Becoming an Effective Leader

The situational leadership theory is one of the theories that consider the leader function which suggests that there is no “one size fits all” approach to leadership. Depending on the situation, varying levels of “leadership” and “management” are necessary. However, leaders must first identify their most important tasks or priorities. Second, leaders must consider the readiness level of their followers by analysing the group’s ability and willingness. Depending on the level of these variables, leaders must apply the most appropriate leadership style to fit the given situation. Among the theories that suggest the role of a leader to promote the organisational group behaviours the Fred Fielder model which has introduced in 1960s and called the ‘contingency theory of leadership” in which the main idea of this early theory is that leadership effectiveness (in terms of group performance) depends on the interaction of two factors: the leader 's task or relations motivations and aspects of the situation. This is measured through the Least Preferred Co-worker scale (LPC) which has been set up to measure the leaders to identify a an individual they work with least well and to characterize this individual with ratings on a series of 8-point bipolar

1.2 Explain why these leadership styles or behaviours are likely to have a positive or negative effect on individual and group behaviour

A1. Leadership Style Upon conducting research, it is clear that the definition of “leadership” is not agreed upon. It is fluid, based upon many perceptions, situations, and surroundings. According to Robinson (2010), adopting a specific style of leadership is rather futile as it is, “contingent on the personal traits of the leader, the people being led, and the nature of the activity.” Tools are available to help guide potential leaders in determining a preferred style of leadership. For example, utilizing the “Leadership Self-Assessment

Trait theories were based upon a person having the right traits to be selected to be a leader while behavioral theories of leadership were base upon the idea that a person could be taught to be a leader. Charismatic leaders have four key characteristics which are: having a vision, willing to

This research focuses on four leadership styles that have been used within the organization. These styles play apart in the success of objectives and tasks being accomplished.

The trait approach is clearly flawed because it only takes into account one side of leadership; however, it does provide valuable insight on the leadership side. Trait theory provides an outline for feedback. Subordinates can quickly pick up on qualities that a leader does or does not have. This feedback can provide individuals with a good understanding of where they stand as a leader. Simple surveys such as the leadership trait questionnaire can be conducted to translate feedback into tangible evidence. I have distributed this questionnaire and collected results for myself to grasp my perceived leadership trait levels. For my example as a plebe, I had a clear perception of where the firstie stood as a leader. I unconsciously recognized many leadership traits without having a solid understanding of what I saw. This illustrates the nature of the approach. It identifies people who have demonstrated leadership traits and has no description for how a leader should act in an environment or situation. It is extremely easy to conceptualize but fails to take the leadership situation and context into account. The trait approach provides important concepts to better understand leadership but is clearly is not enough be used exclusively as a guiding theory.

The questions regarding what makes a great leader, are they born that way, is there certain behaviors that can be taught, and can one switch from one style of leadership to another, are addressed from multiple perspectives. Three main schools of thought, trait theory, behavioral theory and contingency theory, work to explain the social phenomena of leadership. Though they pull from psychological theories, they each contribute valuable pieces that strives to solve the riddle of what makes or constitutes a great leader. However, this riddle may be far less complex, as John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” (Adams,

This is the essence of the managerial grid defined by Blake and Mounton (1964)which sugest five key leadership styles .

Leadership skills is very important. Three skills that made this leader a great one, is the ability to lead effectively. This can be applied to any situation where a person is required to take the lead, professionally, socially and at home in family settings.

Leadership skills are an essential element to the development of effective leaders. Some leaders have natural abilities while others are thrust into a position of leadership and develop on the way. Ultimately I believe great leadership skills are derived from values, beliefs and skills in relaying those values and beliefs to the people around them. With effort we can all develop the key elements to ultimately motivate and effectively lead any team to success.

There are multiple leadership styles and approaches to being an exceptional leader. Leadership has several functions, but honest behavior versus dishonest behavior has its rewards and consequences. A leader needs to possess the integrity to be effective for the long term in the corporate atmosphere. The market conditions create ethical difficulties and create hurdles for leaders throughout decision making. In the given synopsis, the AIG Company had guaranteed to pay bonuses to executives. But the financial circumstances had negatively affected the business. Therefore, it would be impracticable to give bonuses due to the economic crisis in the firm. Despite leaders arguing that bonuses should be paid based on the commitment established by the

Autocratic leadership is a classical leadership style with the following characteristics: manager seeks to make as many decisions as possible, manager seeks to have the most authority and control in decision making, manager seeks to retain responsibility rather than utilise complete delegation , consultation with other colleagues in minimal and decision making becomes a solitary process managers are less concerned with investing their own leadership development, and prefer to simply work on the task at hand. Whereas Democratic Leadership is the leadership style that promotes the sharing of responsibility, the exercise of delegation and continual consultation. The style has the following characteristics: manager seeks consultation on all

My understanding of leadership behaviors was, at best, shallow prior to reading about it in this chapter. I knew that leadership behavior was what leaders did, but didn’t think about how different leaders behave, or how I behaved in leadership. Needless To Say, I discovered a couple things about leadership behaviors: that there is task and

The style of leadership varies with every individual. It has been stated that today’s successful leaders have created in their organizations an atmosphere where every employee believes in management, their strategy and the importance of their individual contributions in achieving the organizations goal. Blake Mouton’s Managerial Grid is a model using in identifying leadership style that is based on the concept that there are two behavioural dimensions: concern for people which can be defined as the degree to which leaders are aware of and consider the needs of their staff, their skill sets and development potential when making decisions about specific tasks to be completed. The

There are always chances and possibilities to become a good leader regardless the odds against you, gender, age, race, education, previous experience, etc. This paper defines what leadership is and it explains the relationship between leadership and influence. It also highlights the importance of finding opportunities to develop skills and creating strong to become a good leader. It is also emphasized the power of influence that comes from motivating your team, to improve performance and satisfaction and that setting a clear goal is mandatory for good leadership. The conclusion summarizes all the topics under discussion.