1) Definition of a leader A leader is by definition a person who rules or guides or inspires others. A leader is also some one who puts his/her group before themselves. A good leader has 10 distinct qualities which include: communication, enthusiastic, dedication, time management, trust worthy, fair, creative, good listener, honest, excellent decision making skills. The leader of the group is in a position of authority and makes all major decisions. To be a good leader you have to make good decisions. A group who has a highly effective leader is a highly effective group. 2) 10 Qualities of Effective Leaders Communication; you can not be an effective leader if you are not able to communicate with your group. You have to talk to your group members so everyone knows what is going on otherwise problems will occur. Enthusiastic; a good leader is enthusiastic about their work and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Dedication; A good leader has to be dedicated to his or hers work spending as much time needed on accomplishing the goals they have. A good leader will lead by example. Time Management; if a leader can not manage his or hers time well they will not be able to accomplish the task on hand. Trustworthy; a good leaders has to be trusted by his or her group members otherwise the group will not work productively. Fair; you have to be fair to be an effective leader, you have to hear and know all the facts from the group members. A fair leader can not jump to conclusions or pass judgment when you don’t know all the facts. Creative; you have to be able to be creative and open to other peoples creative ideas to be a good leader. Good listener; you need to be able to listen to other peoples ideas and be open to them. They have to be willing to handle opinions and take in as many ideas from others well still remembering their own. Honesty; effective leaders have to be honest with themselves and everyone around them. If your group members do not trust you, then they won’t follow you Decisions making; a good leader has to be able to make the final decisions. If they can not make decisions, the group will not be successful in accomplishing their goals. Works Cited SeeSunshine “Ten Characteristics of a True Leader” http://seesunshine.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!C65F11A9442F377F!1464.entry Constandse, Rodger “10 Qualities of Highly Effective Leaders.” Goals to Action.
3) Explain the differences between autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles.
An autocratic leadership style is when someone is very controlling, and they usually do it without advice from the people on the team or from their followers. Autocratic leaders will try to get the work done by deadline whatever the cost.
A democratic leadership style gives everyone a vote in the decisions the team makes. Being a democratic leader is very time consuming because decision making is usually done together.
A laissez-faire leadership style allows a group freedom to make decisions in completing their work or to ask their leader questions, the leader provides the people with the information to accomplish the goals they are working for.
Works Cited
Garner, Dewey D. “Effective leadership: the pharmacist’s role and responsibility. (Continuing Education).” Drug Topics. 2002. General Reference Center Gold. Gale. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=GRGM>.
Horn, Caroline. “Style Challenge.” Personnel Today. 2002. General Reference Center Gold. Gale. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=GRGM>.
4) Explain the situational leadership model.
Situational leadership theories in organizational studies are a type of leadership theory, leadership style, and leadership model that presumes that different leadership styles are better in different situations, and that leaders must be flexible enough to adapt their style to the situation they are in.
A good situational leader is one who can quickly change leadership styles as the situation changes. Most of us attempt to do this in our dealings with people: we try not to get angry with a new employee, and we remind forgetful people. The model doesn't apply only to people in leadership or management positions; all people lead others at work, at play, and at home.
Blanchard and Hersey characterized leadership style in terms of the amount of direction and support that the leader provides to their followers. They categorized all leadership styles into four behavior types, which they named S1 to S4:
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S1: Directing/Telling Leaders define the roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one-way
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S2: Coaching/Selling Leaders still define roles and tasks, but seek ideas and suggestions from the follower. Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more two-way
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S3: Supporting/Participating Leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower.
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S4: Delegating Leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved.
Of these, no one style is considered optimal or desired for all leaders to possess. Effective leaders need to be flexible, and must adapt themselves according to the situation. However, each leader tends to have a natural style, and in applying Situational Leadership he must know his intrinsic style.
The right leadership style will depend on the person being led - the follower. Blanchard and Hersey extended their model to include the Development Level of the follower. They stated that the leader's chosen style should be based on the competence and commitment of her followers. They categorized the possible development of followers into four levels, which they named D1 to D4:
D1: Low Competence, High Commitment - They generally lack the specific skills required for the job in hand. However, they are eager to learn and willing to take direction.
D2: Some Competence, Low Commitment - They may have some relevant skills, but won't be able to do the job without help. The task or the situation may be new to them.
D3: High Competence, Variable Commitment - They are experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well or quickly.
