Description
This is a presentation describes on trait approach to leadership.
Trait Approach to Leadership
• Pre 1945, leadership traits suggested certain characteristics, such as physical energy or friendliness as essential for effective leadership. • These inherent personal qualities like intelligence were felt to be transferable from one situation to another, but since all individuals did not possess these qualities, only those who had them were considered potential leaders. • Research on Traits is continuing. Warren Bennis who completed a 5-year study of ninety outstanding leaders and their followers, identified four common traits, or common areas of competence, shared by all ninety leaders.
1. Management of Attention The ability to communicate a sense of outcome, goal, or direction that attracts followers. 2. Management of Meaning The ability to create and communicate meaning with clarity and understanding. 3. Management of Trust The ability to be reliable and consistent. 4. Management of Self The ability to know one’s self and to use one’s skills within the limits of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
Bennis updated these traits with seven characteristics of effective performance: 1. Business Literacy Does the manager know the business – the real feel of it?
2. People Skills Does the manager have the capacity to motivate, to bring out the best in people? 3. Conceptual Skills Does the manager have the capacity to think systematically, creatively and inventively?
4. Track Record
Has the manager done it before and done it well?
5. Taste
Does the manager have the ability to pick the right people – not clones, but people that can make up deficiencies?
6. Judgement
Does the manager have the ability to make quick decisions with imperfect data?
7. Character
The core competency of leadership is character, but character and judgment are the qualities we know least about when trying to teach them to others.
Negative Leadership Traits When people are hindered from reaching the top, it is simply due to certain negative traits. Three such negative traits, in order of importance are:
– The perception of being uninformed. – Of being non-participants. – Of being extremely rigid.
Both, winners and losers had strengths and weaknesses, but those who fell short, seemed to have one or more of what are termed as ‘fatal flaws’ viz:
– Insensitive to orders: abrasive, intimidating, bullying style. – Cold, aloof or arrogant. – Untrustworthy. – Overly ambitious: always thinking of the next job, playing politics. – Having specific performance problems with the business. – Unable to delegate or build a team – over managing. – Unable to staff effectively. – Unable to think strategically. – Unable to adapt to boss with different style. – Over dependent on advocate or mentor.
Leadership Traits that do matter
• Drive: Achievement, ambition, energy, tenacity, initiative. • Leadership motivation (personalized Vs socialized).
Personal-Behavioural Theories (Attitudinal Approaches) • The main period of the attitudinal approaches to leadership occurred between 1945 with the Ohio State and Michigan studies and the mid 90s, with the development of the Managerial Grid. • The dimensions of the Managerial Grid – concern for production and concern for people – are attitudinal.
Ohio State Leadership Studies Initiating Structure and Consideration
• This study attempted to identify various dimensions of leader behaviour. • Defining leadership as ‘the behaviour of an individual when directing the activities of a group towards goal attainment’, they eventually narrowed the description of leader behaviour to two dimensions: initiating structure and consideration. • Initiating structure meant ‘a type of leader behaviour that describes the extent to which a leader is task oriented and directs subordinates’ work activities towards goal achievement’. • Consideration, on the other hand refers to ‘a type of leader behaviour that describes the extent to which a leader is sensitive to subordinates, respects their ideas and feelings and establishes mutual trust’.
• The State developed the Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire, (LBDQ), an instrument designed to describe how leaders carry out their activities.
• This questionnaire measures the perceptions of subordinates, peers or superiors. • The initiating structure and consideration scores derived from the responses to the questionnaire provide a way to measure leadership style.
Examples of LBDQ Items
CONSIDERATION INITIATING STRUCTURE
1. The leader finds time to listen to group members.
1. The leader assigns group members to particular tasks. 2. The leader asks the group members to follow standard rules and regulations.
2. The leader is friendly and approachable.
3. The leader is willing to make changes.
3. The leader lets group members know what is expected of them.
• The Ohio State University found that initiating structure and consideration were separate and distinct dimensions. • A high score on one dimension did not necessitate a low score on the other. • The behaviour of a leader was any mix of both dimensions.
High Consideration and Low Structure
High Structure and High Consideration
Low Structure and Low Consideration
High Structure and Low Consideration
Low - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INITIATING STRUCTURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - -HIGH
The Ohio State personal-behaviour theory has been criticized because of simplicity, lack of generalizability and reliance on questionnaire responses to predict leadership effectiveness.
doc_794026851.pptx
This is a presentation describes on trait approach to leadership.
