Leadership and Management Theory and Practice

This report explores the concepts of leadership and management theory and practice. It discusses different leadership styles and their implications. The report also provides insights from the experience of working in Nando's restaurant chain. It emphasizes the importance of developing leadership skills for business success.

Leadership and
Management theory
and practice

Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Main body.............................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................8
References...........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Leadership and management are basically known as two common terms which are
often considered synonymously in business practices (Golensky and Hager, 2020). Both these
are essential and crucial aspect of a business firm that helps in managing operational and
functional activities in effective and efficient manner. In management, leadership activity
emphasizes the creation of a positive and working atmosphere in which each and every
employee can learn. In such, Leadership is described as the capacity to control and guide
group activities towards the achievement of business targets and objectives. This report is
based on leadership experience of individuals while working in the Nando’s. It is a well-
known South African restaurant chain which was founded in the year of 1987 by Fernando
Duarte and Robert Brozin. This report is going to determine a reflection over the experience
of leadership, own develop practices by considering analysis and an action plan for own
development.
MAIN BODY
According to me and my experience leadership is a vital component in the success of
a business. A great leader can direct their subordinates, inspire, and keep the team spirit alive
that can assist in attaining organisational target objectives and goals easily. Working in a
restaurant chain always provides a great experience to learn several things according your
personal and professional development. Nando’s a restaurant chain that provides quality
services to customers by analysing their requirements needs. In this context, leadership play
an essential role in order to manage a great team that can serve effectively in front of their
service users. Leaders tend to celebrate performance and motivate individuals, while
executives work to find flaws. They are basically draft a picture of what they see for the
business as possible and strive to encourage and engage their individuals to turn the vision
into practice. All these leaders have different styles of working that may help them in
managing all the responsibilities according to business requirements and needs. Thus the
certain implications of these various forms of leadership styles need to be clarified (Covelli
and Mason, 2017). It is because leadership styles play a major role in order to know how to
perceive by colleagues and how to treat them. They can lead a team as friend or as a boss
which depends on the working environment of the firm or business requirements. There are
several different models based on diverse personalities and techniques of leaders as:

Transformational Leadership have honesty and high level of emotional maturity. In a
common view of the future, they inspire people as well as they connect well with
subordinates. The major skills of leaders who owe such style are self-awareness, sincerity,
empathetic and humble. My analysis towards this leadership style is that transformational
leaders are basically motivates all the workers as well as they are highly responsible for their
actions. Such types of leaders have expertise in problem solving practices and they set clear
objectives for them which are based on organisational vision. This contributes to high
productivity and commitment. According to me, transformational leaders always looking to
bring innovation as well as motivate and empower workers to improve themselves and the
organization. This promotes and gives total autonomy, unlike the transactional style, to let the
creative juices of the employees flow. Transformational leadership highly depends on better
communication within the workplace (Haslam, Reicher and Platow, 2015). Main reason
behind this is that, it depends on finding better alternatives through brainstorming and giving
everyone equal importance so that target objectives can be attained within a desired time
period. I analysed that these kind of leadership practices could be beneficial for those
organisations which wants to expand its structure with the help of classical innovative
approach.
Transactional Leadership style begins with the possibility that when they recognize a
job, colleagues consent to comply with their heads. In general, the "exchange includes the
association paying colleagues for their effort and consistency on a transient assignment as a
trade-off. If their work does not fulfil as per or on an appropriate guideline, the workers has
the privilege to punish their peers (Ruben and Gigliotti, 2016). According to me, in various
business management cases, transactional leadership style is available, and it provides a few
benefits to them at certain period of time. As it outlines the jobs and responsibilities of
everyone. In addition, on the grounds that conditional authority allows an execution decision
on colleagues, persons who are willing or motivated by external rewards, like remuneration,
also grow with such efforts. One major disadvantage of this leadership style is that it lead
high staff turnover due to some serious limitation over employees working attitude as well as
punishment based approach. Thus, I evaluated that this leadership approach is not beneficial
and suitable for each business because workers always want liberty over their knowledge
based and creative working approach.
Autocratic Leadership always settles on their own decisions without consulting to
their peers, regardless of whether their informations and knowledge will be useful. These

kind of leadership practices as well as styles may be appropriate when leader only have to
agree on choices instantly, when there is no group feedback requirement, and when group
comprehension is not necessary for a desired outcome. I analysed that, this style can be
disturbing in any situation, and it can cause substantial amounts of non-appearance and high
turnover of employees. These kind of leaders not provide any kind of space to their
subordinates and always keen to take all the important decision by their own choice as well as
mind set. Thus, these kind of leadership practices are not suitable for each and every
organisation and it may create conflicts among organisational workforce. Autocratic
leadership style based on task and result oriented approaches of workers without providing
them any kind of joy of working. One major advantages of this approach is for time bound
targets and projects because leader who owe such style can make quick decisions as well as
can implement desired changes within a small duration. Thus, they can accomplish quick
targets of firm on immediate basis.
Democratic Leadership are those who always encourage their subordinate to take
participation in business decision making. They energize innovation, and people are
constantly actively involved in practices and decisions (Henry and et.al., 2015). Therefore,
colleagues would have high occupation satisfaction and high productivity in general.
However this is not necessarily a good style to use when you have to decide on a quick
decision process. But according to me, these kind of leadership practices are beneficial for
maximum an organisation in order to develop an effective team contribution in target
achievements. Leaders with such style emphasize the inputs and ideology of the workers. The
business world often calls it participative leadership approach because of its representative
enhancing existence. In this form, colleagues do not have agreements, but rather collaborate
cooperatively. One major disadvantages of this approach is that leader with such leadership
style could not take quick decision because they always have to includes suggestions of other
in each activity. Thus, it may lead lateness in projects or may requires a long deadline for
project accomplishment. Democratic leadership style always helps in employee retention
practices because its helps in encouraging employee by providing them job satisfaction and
motivation.
Laissez-faire leaders owe their team members a lot of liberty in context of how they
can do their job, and how they can set their deadlines (Fischer and et.al., 2016). I analysed
that they don’t get too involved in all activities at all the times but they provides all the help,
guidance and tools to support their subordinates. This flexibility will contribute to high work

