Leadership in Business

This document explores the concept of leadership in business and discusses various theories and styles of leadership. It covers topics such as trait theory, situational leadership, transformational leadership, and servant leadership. It also provides examples of effective and harmful leaders and discusses different leadership scenarios. Additionally, it includes a personal leadership profile and offers insights on how to create a high-performing organization.

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Leadership in Business

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Table of Contents
Trait Theory.....................................................................................................................................3
Situational, Transformational and Servant Leadership...................................................................4
Identify a Leader..............................................................................................................................6
Leadership Scenarios.......................................................................................................................7
Personal Leadership/Management Profile.......................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Trait Theory
1. From the overview of the Trait Theory of Leadership, I tend to have a feeling possessing
three different traits like People Skills, Creativity and Task Competence.
Regarding People Skills, I as a Department Manager in a retail institution reflected the
potential of interacting effectively with the members of my team, the team leaders, senior
members of the store management and finally with the customers. Honing such
interpersonal skills not only contributed in developing strengthened and quality
relationships with both the internal and external stakeholders but also contributed in
exchange of ideas.
From the Creative viewpoint, as a Department Manager I took over an additional role of
supervising the Visual Merchandising activities both along the department and the
organization as a whole. My knowledge of visual merchandising ideally helped in
creating a color appeal along the store which in turn contributed in enhancing the flow of
consumer traffic inside the store (Glendon, Clarke, & McKenna, 2016).
Finally, in terms of Task Competence, I was ordered by the Store Manager in seeing the
affairs of the store in that both the store and assistant store manager were required to
attend a conference. It was a great opportunity for me in that I was required in reflecting
needed competence in acting as a Store Manager and I served the day in an effective
fashion in that under my leadership the store gained on both margins and returns for that
day’s operation (Garcia, 2014).

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2. I further possess the trait of an effective Team Leader such that I have the capability in
not only arranging teams at the workplace but also in continually interacting, motivating
and monitoring their performance of meeting departmental and organizational objectives.
3. Surely, based on the traits analyzed above I surely feel that I reflect the potential of an
effective leader. Like an effective leader, I tend to share my vision and views with the
team members and also carry out quality interpersonal relationships with other members
of the store for helping in the meeting of departmental and store objectives (Robinson,
2016).
Situational, Transformational and Servant Leadership
1. Situational Leadership
The theoretical aspect of Situational Leadership is developed by management scientists
Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard. It essentially reflects that managers and business or
organizational leaders are required to bear needed flexibility in their behaviors and
working styles such that the same can be effectively adjusted or streamlined for
effectively matching with the attitudes and performance style of the subordinate groups
that are needed to be influenced for the betterment of the organization as a whole
(Lehmann, 2016).
Transformational Leadership
The concept of Transformational or Change Leadership was introduced to the
management literature by McGregor Burns. Transformational or Change Leadership
refers to the leadership style where a leader introduces his or her subordinate staffs to

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new vision and mission objectives and also underlines new value sets to the
organizational and departmental members. Further, the transformational leader focuses
on motivating and empowering the staff members to work in a creative fashion for
meeting of newly set objectives and goals. The transformational leader responsible for
bringing about institutional changes tends to work in a highly enthusiastic fashion for
encouraging internal people involved in teams to work in a committed and spirited
fashion (Daas, 2015).
Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership as a leadership theory was first rendered during 1970 by Robert
Greenleaf. The servant leader is featured as a leader that focuses on understanding,
empathizing and also on prioritizing the needs and requirements of the staffs and thereby
focus on accomplishing them. Further, the servant leader also focuses in taking special
care of the departmental members such that they hone up their knowledge and skill base
for developing needed competence in fulfilling the professional needs in an effective
fashion (Northouse, 2018). On the whole, the impact of the servant leadership approach
does not get restricted within the firm but rather requires the organizational members
generate effective contributions in the long-run for the betterment of the social groups
and communities (Davis, 2017).
2. Out of the three leadership approaches detailed above the theory of Transformational
Leadership earn needed significance in that it triggers professional development both at
the individual and at the organizational level. Further, in terms of developing on
individual competencies and in setting new vision and mission objectives the

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transformational leadership model aims at bringing about whole round productivity for
the firm. Finally, the transformational leadership approach also renders needed
significance to the aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility wherein it encourages the
team members in contributing to the society (Blane, 2017).
3. As a Departmental Manager in a retail store, I worked on the aspect of Servant
Leadership model such that I focused on enhancing the knowledge and skill base of my
team members and subordinates in terms of encouraging them in taking part in trainings
wherein they would be introduced to information technology aspects that are put to use
for development of signage along with other intricate operations like development of
online reports and analysis of sales and operational data and working effectively in an
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) setting . Empowerment made on the above aspects
is taken to develop the competencies of staffs to work in a competent fashion in a digital
workplace and thereby focus on generating both productivity and customer satisfaction.
Identify a Leader
1. Positive Leader
The case of Mary Barra, the newly appointed Chairman at General Motors ideally reflects
the case of a positive leader. Prior to her being appointed as the Chairman of GM, Barra
operated as the CEO of the firm for two consecutive years. The Board of Directors of
GM concluded that under her able guidance and influence, GM earned the ability in
countering the crisis associated with ignition switch while also gained the ability for
enhancing on its financial position. Further, she also acted as a visionary in GM in setting
new strategic benchmarks for the company to expand its operations to China and also in

