Organizational Leadership

Prepared by: Katleen T. Martin BM401A

Leaders can be born or made, naturally endowed or artificially

created. They can be called to the fore by the situations of the time or

make the situation itself.

What do we mean when we speak of “born leaders?” What constitutes

leadership is really the main question. Is a leader someone who tells others what to do, or a person

who helps others discover for themselves what they should do?

What attitudes should a leader possess?

Meaning of Functional Role

The concept of functional roles comes from the idea that a behavioral act stems from a certain role which it has to satisfy a particular need.

Within an organization, there are many work groups with different leadership role but each has to work cooperatively to achieve the objectives of the company. Different leaders perform different functions according to the work group they handle.

FUNCTIONAL ROLES THAT LEADERS PLAY

Types of Functional Role The functions of the leader may be: direct, such as choosing the group goal, supervising

performances, making decisions, or completing plans or it may be more

complex such as serving as the group ego

The group ego develops from the individual egos of the group members; the group ego develops by:a. integrating the group’s needs and goals with reality

outside the groupb. satisfying interpersonal needs within the groupc. creating an atmosphere free of conflict for group

member

In addition, the leader must:

• know himself and his men• keep his employees informed• set the example• make sound and timely decision• develop a sense of responsibility among

subordinates through proper supervision and delegation of authority and responsibility

• take responsibility of his actions and the action of subordinates

Functional Behavior

One functional behavior of a leader is that he must be a catalyst or a change agent.

With the functional role of leaders mentioned, it may be noted that the functional behavior of the leader is one that acts as one who must get things done in their proper perspectives. He has to identify the goals, whether he does it alone or with the help of his group members. He has to make decision or resolve differences.

Another functional behavior of a leader therefore is that he must now be more sensitive to the complexities of the times and thus be more flexible.

Leaders who can transcend special interest and bring people together are needed. There is, therefore, a need for leaders to grow or decay.

“They must be flexible to venture into the unknown odds of tomorrow for they must set the future in motion by gambling reasonably but fearlessly.” (Appendix VII – Special Requirements for Higher Executives)

Functional Behavior

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

The success or failure of any organization is through their leadership behavior.

Leadership styles is generally reflected in the behavior patterns of the leader.

Proper choice of leadership style will result good followers and high productivity. A wrong choice will result in lack of cooperation of followers, low morale, and low productivity.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

The autocratic leader or X leader’s major task is to command or give orders and assume that people will follow. In this way, he gets things done fast. This does not mean that he creates an atmosphere of hostility or negativism but rather sureness of will.

Autocratic Leadership

• Instructions are given in detail with care and precision.

• Autocratic communication is essentially one-way with nil feedback which may result to misunderstanding and subsequent error.

• The leader does not know directly what the employees feel and think.

• He makes decision without consulting others.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Participative leaders or Y leaders invite the active participation of subordinates to share in decision-making process as much as possible.

Primary concern: Develop group interrelationship as well as getting the job done.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Participative Leaderships

Participative communication is a two-way process. This requires patience and a great deal of energy on the part of the leader to stir the group into participating in planning and deciding so work may be accomplished effectively.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Two types of Participative Leadership

1. Democratic Leader – one who emphasizes on his subordinates their authority to make decisions and abide by such decisions with no exceptions.2. Consultative Leader – this requires a high degree of involvement from employees but it is clear that they alone have the authority to make the final decisions.

Advantages of Participative Leadership

1. Group interrelationship is high.2. Members abide by whatever the group decides.3. It supports decisions more enthusiastically and tries hard to

make them work.4. There is high productivity.5. It maximizes individuals potential in creative and productive

way and experience personal satisfaction and accomplishment of their work tasks.

6. Workers take on more responsibility than their job description calls for.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Disadvantages

1. Time consuming and requires great deal of energy.

2. Maybe used by people with authority as a guise for shirking from their own responsibilities.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Free-rein Leaders

Free-rein leaders are also referred to as laissez-faire leaders.

Free-rein leaders give their subordinates the goals and guidelines of their jobs with little direction and leave the rest to them.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

The free-rein leader, though possessed with decision-making authority, may not use such authority but leave everything to his group to carry on what they think is best.

BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

Table 3. Comparison on Three Types of Leadership

Autocratic Style or X Theory

Democratic Style or Y Theory

Free-rein or Laissez-faire

work orientedparticular in detailsinterested in self-growth

employee-orientedgeneralizing interestedin employee growth

neither of the two let alonedevelops self and letsothers develop themselves

fast decisionclose supervisionknows the product

slow decisiongeneral supervisionknows the people

fast decisionno supervisiondoes not care to know

authority on self

guidelines set by leaderclosely followed

authority shared with groupguidelines set by leader and group

authority given to group

guidelines set by leader alone to group tofollow or not

task specialist maintenance specialist no particular specialty

Other Leadership Styles

Laird and Laird believe that types of leadership have a relationship with the family upbringing, therefore, has a psychological basis. They mentioned four methods of leadership as:

1. Coercive leadership. This is considered the lowest grade of leadership. It tells subordinate to “do this or else. . .”

2. Leadership by assignment. The leader gives definite assignments and responsibilities to his subordinates and expects them to do what has been assigned.

Other Leadership Styles

3. Leadership by teaching and explaining. Here the leader takes pain in teaching and explaining to the group what is to be done and what he expects from them.

Other Leadership Styles

4. Leadership by inspiring and molding ideas. This is considered the highest form of building good relationship.

Other Leadership Styles

“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”

- Jim Rohn

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you

are a leader.”

- John Quincy Adams

“One of the most important leadership lessons is realizing you’re not the most

important or the most intelligent person in the room at all times.”

- Mario Batali

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