D4: High Competence, High Commitment - They are experienced at the job, and comfortable with their own ability to do it well. They may even be more skilled than the leader.
Development Levels are also situational. I might be generally skilled, confident and motivated in my job, but would still drop into Level D1 when faced, say, with a task requiring skills I don't possess. For example, many managers are D4 when dealing with the day-to-day running of their department, but move to D1 or D2 when dealing with a sensitive employee "issue"
Works Cited
"Situational Leadership." 12Manage. 1 May 2008 <http://www.12manage.com/methods_blanchard_situational_leadership.html>.
"Situational Leadership." Famous Models. 1 May 2008 <http://www.chimaeraconsulting.com/sitleader.htm>.
5) Identify which leadership style is most appropriate for a given situation.
One style of leadership will never cover all of the potential situations that can arise. What type of leadership you should use depends on the situation.
Using an autocratic style of leadership is most effective when working with new employees or when deadlines are coming up fast. Autocratic leaders tend to get things done quickly. A democratic approach works best when more time is available and when the leader is working with more skilled workers who can provide useful insights into the problem. A laissez-faire approach works best while working in a skilled group, where the members know just as much or more than the leader about the topic at hand. This type of leadership will lead to the most creative solutions to the problems.
Works Cited
Clark, Donald. “Leadership Styles.” Nwlink.Com. 28 Sept. 2005. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html >.
Sharpe, Dave. “Choosing Leadership Styles.” Montana State University. 30 Apr. 2008
6) Identify current or former leaders and explain their leadership style
There are a lot of leaders in the world and they have a lot of styles. We are focusing on the 10 most used leadership styles. Do you know what your style is?
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Autocratic leadership- A person who represents this style is Leona Helmsley. She was a president onboard her hotel chain and was taken down when her employees had turned in the hotels records to the New York Post. Autocratic means making decisions without consulting others.
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Bureaucratic leadership- These are the people who perform by the book. They make sure that their staff is following procedures exactly.
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Charismatic leadership- A person who represents this style is John F. Kennedy. He was a former president and helped set the nations goals into the future. Charismatic means the leaders are very energetic and help drive their team forward, but instead of believing in the team they believe in themselves more.
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Democratic leadership- A person who represents this style is Hilary Clinton. She is in the running election for president. Democratic means to invite other members of a team to contribute to the decision-making process.
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Laissez-Faire leadership- This is a person who leaves his or her workers alone to get on with their work.
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People-Oriented leadership- This person is focused on supporting, organizing, and developing the people in a leader’s team.
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Servant leadership- A person who leads by meeting the needs of the team.
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Task-Oriented leadership- A person who leads by focusing on what needs to be done. This person will define work and roles, put structures where they need to be, plan, monitor, and organize.
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Transactional leadership- This is when the leader sets in the idea that the team members agree to obey what their leader says when they take on the job.
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Transformational leadership- This is a leader who inspires the team with a constant shared vision into the future.
These are the different leadership styles and hopefully this can help figure out what kind of leader you are.
Works Cited
Kelber, Harry. “The Three Presidential Candidates .” The Labor Educator. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://www.laboreducator.org/>.
Tabije, Ismael. Management and Business Articles. 30 Apr. 2008 <http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com>.
7) Identify the Types of Power Bases
Power is the capacity to influence the thought and behavior of other people. Here are our seven power bases;
Ø Legitimate Power is the formal legal authority that is embodied in your position or title. You have the right to manage because of your place in the organization. There is little need for personal relationships between you and others. People respect you and the higher your rank the more power you have.
Ø Reward Power is based on your capacity to get what you want. You make positive outcomes, and to be effective this power base requires that others value the incentives offered and that they believe that you can and you will provide them.
Ø Coercive Power is based on your capacity and your willingness to produce conditions that the others want to avoid, or find unpleasant.
Ø Connection Power is the power you derive from relationships with other influential.
Ø Information power is based on you having access to info that others don’t know about and which they believe is important.
Ø Expert Power is based on your skill, knowledge, accomplishments or reputation. This base of power requires that the subordinates trust your expertise and believe it applies to the issue at hand.
Ø Referent Power is based on personal feelings of attraction, or admiration, that others have for you. It is where others see something special in you allowing you to take the lead, to be in the lead or be given the lead.
Works Cited
"types of power bases." Business references. Feb.-Mar. 2005. Reference for business. 30 Apr. 2008
<http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/int-loc/
Leadership-styles-and-bases-of-power.html>.
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