Practical Analysis of Leadership Models - Essay Example

Models of Leadership & The Analysis of Practice Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………3 Background………………………………………………………………………………4 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………...5 Models of Leadership……………………………………………………………………6 Definitions…………………………………………………………………………6 Critical Analysis………………………………………………………………….10 Application of the Models……………………………………………………………...13 Company Background…………………………………………………………...13 Rationale of Company Selection………………………………………………...13 Leadership in the Organization…………………………………………………..15 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………...19 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………….20 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………...22 Introduction Leadership does not involve just taking the charge and asking others to follow whatever the leader says. This was the old concept of leadership and is not applicable at present. Presently, leaders are people who have the courage and enthusiasm to step into a really difficult situation and then quit with making a visible positive difference in the organizations (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). Leadership includes the quality of influencing people through the behaviors, attitudes and traits possessed by the leader. The overall personality of the leader serves as an example and an influencing factor for the followers. Thus the only thing that will be found common between various leadership styles will be the “social influence” (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). This factor is the key in leadership. Background There are a number of leadership styles that are proposed in various books journals, periodicals and the internet. In this paper, only some of them are discussed very briefly as it is not possible to discuss each and every leadership style also these are discussed briefly so that these can be applied to the selected organization in much more detail. But are these styles of leadership actually followed in the organizations today? To look into the practical application of the various leadership styles, a company that specializes in the manufacturing of computer hardware components, Softech Company is selected and leadership styles followed at two different levels of management are discussed and analyzed. There is an in-depth analysis conducted on the style of leadership that these managers follow and the way they deal with their subordinates and what influence their subordinates have through their personalities. Data Collection For the purpose of analyzing the application of leadership, Softech Company was selected. The company background and rationale for selection is discussed later in the paper. Two levels of the organization were focused for the analysis of the leadership style possessed by the leaders. One top level executive was chosen for the purpose of analysis and another middle level manager’s leadership style was studied. The names and complete designations are kept confidential as the respondents didn’t want to disclose this information. The styles of these managers vary broadly in terms of their approach to the tasks and subordinates. Models of Leadership Definitions The different models of leadership that will be discussed in this section are discussed under three theories of leadership, namely; 1. Trait Theory 2. Behavior Theory 3. Situational Theory The different models under these theories are discussed below: 1. Trait Theory This theory is based on the presumptions that leaders are born with some special traits. These traits are not possessed by those people who follow the leaders and are unique to the leaders only. Stogdill’s & Mann’s Research The specific traits that are possessed by the leaders (Stogdill R., 1948) that differentiate the leaders from others (Mann R., 1959) are five in number and are as follows: a. height of energy and activity b. intelligence c. self-confidence d. task relevant knowledge e. dominance Other Traits by Various Leaders Various famous leaders in the organizations have identified a number of traits that they think are possessed by the leaders. These traits are as in the table 1 in the appendix. Thus, these traits were identified by various leaders and all of them have different traits identified but the common element still remains the ‘social influence’. 1. Behavior Theory Unlike the trait theory, the behavioral aspect of leadership focuses on the behaviors of the leaders which largely influence their followers (Sadler, P., 1997). In this respect a number of models were presented which are discussed below: Leadership Styles Model There were four leadership styles that were identified that change according to the behavior of the leaders. The two main dimensions or behaviors on which this model is based are the ‘consideration’ for people in the organization and their needs and requirements and ‘initiating structure’ which defines the behavior of the leader according to which he/she organizes and guides the group members about the organizational objectives (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). These styles of leadership can be represented from the diagram in the Figure 1 in the appendix. Thus according to these dimensions which are the behaviors of leaders towards the organizational goals and the employee needs, the leadership styles differ. According to some people, the quadrant with high initiating structure and high consideration is the best but it is suggested by most that there is no one best style and these behaviors are exhibited differently on different situations. Leadership Grid Model Another model of leadership which is known as the ‘Leadership Grid’ (Blake, R. R. & Mouton, J. S., 1978) proposes a matrix in which 5 leadership styles are predicted. This grid is based on again on two behaviors or dimensions which are ‘concern for people’ and ‘concern for production’. It is a 9x9 matrix and its pictorial representation is as given in the appendix in Figure 2. In the leadership