Perceptions of Leadership - Coursework Example

Perceptions of Leadership Perceptions of Leadership a) How do follower perceptions affect a leader’s style? Followers’ perceptions play a leading role in determining the type of leadership one is to adopt. This is because followers’ actions or behaviors which reflect their perceptions are in relation to the type of leadership in an organization. If followers in an organization perceive leaders as accountable for making decisions, then they are less likely to be active in decision making process, thereby forcing the top management to adopt a different leadership style (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2012).

Such employees may also expect leaders to motivate them rather than motivating themselves. If on the other hand followers’ perception instigates them to motivate themselves in order to achieve the set goals, leaders may end up collaborating with the followers hence adopting a completely new leadership style. b) How might you best assess follower perceptions of your leadership style? Leaders can best assess follower perceptions of their leadership style in a number of ways. One of the most effective strategies is by carrying out a survey or giving them questionnaires to fill.

The questionnaire should contain questions that would help the leaders establish the level of satisfaction followers have on their leadership style (Bolton & Veldkamp, 2013). The questions should also be open so that followers can criticize and fully express their attitude towards the type of leadership in an organization. However, they should not require them to fill their personal information like names and contact. Other strategies include observing followers behaviors though this method may be less effective.c) What can/should a leader do when the perceptions of the followers are not aligned with the leader’s self-perceptions?

In case the perception of the leader is not aligned with that of the followers, he or she should try adjusting his or her perception as well as that of the followers so that they can reach to a balance. However, this should apply in case the perception of the followers is effective and worthwhile. If their perception is ineffective, leaders should focus on gradually introducing the necessary change while giving the followers adequate time to adapt (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2012). d. Why do you believe this assessment method to be the best option?

Assessing followers’ perception by making them fill survey questions that are open is the best method because it would give the followers a chance to freely express themselves without any intimidation. This method has been proven to be effective by many researchers particularly if the followers are assured of privacy and that they cannot be victimized. Other methods like observing followers’ behaviors may not be effective because followers would pretend when they realize that they are being assessed (Bolton & Veldkamp, 2013).

ReferencesBolton, P., Brunnermeier, M. K., & Veldkamp, L. (2013). Leadership, coordination, and corporate culture. The Review of Economic Studies, 80(2), 512-537. Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2012). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.