Leadership Test #1

Production

-Easy level for leaders to "stop" progressing -Often called "The Results" level -Leaders gain influence AND credibility in this phase -Work get done, morale improves, profits increase, turnover goes down -This is where leading and influencing actually becomes fun -Joe Namath: "When you're winning, nothing hurts" -Time where leaders can become change agents -Ability to make difficult decisions and maneuver more complex situations

People Development

-"Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others." -Stage where leaders utilize their position, relationships and productivity to invest in their followers and develop them until they (followers) become leaders themselves - this concept is referred to as "reproduction" -"Production wins games but People win championships" -2 key effects of this stage: ◦ Team work moves to a high functioning level ◦ Performance increases - because there are more leaders on the team -Strong loyalty develops -Level 4 leaders change the lives of their followers in some positive capacity

Situational and Follower Factors

-Affect a person's ability to engage followers, build teams, and get results. -Managers should control their reactions to overwhelming situational and follower factors. • Incompetent managers facing hopeless situations: • Tend to keep doing what they have always done but expect to achieve different results. • Try to leverage their strengths rather than change, which erodes their ability to build teams and get results. -Situational factors can mask managerial incompetence. Episodic versus chronic incompetence. Episodic managerial incompetence: Occurs when extremely tough situational or follower events temporarily interfere with a person's ability to build teams and get results. • Experienced by all competent managers occasionally. • Frequency and duration of occurrences should be limited. Chronic managerial incompetence: Occurs when taxing situational or follower events permanently disrupt a person's ability to build teams or get results. • Many people in positions of authority seem to exemplify chronic managerial incompetence.

Level 5 Questions:

-I can name several specific people whom I have encouraged to speak hard truths to me, and they do so regularly -I am using my influence to instill values in my organization -The course of my organization is set by me or by a team of which I am a part -I have developed many leaders who are developers of leaders -I enjoy the interaction and friendship of a small circle of leaders which I am taking the leadership journey -I am still at the top of my game, and the positive impact I am making is strong -I can name at least one person who would be ready to step in and take my place should I decide to leave my current position -I have influence outside of my organization -People from outside of my specific industry seek me out for leadership advice -I am using my influence and resources for causes greater than myself or my organization

Level 3 Questions:

-I consistently hit targets and goals in my work -Good people always want to work with me and my team -People see me as an expert in my field and seek me out to learn from me -I am constantly setting and achieving higher goals for myself -My performance often carries the team to a higher level -I give my best to whatever I do -I am comfortable with the idea that others are watching how I perform and follow my example -I am known as a problem solver and often get difficult work completed -My work is very consistent on a daily basis -I have systems and routines in place that help me perform at a high level

Level 4 Questions:

-I follow through with training and development for all team members on a regular and consistent basis -When deadlines loom or work becomes urgent, we never cancel our training and development sessions -I consistently take risks by giving people responsibilities and authority that will stretch them -I spend a significant amount of time every month mentoring up and coming leaders -I know very thoroughly the strengths and weaknesses of all of the people I lead -I individualize the way I train, develop and mentor my people -I spend the most strategic and significant mentoring time with the people who have the highest capacity, talent and potential -I have a history of moving people from position to position to help find their fit -I am continually giving people feedback, not just during formal reviews -My team or department is considered by others to be the best trained (or one of the best) in the organization

Managerial Incompetence

-Incompetent managers have difficulties building loyal followings or getting anything done. -Base rate of managerial incompetence may be 50 to 75 percent. -One way to determine the level of incompetence among people in positions of authority is to conduct the Dr. Gordy test. • The person should count the total number of people that he or she has been led by or worked for in the past. • Then count the number of people in this group for whom he or she would willingly play, sing, or work for again. • Most people would not work for a majority of leaders they have been exposed to. -Organizations may not need every person in a position of authority to be a competent manager. -Organizations with higher percentages of competent managers occupying critical positions are more successful than those with fewer competent managers who are not well placed.