grid, the 9, 9 style is said to be the best style as in this the concept of team arises and when the tasks are carried out in a team then the productivity level is the highest and this is the quality of a successful leader to motivate the followers to work. 2. Situational Theory There are also certain situational theories presented about the leadership styles. These situational theories are based on the assumptions that there is no one style possessed by the leaders and the styles vary from situation to situation (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). There are a number of models presented in the situational theories, out of which some are discussed below. Fiedler’s Contingency Model This model is based on the assumptions that the performance of a leader mainly depends on 2 aspects which are the leader’s ability to control the situation and his/her motivation towards the completion of task or needs of people (Fiedler, F. E. & Garcia, J. E., 1987). According to this model, the leaders are either task or relationship motivated (Fiedler, F. E., 1997). In this aspect, there are some dimensions that are very important. These are: a. Member-Leader Relations This involves the devotion, conviction, dedication and support present between the member and the leader (D. S. Pugh, 1990). The better the relations between the leader and the member the best the leader is. b. Task Structure This is the given composition and constitution in the tasks that are defined to the groups (Robert P. Vecchio, 1988). More the task is structured; more the leader has control on his/her followers. c. Position Power This is the capacity of the leader to how much he/she can control its followers through rewards or penalties (D. S. Pugh, 1990). Situational Leadership Model Another model that defines the leadership styles that change according to situations is based on the readiness of the follower and the leadership styles that are based on the relationship and task behavior (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977). The pictorial representation of this model is as represented in the figure 3 in the appendix. Thus the leadership styles S1, S2, S3 and S4 result in the behaviors of the followers as R1, R2, R3, and R4 respectively. All these models are critically analyzed and then implemented practically in the following sections. Critical Analysis The various models defined in the previous section are critically discussed and analyzed in this section. The leadership style that is preferred by the writer is also discussed and critically evaluated in this section. Although the trait theory forms the basis of the leadership models that are described up till now but if we examine the models presented and the qualities of leadership that were presented in the trait theories (Mann R., 1959) and (Stogdill R., 1948), these define the leadership qualities incompletely. Also the situational (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004) and behavioral (Sadler, P., 1997) theories define the leadership models in such a manner that the trait theories and models seem to be of no necessity. This is because after analyzing the behavior and situational theories, we see that the trait theory is just a repetition but the point is also that if the traits identified in the trait theory are not present in a leader, he/she will also not have the capability to change the styles of leadership according to the situations. The qualities presented in the trait theory are possessed by many individuals but those are not necessarily leaders. But the behavioral models (Blake, R. R. & Mouton, J. S., 1978) and the situational leadership models (Fiedler, F. E. & Garcia, J. E., 1987) and (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977) present the qualities that if possessed by a person have to be necessarily a leader. This is because the leader must have the capabilities to manage different situations adopting various styles of leadership depending on the situation and the nature of decision making (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977). But what I think is that, if we analyze the pictorial representations of all the leadership models and observe the leadership styles that are proposed by various authors, the actual leadership styles that should be practiced lie between the boundaries that are present in the models i.e. the leader should not even be strictly “telling” (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977) nor be so much concerned about people that he becomes extremely “participating”. The actual leadership model that I prefer is that the leader should be partially telling and selling and partially participating and delegating, depending on the different situations. But there do still are some situations in which the proposed styles can not be implemented because of the restrictions from the upper management which force the leaders to change their style of leadership. Leaders in today’s organizations work under other leaders which is also a significant factor which leads to a change of style in the way they lead. Thus, not only situations, behaviors and traits but also there exists restrictions and regulations on which the styles of leadership are dependent. Thus, the leadership models discussed and those that exist cannot be categorized as ideal because in the real life the leadership styles that are implemented by the leaders are a combination of these. The leaders should adopt a style based on their knowledge, experience and the nature of task and decision making. The leadership style are not ideal and faultless also because most of the times the leaders change their styles not only on the basis of behaviors, traits and situations but also on the basis of restrictions and regulations that exists on them. Application of the Models This section applies the models of leadership to the actual application and implementation of the models in today’s companies and organizations. Company Background The company selected for the application of the leadership models and