Leadership Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is a leader?
People that can inspire and motivate people to meet objectives
Somebody who sees opportunity and puts change in motion
What is leadership?
The ability to influence and direct people in order to meet the goals of a group
Traits of a leader
Adaptable Assertive Decisive Dominant Persistent Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility
Why is leadership important as the business grows?
- The organisation gets more complicated, it’s structure evolves
• Flatter + greater delegation
• Decision making more complex
• Coaching support and empowerment - Change is becoming a constant feature of business life
• Soft skills to ensure fast adaption changes
Difference between leaders and managers
LEADERS
- inspire people
- build relationships
- take risks
- have followers
MANAGERS
- enact the plan
- use their authority
- manage risks
- have subordinates
Traits of managers
Directing and monitoring others Problem solver Official position of responsibility Accepts and conforms to the norms of the business Plans Organised Co ordinates Maintains Has employees
Senior manager
- Set corporate objectives and strategic direction
- Responsibility towards shareholders
Middle manager
- Accountable to senior manager
- Run business functions
Junior manager
- Accountable to middle management
- Supervise
- Monitor and control day to day tasks
- Manage teams of workers
McGregor Theory X
- Employees dislike work
- Prefer to be directed, avoid responsibility and have little ambitions
- Need to be controlled
McGregor Theory Y
- Employee want to work
- Employee want responsibility , provided appropriate rewards
- Employee are generally quite creative
4 types of leadership
Authoritarian
Paternalistic
Democratic
Laissez faire
Autocratic characteristics
Power focus is leader Top down communication Command and control Rewards/ penalties Little delegation Payment by results Recruitment based on skills Appraisal linked to pay
Paternalistic characteristics
Softer form of autocratic leader Parent/ child relationship Consultative Focus on training/ appraisal Salary + fringe benefits
Democratic characteristics
Power focus is with the group Multi way communication Leadership functions is shared (decision making) Consultation and delegation Salary + Employee shareholding
Laissez- fairs characteristics
Leadership functions delegated consciously
Decision making at management and employee level
Close to abdication
Charismatic leadership
- Connect with audiences • set optimistic goals • use analogies • use rhetorical questions • contrast right/ wrong - Get others to buy their ideas
Charismatic leadership issues
Managers heap the praise
Media accolades
Hubris/ nemesis (narcissism issues)
Transformational leadership
- Brought in specifically to head an organisation when it is in flux or embarking significant changes • strong vision • passion to sell vision • enthusiasm as optimism • openness (to stimulate innovation)
Situational leadership
- Based on the notion that leaders adapt to each situation faced
• apply different leadership skills depending on situation and employees
• favour teamwork, co operation
• recognise and accept culture
• make individual development a priority for employees
Factors affecting leadership
Span of control- how many people is he controlling or how many people to inspire)
Nature of leader- is he good at being autocratic?
Nature of task- is it simple or complex
Nature of subordinates- do they have training/ skills to help make decisions?
Transformational leadership issues
Little evidence of its specific effectiveness
Situational leadership issues
Lack of internal consistency
Ambiguity
