GREAT LEADERS: STYLES, ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS:Planning, Staffing

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Organizational Psychology (PSY510)

LESSON 45

GREAT LEADERS: STYLES, ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS

Fred Luthans' And Diane Lockwood's Study 1984

Fred Luthans and Diane Lockwood in 1984 observed various organizations and leader's/manager's

activities and prepared a description of them under twelve heads:

1. Planning

The first activity is that of planning. Planning refers to setting goal for the organization or the group

that is being lead. It goes on till each member is aware of his or her duty and the contribution expected.

Each activity is coordinated by the leader's planning.

2. Staffing

Staffing is the process of hiring and recruiting people for the organization. It starts from developing job

descriptions for position openings. It goes on till information dissemination to the applicant of his or

her hiring.

3. Training

Training is the process of teaching the employee on job skills. It is an essential part of organizational

human resource management. Orienting employee, holding seminars, clarifying roles, duties, etc. are all

part of training which is also a function or job of the leader.

4. Problem Solving

Manager or leader is a person how has a very important role to play in the organization in terms of

managing people's problems and organizational problems. He or she is the one who defines problems,

selects alternatives, and actually decides what to do.

5. Processing

Processing refers to managing day to day work in terms of finalizing, overseeing, documenting,

reporting, etc. A manager processes mails, reads reports, writes reports etc.

6. Exchanging Information

The manager is supposed to be an expert in the field with all the relevant knowledge important for the

organization. He or she exchanges information with the people in the organization and directs them

under the information he possesses.

7. Monitoring

One of the four tasks of a manager is to monitor the organizational processes. A manager is also

responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the employees and organization as a

whole.

These were the jobs that Luthans and Lockwood thought were essential for a good manager.

David Whetten's and Kim Cameron's Study

In the modern international organizational culture, David Whetten and Kim Cameron in 1991 identified 10

skills of successful leaders and managers across cultures using 400 managers as their subjects of study.

These skills are as follows:

1. Verbal communication

Verbal communication skills are essential for managers and leaders in order to communicate effectively

with the subordinates or followers.

2. Managing Time and Stress

Leaders and mangers are the people who are under the greatest stress and have very little time to do a

large number of activities. They should have skills to manage their time and stress.

3. Managing Individual Decisions

Managers manage individuals and their decisions. They give authority to people to make decisions and

ensure that right decisions are made. Further, they are also responsible for decision making.

4. Solving Problems

Managers also work are problem solvers solving the problems of the organization, employees,

subordinates, followers, etc.

5. Motivating

Managers have a prime responsibility to create an urge to work among the people in the organization.

6. Delegating

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Organizational Psychology (PSY510)

Managers in the organization have a task of delegating authority and letting people manage different

parts of the organization on their behalf. It is essential that managers are able to delegate authority

rightly.

7. Setting Goals and Articulating a Vision

One of the basic functions of mangers is to set goals and articulate the vision to the people, i.e.

communicate the objectives, mission, and the path towards the goal.

8. Self-awareness

Self-awareness means the ability to assay oneself. Managers need to be aware of their abilities and

should also help people realize their true potential.

9. Team Building

Team building is becoming an important aspect of every manager's job since organizations prefer to

leverage expertise in teams rather than individual expertise.

10. Managing Conflicts

Managers are also responsible for managing and resolving individual and group conflicts within the

organization.

Robert House's and Philip Podsakoff's Study

Researches by Robert House and Philip Podsakoff (1994) have shown ten activities as the core of leadership

style, and they have a great impact on an organization:

1. Vision

Great leaders articulate an ideological vision that is in consonance with the values of the followers; the

vision describes a better future for the followers.

2. Passion and self sacrifice

Great leaders imply display passion for, and have a strong conviction of, the moral correctness of their

vision. They engage in outstanding or extraordinary behaviour and make extraordinary self-sacrifices in

the interest of their mission.

3. Confidence, determination, persistence

Great leaders display a high level of confidence and are determined to achieve their set targets, deterred

very little by any hindrances.

4. Image building

Great leaders develop an extraordinary image of themselves and tend to use that image to motivate and

convince the followers.

5. Role modelling

Great leaders play the role of role models leading from the front. They show the followers the path by

treading on it themselves.

6. External representation

Leaders play the role of a spokesperson for the organization. They represent the organization externally.

In other words, they are the face of the organization.

7. Expectation and confidence in the followers

Leaders have high expectations from the followers and have high confidence in them.

8. Selective motive arousal

Great leaders arouse in themselves those motives that are beneficial for the organization.

9. Frame alignment

Great leaders have the ability to convince followers to accept and implement change.

10. Inspirational communication

Great leaders have the charisma and the ability to influence people by their talk. Their communication

is inspirational for the followers.

Researchers have combined all of these skills of managers and leaders into the following four

categories:

· Participative and Human Relations

Great managers tend to be supportive to their subordinates and have a sense of empathy for them.

· Competitiveness and Control

Great managers have the ability to be competitive and then control the working of the organization and

people to achieve the desired goals.

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Organizational Psychology (PSY510)

Innovativeness and Entrepreneurship

Great managers are visionary people who possess the ability to innovate and also have entrepreneurial

skills necessary to change the vision into reality.

· Maintaining Order and Rationality

Managers tend to maintain order in the organization by resolving problems and conflicts and helping

employees. They are expected to be dictated by rationality in each decision making.

Training for Leadership

A general belief is that leaders are born and not made. Researches quoted above clearly indicate that

leadership skills can be trained. Training involves enhancing the following:

1. Knowledge

2. Trust

3. Power

4. Understanding of job challenges

5. Flexibility

How to Train

There are six methods which can be used to train managers which are as follows:

1. Coaching managers to inculcate into them leadership skills

2. Job design can be altered to train managers into leaders

3. Behavioural self management skills can be taught to managers

4. OBMOD can be used to change managers into leaders

5. Educational programmes at colleges and universities could be a source of leadership skill training

6. Personal growth training such as psycho-exercise and out door adventures could be useful for

training managers to become leaders

REFERENCES

· Luthans, Fred. (2005). Organizational Behaviour (Tenth Edition). United States: McGraw Hill Irwin.

· Mejia, Gomez. Balkin, David & Cardy, Rober. (2006). Managing Human Resources (Fourth Edition).

India: Dorling Kidersley Pvt. Ltd., licensee of Pearson Education in South Asia.

· Robbins, P., Stephen. (1996). Organizational Behaviour (Seventh Edition). India: Prentice Hall, Delhi.

· Huczynski, Andrzej & Buchanan, David. (1991). Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text

(Second Edition). Prentice Hall. New York.

· Moorhead, Gregory & Griffin, Ricky. (2001). Organizational Behaviour (First Edition). A.I.T.B.S.

Publishers & Distributors. Delhi.

· Robert

Blake

and

Jane

Mouton;

Managerial

Grid:

Retrieved

from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managerial_grid_model

· Levitt, Theodore. Globalization of markets, Harvard Business Review, 1983

FURTHER READING

· Ohio State Leadership Studies:

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/actions/ohio_state.htm

· Early Years of the Ohio State University Leadership Studies:

http://jom.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/2/127

· Michigan Leadership Studies: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/actions/michigan.htm

· Leadership Studies: http://www.ebsdublin.com/Subjects/Grad%20Dip/Leadership%20Studies%20-

%20Grad%20Dip.pdf

· Leadership. Methods, Models and Theories: http://www.12manage.com/i_l.html

· Transformational and Charismatic Leadership:

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/637430

· Contemporary women world leaders: http://www.terra.es/personal2/monolith/00women.htm

· Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership: http:// www.guide2womenleaders.com

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