Position

-Lowest level of leadership -People follow because they have to -Positional leadership is based on the rights granted by a TITLE or position -Position is not a substitute for influence -Some would argue this is not even actually considered leadership -Position leaders have subordinates; not team members -They rely on rule, regulations, and policies to control people -Positional leaders typically have difficulty working with volunteers or highly educated/intelligent people -The only level that does not require ability and effort to achieve

Lack of Intelligence and Subject Matter Expertise

-Managers' intelligence is directly related to their ability to make decisions and build cohesive teams and get results. -Shortfall in critical knowledge decreases a person's ability to solve problems and a lack of team-building know-how increase the odds of managerial competence. • Subject matter expertise: Relevant knowledge or experience that can be leveraged to solve problems. • Team-building know-how: Degree to which a leader knows the steps and processes needed to build high-performing teams. Can be compensated for by technology and staffing, surrounding oneself with smart, experienced people, and through hard work.

Destructive Leadership

-Occurs in many settings and at all organizational levels. -Occurs when people in positions of authority use their team-building skills to achieve greedy, selfish, or immoral results. -May be in the eye of the beholder.

Lack of Organizational Fit

-Organizational fit: Degree of agreement between personal and organizational values and beliefs. -People who do not fit with an organization's culture may wield diminishing levels of influence, which interferes with their ability to engage followers, build teams, and get results. -The best thing to avoid being seen as organizational culture misfits is to minimize the risk of it happening at all. -Those who do not fit run the risk of being seen as incompetent.

Poor Followership

-People in positions of authority who are criticizers, brown-nosers, and slackers are seen as incompetent managers. • Brown-nosers do whatever their superiors tell them to do and are unable to make independent decisions. • Slackers are so disconnected from the workplace that they are unlikely to build teams or get results. • Criticizers are not nice to be working around. -Followership affects how one leads and determines whether one is seen as a competent or incompetent manager.

Level 2 Questions:

-People outside my department respect my opinions -I know my strengths and weaknesses and rarely get blindsided in my work -I genuinely like most people and want to help them -I am very consistent and even tempered in my interaction with the people who work for me -When I say something to the people on my team, they always know they can count on it because I am trustworthy -I have developed solid relationships with all of the people who work for me -The people who work with me find me likable and pleasant nearly 100% of the time -When I need to have a candid conversation with team members to correct errors or take care of problems, I follow through and don't allow too much time to go by -I believe that employees desire more than just a fair day's pay for a fair day's work; most want some reassurance and encouragement -I have developed relationships with everyone who works for me

Pinnacle

-The highest and most difficult level of leadership to achieve -Requires effort, skill, intentionality and talent -Develop followers to lead on their own - very difficult -These level leaders develop Level 5 organizations -They create opportunities for business and people growth that others cannot -Positive reputations that transcend time - leave a legacy -Requires an immense sense of selflessness yet security with who you are as a person

Permission

-This level is based solely on relationships -People follow because they choose to follow -When you like people and treat them like they have value, you begin to gain influence -This creates a more positive environment - applies to home and work

5 Levels of Leadership

1. Position 2. Permission 3. Production 4. People Development 5. The Pinnacle -You can move up a level but never leave the previous one behind -The higher level you go, the easier it is to lead but requires more time and commitment to win and succeed at the next level -You can move up a level but never leave the previous one behind -The higher level you go, the easier it is to lead but requires more time and commitment to win and succeed at the next level -Moving up levels occurs slowly, but going down can happen quickly: The fall from grace happens 100X faster than the climb -The higher you go the greater return -When you change positions or organizations a leader rarely stays at the same level -This is not an individual sport: "If you think you're leading but no one is following then you are only taking a walk."

Leadership Styles: Laissez-Faire

Autocratic and delegatory -Laissez-faire style is the opposite of the autocratic leadership type -Focusing mostly on delegating many tasks to team members and providing little to no supervision. -Because a laissez-faire leader does not spend their time intensely managing employees, they often have more time to dedicate to other projects. -Managers may adopt this leadership style when all team members are highly experienced, well-trained and require little oversight. -This style can also cause a dip in productivity if employees are confused about their leader's expectations, or if some team members need consistent motivation and boundaries to work well. Attributes: • Effectively delegate • Believe in freedom of choice • Provide sufficient resources and tools • Will take control if needed • Offer constructive criticism • Foster leadership qualities in your team • Promote an autonomous work environment Benefits: This style encourages accountability, creativity and a relaxed work environment which often leads to higher employee retention rates. Challenges: Laissez-faire leadership style does not work well for new employees, as they need guidance and hands-on support in the beginning. This method can also lead to a lack of structure, leadership confusion and employees not feeling properly supported.

