Theories, Practices and Ethics of Leadership - Assignment Example

1. Transformational leadership refers to the leadership style whereby the approach of leaders causes significant change in the manner in which individuals and organizations function. It leads to a positive and valuable change in the subordinates / followers with regard to approach towards achievement of organizational goals. It tends to motivate the followers, by boosting their morale thus, improving their performance and productivity in the process through various means (Bass, Riggio, 2006). Transactional leadership is transitory in nature i.e. such leadership is oriented towards a given transaction and lasts till the transaction lasts. The transformation leadership involves some form of exchange for instance politicians ask for votes from their followers and in turn act as leaders (Lussier, Achua, 2009). Pseudo- transformational leadership as opposed to transformational leadership tends to abuse the power entrusted upon them by their followers, and use it for their own personal gain. It is a negative form of leadership whereby the leaders dominate their followers for satisfying their personal goals rather than working towards a common goal (Bass, Riggio, 2006). Laissez faire leadership is a form of leadership which is a complete contradiction to autocratic form of leadership. In this style of leadership the leaders provide a broad outline to their followers and the gives them the authority / complete freedom of decision making to achieve the goals (Bass & Bass, 2008). 2. Contrary to stereotypical belief, women leaders tend to lead in a more interpersonal oriented manner rather than task-oriented manner, as compared to men. Women leaders are also known to follow the transformational leadership style while the men leaders mostly tend to prefer the laissez faire approach (Northouse, 2009). 3. Ethical egoism refers to an approach whereby an individual acts in ones own greatest self-interest. Utilitarianism is an approach whereby the individuals take decisions which are morally and ethically right and which are in the benefit of the society as a whole. Altruism, on the other hand, refers to an approach whereby the actions of individuals are considered as morally correct, if they are in the best interest of others. The leaders under this approach tend to work for the betterment of others even if their actions are against their own self-interest (Northouse, 2009). 4. Ethics refers to a set of rules which are defined by an organization and required / expected to be followed by the individuals working in it. Values are also a set of rules by which individuals make decisions based on the commonly perceived views about right and wrong or good or bad behavior and Morals refer to broader social rules which are universally accepted norms about right or wrong and good or bad. These are the rules which are accepted by the wider society. 5. The management practices largely focus on developing strategies for attainment of broader organizational goals such as developing an organizational vision and mission, hiring appropriate talent in various positions effectively, and entrusting responsibilities to various leaders to ensure that the organization functions smoothly towards attainment of its vision and mission. Leadership practices on the other hand are mostly focused on motivating the followers / employees / subordinates towards enhancing their performance and productivity which in turn may help in attainment of the broader organizational goals. 6. The glass ceiling is a term which is widely used to indicate certain ‘invisible’ barriers or obstacles which tend to prevent women and other minority groups from advancing towards higher managerial positions. Many women and minorities are often ignored in terms of their talent or capabilities and are mostly subjected to stereotypical presumptions that women cannot be good leaders. Furthermore, the organizational hierarchy is mostly white male centric and hence minorities are not often given the credits due to them owing to prejudices against them. The best recognizable way to break such prejudices and barriers is a consistent display of outstanding performance (Daft, 2007; Goethals, Sorenson, 2004). 7. Coercive power refers to the power exerted by leaders as a way of ensuring compliance, through psychological, physical or emotional fear. Reward power refers to the power to grant or withhold rewards in terms of salary, bonus, recognition, or other interesting assignments. Legitimate power refers to the power of authority which is granted through a particular position in the organization. For instance, a leader who insists on completion of a given task within a specific period of time is said to be exercising legitimate power over their subordinates. Expert power is the power derived through expertise in any given field or through sheer professional ability. Referent power is the power to get work done through charisma or identification for instance when the subordinates agrees to complete a given task only because they like the leader or respect them it is known as referent power (Montana, Charnov, 2008). 