Chapter Five :

MANAGING PEOPLE IN THE

BUILT ENVIRONMENT:

LEADERSHIP

Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the chapter, you should be

able to

Understand the different types of

leadership theories and styles of leaders

and

Apply the correct techniques in leading

and managing people in a built

environment

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5.1 LEADERSHIP THEORIES

5.1.1. The "Great Man" Theory:

5.1.2. The Trait Theory:

5.1.3. Contingency Theory/Situational Leadership Theory

5.1.4. Behavioral Theory:

5.1.5. Participative Theory:

5.1.6. Management Theory/Transactional Theory

5.1.7. Relationship Theory or Transformational Theory :

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5.1.1. The "Great Man" Theory:

Have you ever heard someone described as "born to lead?" Many gurus are of the opinion that great leaders are simply born with the necessary internal characteristics such as charisma, confidence, intelligence, and social skills that make them natural-born leaders.

Great man theory assumes that the capacity for leadership is in-born – that great leaders are born, not made. This theory often depicts great leaders as heroic, mythic and destined to rise to leadership when needed. The term "Great Man" was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily of a male gender , especially in terms of military leadership. A good example was Napoleon Bonaparte.

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5.1.2. The Trait Theory:

Just like the Great Man Theory , Trait theory proposes

that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suitable for leadership. This theory often identifies certain personality or behavioral characteristics displayed by leaders. For example, traits like extraversion, self-confidence, and courage are all traits that could potentially be linked to great leaders.

However there are people with such qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership. There are plenty of people who possess the personality traits associated with leadership, yet many of these people never seek out positions of leadership. A good example would be George Washington , the first President of United States of America.

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5.1.3. Contingency Theory/Situational

Leadership Theory

Environment that might determine which particular style of

leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers and aspects of the situation.

In certain types of decision-making, you may need a leader, who is the most knowledgeable and experienced member of a group, an authoritarian style might be most appropriate. In other instances where group members are skilled experts, a democratic style would be more effective.

There are many people who are situational leaders. One of them would be Aung San Suu Kyi, the determined opposition leader in Myanmar today.

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5.1.4. Behavioral Theory:

Behavioral theories of leadership are based upon the belief

that great leaders are made, not born. It is the opposite of the Great Man theory .This kind of leadership focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states. Indeed, people can learn to become leaders through learning and observation. This is displayed by charismatic leaders such as Barack Obama of America and Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

Behavioral theories of leadership are based upon the belief that great leaders are made, not born. It is the opposite of the Great Man theory .This kind of leadership focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states. Indeed, people can learn to become leaders through learning and observation. This is displayed by charismatic leaders such as Barack Obama of America and Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

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5.1.5. Participative Theory:

Participative leadership theory suggests that the ideal leadership style is one that encourages participation and contributions from group members and helps group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In certain groups , a participative leader will earn the right to lead others because of his charisma and approachability. This is shown by Richard Branson, who is the founder of Virgin Industries.

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5.1.6. Management Theory/Transactional

Theory

This kind of theory suggests a kind of leadership that is based on a system of rewards and punishments because of the leader’s legal position in organisations. Such a leader may not be able to lead once he leaves the organisation. Most of the leaders in this category arise out of occupational position such as the supervisor in the production department who can punish or reward his operators accordingly.

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5.1.7. Relationship Theory or

Transformational Theory :

The Relationship Theory or Transformational Theory tries to focus on the connections formed between leaders and followers. Such leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task. These leaders are focused on the performance of group members, and also in developing each person to reach his potential. Leaders with this style often have high ethical and moral standards. One good example of this kind of leader is Mahatma Gandhi who showed that there is a higher calling and ethical behaviour by displaying non violence during the war times. He even dressed simply and lived among the poor.

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Exercise and Review:

Assess under which theory does each belong to:

Dr Mahathir (former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Mother Theresa (the nun who brought changes to Indian poor)

Goh Chok Tung (the former Prime Minister of Singapore)

Mao Tze Tung( the former Chairman of the China)

Who do you admire most and why?