Transactional example

A bank branch manager meets with each member of the team bi-weekly to discuss ways they can meet and exceed monthly company goals to get their bonuses. Each of the top 10 performers in the district receives a monetary reward.

Servant Example

A product manager hosts monthly one-on-one coffee meetings with everyone that has concerns, questions or thoughts about improving or using the product. This time is meant for her to address the needs of and help those who are using the product in any capacity.

Coaching example

A sales manager gathers their team of account executives for a meeting to discuss learnings from the previous quarter. They start the meeting by completing an assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding the team's performance. The manager then recognizes specific team members for exceptional performance and goes over the goals achieved by the team. Finally, the manager closes the meeting by announcing a contest to start the next quarter, motivating the salespeople to reach their goals.

Visionary Example

A teacher starts a group at work for colleagues who want to help resolve anxieties and issues students are having outside of school. The goal is to help students have better focus and succeed in school. He has developed testing methods so they can find meaningful ways to help students in a quick, efficient way.

Democratic example

As a store manager, Jack has hired many brilliant and focused team members he trusts. When deciding on storefronts and floor design, Jack acts only as the final moderator for his team to move forward with their ideas. He is there to answer questions and present possible improvements for his team to consider.

Dark-Side Personality Traits p.3

Colorful- Leaders with this tendency believe they are "hot" and have an unhealthy need to be the center of attention. They are so preoccupied with being noticed that they are unable to share credit, maintain focus, or get much done Imaginative- Followers question the judgment of leaders with this tendency because these leaders think in eccentric ways, often change their minds, and make strange or odd decisions Diligent- Because of their perfectionist tendencies, these leaders frustrate and disempower their staffs through micromanagement, poor prioritization, and an inability to delegate Dutiful- These leaders deal with stress by showing ingratiating behavior to superiors. They lack spines, are unwilling to refuse unrealistic requests, won't stand up for their staffs, and burn them out as a result

Autocratic Example

Before an operation, the surgeon carefully recounts the rules and processes of the operation room with every team member who will be helping during the surgery. She wants to ensure everyone is clear on the expectations and follows each procedure carefully and exactly so the surgery goes as smoothly as possible.

Followers

Both practitioners and scholars stress the relatedness of leadership and followership. Aspects of followers that affect the leadership process: • Expectations • Personality traits • Maturity levels • Levels of competence • Motivation Following factors have significant implications: • Number of followers reporting to a leader. • Followers' trust and confidence in the leader. Ways in which followers can take on new leadership roles and responsibilities in the future. • Being proactive in their stance toward organizational problems by playing an active and constructive role collaborating with leaders in solving problems. • Contributing to the leadership process by becoming skilled at "influencing upward." • Staying flexible and open to opportunities. Alternative approach to understanding followership. • Constructionist approach: Views leadership as combined acts of leading and following by different individuals, whatever their formal titles or positions in an organization may be

Leadership Styles: Transformational

Challenging and communicative -The transformational style is similar to the coach style in that it focuses on clear communication, goal-setting and employee motivation. -However, instead of placing the majority of the energy into each employee's individual goals, the transformational leader is driven by a commitment to organizational objectives. -Because transformational leaders spend much of their time on overarching goals, this style of leading is best for teams that can handle many delegated tasks without constant supervision. Attributes: • Have mutual respect with your team • Provide encouragement • Inspires others to achieve their goals • Think of the big picture • Places value on intellectually challenging your team • Are creative • Have a good understanding of organizational needs Benefits: Transformational leadership values personal connections with their teams, which can boost company morale and retention. It also values the ethics of the company and team instead of being entirely goal-oriented. Challenges: Since transformational leaders look at individuals, it can cause team or company wins to go unnoticed. These leaders can also overlook details.

Leader as an Individual

Characteristics include: • Unique personal history. • Interests. • Character traits. • Motivation. Effective leaders differ from their followers and from ineffective leaders on elements such as personality traits, cognitive abilities, skills, and values. Leaders are generally calm and are not prone to emotional outbursts. Leaders appointed by superiors may have less credibility and may get less loyalty • Leaders elected or emerging by consensus from ranks of followers are viewed as more effective. Leader's experience or history in a particular organization is usually important to her or his effectiveness. Leader's legitimacy is affected by the extent of follower participation in a leader's selection.

