Leadership Styles Issues - Essay Example

Leadership Styles Name of Student Name of Course Name of Class Date of Submission Leadership Styles Leadership has been defined by several scholars differently and the research still goes on as there has never been one specific meaning to it. However, the ability to lead others by influence in order to achieve a certain goal can be termed as leadership (Darling, 2007). This can only be done with the support and help of the people being led “The inherent value of communication as a key function of leadership is more than theoretical. Effective communication skills are among the most coveted skills in any organization” (Maes, Weldy and Icenogle, 1997; Reinsch and Shelby, 1997). This paragraph determines our thesis which is; what defines good and effective leadership? This will be analysed below. Leadership tasks require at least four different kinds of human beings: The analyser who is the thought person, the Director who is the action person, The Creator or the front person and the connector who is the people person. It is therefore necessary to find the strengths of each personality and exploit them for the benefit of the group (Drucker, 1973). “Research suggests that 90% of a leader's day is spent communicating with others” (Barker, 1981; Klemmner and Snyder, 1972; Nellermoe, Weirich, and Reinstein, 1999). Compare and/or contrast the merits (and/or drawbacks) of at least two of the leadership styles discussed in Darling & Leffel's article. Then choose one of these styles and present an argument for why it should be considered the LEAST effective. You should use corroborative evidence (such as concrete examples of the leadership styles in use) to support your claims Interpersonal behaviors sum up an individual’s interactive leadership style. Leadership styles are more about someone’s acts rather than the inherent personality. Some questions that people should ask before determining their group leader are; is the person commanding or do they ask questions? Do they analyze issues first before giving a response or are they quick to just offer answers? Do they avoid confrontation or deal with issues as they are presented to them? Are they fixed on certain principles or are they flexible depending on what comes up? There are several scholars that have attempted to answer these questions and they had four categories of leaders, the Directors, Connectors, Creators and Analyzers (Bennis, 1998). “An entrepreneur is an innovator who recognizes and seizes opportunities; converts those opportunities into workable and marketable ideas; adds value through time, effort, money, skills and other resources; assumes the risks of the competitive marketplace to implement those ideas; and realizes the rewards from those efforts” (Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2004). Furthermore, researchers have established that flexibility by adapting to the current situation may go a long way in determining the success of a leader. One who is able to consider other options different from what they are used to suit a certain case will go a long way (Birkman, 1995). “It is also about leading and thereby helping associates create new opportunities that give them hope for the future” (McLagan and Nel, 1995). A good example of an analyser who had to change is Kristine Johnson who had to adjust her way of leadership to accommodate Charles Newman. However, this also meant that while working with the rest of the group members she had to also shift her leadership style for their case. Moreover, Newman also had to adjust his leadership style in order to work well with Kristine and in effect team building was enhanced in Med Tech (Bolton, 1984). An analyser has low levels of responsiveness and assertiveness. They approach their responsibilities in a systematic manner by being precise and deliberate. In case of problem situations, they hardly entertain compromise. Most analysers end up choosing career in finance, law, accounting and engineering (Day, 1999). “He understood the premise that great entrepreneurial management leadership and communication effectiveness were at least as important as great innovative products” (Brady, 2004) On the other hand, directors are highly assertive and respond poorly to emotions. They are motivated by tasks since they have a clear picture of where they want the organization to go and as a result also want to achieve things individually. They are brief and concise in their communication. A good example of a director in history would have to be Sir Winston Churchill. He had a natural ability to command people. As a result all his ideas on the fighting armies during the Second World War were successful (Scholasticus, 2010). People with this leadership style are in the top ranks in organizations since they make decisions fast. In addition, they are firm with their decisions since they collect information analyse it then give their choice (Darling, 2004). “And the most important choice that an individual makes is the decision of what he/she thinks about--a focus of behaviour and communication. Stated more precisely, the precursor to every action is considered by many to be a thought” (Dyer, 2004). They are full of authority as they implement their duties while trying to get everyone to perform them. Directors are well organized, objective and very hard working. They prefer to analyse things in a realistic way rather than handle them emotionally. Caution and self control are the two characteristics that define a director. They can come out as forceful, confident and decisive especially when in crisis situations. However, they are quite impatient and this can