satisfaction, but if team members do not handle their time well or if they do not have the
experience, abilities, or self-motivation to do their job well, it can be negative. Furthermore,
one of the critical part of this leadership style is positive feedback practices. Leaders who
owe this style are provide efficient reviews on the work of the workers. On the other hand
while leaders have little involvement in the work of the staff, it helps in managing things by
the own hand. My analysis for this leadership provides an overview that these kind of
practices helps in assigning responsibility to each by analysing individual’s skills and
abilities. Major leading approach of this style is that while the leaders take complete
responsibility for the actions of the staff, during a project they choose to sit on the side-lines.
The above analysis over the leadership practices and style helps me in analysing
requirement of different skills and capabilities in a leader in order to successfully lead
business objectives. These major skills are communication skill, problem solving, time
management, team management, decision making, technical knowledge, change management
and innovation, strategic thinking, flexibility and so on. All these skills and knowledge can
help an individual to make effective decision fir business success and growth. Furthermore,
these practices may assist in developing analytical approach in order to provide effective
directions and guidance to subordinates. Active listening is one major skill which is needed in
a leader in order to hearing the new ideas and concern of team. With the help of such, leader
can make positive decision towards their team and organisation. Working with Nando’s
provides me a great experience by which I can analyse own skills and knowledge in the
perspectives of a successful leader. This analysis is:
Skills and knowledge Ratings by me Ratings by others
Communication skill 7 8
Problem solving 8 6
Time management 7 7
Team management 7 6
Decision making 7 5
Technical knowledge 8 9
Change management and
innovation
9 6
Strategic thinking 6 9
Flexibility 5 8
Active listening 8 5

On the basis of above analysis I evaluated that I needs to work on my several skills
such as Problem solving, Team management, Decision making, Change management and
innovation and Active listening. These kind of improvement can help in developing
leadership qualities for leading my organisational projects at Nando’s.
What are my
Leadership
development
Objectives?
What leadership
activities do I need
to undertake to
achieve my
objectives?
Where will I
develop my
leadership to
achieve my
leadership
objectives?
Target date for
achieving my
objectives.
To improve my
Problem solving
approach.
At the initial stage, I
requires to take
participation in
business problem
after that I have to
evaluate reason
behind this. These
practices may help
in taking appropriate
decision in analysing
effective solution for
them.
At my workplace 20/03/2021
To enhance Team
management
practices.
For this, I requires to
take participation in
team activities as
well as needs to
evaluate behaviour
of each team
member in order to
engage them
At my workplace 1/02/2021

effectively in single
task by assigning
task according to
their nature.
To improve my
Decision making
power.
To improve decision
making practices, I
can take help of my
seniors who are
responsible to make
important decisions
of firm. Through
this, I requires to
evaluate their
analytical approach
in business decision
for its effective
implementation in
my working.
At my workplace 15/02/2021
To enhance my
Change management
and innovation
approach
For this, initially I
needs to develop an
analytical mind set
as well as needed to
develop team
participation by
which I can evaluate
innovative
suggestions of my
teammates.
At my workplace 18/01/2021
To develop Active
listening
For this, I needs to
develop team
working approach
and have to work on
my patience level.
At my workplace 31/12/2020

CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been analysed that leadership and management practices
play an essential role in an organisation. These kind of practices help in attaining
organisation’s target objectives and goals on timely basis. In this process, leader play an
essential role how helps in encouraging in developing a team that can work productively
towards business future objectives. Effective leadership may help in developing a positive
atmosphere at workplace for the workers as well as can lead a successful or productive team
by motivating them. Thus, it is required for an individual to develop leadership qualities in
themselves by which they can provide contribution in their business success and growth.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Golensky, M. and Hager, M.A., 2020. Strategic leadership and management in nonprofit
organizations: Theory and practice. Oxford University Press.
Covelli, B.J. and Mason, I., 2017. Linking theory to practice: Authentic leadership. Academy
of Strategic Management Journal. 16(3). pp.1-10.
Ruben, B.D. and Gigliotti, R.A., 2016. Leadership as social influence: An expanded view of
leadership communication theory and practice. Journal of Leadership &
Organizational Studies. 23(4). pp.467-479.
Henry, C. and et.al., 2015. Entrepreneurial leadership and gender: Exploring theory and
practice in global contexts. Journal of Small Business Management. 53(3). pp.581-
586.
Fischer, M.D. and et.al., 2016. Knowledge leadership: Mobilizing management research by
becoming the knowledge object. Human Relations. 69(7). pp.1563-1585.
Haslam, S.A., Reicher, S.D. and Platow, M.J., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice.
In APA handbook of personality and social psychology, Volume 2: Group
processes. (pp. 67-94). American Psychological Association.