Bureaucratic example

Managers at a Department of Motor Vehicles office instruct their employees to work within a specific, defined framework. They must take many steps to complete a task with strict order and rules.

Leadership

Complex phenomenon involving a leader, his or her followers, and a situation. Because of the complexity of leadership, leadership researchers have defined the concept in many different ways: • Process by which an agent induces a subordinate to behave in a desired manner. • Directing and coordinating the work of group members. • Interpersonal relation in which others comply because they want to, not because they have to. Process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals. Actions that focus resources to create desirable opportunities. Creating conditions for a team to be effective. The ability to engage employees, the ability to build teams, and the ability to achieve results. • The first two represent the how and the latter the what of leadership. A complex form of social problem solving.

Distinctions between Managers and Leaders

Managers: • Administer. • Maintain. • Control. • Have a short-term view. • Ask how and when. • Imitate. • Accept the status quo. Leaders: • Innovate. • Develop. • Inspire. • Have a long-term view. • Ask what and why. • Originate. • Challenge the status quo.

Things to Keep in Mind for Effective Leadership

Leadership must always be assessed in the context of the leader, the followers, and the situation. Leaders may need to respond to: • Various followers differently in the same situation. • Same followers differently in different situations. Followers may respond to: • Various leaders differently. • Each other differently with different leaders. Two leaders may have different perceptions of the same followers or situations. Conclusion: The right behavior in one situation is not necessarily the right behavior in another situation.

Leadership Is Both a Science and an Art

Leadership remains partly an art as well as a science. • Some managers may be effective leaders without ever having taken a course or training program in leadership. • Some scholars in the field of leadership may be relatively poor leaders themselves. • Skills in analyzing and responding to situations vary greatly across leaders.

Transformational example

Reyna is hired to lead a marketing department. The CEO asks her to set new goals and organize teams to reach those objectives. She spends the first months in her new role getting to know the company and marketing employees. She gains a strong understanding of current trends and organizational strengths. After three months, she has set clear targets for each of the teams that report to her and asked individuals to set goals for themselves that align with those.

Dark-Side Personality Traits p.2

Leisurely- These passive-aggressive leaders will exert effort only in the pursuit of their own agendas and will procrastinate on or not follow through with requests that are not in line with their agendas. Bold- Because of their narcissistic tendencies, these leaders often get quite a bit done. But their feelings of entitlement, inability to share credit for success, tendency to blame their mistakes on others, and inability to learn from experience often result in trails of bruised followers. Mischievous- These leaders tend to be quite charming but take pleasure in seeing if they can get away with breaking commitments, rules, policies, and laws. When caught, they also believe they can talk their way out of any problem.

Starting Point: Leadership Assessment

Level 1 Questions: -I don't have to remind the people who work for me that I am the leader -I think of each person who works for me as an individual not just a functional role -Most days I look forward going to work -I recognize that the position I have been given is an opportunity to learn, not a turf to be granted -The people who work for me are willing to do work above and beyond their job descriptions -I understand that dealing with people problems is just a part of leading and accepted this part of the role -I posses the desire to learn more about leadership and become a better leader -I think of my job in terms of work to be accomplished and give little focus to career path and the positions I desire to achieve along the way -One of my primary objectives is to assist the people who work for me -Most people find it easy to work with me

Dark-Side Personality Traits p.1

Excitable- Leaders with these tendencies have difficulties building teams because of their dramatic mood swings, emotional outbursts, and inability to persist on projects. Skeptical- Leaders with this dark-side trait have an unhealthy mistrust of others, are constantly questioning the motives and challenging the integrity of their followers, and are vigilant for signs of disloyalty. Cautious- Because these leaders are so fearful of making "dumb" mistakes, they alienate their staffs by not making decisions or taking action on issues. Reserved- During times of stress these leaders become extremely withdrawn and are uncommunicative, difficult to find, and unconcerned about the welfare of their staffs.

