MBA401 People, Culture and Contemporary Leadership Workshop Week 9 Leadership Behaviours, Styles and Strengths Based Leadership COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. 2 • To understand the concept of behaviour. • To be able to differentiate between the different leadership behaviour orientations. • To understand the different leadership styles that may be adopted. • To understand the contribution of positive psychology and strengths based leadership. • To be clear on the next steps required to understand the reflected best self exercise. • LO3 - Describe contemporary approaches to leadership. • LO4 - Analyse the characteristics and psychology of different leaders. • LO5 - Apply leadership skills across a variety of domains. Workshop Objectives Leadership Behaviours • For leadership to occur, traits and skills must be transformed into behaviour. • Thus, considerable research has focused on leaders’ behaviours and their impact on group members and employees. 4 What is Behaviour? • The way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others. • Something we may ‘say’. • Something we may ‘do’. 5 Video – Behaviour Change • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p4es Mj2EC8 • What is the role of a leader? • What types of behaviour can they influence? • How can leaders change the behaviours of their followers? 6 Dimensions of Leadership Behaviour • Leadership behaviours have been researched for over 50 years (Ohio Studies). • Researchers surveyed group members regarding their perceptions of their supervisors (leaders). • 85% of the leadership behaviours described were focused in two areas/dimensions: 1. Consideration 2. Initiating Structure 7 Consideration • Extent to which the leader creates an environment of emotional support, warmth, friendliness, and trust. • Leader is approachable and focuses on the welfare of the group members. • Makes connections with people. • Soft-spoken in that the leader is not dominating the discussions taking place between leader and group members. 8 Initiating Structure • Extent to which relationships are organised and defined by assigning tasks, specifying procedures to be followed, scheduling work, clarifying expectations, and establishing realistic goals. • Leader clearly defines their personal role as well as those of each and every group member. 9 Combining Initiating Structure & Consideration Behaviours • The two dimensions are not mutually exclusive. • Both dimensions do contribute to an understanding of leadership because both are related to leadership outcomes. – Consideration – satisfaction of group members and the leader; worker motivation; leader effectiveness – Initiating Structure – job, group, and organisation performance 10 Task-Related Attitudes & Behaviour • Focus is more on the task to be performed than on the interpersonal aspects of leadership: – Adaptability to the situation – Direction setting – High-performance standards – Concentrating on strengths of followers – Risk-taking with execution of plans – Hands-on guidance and feedback – Ability to ask tough questions – Organising for collaboration 11 Relationship-Oriented Attitudes & Behaviour • Focus is more on interpersonal relationships: – Aligning people – Openness to worker opinions – Creating inspiration and visibility – Satisfying higher-level needs – Giving emotional support and encouragement – Promoting principles and values – Being a servant leader • Focus on serving others – employees, customers, community • Moral leadership 12 • A leader’s behaviour begins to reveal a consistent, regular, predictable pattern of dealing with group members. • This consistency then reveals a pattern of behaviour which characterises the leader’s actions into one of four styles: – Participative (Consultative–Consensus–Democratic) – Autocratic – Entrepreneurial – Passive 13 Leadership Styles • Sharing decision making with group members. • Encompasses the team approach as leaders accept suggestions from group members related to managing the operation. • Divided into three subtypes: – Consultative – Consensus – Democratic 14 Participative Leadership • Leaders retain authority and make all decisions assuming group members will comply. • Considered task-oriented leaders as their focus is on getting tasks accomplished. • Typical behaviours include telling, asserting, and serving. • Is effective in certain situations. • Does not necessarily imply the leader is impulsive or stubborn. 15 Autocratic Leadership • Strong achievement drive and sensible risk taking. • High degree of enthusiasm and creativity. • Tendency to act quickly when opportunity arises. • Constant hurry combined with impatience. • Visionary perspective combined with tenacity. • Dislike of hierarchy and bureaucracy. • Preference for dealing with external customers. • Eye on the future. 16 Entrepreneurial Leadership • Passive leadership is defined as a combination of passive management by exception and laissez-faire leadership. • Passive management by exception means avoiding action until mistakes or problems can no longer be ignored; laissez-faire leadership is defined as the absence of leadership altogether. • In studies, passive leadership has been shown to negatively impact workplace safety and increase injury rates. • Similarly, laissez-faire leadership results in greater role conflict, role ambiguity, interpersonal conflict with coworkers, perceived bullying, and psychological distress. 17 Passive Leadership • Before taking action, a leader asks “What does the research literature tell me is most likely to work in this situation?” • Leaders translate principles based on best evidence into organisational practices. • While evidence-based leadership and management is not yet widely practiced, taking the study of leadership and management seriously will move managers and organisations toward basing their practices and decisions on valid evidence. 18 Evidence Based Leadership • Click on the link and do the test. • http://www.yourleadershiplegacy.com/ • In groups of 4 or 5 discuss your similarities and differences. 19 Activity – Your Leadership Style • Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). • It has also been defined as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities and organisations to thrive (Gable & Haidt, 2005, Sheldon & King, 2001). 20 Positive Psychology • Applying a positive approach to building an individual’s strengths has been shown to be crucial when growing leaders (Rath & Conchie 2008; Spreitzer, 2006). • It can yield substantial business bottom-line benefits (Smedley, 2007; Stefanyszyn, 2007). 21 Positive Leadership • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_q_ayT pUBs • How is this different from other leadership development thinking? 22 Strengths Based Leadership • Enhances culture (Harter, Schmidt & Hayes, 2002). • Improves engagement (Minhas, 2010). • Enables greater levels of leadership authenticity (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). • Enhances well-being (Park, Peterson & Seligman, 2005). 23 Strengths Based Leadership • Receiving positive feedback aids individuals to process negative feedback and creates behaviour change (Trope & Neter, 1994). • The right balance of feedback can serve to reduce overconfidence (DeRue, 2012) • Balanced positive feedback can assist leaders to revise their self-expectations and increase their effectiveness (Kaiser & Kaplan, 2005; Kaplan & Kaiser, 2006). 24 The Role of Feedback • Challenges the legacy created by the traditional use of feedback and its negative connotations (Kaplan & Kaiser, 2003a). • Addresses the tendency that individuals have to resist positive feedback (Linley, 2008). • Manages the risk that leaders may turn their strengths into weaknesses by overdoing them (Kaplan & Kaiser, 2010). 25 Positive Leadership • The Reflected Best Self (RBS) exercise poses the question - “Did you bring your best self to work today?” (Roberts, 2013). • It asks people to write down their qualities and characteristics when performing “at their best” (Roberts, Dutton, Spreitzer, Heaphy, & Quinn, 2005). 26 Reflected Best Self • Did you bring your best self to class today? • Write down a list of 10 factors that would determine how you would assess the answer to that question. 27 Activity - Reflected Best Self • There is no one best or most effective leadership style. • Leaders who get the best results do not rely on one style. • Effective leaders need to focus on BOTH structuring the work (task behaviours) AND supporting and developing good interpersonal relationships with and among group members (relationship behaviours). • Combining these with positive leadership is likely to yield strong results. 28 The Best Leadership Style • Different behaviours yield different leadership styles. • The key ones may be task or relationship orientated or a combination. • Positive leadership is a style that is focused on leaders’ strengths. • Developing strengths is a way to enhance the effectiveness of leadership. 29 Summary Any Questions? • From today’s workshop: – What have you learned about leadership? – What has surprised you? – What have you learned about yourself? – How could you apply these learnings in the workplace? – How could these learnings be reflected in Assessment 2? Activity – Journal Reflection Assessment 3 - Overview • Refer to subject outline. Any Questions?