PREVIOUS : Leadership #2

SITEs : “Relationship between bases of power & job stresses: role of mentoring”

• Top 19 Leadership THEORIES

LEADERSHIP : The Contingency Theory is considered the best form, which states that good leaders are able to evaluate the needs of their followers, take actions & adapt to any situation. By definition, they have all the right qualities – charisma, confidence, intelligence, communication & social skills.

3 Leadership CULTURES : Operate from the belief —-> that:
‣ Dependent – only people in authority are responsible for leadership
‣ Independent – leadership grows out of individual expertise & heroic action
‣ Interdependent – leadership is a collective activity for the benefit of the organization as a whole.

One way to decode a leadership culture is to observe how leaders create shared direction, alignment & commitment (DAC).

COMMUNICATION
Frameworks like the following chart ⬇️ remind leaders that people process things differently, so they shouldn’t all be treated identically. “If you know what quadrant someone fits into, you can deal with them effectively. Understanding leads to compassion & empathy.” (Thought Ensemble)

Behavioral Leadership Styles fall within two broad categories:
🔹 Task-centered, which is about giving group members instructions & directions to accomplish goals more efficiently & effectively. The focus is on the objective analysis of what needs to be done, & the specific course of actions to be taken. Employees are seen as resources used to accomplish goals
OR
🔺Employee-centered (relationship-centered) leaders focus more on building relationships between themselves & employees. By encouraging & supporting them, the leader hopes to make them better qualified, more confident & productive. Attention is on inspiring employees to follow the vision as presented. 

👤 Analyticals – want to know “how” things work, & want to be accurate. They value numbers, statistics & ideas, love details
👤 Amiables – want to know “why”. They want to build relationships, love to give others support & attention, value suggestions from others

👤 Drivers – want to know “what”. They value results, want to save time, love being in control
👤 Expressives – want to know “who”. They value appreciation, love social situations & parties, like to inspire others

STRESS EFFECTS on Leadership
Having & using power comes with several positives – more action, optimism, abstract thinking & goal-directed behavior.

However, Professor Jennifer Jordan points out that stress can be caused :
🔆 by the ever-increasing demands & pressure to meet expectations that often come with powerful positions, OR
⚠️ when an executive (or any other leader) sees their power being threatened – but only if they value hierarchy. So, much of how stress is experiences coms from how they interpret the world around them. It also affect the quality of their leadership.  Reactions include:

a. Risk-taking – In general, powerful people are more likely to resort to risky negotiation tactics. Ignoring potential business dangers & an over-focus on rewards encourage risk-taking. And
research indicates that power-users in an unstable situation (under threat) and have a low tolerance for stress – engage in even riskier behaviors

b. No Power-sharing – When a leader feels at risk of losing their power, they interacts less with their staff, not allowing subordinates to influence or participate in decision making, because don’t trust  most people in the organization

c. Transformational – While some leaders under power-threat are motivated to inspire & motivate the troops, research suggests the greater the threat, the less likely most leaders will use transformational tools (lead by doing, encourage collaboration among team members….).  Instead, they may go into “survivor mode”, & actually stop leading – although this is less likely to happen with the Directive style. (SOLUTIONS…..)

DECISIONS
“All too often, people make the mistake of focusing too much on the content of their point / project-idea / concern…., & not enough on how they deliver their message. Far too many decisions go against the employ or leader because their presentation was ineffective or done poorly.

However, people can greatly improve their chances of having a proposal succeed by identifying who the chief decision-maker is they’re trying to persuade, & then tailoring their arguments to fit that executive’s style.” (More….)

NEXT: Leadership #2a