to integrate the theoretical models thoroughly into the analysis of practice is Softech. Softech was established in 1997 and specializes in the manufacturing of computer hardware components. It’s a local company that has been working in the hardware industry and providing hardware components to various national and multinational organizations (Softech, Company Brochure). The hierarchical structure in the organization is at three levels i.e. the top level management, middle level management and the lower level management (Softech, Company Profile). This company has an established name in the market due to the products and services it provide. The selection of this company was due to the reason explained below. Rationale of Company Selection This company is selected for the application of the leadership models because the leadership qualities possessed by the leaders in this company vary widely and there were totally different kinds of leaders found in the organization. Also the access to the company was feasible and the analysis could be conducted through a broad range of the leadership styles possessed by the leaders. Leadership in the Organization The leadership in the organization is present at various levels. Managers at all levels supervise and lead their subordinates in different departments. Also the managing and leading style of the managers is typically different at different levels. Some of the leaders are like those predicted in the theories as telling and some selling but some are also participating and delegating. 1. Leadership Style of the Top Level Executive The leadership style of the top level executive was a kind of autocratic one. Although this leader was self-confident, creative and possessed the edge to make tough decisions and believed highly in the participation from the side of subordinates also but he told us that due to the lack of much knowledge at the side of their subordinates, which is known only to the executives they know what is to be done and asking about the opinions of those below was simply a waste of a time. The traits that were existed by this leader were although those identified in the theory (Mann R., 1959) and (Stogdill R., 1948) but as asked by the followers, the followers did not feel the traits of their leader influencing. Although the seniors to this leader said that he was a very dominant leader and possessed intelligence, energy and knowledge to complete the tasks which were assigned. Thus, although this leader possessed the traits (Mann R., 1959) and (Stogdill R., 1948) of the leader but there was no social influence present. So should this person be called a leader? As we observed the behavior (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004) of this leader, there was a lot of consideration to the structuring of the tasks that he assigned to the subordinates. But unlike it was predicted in the Leadership Styles Model (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004), this leader has not a very high concern for people nor he was least concerned about their needs and requirements. The behavior towards the subordinates was that he listened to the subordinates but at the end directed the subordinates to do what he already has decided should be carried out in order to accomplish the task. It was also observed that in the leadership grid also there was no style that was possessed by this leader. The style of this leader according to the grid (Blake, R. R. & Mouton, J. S., 1978) is predicted to be 9, 5 which is high concern for production whereas a moderate concern for the subordinates. The position power (Fiedler, F. E. & Garcia, J. E., 1987) possessed by this leader was high as he possessed high capability to reward or penalize the subordinates. Also according to the situational leadership style, the leader adopted various styles and the subordinates’ behavior was varied accordingly based on the different situations and decisions (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977) . Thus, it can be concluded that there exist a lot of other leadership styles that lie between the boundaries predicted by the leadership models and it is not necessary that the leader possesses a single style out of the various styles. The actual styles followed by the leaders actually lie between these boundaries in the leadership theories and models. Also leaders do not necessarily possess social influence. There are also leaders who are successful and appreciated by their seniors even when they are not influencing their subordinates. 2. Leadership Style of the Middle Level Manager The middle level manager although had a leadership style that was based on democracy. This leader believed in the fact that without the participation of the subordinates, it is not possible to complete tasks. The traits possessed by this leader were although the same as predicted in the trait theories (Mann R., 1959) and (Stogdill R., 1948) but the leader did not have self-confidence and was highly dependent on the subordinates for the structuring and completion of tasks. The leader was a proactive communicator and possessed team orientation and a lot of association with the subordinates. As predicted by the subordinates of this leader, they responded that their leader was very capable and encouraged them to participate. In short, there were positive comments that resulted from the subordinates of the leader which refers to the member-leader relationships (Fiedler, F. E. & Garcia, J. E., 1987). The top management, although, said about this middle level manager that his performance was satisfactory and not too good or too bad. Thus, this leader had a social influence on his subordinates which lead to the positive comments about him from the subordinates. The behaviors (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004) of this leader were observed and it was found that he had a high concern for the people and also had a concern for the task but the consideration for people came first and the task afterwards (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). But