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taking tough decisions of rolling back GM’s operations in regions like Russia and
Thailand for not being able to generate minimum ROI of 20 percent (Muller, 2016).
2. Harmful Leader
The case of Martin Winterkorn as the CEO of Volkswagen suggests being a case of
harmful leadership in that under his supervision the automobile company carried out the
unethical and also the unlawful installation of software that failed in generating accurate
data pertaining to fuel emissions. The CEO quoted that he had no knowledge of such
software being installed in the cars. He was also characterized of publicly abusing the
employees which in turn made them carry out the unethical activity under his nose for
generating greater profits (Dishman, 2015).
Leadership Scenarios
1. The Participating Style in the Hershey Blanchard Model of Leadership would be the best
applicable in the situation wherein interaction is suggested to take place between
management and subordinate for exchange of ideas in taking decisions (Schermerhorn,
2010). Herein, the manager based on interaction can understand the reasons behind the
employee’s underperformance and lack of confidence and thereby take appropriate
action.
2. Supportive leadership style reflected in the Path-Goal Model of Leadership would be the
most appropriate in this case such that it would help the management gain an effective
insight regarding the employee’s change of behavior making her feel unmotivated and
unfocused at work (Vallabhaneni, 2015).

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3. The Participative Leadership approach associated to the Path-Goal Model of Leadership
is the best applicable in this case (Vallabhaneni, 2015). It would help the manager in
identifying the reward preferences of the ego-involved mindset of the employees that
being provided would encourage them to work productively in the firm.
4. The Participating Style of Leadership associated to the Hershey Blanchard Model would
be the best applicable in here in that though the employees are able to carry out the task
they tend to feel insecure and unwilling owing to the prevalence of low rewards and inept
reward system (Schermerhorn, 2010).
5. Herein, the Supportive Leadership Style associated to the Path-Goal Model of Leadership
would be the best applicable (Vallabhaneni, 2015). This leadership style reflects the
management’s concern for the employees and also trusts of the former on the
competencies of the latter in accomplishing the tasks and in meeting stated objectives.
Personal Leadership/Management Profile
I as a Manager would effectively focus on developing and sustaining shared relationships with
the subordinate groups in that the growth of interaction carried out with the employees pertaining
to different levels and departments would help in gaining needed feedbacks regarding their
concerns and expectations from the management. The same would thereby help in reducing the
chances of internal conflicts and thereby contribute in meeting of the tasks in a productive and
creative fashion. I would also focus on empowering the team members to work with a creative
approach in accomplishing the stated tasks. I would focus on following the tenets of both
Situational and Transformational Leadership styles in that the former would encourage me in
adjusting my behavior and attitude with that of subordinates while the latter in setting new goals,

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mission and vision objectives and thereby in guiding the subordinate staffs in effectively
accomplishing the newly stated goals and objectives. Further, the Participative Style of
Leadership also appeals to me in that it would help me in understanding the concerns of the
employees regarding remuneration and reward in an effective fashion. Understanding gained on
such would help me in designing the right kind of compensation and reward systems or also
revise the existing ones in that the same would encourage and motivate the employees for
working in a productive fashion. Working based on the above leadership styles and approaches is
taken to help in designing a high performing organization.

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References
Blane, H. (2017). 7 Principles of Transformational Leadership: Create a Mindset of Passion,
Innovation, and Growth. United Kingdom: Red Wheel/Weiser,.
Daas, M. (2015). Leading with Aesthetics: The Transformational Leadership of Charles M. Vest
at MIT. United Kingdom : Lexington Books.
Davis, C. J. (2017). Servant Leadership and Followership: Examining the Impact on Workplace
Behavior. United Kingdom : Springer.
Dishman, L. (2015, December 28). The 10 Best And Worst Leaders Of 2015. Retrieved February
11, 2019, from https://www.fastcompany.com/3054777/the-10-best-and-worst-leaders-
of-2015
Garcia, E. (2014). Human personality. The Five Factor Trait Theory. Denmark : GRIN Verlag.
Glendon, A. I., Clarke, S., & McKenna, E. (2016). Human Safety and Risk Management. United
Kingdom : CRC Press.
Lehmann, O. F. (2016). Situational Project Management: The Dynamics of Success and Failure.
United Kingdom : CRC Press.
Muller, J. (2016, January 4). Four Reasons Mary Barra Earned The Chairman's Job At GM.
Retrieved February 11, 2019, from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2016/01/04/four-reasons-mary-barra-earned-
the-chairmans-job-at-gm/#60406f492943

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Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice. United Kingdom : SAGE
Publications.
Robinson, B. E. (2016). The Skills of an Effective Leader: Becoming a Leader Others Want to
Follow. United States : Xlibris Corporation.
Schermerhorn, J. R. (2010). Management. United Kingdom : John Wiley and Sons.
Vallabhaneni, S. R. (2015). Wiley CIAexcel Exam Review 2015, Part 3: Internal Audit
Knowledge Elements. United Kingdom : John Wiley and Sons.