Leadership Styles: Bureaucratic

Hierarchical and duty-focused -Bureaucratic leaders are similar to autocratic leaders in that they expect their team members to follow the rules and procedures precisely as written. -The bureaucratic style focuses on fixed duties within a hierarchy where each employee has a set list of responsibilities -Little need for collaboration and creativity. -This leadership style is most effective in highly regulated industries or departments, such as finance, health care or government. Attributes: ◦ Detail-oriented and task-focused ◦ Value rules and structure ◦ Have a great work ethic ◦ Are strong-willed ◦ Have a commitment to your organization ◦ Are self-disciplined Benefits: The bureaucratic leadership style can be efficient in organizations that need to follow strict rules and regulations. Each person in the team/company has a clearly defined role which leads to efficiency. These leaders separate work from relationships to avoid clouding the team's ability to hit goals. Challenges: This style does not promote creativity which can feel restricting to some employees. This leadership style is also slow to change and does not thrive in an environment that needs to be dynamic.

Glass cliff

Female candidates for an executive position are more likely to be hired than equally qualified male candidates when an organization's performance is declining. • Challenge for women in addition to the glass ceiling. • Reflects a greater willingness to put women in precarious positions. The women's use of interactive leadership has its roots in socialization, and the women interviewees believe that it benefits their organizations.

Leadership Myths

Good leadership is all common sense. • The term common sense is ambiguous. • If leadership were simply common sense, then there would be fewer workplace problems. • One challenge of understanding leadership may be to know when common sense applies and when it does not. Leaders are born, not made. • Innate factors and formative experiences influence behavior and leadership. • There is a genetic component to intelligence, but a leader might require advanced education in specialized fields as well. Research shows cognitive abilities and personality traits are partially innate. • Natural talents or characteristics may offer certain advantages or disadvantages to a leader. • Different environments can nurture or suppress different leadership qualities. The only school where leadership is learnt from is the school of hard knocks. • Formal study and experiential learning complement each other. • Formal study of leadership provides students with a variety of ways of examining a particular leadership situation.

Leadership Styles: Pacesetting

Helpful and motivational -The pacesetting style is one of the most effective for achieving fast results. -Primarily focused on performance, often set high standards and hold their team members accountable for achieving their goals. -Pacesetting leadership style is motivational and helpful in fast-paced environments where team members need to be energized -Not always the best option for team members who need mentorship and feedback. Attributes: • Set a high bar • Focus on goals • Are slow to praise • Will jump in to hit goals if needed • Are highly competent • Value performance over soft skills Benefits: Pacesetting leadership pushes employees to hit goals and accomplish business objectives. It promotes high-energy and dynamic work environments. Challenges: Pacesetting leadership can also lead to stressed-out employees as they are always pushing towards a goal or deadline. The fast-paced work environment can also create miscommunications or a lack of clear instructions.

Leadership Styles: Servant

Humble and protective -Live by a people-first mindset and believe that when team members feel personally and professionally fulfilled, -More effective and more likely to regularly produce great work. -Because of their emphasis on employee satisfaction and collaboration, they tend to achieve higher levels of respect. -Servant style is an excellent leadership style for organizations of any industry and size but is especially prevalent within nonprofits. These types of leaders are exceptionally skilled in building employee morale and helping people re-engage with their work. Attributes: • Motivate your team • Have excellent communication skills • Personally care about your team • Encourage collaboration and engagement • Commit to growing your team professionally Benefits: Servant leaders have the capacity to boost employee loyalty and productivity, improve employee development and decision-making, cultivate trust and create future leaders. Challenges: Servant leaders can become burnt-out as they often put the needs of their team above their own and they may have a hard time being authoritative when they need to be.

Myths That Perpetuate Managerial Incompetence

Leadership concepts that are adopted with the right intentions but contribute to managerial incompetence problems. Leader humility: Reduces the chances of being promoted. Authenticity: Followers want leaders who can adjust their behavior to situational and follower demands and keep their egos under control. Integrity: Leaders often break commitments, and followers end up trusting the wrong people. • Servant leadership makes sense; if leaders take care of their followers, then followers will take care of customers and teams will achieve winning results.

Leadership Is Both Rational and Emotional

Leadership includes actions and influences based on: • Reason and logic. • Inspiration and passion. Since people are both rational and emotional, leaders use rational techniques and emotional appeals to influence followers. • Leaders should weigh the rational and emotional consequences of their actions. Aroused feelings can be used either positively or negatively, constructively or destructively. • Some leaders have been able to inspire others to deeds of great purpose and courage. • The mere presence of a group can cause people to act differently than when they are alone. • Some scholars suggest that the very idea of leadership maybe rooted in people's emotional needs. • Romance of leadership may be a cultural myth that has utility only until it affects how people create meaning about causal events in complex social systems.

