Supervision in Organizations

Chapter 9

Providing Effective Leadership

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Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter, I will be able to:
1. Define leader and explain the difference between a
leader and a supervisor.
2. Identify the traits that may help you become a
successful leader.
3. Define charisma and its key components.
4. Describe the skills of a visionary leader.
5. Differentiate between task-centered and peopleoriented leadership styles.
6. Explain situational leadership.
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Understanding Leadership
Leadership defined
The ability an individual demonstrates to influence
others to act in a particular way through direction,
encouragement, sensitivity, consideration and
support.

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Supervisors Versus Leaders

Not all leaders are supervisors, nor are all
supervisors leaders.
Supervisors
Persons whose influence on others is limited to
the appointed authority of their positions to
reward and punish.

Leaders
Persons with managerial and personal power
who can influence others to perform actions
beyond those that could be dictated by those
persons formal (position) authority alone.
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Trait Theories Of Leadership

Trait theories of leadership
Theories that attempt to isolate characteristics
that differentiate leaders from nonleaders
Attempts

to identify traits that always differentiate

leaders from followers and effective leaders from
ineffective leaders have failed.

Attempts

to identify traits consistently associated with

leadership have been more successful.

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Six Traits That Differentiate

Leaders from Nonleaders

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Charismatic Leadership
Charismatic leader defined
An individual with a compelling vision or sense
of purpose, an ability to communicate that
vision in clear terms that followers can
understand, a demonstrated consistency and
focus in pursuit of the vision, and an
understanding of his or her own strengths.

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Charismatic Leadership
A charismatic leader influences followers by:
Stating a vision that provides a sense of community
by linking the present with a better future.
Communicating high expectations and expressing
confidence that followers can attain them.
Conveying, through words and actions, a new set of
values, and by his or her behavior setting an
example for followers to imitate.
Making self-sacrifices and engaging in
unconventional behavior to demonstrate courage
and convictions about the vision.

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Key Characteristics of Charismatic Leaders

Idealized goal
Ability to help others understand the goal
Strong convictions about the goal
Behavior that is unconventional
Assertive and self-confident
High self-monitoring
Appearance as a change agent

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Visionary Leadership
A vision should create enthusiasm, bringing
energy and commitment to the organization.
The key properties of a vision are inspirational
possibilities that are value centered, realizable,
and have superior imagery and articulation.

Visionary leadership
The ability to create and articulate a realistic,
credible, attractive vision of the future that
grows out of and improves upon the present
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Skills of Visionary Leaders

The ability to explain the vision to others.
Make the vision clear in terms of required actions and
aims through clear oral and written communication.

(Ronald Reagan return to happier & prosperous times)

The ability to express the vision not just verbally but through
the leaders behavior.
Behaving in ways that continually convey and reinforce
the vision.

(Herb Keller SW Airlines)

The ability to extend the vision to different leadership

contexts.
Sequencing activities so the vision can be applied in a
variety of situations
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How to Become a Leader

Development of the following skills:
Technical skills

(ability to assist others)

Tools,

procedures, and techniques that are unique to

your specialized situation

Conceptual skills

(anticipate the future)

Ability

to think in the abstract, analyze info, and make

connections between the data

Networking skills
Socialize

and interact with outsiders

Human relation skills

Work

(people skills)

with, understand, and motivate other around you

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The Ohio State Studies

Studies that sought to identify independent
dimensions of leader behavior
Task-centered leader
People-centered leader

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Task-centered leadership
Task-centered leadership defined
An individual with a strong tendency to
emphasize the technical or task aspects of a
job
Ensures

compliance with rules, regulations, and

production goals

Example:
Autocratic Leader (taskmaster)
Leaves

no doubt as to whos in charge, and who has

the authority and power in the group

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People-Centered
People-centered leader defined
Emphasizes interpersonal relations with those
he or she leads. (preferred by todays workforce)
Takes

personal interest in needs of his/her employees

Example:
Participative leadership style
Leadership

style of an individual that seeks input from

followers for many of the activities in the organization
Perspective #1: Consultative-participative leadership
Obtain input, but makes final decision
Perspective

#2: Democratic-participative leadership

Obtain input and decision is made by the group

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Situational Leadership
Situational leadership theory (Hersey & Blanchard)
Leaders should adjust (high-self monitors) their
leadership stylestelling, selling, participating,
and delegatingin accordance with the
readiness of their followers.
New leadership model and getting much
attention.
Acceptance:

Leader effectiveness reflects the reality

that it is the followers who accept or reject the leader.

Readiness:

perform.

a followers ability and willingness to

At

higher levels of readiness, leaders respond by

reducing control over and involvement with employees.
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Situational Leadership

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Hersey and Blanchards

Situational Leadership
Model

Exhibit 11.7
Source: Reprinted with permission from the Center for Leadership Studies.
Situational Leadership is a registered trademark of the Center for
Leadership Studies, Escondido, California. All rights reserved.

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Situational Leadership
R1 (Telling)
Employee does not know how to do a job
function

R2 (Selling)
Employee questions why certain things have to
be done a certain way

R3 (Participative Leadership)
Employee has become the expert on the job and
no longer needs to be told what to do

R4 (Delegating)
Employee has gained trust and needs to be left
alone. Assign tasks and let him/her do the taks
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Credibility & Trust

Credibility
Employees judge credibility in terms of:
Honesty
Competence
Ability

to inspire

Trust
The belief in the integrity, character, and
ability of a leader

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Five Dimensions of Trust

Integrity
Honesty and truthfulness

Competence
Technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills

Consistency
Reliability, predictability, and good judgment

Loyalty
Willingness to protect and save face for a person

Openness
Willingness to share ideas and information freely
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The Challenge of Team Leadership

Becoming an effective team leader requires:
Learning to share information.
Developing the ability to trust others.
Learning to give up authority.
Knowing when to leave their teams alone and
when to intercede.

New roles that team leaders take on

Managing the teams external boundary
Facilitating the team process

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