Theories of Leadership

1. Theories of Leadership • Trait • Personal-Behavioral • Situational • Transformational

2. Trait Theories Traits are distinctive characteristics that distinguish leaders from non-leaders. • Early trait theories identified: • Physical characteristics (height, appearance) • Personality characteristics (extrovert) • Skills and abilities (intelligence) • Social factors (interpersonal skills)

3. Some studies have identified these traits: Drive Motivation Integrity Self-confidence Intelligence Knowledge An AT&T study found these characteristics in managers who advanced: oral communication skills human relations skills need or motive for advancement resistance to stress tolerance of uncertainty energy creativity Recent Results on Traits After being rejected as a basis for identifying leaders, trait theories have had a revival.

4. University of Iowa (Kurt Lewin) Leadership styles autocratic democratic laissez-faire Measured quantity and quality of work and group satisfaction Boys’ Club test laissez-faire underperformed autocratic and democratic same quantity of work democratic - higher quality of work and group satisfaction Personal-Behavioral Theories Later tests disputed the differences found between autocratic and democratic

5. Personal-Behavioral Theories • Tannenbaum and Schmidt • Continuum of leadership behaviors • from boss-centered to subordinate-centered • Leaders need to consider: • Their personal abilities and style • Their subordinates’ preferences and tolerances • The nature of the situation • Appropriate leadership behavior is neither autocratic • nor democratic, but can be somewhere in-between.

6. Job-centered structure the jobs of subordinates closely supervise use incentives to spur production determine standard rates of production Employee-centered build effective work groups dedicated to high performance goals focus on the human aspects of subordinates specify and communicate objectives, but give considerable freedom in the means for their achievement Personal-Behavioral Theories • University of Michigan (Rensis Likert) • - Job-centered vs. employee-centered Employee-centered is better.

7. Initiating structure structured their roles and the roles of subordinates toward achieving goals actively involved in planning work activities, communicating pertinent information, and scheduling work Consideration work atmosphere of mutual trust respect for subordinates’ ideas consideration of subordinates’ feelings good two-way communication Personal-Behavioral Theories • Ohio State Studies • - two-dimensional model Consideration produced higher employee satisfaction.

8. Personal-Behavioral Theories • Blake and Mouton - Managerial Grid® • Concern for Production vs. Concern for People • Better to be high on both dimensions • Other studies suggest that high on both dimensions is not always best • Flexibility is necessary, depending on situation

9. Situational Theories • Fiedler’s Contingency Model • Leader style is either task-oriented or relationship-oriented • Style depends on three situational factors • leader-member relations • task structure • position power

10. quality requirement commitment requirement leader’s information problem structure commitment probability goal congruence subordinate conflict subordinate information Situational Theories Vroom/Yetton/Jago Leadership-Style Theory (called Normative Leadership Model in text) • Leader style is either autocratic, consultative, or group • Style depends on eight situational factors

11. Situational Theories Hersey and Blanchard - Situational Leadership Theory • Leader style depends on the readiness of followers as defined by their: • Ability • Willingness • Style takes the form of four leader behaviors • Telling • Selling • Participating • Delegating

12. Subordinate characteristics personality traits skills, abilities, and needs Context characteristics the task itself the work group the organization’s authority structure Situational Theories Path-goal Theory • Leader style is either directive, supportive, participative, or achievement-oriented • Style depends on two types of situational factors

13. Transformational Leadership • Three leader factors are important: • charisma • individualized consideration • delegating • paying attention to followers’ needs • treating followers with respect • intellectual stimulation • offering new ideas to stimulate followers • encouraging followers to think and act creatively