Leadership Styles: Coaching

Motivational -Quickly recognize their team members' strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each individual improve -Assists team members in setting smart goals and then provides regular feedback with challenging projects to promote growth -Set clear expectations and create a positive environment -One of the most advantageous for employers as well as the employees they manage -Most underused styles—largely because it can be more time-intensive than other types of leadership. Attributes: -Supportive -Offer guidance instead of giving commands -Value learning as a way of growing -Ask guided questions -Balance relaying knowledge and helping others find it themselves -Self-aware Benefits: -Coaching leadership is positive in nature, and it promotes the development of new skills, free-thinking, empowerment, revisits company objectives and fosters a confident company culture. Leaders who coach are often seen as valuable mentors. Challenges: -While this style has many advantages, it can be more time consuming as it requires one-on-one time with employees which can be difficult to obtain in a deadline-driven environment.

Leadership Styles: Transactional

Performance-focused -A transactional leader is someone who is laser-focused on performance, similar to a pacesetter. -Establishes predetermined incentives—usually in the form of monetary reward for success and disciplinary action for failure. -Unlike the pacesetter leadership style, though, transactional leaders are also focused on mentorship, instruction and training to achieve goals and enjoy the rewards. -While this type of leader is great for organizations or teams tasked with hitting specific goals, such as sales and revenue, it's not the best leadership style for driving creativity. Attributes: • Value corporate structure • Micromanage • Don't question authority • Are practical and pragmatic • Value goal-hitting • Are reactionary Benefits: Transactional leaders facilitate the achievement of goals, through short-term goals and a clearly defined structure. Challenges: Being overly focused on short-term goals and not having long-term goals can cause a company to struggle with adversity. This style stifles creativity and is unmotivating to employees who are not incentivized by monetary rewards.

Illustrating the Interactional Framework: Women in Leadership Roles

Practice interactive leadership. • Interactive leadership developed by women's socialization experiences and career paths. Factors that explain the shift toward more women in leadership roles. • Women themselves have changed. • Leadership roles have changed. • Organizational practices have changed. • Culture has changed.

Leadership Styles: Visionary

Progress focused and inspirational Visionary -Powerful ability to drive progress and usher in periods of change by inspiring employees and earning trust for new ideas. -Able to establish a strong organizational bond. Strive to foster confidence among direct reports and colleagues alike. Visionary style is especially helpful for small, fast-growing organizations, or larger organizations experiencing transformations or corporate restructuring. Attributes: • Persistent and bold • Strategic • Risk-taking • Inspirational • Optimistic • Innovative • Magnetic Benefits: Visionary leadership can help companies grow, unite teams and the overall company and improve outdated technologies or practices. Challenges: Visionary leaders may miss important details or other opportunities because they're so focused on the big picture. They may also sacrifice the resolution of present-day issues because they are more future-oriented, which could leave their team feeling unheard.

Managerial Derailment

Research has identified five derailment patterns. • Failure to meet business objectives. • Inability to build and lead a team. • Inability to build relationships with co-workers. • Inability to adapt to new bosses, businesses, cultures, or structures. • Inadequate preparation for promotion. -Presence of only one behavioral pattern is not enough for derailment except for a failure to meet business objectives. -The five reasons for failure are universal. -Awareness of why people fail in leadership positions is not enough to prevent failure. -Knowing the root causes of managerial incompetence and what to do to minimize their impact improves the odds of being perceived as a competent manager.

Leadership Styles: Autocratic

Results-focused -Also called the "authoritarian style of leadership," -Someone who is focused primarily on results and efficiency. -Often make decisions alone or with a small, trusted group and expect employees to do exactly what they're asked. -Think of these types of leaders as military commanders. -Autocratic style can be useful in organizations with strict guidelines or compliance-heavy industries. It can also be beneficial when used with employees who need a great deal of supervision—such as those with little to no experience. However, this leadership style can stifle creativity and make employees feel confined. Attributes: • Have self-confidence • Are self-motivated • Communicate clearly and consistently • Follow the rules • Are dependable • Value highly structured environments • Believe in supervised work environments Benefits: Autocratic leaders can promote productivity through delegation, provide clear and direct communication, reduce employee stress by making decisions quickly on their own. Challenges: Autocratic leaders are often prone to high levels of stress because they feel responsible for everything. Since they lack flexibility and often do not want to hear others' ideas, these leaders are often resented by the team.

