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Chapter 2. Leadership Involves an Interaction between the Leader, the Followers, and the Situation. Chapter Goals. The goal of this chapter is to introduce and describe the three-factor framework of the leadership process: The Leader The Followers The Situation.
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Chapter 2 Leadership Involves an Interaction between the Leader, the Followers, and the Situation
Chapter Goals • The goal of this chapter is to introduce and describe the three-factor framework of the leadership process: • The Leader • The Followers • The Situation
Leadership is a function of three elements - the leader, the followers, and the situation Leader Personality Position Expertise Etc. Values Norms Cohesiveness Etc. Task Stress Environment Etc. Situation Followers
The Leader • The “Leader” element explores what the person brings as an individual to the leadership framework. These might include personal history, interests, character traits, and motivation.
The Leader • In terms of the “Leader” element, what does Madeleine Albright bring to her role as U.S. secretary of state? • An early interest in foreign affairs • a good work ethic from her hard-working days as a student
The Leader • In terms of the “Leader” element, what does Konosuke Matsushita bring to his role as president/founder of Matsushita Electric? • An attitude of always looking to improve his products • Creative ways to involve his employees in the leadership process
Understanding the element of “followers” is central to understanding leadership because the leader-follower relationship is in constant change. Why? • There is a trend toward greater power sharing and decentralizing authority in organizations, which in turn creates greater interdependence among organizational subunits and increased need for collaboration among them.
Understanding the element of “followers” is central to understanding leadership because the leader-follower relationship is in constant change. Why? Cont. • There is an increasing pressure on all kinds of organizations to function with reduced resources. • The nature of problems faced by many organizations is becoming so complex and the changes so rapid that more and more people are required to solve them.
The Situation • The element of “the situation “ may be the most ambiguous aspect of the leadership framework because it can refer to anything form the specific task a group is engaged in all the way to broad situation contexts.
The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved several factors, both positive and negative: • President Clinton was likely looking to do something dramatic and symbolic. • Politics had created an opportunity for a woman with her talents and credentials to be appointed.
The situation involving Madeleine Albright’s appointment to the U.S. secretary of state involved several factors, both positive and negative: Cont. • She expanded her network of professional associations, thereby increasing her visibility to others. • For many, her appointment was initially looked upon as good politics but not a choice of substance.