Chapter_Eight_Notes

8-1

Chapter

8 Leadership Behavior

"Leadership is action, not position." ~ Donald H. McGannon, Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, inc. All Rights Reserved 1-2

Introduction • One way to differentiate leaders is to look at results. • A key distinguisher between an effective and ineffective leader is their everyday behavior. – Leadership behavior can be observed. – Certain traits, values, or attitudes may contribute to effective performance of some leadaership behaviors.

• Two other factors that influence leadership behavior are the followers and the situation. 8-3

Why Study Leadership Behavior? • Many leaders either cannot build teams or get results, or do not realize the negative impact of their behavior. • Leadership behaviors are a function of intelligence, personality traits, emotional intelligence values, attitudes, interests, knowledge, and experience. • Over time, leaders learn and discern the most appropriate and effective behaviors. – Individual difference and situational variables play a pivotal role in a leader’s actions. 8-4

The Building Blocks of Skills

8-5

The Early Studies • Ohio State University: Developed the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) and identified two independent dimensions of behaviors: – Consideration – Initiating structure

• These dimensions were independent continuums. • University of Michigan: Identified two dimensions contributing to effective group performance: – Job-centered dimensions – Employee-centered dimension • These dimensions were at opposite ends of a single continuum. 8-6

The Early Studies (continued)

8-7

Alternative Conceptualizations of Leadership Behavior • Alternative conceptualizations are concerned with: – Identifying key leadership behavior. – Determining if these behaviors have positive relationships with leadership success. – Developing those behaviors related to leadership success.

• Leadership Grid: Profiles leader behavior on two dimensions: – Concern for people – Concern for production

• The most effective leaders are said to have high concern for both people and for production. 8-8

The Leadership Grid Figure

8-9

Organizational Competency Models • Every organizational competency model falls into four major categories: – Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. – Leadership and business skills.

• The Hogan and Warrenfelz model: – Allows people to see connections between various competency models. – Makes predictions concerning level of difficulty in changing various leadership behaviors and skills. – Points out what behaviors leader must exhibit to be effective.

8-10

Leadership Competency Model for Executives at Waste Management

8-11

Community Leadership • Community leadership: Process of building a team of volunteers to accomplish some important community outcome. • Community leaders do not have position power, and they also have fewer resources and rewards. • Three competencies needed to successfully drive community change efforts: – Framing – Building social capital – Mobilization 8-12

The Components of Community Leadership

8-13

Assessing Leadership Behavior: Multirater Feedback Instruments • 360-degree (multi-rater feedback) tools allow managers to get accurate information about how others perceived their on-the-job behaviors. • Questionnaire construction very important. • Leaders who received 360-degree feedback had higher performing work units. • 360-degree feedback systems can add tremendous value when used for development purposes.

8-14

Multirater Feedback Instruments (continued) • The key to high observer ratings is to develop a broad set of leadership skills that help groups accomplish goals. • Research shows that it is possible to change others’ perceptions of a leader’s skills over time. – Leaders must set development goals and commit to a development plan to improve skills.

• Societal or organizational culture, race, and gender play key roles in the accuracy and utility of the 360-degree feedback process. 8-15

Sources for 360-Degree Feedback

8-16

Example of 360-Degree Feedback

8-17

Managerial Derailment • Managerial derailment: Individuals who at one time were on the fast track but now had their careers derailed. • Patterns of derailment: – – – – –

Inability to build relationships. Failure to meet business objectives. Inability to lead and build a team. Inability to adapt. Inadequate preparation for promotion.

8-18

Themes in Derailment Research

8-19

Why Change Behavior? • Changing behavior, especially long-standing patterns of behavior, can be quite difficult. • Learning how to change your own and others’ behaviors is a key leadership skill. • Knowing how to change and modify follower’s behaviors is also important.

8-20

Development Planning • Insight about development needs is important. • Development plans that address the skills identified as having the highest payoffs need to be built. • A written plan seems to aid in the continuance of development. • Good development plans capitalize upon on-the-job experiences to hone needed leadership skills. • Leaders can build accountability by: – Having different people provide ongoing feedback on the action steps taken to develop a skill. – Periodically reviewing progress on development plans with the boss.

8-21

The Development Pipeline

8-22

Sample Individual Development Plan

8-23

Coaching • Coaching: Process of “equipping people with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities needed to develop and become more successful.” – Informal coaching: Takes place whenever a leader helps followers to change their behaviors. – Formal coaching: Programs provide a services similar to those of informal coaching for executives and managers in leadership positions.

8-24

The Five Steps of Informal Coaching

8-25

What Were the Most Useful Factors in the Coaching You Received?

8-26

The Power of Coaching

8-27

Mentoring • Mentoring: Personal relationship in which a more experienced mentor acts as a guide, role model, and sponsor of a less experienced protégé. – Informal mentoring – Formal mentoring

• Leadership practitioners should look for opportunities to build mentoring relationships with senior leaders whenever possible.

8-28

Summary • Leaders can benefit from the leadership behavior research in several ways. • Research has helped to identify factors that can cause high-potential managers to fail. • Research shows that some managers seem to be able to change on their own after gaining insight on how their behavior affects others. • Leaders can create development plans for themselves. • Leaders can also help followers with behavioral change through coaching and mentoring programs. 8-29