetically endowered characteristics.
Strength of traits theory
Its important for selection of leadership candidates who may need further development. No one
is born a leader but a person with the right traits can improve on the traits.
Weakness of the traits theory
The list of traits required for effective leadership is quite long and often contain contradictory
traits of which a few may emerge to differentiate leaders from non leaders
Theory does not explain why people with the same set of leadership traits in the same
organization do become leaders and in case of twins, they may all became leaders or only one
might became a leader.
The implication of trait theory for a society is that we select people with the right traits to
become leaders but the demand for leadership in society exceeds the supply of genetically
qualified leaders. This implies a need for society to develop leaders to fill the gap brought about
by genetic limitation.
2. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES
These include Tannembaum and schimdt, Ohio State of leadership model,
Tannembaum & schimdt.
Developed in 1958, they asserted that leadership behavior ranges from dictatorship on one end to
Laize-faire on the other end. Here authority exercised by leaders will always verse freedom
exercised by followers. They indentified four leadership styles as dictatorial, autocratic,
democratic, and Laize-faire. This ranges from boss- centered to subordinate centered.
Dictatorial
Autocratic
Democratic
Laize-faire
For strength and weakness refer to the strength and weakness of each of the above leadership
style as discussed earlier
9
8
7
6
5
4
PEOPLE
3
2
1
1
LOW
PRODUCTION
9
HIGH
A Improvished manager. The manager is lazy who shows little concern for employee or work.
B Country club manager. The manager has attentive relationship with employee needs, but
pays little attention to result / production.
C Team manager. Shows high attention to employees needs, relationship and also focuses on
result / production. He achieves much in leading a well motivated and committed staff and also
achieves performance.
D Middle road manager. This manager balances the necessity of getting work done and
concern for employees needs
E Task oriented manager. Exhibits high concern for production while vertically ignoring
employee needs.
Legal-rational authority system. A leader`s authority is derived from society`s belief in laws that
govern it.
Charismatic authority systems. Authority of a leader is derived from society`s belief in
exemplary characteristics of a leader
Strength of charismatic
Empowers employees
Creates commitment
Creates high level of performance
Limitation of charismatic
The concept is vague and illusive. Is charisma born or learnt? Which charismatic leader
should we follow
Give false impression of magical leadership
Transactional and transformational (McGregor burns model)
McGregor burns a scientist and political historian, he explains that followers are central to a
leader because followers involve themselves in negotiation central to transaction of power,
secondly because followers have minds hence developing concept of transactional and
transformation
Transaction. Here a leader and follower negotiate a transaction which results into course
of action or decision. The leader in most cases use rewards to motivate followers. The
focus is on routine performance agreed upon by leader and follower. There is usually
close supervision and reward upon performance.
Transformational. Here a leader broadens and elevates the interest of followers, generates
awareness and acceptance of the purpose of organization and move follower to look
beyond their interests for good of others.
Comparison between transaction and transformation
TRANSACTION
1. Focuses on controlling
TRANSFORMATION
1. Focuses on empowering
2. Motivates extrinsically
3. Commitment results from reward
4. What is good for leader / follower is also
good for organization
2. Motivates intrinsically
3. Commitment is personalized
4. Whatever is ideal for organization is ideal
for leader / follower
This theory assumes that leadership behavior and effectiveness is based upon one major
situational factor that is readiness or maturity of followers to act. Hersey and
Blanchard
identified four major leadership style as telling, selling, participating, and delegating. They go
ahead to say that the effectiveness of the above leadership styles depends on four possible levels
of maturity of follower
STYLE
FOLLOWERS MATURITY
Telling
Selling
Participating
Delegating