Lecture 4: Leadership

Question 1

What is the definition of leadership?

Answer 1

Generally- the coordination of the actions of two or more individuals to accomplish joint goals and the process of influencing individuals and groups towards set goal
Athlete leadership- an athlete who has a formal/informal role in a team who influences a group of team members to achieve a common goal

Question 2

Formal leadership

Answer 2

When it is prescribed or awarded

Question 3

Informal leadership

Answer 3

Emerges due to interpersonal interactions, can be shared and measured using social network analysis. Informal leadership can be formal leaders. Most research focusses on formal leadership

Question 4

How can we use traits to inform leadership style?

Answer 4

Traits just provide a precondition and makes success more likely. The Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire has two dimensions the initiating structure which is task-oriented and consideration which is relations oriented (warmth and respect)

Question 5

Transactional leadership

Answer 5

• Involves contingent rewards (constructive transactions/exchanges with followers, clarifying expectations and rewards for meeting those).
• Management by exception active (monitoring follower behaviour, anticipating problems and making actions before it creates difficulties
• Management by exception passive (Waiting until the behaviour has created problems before taking action)

Question 6

Transformational leadership

Answer 6

• idealized influence (behaving in admirable ways so followers identify with them and appeal on an emotional level)
• inspirational motivation (Articulating a vision that is appealing and inspiring, Communicating optimism, providing meaning for tasks at hand)
• Intellectual stimulation (Stimulating and encouraging creativity in followers, Challenging assumptions, taking risks)
• Individual consideration (Attending to each follower’s needs, mentoring and coaching, listening to the follower’s concerns)

Question 7

What has research found about these styles?

Answer 7

• Both TAL (particularly contingent rewards) and TFL are positively linked to coach effectiveness
• TFL is positively associated with performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, satisfaction, and team cohesion
• Cohesion and intrinsic motivation mediate the association between TFL and performance

Question 8

Criticisms of TL

Answer 8

• unclear how these dimensions form TF or how dimensions are selected for inclusion or exclusion
• circular as effects and behaviours are the same (operationalization and effects the same)
• TF is similar to other dimensions of leadership

Question 9

What is abusive supervision/coaching behaviour?

Answer 9

The subordinate’s perception of the supervisor engaging in sustained display of hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviours excluding physical contact. Based on subjective perception of followers even if there is no intention to harm

Question 10

What are the consequences of abusive supervision/coaching?

Answer 10

• Short term effects: Higher willingness to cheat, lower inclusion
• Long-term effects: Higher player aggression, negative performance trajectory

Question 11

Multidimensional model of leadership in sports

Answer 11

Antecedents include: situational characteristics, leader characteristics and member characteristics
Leader behaviour: required behaviour, actual and preferred behaviour which leads to performance and satisfaction.
All of these interact with one another

Question 12

What is the ideal situation?

Answer 12

The required behaviour is aligned with the preference of the group member’s and leader’s behaviour. A match between the members’ preferences and coach style leads to higher satisfaction

Question 13

Social network analysis

Answer 13

This records the pattern of team interactions by rating each other through Round Robin assessments. The density is the number of networks there are and centralization is when there is a high density around one player

Question 14

What are the athlete leadership roles?

Answer 14

Task leader provides tactical instructions to teammates
Motivational leader encourages teammates to give their best
Social leader cares for a good team atmosphere outside the field
External leader handles communication with club management, media, stakeholders etc

Question 15

What has research found about athlete leadership roles with formal leadership?

Answer 15

Shared leadership in the team positively correlates with perceived coach leadership quality. Coach’s and team members’ informal leadership perceptions moderately overlap, with lowest overlap for social leaders

Question 16

What are the outcomes of athlete leadership?

Answer 16

Athlete leadership quality positively affects collective efficacy (effort, persistence, preparation, unity, team outcome confidence) through team identification

Question 17

What is the value of systematic behavioural assessment?

Answer 17

It allows you to analyze how coaching behaviours are related to athlete outcomes and identify behavioural patterns/problems of coaching. Provides a basis for interventions which gives starting points for behavioural changes and develop training material for coaches

Question 17

What are reactive behaviours?

