A Charismatic Style of Leadership - Lab Report Example

Answer The leader chosen in this case is The Fourteenth Dalai Lama. A recent interview of the Holiness on his 75th birthday was an event which brought to light the leadership style that he uses. Considering his speech and the things people had said about him at the event, it is clear that the Holiness follows a ‘charismatic’ style of leadership. A video of the event that was held in India at Dharamsala, Main Tibetan Temple, clearly portrays his leadership style. Also, in an interview that he had with Amy Goodman, and his responses to the questions clearly portray this style of leadership. Charismatic leaders mainly refer to people with an elusive and also an indefinable personality trait which in a number of terms seems unnatural and is considered to be supernatural. These traits have been expressed to be traits like ability to lead, charm, persuade, influence and inspire others. Dalai Lama clearly has brought this out and there is a sense of acceptance that is seen by almost all of his followers. The event held on his birthday brought out how people were in complete compliance with his teachings and how the individuals clearly demonstrates his leadership by the charm that he gives away and the simple and straight forward style. His qualities and behaviour include the following traits, i.e. vision and articulation, showing sensitivity to the environment, showing care and sensitivity to the needs of the members, performing and behaving in unconventional behaviours and also includes personal risk taking. His charm has made him an excellent leader and the followers are clearly on his side. Answer 2: The example taken here is that of a team lead in the organisation I work. The individual is at a post where he is responsible to take care of a team of six, and this tends to vary based on each project. The leadership situation here in this case is one which can classify between moderate and high. The project lead works on projects which are set on tight deadlines and the project lead is answerable to other higher authorities on the status and work progress of the projects. I would classify his job level and situational control more towards the higher side as, his role involves getting people from different teams to work together and assemble the project together in an effective and efficient manner within a tight deadline. I consider the individual to be a perfect match to the team and the situation. Based on Fiedler’s model, it is clear that the individual has a high level favourability to the situation. Considering the leader – member relations, the individual has an excellent ability to keep the relations with the members strong and effective. Also considering the task structure, there are high levels of structured and well developed plans. The individual works on the goal oriented theory and ensures that all the tasks and expectations from the employees are clearly and explicitly clear. Finally considering the position power, it is clear from the performance of the team that the leader has a strong grip on the control of subordinates and rewards and punishments are appropriately used based on the performance. It is clear that the leader has a strong overall performance in all three areas hence, as per Fiedler’s model; he can be concluded to be a favourable match for the situation. Answer 3: Participative management style is one where the managers work in sync with the employees and also keep the needs of the employees in mind while any decision making. The managers show a level of group ownership and all the members work together in the organisation to reach shared goals. Also managers try to ensure that the employees satisfy their own needs and the self actualisation while working towards a set of common goals. However it is important to note that managers take the advice and involvement of the employees, yet the final decisions are made by the managers. An excellent example of a participative leader is Bill Gates. I believe he is a perfect example for participative leader as he involves his employees in the decision making processes and is a very flexible person with clear aims and goals and an every lasting urge to learn. Bill Gates in his entire career has shown interest in learning and participating with others in every situation. He tends to get the best of every situation and works towards a better overall working environment for all his employees. In the long run these leaders tend to be very successful as the aim here is to work together and to move towards the goal of the company. Here the leaders aim at getting all the possible parts of the solution together to form one complete solution which will take everyone one step closer to the goal. In the long run people tend to respect and like these kinds of leaders to a great extent as everyone is treated equally and all suggestions are considered. Answer 4: The leader chosen for this part of the paper is one of my lecturers. He taught me two courses and was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He is a gem of a person with excellent attitude and a very helping and cooperative nature. I would always wonder how he managed to keep everyone in class attentive and was also able to keep track of what each one of us did in class. He was never the kind who ordered people around, but was more of leading a team by example. His characteristics were clearly does held by a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders are known for their approach to every big and small problem. The actions of the leaders have a cumulative effect on the changes that they tend to bring about in the people. In the case of charismatic leaders it is quite easy for the followers to get carried away while talking to the person because of the strong aura that they have. Here in his case, he was supported and loved by all due to his strong persona and the excellent attitude that he had and his style had a major impact on almost every single person in the class. Answer 5: The speech paints a picture of the troubles that America had been going through during the period and the discrimination that was being faced by the African Americans (referred to as Negros). The speech paints a picture where the country has the ability to be free and to ensure no one is caught in the terrible issue of slavery. The speech paints a picture of freedom and the picture of true brotherhood. However this is one picture that has been drawn out by a man who is truly a democratic leader and the speech is very compelling as the tone is not one of order, but is simply worded as a desire of the person. The impact is high since the leadership here is one where it is all about ‘we’ a participative method. Dr King’s vision was clearly one based for the betterment of all and was focused on an improvement for all. This is clear from the words, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”. The speech clearly brings out a strong message to correct the rift between the whites and the blacks and to make the country one united and successful country. This is evident from his words, “My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring!”. Read More