the amazing point was that although there was a not too high concern for task but even then there were no deadline extension results from his side. Thus, the subordinates as well as his supervisors were satisfied. If we put the leadership style of this leader in the leadership grid (Blake, R. R. & Mouton, J. S., 1978), the leadership style is predicted to be 6, 9; as the concern for people was very high as compared to the structuring of tasks and production. But the leadership style can be predicted as being team management style in which there is high dependency on the participation from the subordinates. Thus the leadership style that was possessed by this leader was more participating (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977) and sometimes selling (Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H., 1977) as well varying according to the nature of decision and the sensitivity of tasks. Thus, the leader possesses and changes the styles of leadership according to the situation and nature of decision making. There can be no one style of leadership possessed by a leader. Having a social influence on the subordinates’ results in better performance results as when the employees are satisfied, they produce satisfying results. Conclusions In a nutshell, we can say that in the real application of the leadership models proposed by different researchers, the leadership styles vary widely from those proposed in these models. The actual leadership styles possessed by the leaders lie between the boundaries predicted by the researchers. The leaders adopt various styles which are actually uncountable in number depending on the situations and the nature of decision making. Also there is no one best style of leadership as predicted in some models. The styles become best when they are applied at the right time and the right situation. Thus, the traits a leader should possess are not necessarily all those predicted in the theories. The leader should know how to manage both the people and the completion of tasks and critical decision making. Bibliography: 1. Robert Kreitner & Angelo Kinicki. (2004). Organizational Behavior, McGraw Hill. pp. 594-612. 2. D. S. Pugh. (1990). Organization Theory - Selected Readings, Penguin Books. pp. 417-424. 3. Robert P. Vecchio. (1988). Organizational Behavior, Dryden Press. pp. 286-304 4. Fiedler, F. E. & Garcia, J. E. (1987) New Approaches to Effective Leadership, New York: John Wiley. 5. Fiedler, F. E. (1997). Situational Control and a Dynamic Theory of Leadership, in K. Grint (ed.) (1997) Leadership. Classical, contemporary and critical approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 6. Hersey, P. (1984). The Situational Leader, New York: Warner. 7. Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. H. (1977). The Management of Organizational Behavior, Upper Saddle River N. J.: Prentice Hall. 8. Stogdill, R. M. (1948). Personal Factors Associated with Leadership: A survey of the Literature’, Journal of Psychology 25: 35-71. 9. Mann, R. D. (1959). A review of the Relationship between Personality and Performance in Small Groups’, Psychological Bulletin 66(4): 241-70. 10. Wright, P. (1996) Managerial Leadership, London: Routledge. 11. Rosener, J. B. (1997). Sexual static, in K. Grint (ed.) (1997) Leadership. Classical, contemporary and critical approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 12. Sadler, P. (1997). 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Appendix Table 1: Traits by Various Leaders Famous Leaders Collin Powell (Secretary of State) Carly Fiorina (CEO of HP) Jack Welch (former CEO General Electric) Larry Bossidy (former CEO of Allied Signal) Traits Identified Capability to perform Team direction Capability to perform Capability to perform Creative thinker Creative thinker Energetic Team direction Proactive communicator Proactive communicator Edge to create sensitive verdicts Capability to expand Supple Supple – – Confronts the status quo Self-assurance Capability to energize others Various work experiences in various fields Source: (Robert K. & Angelo K., 2004). Figure 1: Leadership Styles Model Consideration High Less importance for the structuring of employee tasks and more attention on employees’ needs and requirements More guidance provided by leader on how to perform tasks and also there is a consideration of employees’ needs and requirements Low The necessary structure is not provided by the Leader and also there is low consideration for employees’ needs and requirements The basic concern is on structuring tasks whereas less attention is paid to the employees’ needs and requirements Low High Initiating Structure Figure 2: Leadership Grid Model Concern for People High 1,9 Country Club Style Consideration for needs of people. Contented & responsive organization environment. 9,9 Team Style Production is dependent on dedication of the people & needs of organization & people are same and there is trust and revere 9 8 7 6 5 5,5 Middle-of-Road Style The performance of organization and the people consideration is both at satisfactory levels 4 1,1 Impoverished Style Minimum efforts towards work and people’s needs and just the organization membership is maintained 9,1 Authoritative Style Working conditions are arranged in such a way that people’s need do not interfere in them 3 2 1 Low Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 High Concern for Production Figure 3: Situational Leadership Model Leader Behavior Relationship Behavior (Supportive Behavior) High Participating S3 Share thoughts & assist in decision making Selling S2 Explicate decisions & grant opportunity for elucidation Low Delegating S4 Turnover liability for decisions and completions Telling S1 Offer particular directions & intimately oversee performance Low High Task Behavior (Guidance) Follower Readiness High Moderate Low R4 R3 R2 R1 Capable & keen or self-assured Capable but reluctant or unconfident Incapable but keen or self-assured Incapable & reluctant or unconfident Follower-Directed Leader-Directed Read More