FAQ: Management and Leadership Styles

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1 Question 1: How does managing differ from leading? Answer 1: The following two lists provide a place to begin to see the differences between managing and leading (Bellman, 1991). Managing includes the following: Working within boundaries Controlling resources Planning to reach goals Contracting how and when work will be done Emphasizing reasons or logic supported by intuition Deciding present actions based on the past Waiting for all relevant data before deciding Measuring performance against plans Leading includes the following: Expanding boundaries Influencing others Creating a vision of the future Committing to get the work done no matter what Emphasizing feeling or intuition supported by reason Deciding present actions based on the future Pursuing enough data to decide now Assessing accomplishment against vision Anyone who has supervised people (as a manager) knows how important it is to influence others and create a vision for them of the future. Likewise, leaders are not immune from the need to sometimes work within boundaries and measure performance (especially when a board of directors expects it of them). Therefore, though they are different, there are times when the distinction becomes blurred. In fact, one of the commonly accepted four functions of management is leading, defined as "inspiring people to work hard" and "creating enthusiasm to work hard to accomplish tasks successfully" (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005, p. 12). In addition, there is no doubt that those in executive and leadership positions are involved in the other aspects of managing through planning, organizing, and controlling. 1

2 Another way of separating management from leadership is to think of managers as attempting to promote stability while leaders focus on helping the organization adapt to change. Question 2: Are there different kinds of leadership styles, or does one approach work best? Answer 2: The basic forms are formal (when authority and responsibility have been officially given) and informal (when a so-called natural leader emerges, commands respect, and assumes a leadership role at some level in the organization). Both are operating in organizations. Besides that distinction, there are many leadership styles. Several of them are included Robert House s path-goal theory, which is based on how a leader influences employees perceptions of work goals and personal goals and the links that are forged between the two. Leadership styles in this framework include directive, supporting, achievement-oriented, and participative (House & Mitchell, 1974). Question 3: When would a directive style be most effective? Answer 3: Directive leadership explicitly spells out what (and how) work is to be done. It is highly structured. This approach is best used when the task itself or the environment is unclear. It is preferable in organizations that must respond both quickly and deliberately. There might also be times when this approach is effective for employees who are used to, and prefer, a high degree of authority even when the task itself is very clear (House & Mitchell, 1974). Question 4: When would a supportive style be more in order? Answer 4: Supportive leadership focuses more on worker needs and wellbeing to achieve the desired outcome. Supportive leadership is effective when the task is very repetitive, considered unpleasant, or highly stressful. The leader s supportive demeanor helps offset the adverse aspects (House & Mitchell, 1974). Support may be shown through the granting of flexible work schedules or something as simple as allowing portable radios or family photos in the work area. 2

3 Question 5: When would an achievement approach be most suitable? Answer 5: Achievement-oriented leadership is based on setting challenging goals while showing confidence in workers abilities to meet high performance standards. The setting of challenging, yet attainable, goals is thought to encourage employees to strive for higher performance standards, provided that there are no major adverse aspects and there is some lack of clarity as to how things must be done (House & Mitchell, 1974). This enables workers to challenge themselves to try new ways to reach goals. Question 6: When would a participative style be most effective? Answer 6: Participative leadership involves consulting with employees before decisions are made. According to motivation theory, all leadership is best carried out using participative methods. This means bringing employees into the decision-making process and listening to their suggestions. Even in work environments that involve repetitive activities, it has been noted that performance is enhanced by participative leadership in which workers have a say in how things are done (House & Mitchell, 1974). Question 7: What are motivator factors? Answer 7: According to the classic motivation work of Herzberg (1968), job satisfaction and motivation come through providing job content factors that include opportunities for achievement through reasonable goals, recognition when goals are met, the nature of the work itself, responsibility, and opportunities for advancement and personal development. Question 8: What about hygiene factors? Can people be motivated without those needs being met? Answer 8: Hygiene factors include organizational policies, the quality of supervision, working conditions, the wage or salary level, relationships with peers and subordinates, and status and security. According to Herzberg (1968), people cannot be motivated through hygiene factors. They may become less dissatisfied when hygiene factors are improved, but less dissatisfaction does not necessarily correlate to enhanced motivation. 3

4 Question 9: What is transformational leadership? Does that mean leaders must change? Answer 9: Transformational leadership does involve some change, but mostly on the part of the followers. It requires leaders to broaden and elevate workers interests so that the workers look beyond their personal interests and, ideally, become interested in the greater good of the organization (Bass, 1985). A transformational leader has four primary characteristics: Charisma: Provides vision and a sense of mission, instills pride, and has respect and trust of followers Inspiration: Communicates high expectations and expresses important purposes in simple ways Intellectual stimulation: Promotes intelligence, rationality, and careful problem solving Individualized consideration: Coaches and advises, provides personal attention, and treats each employee individually Question 10: How does transformational leadership differ from transactional leadership? Answer 10: Transactional leadership holds the focus at the level of routine performance achievement, and it does not attempt to link performance with the broadening of workers interests (Bass, 1985). A transactional leader operates by doing the following: Using contingent rewards in exchange for agreed-upon goal accomplishments Actively managing by exception (watching for mistakes and taking corrective action) Passively managing by exception (intervening only when standards are not met) Laissez-faire (avoiding decisions and responsibilities) Although transformational leadership may be more prevalent at the top management level (where vision is proposed and communicated), the two approaches usually operate together in an organization. 4

5 References Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, NY: Free Press. Bellman, G. M. (1991). Getting things done when you are not in charge. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler. Herzberg, F. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review, 46, House, R. J., & Mitchell, T. R. (1974). Path-goal theory of leadership. Journal of Contemporary Business, 3, Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2005). Organizational behavior. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. 5