8. The common dark side shadows of leadership are: abuse of power and privilege, deception, misplaced and broken loyalties, inconsistencies, irresponsibility, isolation and catering to special interest groups, and unilateral decisions. Abuse of power: According to Johnson (2009) the leaders derive power from various sources, and it comes in various forms, such as coercive power - based on penalties or punishments; reward power - in terms of bonuses, promotion etc.; referent power – i.e. power of admiration etc. The leader usually draws on one or more of such powers to get the work done and often misuses such power in order to satisfy their personal goals. Deception: here, refers to the willful concealment of vital information or providing false information for personal gain. Sometimes the leaders may withhold vital information needed by their subordinates and use the same for personal gain or may leak the information to wrong people. Misplaced or broken loyalties: Typically leaders are expected to weigh their decisions based on loyalties or duties towards a particular group or organization for which they work. At the same time they are also required to take care of their obligation towards their families, their subordinates, as well as to the society at large. The loyalties in such a scenario can be easily broken or upheld depending on the decision taken by the leaders which tend to benefit one or more of such external groups. Inconsistencies: Leaders often tend to deal with various inconsistencies which are dependent on their personal characteristics such as their personal set of abilities, needs and interests. Irresponsibility: Leaders are entrusted with a greater share of responsibility as compared to their followers, who are mostly responsible for their own actions. The leaders on the contrary are responsible for the decisions - or the success or failure of the whole department or unit. The range of their responsibility, although cannot be described aptly, is quite large to be controlled. Hence they are held responsible and believed to have acted irresponsibly if they fail to prevent the misdeeds of their subordinates, ignore non observance of ethical issues, fail to shoulder responsibilities when needed, etc. Isolation and catering to special interest groups: the leaders may at times falter from their responsibilities and tend to favor or cater to certain groups thus dragged into the shadows of leadership. Unilateral decisions: Sometimes the leaders tend to avoid participative decision making and completely ignore the inputs of their other team members, or their subordinates. Such a behavior on the part of the leaders may push them towards the dark shadows of leadership, and affect them negatively leading to disastrous consequences for themselves as well as for their respective organizations. 9. Yin Yang represents balance and continual change. They represent two mutually dependent opposites which must always be in balance for a system to function smoothly. When viewed from a leadership perspective, effective leadership signifies a basic understanding of the various differences in traits, qualities and skills and competencies of individuals. These differences are apparent and must be taken into consideration while assigning tasks and must be optimally utilized by a good leader. Balance, stability and change are the basic characteristic traits of Yin and Yang, and the same must be applied by good leaders in order to ensure better performance and smooth functioning of the organization (Pisapia, 2009; Martin, 2006). 10. Leadership in schools i.e. teaching professionals; politicians; and lawyers may be influenced by the dark side shadow of leadership. 11. Fear – of failure, denying death, and functional atheism are some shadows of leadership as displayed in the Tillman case. 12. According to Pahl (2009, Pp. 3) “Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships”. Emotional leadership may help the leaders in identifying and understanding the feelings, hardships and emotional stress faced by the subordinates; appreciate the hardships faced by others; express gratitude and / or other feelings effectively and communicate the same to their followers; distinguish between accurate and inaccurate expressions of feelings etc. 13. Self analysis helps the leader in assessing the pros and cons of the decisions made by him / her and judge it from a fair perspective, devoid of any ego or bias towards ones’ judgment or work. It helps the leader in taking a fair call in the best interest of the organization and saves them from any impending losses, which are likely to occur due to a lack of self-analysis or introspection. 14. Parker Palmer referred to the shadows of leadership as conditions of leaders which may be illuminating as heaven or shadowy as hell. Palmer mostly focuses on the concept of shadow and equates it with destruction or the negative aspect of leadership while Jung considers both positive as well as negative aspects of leadership. However they both agree on one point i.e. in order to manage or master the dark or hidden forces within a leader, it is of utmost significance to first acknowledge their existence. This point is extremely relevant to leaders, since they should be able to acknowledge their hidden shadows in order to improve upon it and facilitate better decision making (Johnson, 2004). 