Style One prominent leadership style that began came from The Iowa Studies that were conducted by Kurt Lewin, Ronald Lippett and Ralph White in 1939. Kurt Lewin was the social scientist in charge of the study. They were called the “Iowa Leadership Studies”. This study put leadership styles into three distinct categories of authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire leaders and group dynamics (Smith, 2001). The study was interested in the analysis of group interactions and the organizational application of each leadership style. It also takes into account exactly how a leader determines when they direct others or have others participate, and when to delegate to others. Lewin was very involved in making changes to social issues and …show more content…
Lewin stated that you have to figure out what the needs of the group were to help know how to behave and that an “interdependence of fate” happens between a person and the whole group (Smith, 2001, pg.2). Within that dynamic also exists the “task interdependence” aspect where the objective outcome of all the participants need to act as one and complete the task (Smith, 2001, pg. 3). This terminology came out of the group action research done by Lewin and his colleagues during the Iowa …show more content…
Under this leadership, there are many collaborative teams and other leaders within the group that have delegated work. The group can be flexible and change levels of leaders within to give equal and fair job assignments (eNotes, 2013). Democratic leaders share a vision and goal with the group and help get everyone to follow the same vision and goal. They show appreciation and allow the members some freedom to make decisions when appropriate. This type of leadership was the preference of the Iowa Studies and most educational systems seem to benefit from working within this type of leadership
This paper has summarized some prominent studies about leadership styles. Before understanding the styles which I may choose to practice, extensive studies on various leadership theories and approaches have been carried out. After conducting this research paper, I believe that there is no one-size-fits-all style for leadership. Lewin’s Model and Belbin’s Team Role Model have extended my knowledge and they have encouraged me to learn to assume different roles or styles in different possible situations. Therefore, I can get acquainted more easily to carrying out teamwork in my future job.
“On leadership” was written by John W. Gardner (The Free Press, New York, 1990). He used seventeen chapters to explain and describe essential components for the leadership should be in a successful organization. This book not only has significant influence now, but also for the future. Below are my understanding about this book, which was divided into two parts. For the first part, I will pick up some perspectives which influence me most from this book. For the second part, which is my comments and critique about this book.
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink is a proverb I have heard since I was young. Leadership is the skill of influencing people to accomplish goals (Huber, 2014). In today’s world with policy and technological changes the leaders must use their leadership skills to not only get the horse to the water, have him drink, but also do it with a smile an invite others to join him. Leaders use a variety of styles to accomplish their goals. I will discuss the leadership style that I utilize most often, how my style relates to leadership theories and the work type environment it is most useful in.
Lewin, Leppit, and White were cautious in the conclusions the drew from this study. They noted that autocratic leadership does get results and is preferred over democratic leadership. However they observed that autocratic leadership can create tension, apathy, frustration, and dependence by the group on the leader. Further, the researchers found that some of the differences in the behaviors of the children were associated with the presence or absence of the leader. Specifically, constructive effort declined in the autocratically controlled children groups. Finally, they observed very little value in laissez-faire control ---an essentially “no-leader” approach to leadership.
Edwin T. Cornelius III defined leadership style as the broad, characteristic way in which a leader interacts with others across in various situations and occasions. (Cornelius, 2006) However, many researchers would agree that leadership style is merely traits and they can change within an organization or between different situations. Annick M. Brennen in an article stated: A study of leadership styles therefore deals mainly with the manner in which the leader carries out his/her leadership functions or roles–the use of authority and power and the approach to the decision-maki...
Everyone has a different definition of what makes someone a leader. My definition is not a statement of requirements, but more so a list of characteristics. I believe it takes a strong, independent, dependable, open-minded, thoughtful, selfless, smart and creative, someone who can work well with others, able to work under pressure, respectful, and experienced individual to be a leader. I believe it is someone who knows who they are and know their morals, someone who has already found who they are in life and accepts who they are, making what I believe the most important characteristic is, is someone who knows and sticks with their personal values. If someone cannot respect values and stick to their word, then how can they be a leader of others? A leader takes a lot of work, but if you are good at it, it may seem like nothing. Some people are leaders and do not even know it, like role models. When little kids look up to certain people that have impacted their lives in a way, they will see those people as role models. Truth is, leaders are everywhere and not everyone knows or can see that. It's not always the person who stands out for taking control or being bossy, but the one with the characteristics and high values that do the right things, even when no one is watching.
