Leardership Styles in Different Situations

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Alfred State College *

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Management

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Student’s Name Subject Discussion 3: Leadership Styles in Different Situations Question 1 An example of a leadership situation I have experienced that impressed me involved classroom group work. When our group was randomly allocated by one of our lecturers, the members of our group were not well-acquainted. We were all in the same class but not close. Choosing a group leader was a problem because no one wanted that position. Also, people rushed for the simpler tasks avoiding anything strenuous. We had a lot of trouble coming to a consensus on group discussions and coming up with an idea about an advert. However, while we were all caught up in arguments and pointless discussion, the most silent individual in our group had carefully studied our habits and approached each of us separately, and talked to us. She managed to use her influence by separating us and talking to us individually, allocating the tasks she had already set aside for each member of the group. While people were making pointless arguments, she was making plans. After each member had agreed to her requests, we entered a zoom meeting one evening with everyone aware of what was expected of them and conducted a more civilized meeting where every individual agreed to deliver their portion of work at a certain date. In the end, we were the first group to finish our assignment. Question 2 In this case, the leadership behavior I observed involved the leader first taking time to understand the situation that she would have to handle. After no one came forward, the person who assumed leadership thought it best to talk to each of us separately rather than during a group meeting. She knew that the utilization of authority would not work as we were all peers. Also,
2 she was the most silent among the seven of us, and she knew commanding the group was not part of her strengths. Therefore, her leadership behavior involved appealing to us individually and articulating the importance of this assignment and the need to complete it early so that everyone has time for other things. My understanding of management is that it involves the use of control and resources available to achieve a goal. Hence, the group leader employed a leadership approach rather than a management approach. Rather than the use of things such as delegation and making decisions by herself, she approached each person and came to an agreement with everyone under the terms that suited both them and the accomplishment of the task at hand. Hence, the group ended up more motivated to accomplish the group assignment compared to the initial stages of our group development. Question 3 A noticeable difference between leadership and management is that management is designed to exercise control over people or something, while leadership focuses on engagement with followers by using one’s influence and also motivating people (Nayar, 2013). These two terms share several similarities in the nature of their approach to achieving tasks, goals, and objectives because they involve working with people and using influence to achieve goals. However, this influence is achieved differently by an individual who chooses management and one who chooses leadership. By examining how this influence is achieved and ensuring that goals are met, management and leadership paste themselves as two very distinct functions, especially when it comes to running organizations/businesses (Wajdi, 2017). For instance, Griffin et al. (2020) explore an example of using management to enhance effectiveness within organizations. Their discussion establishes how management can be effectively utilized in
3 enhancing both individual and team performances, minimizing dysfunctional behaviors, among other things such as increased commitment and engagement (Griffin et al., 2020). Additionally, this kind of approach requires the use of management skills such as planning, delegation, communication, and decision-making. However, this requires the proper deployment of people and their skills and ensuring that they are well-implemented (Wajdi, 2017). Therefore, as a manager, one must focus on planning, building, and directing organizational systems towards a specific goal and ensuring that goal is achieved in the most efficient way possible. A noticeable difference between these two is that leadership can complement management, but management cannot complement leadership (Podsakoff & Podsakoff, 2019). Leadership can complement management and function as a single entity when working with people because leadership is designed to establish a sense of direction by aligning, motivating, and inspiring people (Wajdi, 2017). This is common in situations that involve facing potential change. Therefore, these two must go hand in hand because they are not the same, and they serve different purposes. Question 4 According to Griffin et al. (2020), the path-goal theory of leadership involves the specification of a leader's style or behavior that will best fit the type of employee(s) at his disposal as well as the work environment he/she is dealing with. The idea is that determining the specific leadership style or behavior best suited for the employees and the work environment makes it easier to achieve goals. Hence, leaders can determine the specific behaviors that align with their employees' needs and the working environment and utilize them as a guide to handling employees. The path-goal theory suggests that leaders must then be suited to engage with several types of leadership behavior depending on the situations at hand. The nature of a situation and
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4 the demands warranted by these situations require the leaders to use the leadership behavior that best suits that given situation (Griffin et al., 2020). Hence, if another situation needs the leader’s attention but requires a different leadership approach, the leader must adjust and deploy a different leadership behavior designed to best handle the new situation. Thus, assisting employees in attaining their goals would require leaders to either use an achievement-oriented, directive, participative, or supportive leader behavior style (Griffin et al., 2020). Question 5 The path-goal theory of leadership is considered a contingency approach theory because it assesses each situation presented to a leader differently and proposes the use of different leadership style approaches depending on the situation at hand. The contingency approach theory suggests that there is no single best way to manage (O'Higgins & Thevissen, 2017). Hence, management approaches are contingent on the situation presented. The most appropriate management style will be dependent on the context of the situation rather than the utilization of a single rigid approach/style. Therefore, according to the contingency approach theory, a leader should be suited to handling situations differently by deciding on the best style of approach suited for that moment, and it discredits the focus on the fixed traits of a leader. The path-goal theory is also based on flexibility which is also key in the contingency approach theory.
5 References Griffin, R., Phillips, J., & Gully, S. (2020). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (13th ed.). Cengage Learning. Nayar, V. (2013). Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 22 March 2021, from https://hbr.org/2013/08/tests-of-a-leadership- transiti#:~:text=Management%20consists%20of%20controlling%20a,managers%2C %20not%20power%20and%20control . O'Higgins, E., & Thevissen, T. (2017). Revisiting the Corporate Social and Financial Performance Link: A Contingency Approach. Business And Society Review, 122(3), 327- 358. https://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12119 Podsakoff, P., & Podsakoff, N. (2019). Experimental designs in management and leadership research: Strengths, limitations, and recommendations for improving publishability. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 11-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.11.002 Wajdi, B. (2017). The Differences Between Management And Leadership. Sinergi : Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Manajemen, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.25139/sng.v7i1.31
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