Trait Approach to Leadership
• Pre 1945, leadership traits suggested certain characteristics, such as physical energy or friendliness as essential for effective leadership. • These inherent personal qualities like intelligence were felt to be transferable from one situation to another, but since all individuals did not possess these qualities, only those who had them were considered potential leaders. • Research on Traits is continuing. Warren Bennis who completed a 5-year study of ninety outstanding leaders and their followers, identified four common traits, or common areas of competence, shared by all ninety leaders.
1. Management of Attention The ability to communicate a sense of outcome, goal, or direction that attracts followers. 2. Management of Meaning The ability to create and communicate meaning with clarity and understanding. 3. Management of Trust The ability to be reliable and consistent. 4. Management of Self The ability to know one’s self and to use one’s skills within the limits of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
Bennis updated these traits with seven characteristics of effective performance: 1. Business Literacy Does the manager know the business – the real feel of it?
2. People Skills Does the manager have the capacity to motivate, to bring out the best in people? 3. Conceptual Skills Does the manager have the capacity to think systematically, creatively and inventively?
4. Track Record
Has the manager done it before and done it well?
5. Taste
Does the manager have the ability to pick the right people – not clones, but people that can make up deficiencies?
6. Judgement
Does the manager have the ability to make quick decisions with imperfect data?
7. Character
The core competency of leadership is character, but character and judgment are the qualities we know least about when trying to teach them to others.
Negative Leadership Traits When people are hindered from reaching the top, it is simply due to certain negative traits. Three such negative traits, in order of importance are:
– The perception of being uninformed. – Of being non-participants. – Of being extremely rigid.
Both, winners and losers had strengths and weaknesses, but those who fell short, seemed to have one or more of what are termed as ‘fatal flaws’ viz:
– Insensitive to orders: abrasive, intimidating, bullying style. – Cold, aloof or arrogant. – Untrustworthy. – Overly ambitious: always thinking of the next job, playing politics. – Having specific performance problems with the business. – Unable to delegate or build a team – over managing. – Unable to staff effectively. – Unable to think strategically. – Unable to adapt to boss with different style. – Over dependent on advocate or mentor.
Leadership Traits that do matter
• Drive: Achievement, ambition, energy, tenacity, initiative. • Leadership motivation (personalized Vs socialized).
Personal-Behavioural Theories (Attitudinal Approaches) • The main period of the attitudinal approaches to leadership occurred between 1945 with the Ohio State and Michigan studies and the mid 90s, with the development of the Managerial Grid. • The dimensions of the Managerial Grid – concern for production and concern for people – are attitudinal.
Ohio State Leadership Studies Initiating Structure and Consideration
• This study attempted to identify various dimensions of leader behaviour. • Defining leadership as ‘the behaviour of an individual when directing the activities of a group towards goal attainment’, they eventually narrowed the description of leader behaviour to two dimensions: initiating structure and consideration. • Initiating structure meant ‘a type of leader behaviour that describes the extent to which a leader is task oriented and directs subordinates’ work activities towards goal achievement’. • Consideration, on the other hand refers to ‘a type of leader behaviour that describes the extent to which a leader is sensitive to subordinates, respects their ideas and feelings and establishes mutual trust’.
• The State developed the Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire, (LBDQ), an instrument designed to describe how leaders carry out their activities.
• This questionnaire measures the perceptions of subordinates, peers or superiors. • The initiating structure and consideration scores derived from the responses to the questionnaire provide a way to measure leadership style.
Examples of LBDQ Items
CONSIDERATION INITIATING STRUCTURE
1. The leader finds time to listen to group members.
1. The leader assigns group members to particular tasks. 2. The leader asks the group members to follow standard rules and regulations.
2. The leader is friendly and approachable.
3. The leader is willing to make changes.
3. The leader lets group members know what is expected of them.
• The Ohio State University found that initiating structure and consideration were separate and distinct dimensions. • A high score on one dimension did not necessitate a low score on the other. • The behaviour of a leader was any mix of both dimensions.
High Consideration and Low Structure
High Structure and High Consideration
Low Structure and Low Consideration
High Structure and Low Consideration
Low - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INITIATING STRUCTURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - -HIGH
The Ohio State personal-behaviour theory has been criticized because of simplicity, lack of generalizability and reliance on questionnaire responses to predict leadership effectiveness.
doc_794026851.pptx