Lord, R. (2000). Leadership. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of psychology, vol. 4. (pp. 499-505). Doi:10.1037/10519-216
After completing the “Leadership Style Questionnaire” and analyzing my results, I have learned what my preferred leadership style is and how that influences how I lead and may be perceived from members of the group. From the results attained from the questionnaire, my preferred style of leadership is directing. This type of leadership style is best for individuals who have a low competency and high commitment level. These types of leaders are highly focused on tasks and less focused on relationships. They make decisions without consulting with the group and communicate without regarding the group’s concerns or suggestions. This type of leader also supervises the followers intently. They are very successful in creating objectives for each follower and the group as a whole to guide the group in reaching a certain goal.
I nurture my religious life by maintaining my beliefs and working everyday to become a better person. I practice by praying, reading and living my life through inspirations from The Bible. My faith motivates me to lead, serve, and work to bring justice to the world and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ by being kind to others. I strongly respect the individual's choice, and I stand up for what I believe in. I believe that it is my job to help those around me and I am driven to achieve equal rights in today’s society. I would sacrifice time, energy, reputation, and more to guarantee the best for others.
Leadership is being able to direct or guide other people by either your own actions or by actually guiding them into the right direction (Acumen). Inspiration to be a leader might come from many different areas like your family, friends, peers, or even teachers. My inspiration didn’t really occur to me until I started attending college in August 2013. In all actuality I never even thought of how to be a leader until I was in Mrs. Moore’s Perspectives class. I now have a desire to be a great leader, and the inspiration has come from Mrs. Moore, and my family. I am the first to attend college out of my family, so in a away I have already started leading my siblings in the right direction. Being a leader means inspiring others to pursue their dreams, and aspirations and helping throughout the journey to success. Being a leader has nothing with authority or being able to tell other what, and how to do things, it’s about having people who look up to you and want to follow your example.
According to Toseland and Rivas (2005), group dynamics are “the forces that result from the interactions of group members” (p. 64). These forces refer to either the negative or positive influences towards meeting members’ socioemotional needs as well as goal attainment within a group (Toseland & Rivas, 2005), like within my class work group experience. Some of dynamics that continue to emerge and develop in my group is the effective interaction patterns and strong group cohesion, which has generated positive outcomes and group achievement thus far.
One of the topics in organizational development today is leadership. Leadership is what individuals do to mobilize other people in organizations and communities. According to Kouzes & Posner, there are five practices and ten commitments of exemplary leadership. The five practices of exemplary leadership include: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. In the Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner found similar patterns and actions of leadership that created the essentials to achieve success. Utilizing the research conducted by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, I have created a leadership plan that would apply to the Admission Department at Texas Wesleyan University.
There are a few different types of well known leadership styles, authoritarian, delegative, and democratic. To assess my leadership style I used two online tests to help me determine my style. I felt the results were accurate and I fall into a democratic style/participative style. If I am leading I prefer to include the group and get their feedback on solving issues. However, I still make the final decision after listening to the thoughts of the group on a particular topic. This is considered to be a positive style of leadership that is inspiring to the group involved. The leaders decision making tends to be more accurate due to the input of other experts. (Cite)
I have experience democratic leadership through being the secretary of the student government and being a part of class presentations in college. Leadership role is a responsibility that is extremely important in society. Through the course of this class my leadership knowledge has increased in numerous ways, I now have a better understanding of the importance of being a leader. Being a leader requires one to be a positive role model. Most leaders are people orientated person, a leader should always have a good communication with others, it is vital to maintain a good relationship. In my leadership role I have the responsibility of coordinating and influences others around me.
In this paper I will look at the four major leadership styles, their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and in what situations a particular leadership style is desired. Additionally, I will look at my leadership style and how I acquired this style throughout my career.