15. Autocratic leadership or military leadership is the most vile type of leadership, in my opinion, since it hardly takes into consideration the opinions and emotions of others. 16. Power indicates a distortion of balance and an inequitable distribution of resources which is viewed as highly biased by some. Moreover it also leads to serious negative consequences if those in hold of it, misuse it for the achievement of their own selfish motives and dominate others. It also gives rise to insecurities and unhealthy environment in an organization (Stroh et al, 2002). 17. The media is viewed as a transformational leader by the populous. 18. The trait approach mainly focuses on the personality traits or characteristics of the leaders. The skills approach refers to the approach which highlights the competencies of the leaders. The leadership style approach is mainly centered on the manner in which the leaders behave or act towards their subordinates and the situation approach refers to the manner in which the leaders react in different situations. 19. The trait approach refers to the inherent personality traits of the leader while the skills approach refers to the skills and competencies of a leader. The statement that leadership is not a trait approach but rather a skills approach holds true because certain skills can also be learned through training for instance skills such as technical expertise can be learned through formal training. 20. The five major leadership traits are: integrity, sociability, determination, self-confidence, and intelligence. 21. The sociability trait enables the leaders to be compassionate towards their followers and is known to excel in developing good interpersonal relationships with their subordinates. Furthermore they are tactful, sensitive, outgoing and diplomatic and hence have the ability to get the work done without any major hassles. Thus it is regarded as one of the most essential leadership traits. 22. Technical skill refers to the knowledge regarding any type of process or technique, e.g., engineers, technicians, doctors etc. Human skill refers to the ability of individuals such as ability to work with people effectively, bonding, developing interpersonal relationships etc. and Conceptual skill refers to the ability of the leader to develop models, frameworks and strategies for the achievement of long term goals of the organization. For middle managers it is important to have the technical skills since human and conceptual skills are possessed and displayed by leaders and top level management. 23. Experiential experience provides an individual with greater expertise, foresight and the ability to take effective decisions. The experience gained through years of work provides a sound basis for decision making and ensures greater success for the leaders. 24. The NFL quarterbacks demonstrates their skills based on each situation. Hence it is a combination of both skills as well as situational approach to leadership. 25. The directive approach to leadership refers to the behavior of leaders whereby they get the work done through supervision, control and managerial instruction; while the supportive approach refers to a low level directive leader whereby the leader displays a supportive behavior towards their subordinates and solves their problems by listening, praising or asking for their opinions and inputs or giving them feedback. 26. The statement that common sense employment is the same as ethical principles on a rudimentary level is true, because, on a most basic level, there is hardly much difference between the two. For instance, in any given situation a leader may abstain from taking a decision since common sense demands it, and that such a decision may cause huge financial losses. The line between decision based on common sense and on principles or ethics is highly blurred when viewed on a rudimentary level. 27. No. men are considered to be more transactional while women are more transformational in terms of leadership styles (Powell, 2010). 28. The Glass Ceiling refers to an invisible barrier in organizations which tends to prevent women and other minority groups away from top management positions. It has created a type of barrier which is difficult for women to overcome. Mostly such barriers are formed on account of stereotypical perceptions of women and prejudices against the ability of women to lead or be in top leadership positions. It has enabled women to work harder and excel in their jobs in order to break the barrier and rightfully claim their positions on the top on the basis of their sheer competence and capability. 29. Transactional knowledge is important for a leader because it helps them in gaining sustainable competitive advantage for their organizations agains their competitors. It also enables them to create, share and exploit the knowledge at various critical stages of their project and influence their followers to excel and improve their performance. 