Lack of Situational and Self-Awareness

Situational awareness: Leaders' ability to identify the situational and follower factors affecting their teams and remain vigilant for changes. Self-awareness: Leaders' ability to be aware of personal strengths and shortcomings and to find ways to either manage or staff around their personal knowledge and skill gaps. Causes • Managers suffering from a highly active reality distortion field. • They only take in information that is aligned with their self-perceptions and discount any evidence to the contrary. • Managers failing to heed direct report feedback.

An Interactional Framework for Analyzing Leadership

States that leadership is a function of three elements—the leader, the followers, and the situation. • In-groups: High degree of mutual influence and attraction between the leader and a few subordinates. • The subordinates feel a high degree of loyalty, commitment, and trust toward the leader. • Other subordinates belong to the out-group.

Successful versus Effective Leaders

Successful leaders: Network, stay on top of office politics, flatter superiors, do what their superiors want, demonstrate loyalty, do not make any waves, and self-promote. Effective leaders: Engage and develop followers, secure resources, clear obstacles, build high-performing teams, devise strategies to win, and drive results.

Difference between Successful Managers and Effective Managers - Not all successful managers become good leaders

Successful managers • Those promoted quickly through the ranks • Spend more time in organizational socializing and politicking. • Spend less time on traditional management responsibilities such as planning and decision making. Effective managers -Make real contributions to their organization's performance.

Leadership Styles: Democratic

Supportive and innovative -The democratic style (also called the "participative style") -A combination of the autocratic and laissez-faire types of leaders. -Asks for input and considers feedback from their team before making a decision. -Because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions matter, a democratic leadership style is often credited with fostering higher levels of employee engagement and workplace satisfaction. -Because this type of leadership drives discussion and participation, it's an excellent style for organizations focused on creativity and innovation—such as the technology industry. ◦ Attributes: • Value group discussions • Provide all information to the team when making decisions • Promote a work environment where everyone shares their ideas • Are rational • Are flexible • Are good at mediation Benefits: Under this leadership style employees can feel empowered, valued and unified. It has the power to boost retention and morale. It also requires less managerial oversight, as employees are typically part of decision-making processes and know what they need to do. Challenges: This leadership style has the potential to be inefficient and costly as it takes a long time to organize big group discussions, obtain ideas and feedback, discuss possible outcomes and communicate decisions. It also can add social pressure to members of the team who don't like sharing ideas in group settings.

Pacesetting example

The leader of a weekly meeting recognized that an hour out of everyone's schedule once a week did not justify the purpose of the meeting. To increase efficiency, she changed the meeting to a 15-minute standup with only those with status updates.

The Dark Side of Leadership

There is a high level of agreement among scientists and practitioners on what constitutes bad leadership. Destructive leadership. -Associated with individuals who are effective at engaging followers, building teams, and getting results through others, but who obtain results that are morally or ethically challenged or that undermine success. Managerial incompetence. -Inability to engage followers, build teams, or get results through others. Managerial derailment. Describes the reasons why people in positions of authority have difficulty engaging followers, building teams, or getting results through others.

Leadership Motivation

Those who lack the motivation to lead will most likely make poor leaders. • Team members who are smart, have plenty of expertise, and have no dark-side personality traits may be promoted into leadership roles. • People being promoted may have questionable leadership skills and no desire to lead but may accept the promotion out of gratitude. -Those wanting to become leaders need to be clear on their reasons for moving into positions of authority. -People have a choice when it comes to getting promoted, but their choices will have a profound impact on the people they lead.

Laissez-Faire example

When welcoming new employees, Keisha explains that her engineers can set and maintain their own work schedules as long as they are tracking and hitting goals they set together as a team. They are also free to learn about and participate in projects outside of their team.

The Situation

• Leadership makes sense in the context of how the leader and followers interact in a given situation. • Most ambiguous aspect of the leadership framework.

The Ten Root Causes of Managerial Incompetence and Derailment

• Situational factors • Follower factors • Lack of organizational fit • Lack of situational awareness • Lack of self-awareness • Lack of intelligence and subject matter expertise • Poor followership • Dark-side personality traits • Leadership motivation • Myths that perpetuate managerial incompetence