Answer 17

Responses to desirable performance (positive and negative reinforcement) and mistakes/errors (mistake-contingent encouragement, mistake-contingent technical instructions, punishment, punitive technical instructions, ignoring)

Question 17

How can leadership perceptions affect behaviour?

Answer 17

Leadership behaviour is defined and operationalized through perceptions of favourable outcomes. Solution could be to look at observable leadership behaviour like the verbal and non-verbal visible conduct and interactions with followers

Question 17

Leader prototypes

Answer 17

These are beliefs about how a leader should look and behave. Can be used to infer the leader’s potential and ability based on judgements on appearance and nonverbal behaviour. Can often be accurate to predict real-world outcomes

Question 17

What has research looked at with leadership perceptions?

Answer 17

Looked at body movements, gestures, facial expression to assess leadership. They had 3 hypotheses: perceived expressiveness will positively predict perceived leadership success, perceived age will positively predict perceived leadership sucess and that perceived leadership will positively predict actual success

Question 18

What were the methods used in this study?

Answer 18

A thin slice approach was used (short clips) of various conductors. Sucess was measured by number of times they were searched, number of venues for performance and number of recognitions and awards. Participants categorized on famous/non-famous, expressiveness, perceived age, perceived skill, perceived speed

Question 18

What did results find?

Answer 18

• perceived skill, conducting speed, years of experience were not significantly associated with perceived success
• perceived age and perceived expressiveness were positively linked with perceived success
• perceived success was strongly and positively correlated with actual success/fame

Question 19

Describe what is meant by expressive and instrumental function of leaders

Answer 19

The instrumental function of leaders focuses on the accomplishment of group tasks, emphasizing goal achievement and tactical decision-making. In contrast, the expressive function is concerned with interpersonal relationships, promoting team cohesion and addressing conflicts among team members. This distinction highlights that leaders can either drive performance or foster a supportive team environment, and both functions are essential for effective leadership in sports teams

Question 20

How are leadership roles distributed and how does this related to functioning?

Answer 20

The four different roles of leadership—task leader, motivational leader, social leader, and external leader—are typically distributed among various athletes within a team. Research indicates that teams with differentiated leadership roles, where different athletes occupy these roles, tend to function more optimally. Specifically, having multiple leaders within a specific role correlates with higher task and social cohesion, suggesting that role differentiation enhances overall team dynamics and effectiveness

Question 21

What the dimensions of the leadership scale?

Answer 21

(1) Training and Instruction, (2) Democratic Behavior, (3) Autocratic Behavior, (4) Social Support, and (5) Positive Feedback. These dimensions relate to both formal and informal leadership by providing a framework for understanding how different leadership styles can impact team dynamics and performance. For example, training and instruction are often associated with formal leadership roles, while social support may be more prevalent among informal leaders

Question 22

Informal vs formal leadership roles

Answer 22

Informal athlete leaders often emerge organically within teams and can significantly influence team dynamics, sometimes even more than formal leaders like team captains. Studies have shown that in many teams, informal leaders are perceived as the best leaders in motivational and social roles, while captains may excel in task and external leadership roles. This shared leadership model indicates that both formal and informal leaders contribute to the team's success, with informal leaders often providing essential peer support and guidance

Question 23

Why are informal leaders seen as cultural leaders in teams?

Answer 23

they shape the team's culture and mindset through their interactions and behaviors. They can either support or undermine the formal leaders' decisions, influencing the overall team atmosphere and cohesion. Their ability to foster relationships and promote a positive team culture makes them crucial in establishing shared values and norms within the group

Question 24

What are the 2 main responsibilities of leaders?

Answer 24

(1) to ensure that the needs and aspirations of team members are fulfilled, and (2) to ensure that the demands of the organization or club are satisfied, thereby maintaining the team's effectiveness in achieving its goals and objectives

Question 25

Examples of motivational leadership

Answer 25

include encouraging teammates, providing emotional support, and fostering a positive team atmosphere. These behaviors are essential for motivating players, especially during challenging situations, and contribute to overall team morale and performance

Question 26

How and why are leaders in teams relevant to social identity?

Answer 26

Effective identity-based leadership involves four dimensions: (1) shared social identity, (2) leader-follower relationships, (3) group cohesion, and (4) the ability to inspire and motivate team members. These dimensions highlight how leaders can enhance team unity and a sense of belonging among members