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LEADERSHIP SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

10 key business leadership skills

commonly seen in successful leaders:

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5.2.1 Lead By Example.

One of the best ways to lead is by example

– pitching in where needed, lending a

helping hand, and making sure that the

work he does is clearly understood by his

team.

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5.2.2 Passion.

A leader is one with lots of passion and has

lots of drive and can inspire so much in

others through his own passion and

enthusiasm. The leader must believe in what

he is doing and what his company is doing.

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5.2.3 Be Organized.

A leader is organised and focused and

productive.

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5.2.4 Delegate.

A great leader needs to be able to delegate

effectively, by giving his members,

ownership of the work he assigns them.

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5.2.5. Take Ownership and

Responsibility.

Although a leader delegates work and he

also has to take ownership and

responsibility at all times. Your team has to

know the benefits of being in the team. The

member must also know his responsibility

in times of mistakes or errors.

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5.2.6 Communicate Effectively.

Everyone knows great leaders have to be

great communicators. It is critical that a

good leader communicates regularly on

how his subordinate is doing.

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5.2.7 Affirmation.

5.2.8 Be Brave and Honest.

Affirmation.

This is also something leaders must do to

affirm his members to show them that they

did a good job.

Be Brave and Honest.

Excellent leaders are brave and honest

when running a team. They show courage

in times of crisis and take responsibility

for errors and failures.

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5.2.9.Great Listener.

5.2.10 Know Your People.

Great Listener.

A huge part of being a great communicator is being a great listener. Keeping people motivated means listening to them, asking them questions, understanding their issues.

Know Your People.

You need to know something about your members’ personal lives because their lives outside work matter. Their lives outside work such as birthdays, marriages, children, etc. The more you know your people the more common ground you’re likely to find, the more you’ll be able to connect.

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Exercise and Review :

A group activity to list the qualities of the various successful people.

Kwek Leng Beng, Chairman of Copthorne Hotel Group and City Developments

Kenny Yap, CEO and founder of Qian Hu Corporation

Bill Gates, the retired CEO and founder of Microsoft Corporation

Steve Jobs, the former CEO and founder of Apple Corporation

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5.3 LEADERSHIP APPROACHES :

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5.4 LEADERSHIP STYLES

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6.5: LEADERSHIP IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Initiative

Passion

Stress Tolerance

Reliability

Willingness to work hard

Great positive attitude

Meticulous trait

Sense of urgency

Discipline & Self-control

Keenness for knowledge

Charisma

6.5.2 Traits of a good leader

The capacity to encourage and motivate others

The capacity to accept challenges and take risks

Self-awareness and self-knowledge

Personal persistence and commitment

A willingness and motivation to go on learning

An ability to learn and profit from failure &

mistakes

An ability to identify and empathise with their

subordinates.

Leadership is contingent upon

Organizational Culture

Project managers must contend with several, often

diverse cultures and subcultures existing within the

diverse organizational spheres of their organizations

(e.g. senior management, functional areas, PMO), and

outside it (e.g. clients, contractors, suppliers,

government agencies & other stakeholders).

A good ‚cultural management strategy‘ can be crucial

for successfully managing a project..

Exercise and Review : A Case Study :

Ali was working with several web designers, on a project to deliver a new website for his organisation, a medium sized charity. The site design came in on budget as did most of the programming. It was when he moved onto linking the website with the charity donor database that the problems began. There were delays, and bills starting appearing for extra costs from both the web designers and the database suppliers. He spoke to each individually. “it is not our fault. It is more complicated than we thought!” “We want X but they supply Y” “We do Y and X did the job!” . So to move things, Ali invited both the suppliers to a meeting. They both agreed that they had not looked at the detail previously and would collaborate on a joint specifications from that point onwards.

What do you think of Ali as a leader in this project?

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