Leadership

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Leadership

• BSc Psychology
• Occupational Psychology module
• 
  Jonathan Passmore

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Learning outcomes

• At the end of this session and with additional
  reading you will be able to
• describe a selection of popular theories of
  leadership
• critically evaluate their conceptual approaches
• critically evaluate their utility in the
  organisational setting
• understand one model in detail.

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What have these five got in common?

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Definition

• Leadership is the process whereby one person
  influences others to work towards a goal
• (Yulk and Vanfleet,1992)

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A brief history of leadership theory

• Types Great men
• Traits Behavioural Psychology
• Contingency models Situational factors
• Transactional models
• Transformational models
• Distributed leadership models
• Complexity models

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Trait Approaches to leadership

• Lord et al (1986)
• intelligent
• extrovert
• dominant
• masculine
• conservative
• better adjusted

• Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991)
• intelligent
• desire to lead
• energy and ambition
• self confidence
• honesty and integrity
• knowledge

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Style approaches to leadership -Lowin (1968)

• Autocratic
• direction/obedience
• close supervision
• control and accountability
• absence of participation and feedback

• Democratic
• open communication/positive attitudes
• self direction/self control
• conflict is confronted
• group based problem solving
• consensus rather than coercion

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Contingency leadership models

• Fiedler, (1967), Trait contingency model
• Vroom Yetton, (1973) Normative contingency
  model
• House Mitchell, (1974) Path-Goal model
• Hersey Blanchard, (1969) Situational leadership
  model

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Kotters comparison of transactional and
transformational leadership
Source Kotter, J. A. (1990)
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Emotional Intelligence Leadership Styles

Goleman, D. et al (2002)
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Leading in a Culture of Change
Leaders
Members
Commitment (External and internal)
Results
More good things happen fewer bad
things happen.
Michael Fullan
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The Context of Leadership
Far from agreement

• Enabling Performance
• Saying yes to the mess
• Encouraging connectivity
• Fostering diversity
• Challenging habits and assumptions
• Supporting initiative
• Reducing power differentials
• Keeping people motivated

• Managing Performance
• Technical/rational decision making
• Simple structures
• Effective procedures
• Monitoring/co-ordinating
• Providing direction

Close to agreement
Far from certainty
Near to certainty
After Ralph Stacey
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Top 10 de-railing behaviours

• Arrogance they are right everyone else is wrong
• Melodrama they want to be the centre of
  attention
• Volatility their mood swings creates performance
  swings
• Excessive caution they cant make key decisions
• Habitual distrust they focus on the negative all
  the time

Furnham 2005
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Top 10 de-railing behaviours II

• Aloofness they disengage and disconnect staff
• Eccentricity they think its fun to be different
• Passive resistance their silence is
  misinterpreted as agreement
• Perfectionism they get little things right, even
  if big things go wrong
• Eagerness to please they stress being popular
  matters most

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Hogan scale
Enthusiastic - Volatile
Shrewd - Mistrusted

Careful - Cautious
Independent - detached
Charming - Manipulative
Diligent - Perfectionist
Dutiful - dependent
Confident- Arrogant
For Hogan Development Survey, see Fico, et al 2008
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Complexity leadership
Complex

Complicated
Chaotic
Disorder
Simple
Snowden Boone, 2007
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Understanding complex systems

• Complex systems have the following
  characteristics
• Large number of interacting elements
• Interactions are non-linear small things can
  have big impacts
• Solutions cant be imposed they emerge
• System has a history which influences present
• System appears simple ordered, but is complex
  at times disordered
• Constant change
• Stakeholders have multiple identifies

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Complexity leadership
Probe, sense, respond
Complex

Complicated
Chaotic
Disorder
Sense, analyse, respond
Act, sense, respond
Simple
Sense, categorise, respond
Snowden Boone, 2007
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Implications for leadership theory

• In Simple domains
• most people can manage
• In Complicated domains leaders need
• competencies (learned skills) to succeed
• to be able to identify the key people to solve
  problems
• to provide opportunities for diverse voices to
  communicate share knowledge
• to make decisions when demanded

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Implications for leadership theory II

• In Complex domains leaders need to
• rely on natural abilities
• Understand the context
• Live with paradox and ambiguity
• Watch for emerging patterns
• Allow solutions to emerge based on multiple
  actions/pilot schemes
• In Chaotic domains
• Leaders need to act to establish order
• Work to transfer situation from chaotic to
  complex

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Further reading

• Millward, L (2003). Understanding Occupational
  Organisational Psychology. P233-242.
• Snowden, D., Boone, M. (2007) A Leadership
  Framework Wise leaders tailor their approach to
  fit the complexity of the circumstances they
  face. Harvard Business Review, November 69-76.
• Babiak,. P Hare, R. (2007). Snakes in suits
  When psychopaths go to work. New York Harper
  Collins
• See also Donald Ridleys website for more
  information on leadership

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References

• , J. A. Force for Change (1990), Free Press
• Avolio, B. (2007). Promoting more integration
  strategies for leadership building theory.
  American Psychologist, 62(1),25-33.
• Fico, J., Brady, J., Hogan, R. (2008).
  Identifying potential derailing behaviours. In J.
  Passmore, (Ed). Psychometrics in coaching.
  London Kogan Page.
• Fiedler, F. (1967). A theory of leadership
  effectiveness. New York McGraw-Hill.
• Fullan, M. ( 2001 ). Leadership in a culture of
  change. San Francisco Jossey Bass.
• Furnham, A. (2005). Icarus effect in leadership.
  Conference Paper to Human Resources Development
  Conference, London CIPD
• Goleman, D., et al (2002) The New Leaders.
  Little Brown Books.
• Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. (1969). Life Cycle
  theory of leadership, Training Development, 23,
  26-34.
• House, R., Mitchell, T. (1974). Path Goal
  theory of leadership, Journal of Contemporary
  Business, 3, 81-97.

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References II

• Goleman, D., et al (2002) The New Leaders.
  Little Brown Books.
• Kirkpatrick, S. A., Locke, E. A. (1991).
  Leadership Do traits matter? Academy of
  Management Executive, 5, 48-60.
• Kotter, J. A. (1990). Force for Change. New York
  Free Press.
• Lowin, A. (1968). Participative decision making
  A model, literature critique, and prescriptions
  for research. Organizational Behavior and Human
  Performance. 36 683-704.
• Stacey, R. (2005). Experiencing emergence in
  organizations local interactions and the
  emergence of global pattern (Complexity as the
  experience of the organization). Abingdon
  Routledge.
• Vroom Yetton, (1973). Leadership decision
  making. New York Wiley.
• Yulk, G., Van Fleet, D. (1982). Cross
  situational, multi method research on military
  leaders. Organizational Behaviour and Human
  Performance, 30, 87-108.