Leadership Styles

Jeff Kennedy

And

Vaughn Waters

Agenda

• Greetings

• Ice-Breaker

• Early Approaches to Leadership

• Leadership Styles

• Leadership Activity

• Questions

• Wrap-up

• Evaluation

Ice Breaker

Definition of Leadership

• The ability to influence a group towards the achievement of goals.

Traditional Approaches to Leadership

• Trait

• Position

• Distributed Function

• Style

Trait Approach

Traits can be described as our general orientation toward people and things.

• Characteristics of the person, not the situation

• The ‘Great Man’ theory: Leaders are born, not made

Traits Most Characteristic of Leadership

Position Approach

• Authority is legitimate power that is vested in a particular position to ensure that persons in lesser positions meet the requirements of their organizational role

• Leadership within formal roles system

Distributed Function Approach

• Leadership is specific to particular groups in particular situations

• Any group member may become a leader by taking actions that serve group functions

• Leadership functions may be fulfilled by members performing a variety of relevant behaviors

Style Approach

• Autocratic

• Democratic

• Laissez-Fair

Autocratic Leaders

• Retain as much power and decision making authority as possible

• Make their own decisions without input from others

• Supervise group members closely

• Quick to both praise and punish

Democratic Leaders

• Keep employees informed about decisions that affect their work

• Include groups in decision making processes

• Quick to praise both groups and individuals

• Encourage factual and objective feedback

Laissez-Faire

• The manager provides little or no direction

• Allows for maximum freedom

• Resources provided but leader gives information only when asked

• No feedback unless asked

Study Conducted By Lewin, Lippit & White

• Adults were directed to lead groups of boys’ clubs by exhibiting autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire styles of leadership at different times

Results of the Study

• Laissez-faire: Lower productivity, satisfaction, and cohesiveness

• Autocratic: More submissive to the leaders. Productivity same as democratic, but required leaders’ presence

• Democratic: Less tension and hostility; more cohesion and cooperation. About as productive as autocratic, but also in leader's absence.

And the Winner Is……

• The democratic style of leadership was found to be superior to more autocratic and laissez faire styles.

• Labeled as the more productive style within corporate settings.

Style Activity

Questions

Evaluation and Wrap-up

Jeff Kennedyand

Vaughn Waters

Western Maryland College

Successful leadership requires positive self-regard fused with optimism about a desired outcome.- Warren Bennis