Leadership: Theories and Styles

Definition

• According to Koontz and O'Donnell:Leadership may be defined as the ability to exert the interpersonal influence by means of communication toward the achievement of a goal.

Features of Leadership 1. Followers2. Personal ability3. Influencing process4. No need coercion 5. Full capability utilization6. Ideal conduct7. Leadership is a continuing process8. A part of management but not all of it9. Is an ever a new process10. Is something a person does, not something he has11. Transforms the potential into reality.12. Leaders exist because of the need of the people to follow someone.

Importance of Leadership1. Employees perform 60% of their total capabilities because of the following

reasons:• Social pressure• Need for a job• Authority of superior2. Rest of the 40% is done with the help of the leadership, because leadership is:• Source of motivation• Basis of cooperation• Directing group activities• Promoting the spirit of coordination among the employees• Facility to executives• Fulfilling the social responsibility• Basis for success of business

Functions of a Leader

1. To define organizational goals2. Divide the work as per capability3. To guide the activities4. To maintain the discipline5. To create effective communication6. To understand the feelings of his subordinates7. To secure cooperation8. To represent the organization9. To make decisions10. To design environment as per result expectations

Theories of Leadership

1. Trait Theory-Bernard Teed2. Situation Theory-Hersey and Blenchard3. The Follower Theory-4. Behavioral Theory-Ray A. Killian5. Group Approach theory- Kurt Lewin6. X and Y Theory- Mc Gregor7. Path goal theory-Robert House8. Fred E. fiedler’s Contingency theory

Other Concerned Leadership Theories

• Continuum of leadership-Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H. Schmidt

• Management system of Likert-Rensis Likert• Management grid- Blake and Mounton

Trait Theory-Bernard Teed

1. The theory was propounded by Bernard and teed and further contributed by Stodgill;

2. A person a be a leader through his/her inborn traits and these traits can not be acquired.

3. Five categories of traits by Stodgill:a. Physical traits(5): Appearance, energy and heightb. Intelligence and ability traits (4): intelligence and scholarshipc. Personality traits: preparedness, enthusiasm, self confidenced. Task related traits: initiative and persistence.e. Social traits: cooperativeness, admin. ability

Trait Theory-Bernard Teed

• Criticism of Trait theory:1. Lack of uniformity2. Ignorance about situations3. Unclarity about degree of traits4. Problem of measuring the traits

Situation Theory-Leadership

• Situation determines the success of an individual to be a good leader or not to be a good leader.

• Criticism of Situation Theory:This theory is not complete itself. Gives very limited clarification about leadership.

The Follower Theory

• The leadership ability depends on the follower of the leader available.

1. Good leader-if good followers are available;2. Poor leader- if good followers are not available.• Criticism: The theory is incomplete or focused on only one

aspect.Followers are not only reason or the factor behind

the good leadership.

Behavioral Theory-Ray A. kalian

• Behavior of the leader should be ideal. Killian says a leader is may be a decision maker of the leader and the advisor. He should present an ideal behavior.

• Behavior of the leader is affected by many other factors: quality of leader, faith of followers, nature of the goal to be achieved and the environment available for the decision making.

• Criticism: it is not necessary that the person with the ideal behavior will always be a good leader.

• Ideal behavior is very difficult to defined.

Group Approach Theory-Kurt Lewin

• A person can be a good leader if he accepts the group norms of which he is a party and he wants to lead.

McGregor’s X and Y Theory

• X type of the people needs other’s exact direction- Hence X types of the leader forces and imposes his decisions on his followers.

• Y type of the people do not need other’s exact direction, they are capable and need just a few or the basic instructions or the guidance. Therefore the leader do not imposes the decisions on the followers.

Path Goal Theory-Robert House and Mitchell (!974)

• The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work environment in order to achieve a goal (House, Mitchell, 1974). The goal is to increase your employees' motivation, empowerment, and satisfaction so they become productive members of the organization.

Situational Leadership Theory-Hersey & Blenchard

• Also known as the life cycle leadership model.• Style of the leadership continuous to change with

a change in the maturity level of the employees• Level of maturity depends on the ability and the

willingness to do the task.• Ability refers to knowledge and the skill.• Willingness refers to the confidence and

commitment of the person to the job.

Leadership styles-Hersey and Blenchard

• He proposed two type of the behaviors and four leadership styles:

1. Task Behavior: giving the job related information to the employees and making them understood to the rules and the procedures of the organization.

2. Relationship Behavior: engagement to the environment and the mutual confidence with the friends and the family.

Four Leadership Styles-Hersey & Blanchard

1. Telling: High task and low relationship2. Selling: high Task and high relationship3. Participating : high relationship and low task4. Delegating: low relationship and low task.

Fiedler’s Leadership Contingency Theory

• Individual can not be a good leader only on the strength of the qualities, but situations and his relation with the group plays very important role in making him a leader;

1. Knowledge of type of leader2. Knowledge of situation3. Leader-member relations4. Leader situation match.

Leadership Styles1. Motivational:a. Positiveb. Negative2. Power Based:c. Autocraticd. Democratice. Free rein3. Result Based:f. Employee orientedg. Production oriented

Leadership as Continuum-Robert Tannenbaum

1. Take his all the decision and announce.2. Leader tells his decision.3. Leader presents his ideas and invites questions.4. Leader presents a tentative decision subject to change.5. Leader invites ideas before taking a final decision.6. Leader defines the limits within which the

subordinates take decisions.7. Leader permits the group to take decision according to

the situation.

Management System of Likert

He gave four major leadership style:1. Exploitative Authoritative: Only fear and

authority, a bureaucratic approach.2. Benevolent Authoritative: use of the fear and

carrot both, less but bureaucratic approach.3. Consultative: employees consult with the

managers.4. Participative: employees participate in the

decision making.

Management System of Likert

He gave seven variable those are connected with management:

1. Leadership2. Motivation3. Communication4. Interactive influence5. Decision-making6. Goal setting7. Control process

Management Grid-Blake and Mounton

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ProductionImprovised Task management

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Middle road management

Team management

Thank You!