30. The five stages of Posner and Kouzess transformational model include: 1. Challenging the process a. Searching for Opportunities b. Experimenting and taking risks 2. Inspiring shared vision a. Envisioning the future b. Enlisting the support of others 3. Enabling others to act a. Fostering collaboration b. Strengthening others 4. Modeling the way a. Setting examples b. Planning small wins 5. Encouraging the heart a. Recognizing contributions b. Celebrating accomplishments 31. LBDQ refers to the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaires. It comprises of forty statements and is used to measure the two factors of consideration and initiation (Bass & Bass, 2008). 32. The Blake and Moutons managerial guide is a graphical representation of various managerial styles represented in the form of grids. It comprises of five components or managerial styles. Two of them are listed below: 1. Impoverished Management and 2. Task Management (Egner, 2009) 33. Strategic decision making is mostly concerned with developing a plan of action for the achievement of the final organizational goals. It is done by the top level management, while tactical decisions are mostly undertaken by the middle level management and are concerned with developing plan of action for reaching towards the final goals defined by the top level management. 34. The big five personality factors are: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. Among these traits neuroticism is the least desirable trait in any leader. 35. Functional atheism refers to a leader who believes that anything that happens in a group is his/ her ultimate responsibility. Such a leader takes responsibility for any happening of an event and is often plagued by stress, and workaholism and burnout. Evil refers to the range of negative personality traits present in an individual such as greed, jealousy, envy, rage etc. Denying Death refers to the fact that some leaders deny death through their constant fear of negative evaluation and public failure. Most of the leaders tend to avoid the failure and shy away from facing it. (Johnson, 2004). 36. The eight monsters are: poor self image, the "I deserve it" myth, unchecked fantasies, societys blessing, competitiveness awry, lonesome soldier syndrome, boredom, power corrupts. The ‘I deserve it’ myth is observed in many CEOs whereby they believe that they rightfully deserve all the credit for the successes enjoyed by their firms or organizations. The lavish pay packages, admiration, and success such leaders receive, tend to inflate their egos and make them highly self centered since they fail to give credit to the entire team which helped them in achieving the goals, as well as the hard work put in by their subordinates. Such a behavior may push the CEOs and leaders towards the dark side of leadership. 39. Ronald Heifetz – Adaptive leadership, a form of leadership which drives leaders towards their maximum potential by enabling them to think beyond their usual styles. James McGregor Burns – transformational leadership: inspiring leaders to take initiative and cooperate with the followers to achieve heights of greatness and success Robert Greenleaf – Servant leadership – a unique leadership philosophy which instills greatness among the lowest ranked employees and inspires them to achieve their goals. 40. The question whether leaders are born or made is highly debatable and inconclusive. However, it is possible to create leaders through training and experience, although most of the leaders are born. The key leadership traits which are identified in leaders include: honesty, foresight, competence, intelligence and the ability to inspire and motivate others. References Bass, B. M., Bass, R., (2008). The Bass handbook of leadership: theory, research, and managerial applications, Simon & Schuster publication, Pp. 144 - 145 Bass, B. M., Riggio, R. E., (2006). Transformational leadership, Routledge Publication, Pp. 35 – 40 Daft, R. L., (2007). The leadership experience, Cengage Learning Publication, Pp. 330 Egner, T., (2009). Behavioral leadership - the managerial grid, GRIN Publication, Pp. 5 Goethals, G. R., Sorenson, G. J., (2004). Encyclopedia of leadership, SAGE Publication, Pp. 77 Johnson, C. E., (2004). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: casting light or shadow, SGE Publication, Pp. 10 Lussier, R. N., Achua, C. F., (2009). Leadership: theory, application & skill development, Cengage Learning Publication, Pp. 353 – 355 Martin, B., (2006). Outdoor leadership: theory and practice, Human Kinetics Publication, Pp. 56 - 60 Montana, P. J., Charnov, B. H., (2008). Management, Barrons Publication, Pp. 255 - 260 Northouse, P. G., (2009). Leadership: theory and practice, SAGE Publication, Pp. 303- 304, 379 – 380 Pahl, N., (2009). The role of emotional intelligence in leadership, GRIN Publication Pisapia, J., (2009). The strategic leader new tactics for a globalising world, IAP Publication, Pp. 22 - 25 Powell, G. N., (2010). Women and men in management, SAGE Publication, Pp. 140 Stroh, L. K., Northcraft, G. B., Neale, M. A., (2002). Organizational behavior: a management challenge, Routledge Publication, Pp. 192 Takala, T., (2009). Dark leadership, charisma and trust, Journal of Psychology, 1: Pp. 59 - 63 Read More