breed conflict but directors ensure that everyone knows they are in charge. Most company C.E.Os are known to be directors by leadership design because they have an adventurous personality by taking risks for the company yet in the long run, the company benefits (Darling, 2007). One of the major weaknesses of a director is the lack of cooperation which is such a great strength for the connector. Directors are known to be so tough that they do not consider people’s emotions. A director can step on everybody’s toes to get the work done (Bolton, 1984). It is said that in as much as they are result oriented, in the end when a task is completed, the director has been in so many conflicts with the rest of the team such that they hardly enjoy the victory. Their commanding nature can cause fear and this will mean that the working environment may not be comfortable for everyone (Darling, 2007). We are always thinking about and doing crazy things like that to keep the lines running. “We come up with the most outrageous ideas you have ever heard of, and they usually work" (Stack, 1992).Due to this, directors have a few friends and do very poorly in their social lives. Their decisiveness can also work as a weakness when they make decisions fast not considering the consequences. Some decisions may need time and the director may do it in a hurry that it may cost the company money (Elsea, 1987). Due to their poor connection character, directors hardly maintain work friendships as some clients may opt to never work with them again after the completion of a task. It would therefore be good if the director has people skills or is trained on how to relate well with clients to avoid conflicts in the future (Elsea, 1987). "The only person whose behaviour we can control is our own.... All we can give or get from other people is information. How we deal with that information is our choice"(Glasser, 1998). Strengths Successful leaders maximize on their strengths and come up with strategies that would reduce the damage caused by their weaknesses. One of the main ways of capitalizing this is by ensuring that the leadership team comprises of every style mentioned above. This will bring a balance and work will be done more efficiently. However, every team member must be willing to work together, put aside personal differences and contribute their strength with the aim of achieving their objectives within the given time frame. Diversity must also be appreciated since one’s weakness may be the other person’s strength and hence every weak link is covered up (Day, 1999). “Positive emotions (e.g., love, caring, compassion, hope, joy, peace and appreciation) serve to increase an individual's coherence, thus increasing energy. Negative emotions (e.g., frustration, fear, anger, conflict and stress) act on an individual in such a manner as to decrease coherence in the heart's electromagnetic waves, causing the mind-body system to lose energy” (Hawkins, 1998). Analyzers are process oriented, logical and prefer conversations done in a systematic manner. They are very patient and are also said to be good listeners. This would mean that they would be ready to listen to members of the group who may have problems that affect their work. They are the conservatives in a team and hardly adapt to change hence contribute to the issues that would stress the rest of the team. Directors who are action oriented avoid small talk, are poor listeners and always interrupt a conversation. They are the doers of a team and are often frustrated with other members who may seem to attain results. They are important since they push the rest of the team members to work harder. By avoiding small talk they ensure that time is saved in order for the task to be completed within the given time frame. They challenge other people to improve and get better results (Bennis, 1998). An entrepreneurial leader and his/her team can therefore maintain higher levels of energy and vitality simply by choosing to discipline reflections and focus on the positive aspects of experiences (Childre, 1996). References Darling, J. & Beebe, S. A. (2007). “Enhancing entrepreneurial leadership: A focus on key communication priorities.” Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 20 (2), 151-168. Bennis, W. (1998). Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration. Addison-Wesley: MA Publishers. Birkman, R. (1995). True Colors. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN. Bolton, R. (1984). “Social Style/Management Style.” American Management Association: 12 (2), 123-126. Darling, J. & Leffel, A. (2010). “Developing the leadership team in an entrepreneurial venture: A case focusing on the importance of styles.” Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Darling, J. (2004). “Conflict Management in Export Distribution: A Case Focusing on Skills to Improve Operations.” The Finnish Journal of Business Economics Fall: 377-403. Darling, J. (2006). “Entrepreneurial Leadership Strategies: Keys to Operational Excellence.” Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Fall: 41-54. Darling, J. (2007). “Enhancing Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Focus on Communication Priorities.” Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Winter: 151-168. Day, G. (1999). The Market Driven Organization. The Free Press: New York. Drucker, P. (1973). Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, and Practices. New York: Harper and Row publishers. Drucker, P. (1999). “Managing oneself.” Harvard Business Review. 1 (19) 65-74. Elsea, J. (1987). “Management Communications: Form and Substance.” Clinical Laboratory Management Review. 37: 37-41. Read More