Project Management and Leadership Style

This assignment requires the student to demonstrate their understanding of project management and leadership styles. The student must select an appropriate leadership style for their project, explain their reasons for selecting it, and describe the steps they would take to alleviate challenges faced by their team. The student must also reference relevant literature to support their arguments.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND MANAGEMENT
Organizational Behavior and People Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

2ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND MANAGEMENT
Explain why you might choose one of the leadership styles discussed in this module’s
learning resources over another style when managing the highlighted project team
The kind of leadership style that must be used for this particular situation is that of the
team leadership style. This is because J&J Furnishings are about to undertake many new
projects in the upcoming days. So, there is this need that the leaders help in making a clear
picture of the future in front of their employees and also help them to follow the necessary steps.
They have three very important strategic goals in the upcoming years that need proper guidance
and supervision. Under this leadership style, the leaders will make sure that all the employees are
working together and a team and are working with all their hearts and minds (Wilson 2018).
They want to improve on their CSR, make an up gradation in the existing IT and software
systems and focus on the social networking. Lastly, they also want to make sure that they are
improving customer needs and employee efficiency. In order to carry on all these new strategies,
the leaders (project managers) must guide the employees in all possible aspects. The best way of
attaining all these goals is by coming together and working with joined efforts as a team
(SHINOY 2018).
Describe which tools and techniques discussed in there sources you might use as a PM to
influence this project team.
As a project manager, I would initially like to exercise the expert power, the referent
power, and the reward power as well. As the company is about to undertake many new projects
in the upcoming years, they will naturally need a lot of new expertise and knowledge. Being a
project manager, it is my duty that I help my team members with all the possible knowledge that
I have. I will also use the referent power as it will help the employees to be motivated and give

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in all their efforts. In other words, I will always try to assure the teammates that I will appreciate
them in front of the higher authorities that will help in boosting up their appraisals. This will
help them to develop their trust in me and thus adhere to my directions and decisions and also to
give them their 100% efforts (Edwards et al. 2015).
Influence the project team
In order to influence the project team, I will be using the expert power, the referent
power, and the reward power as well. The punishment power will also be helpful in some of
the other cases. I will use my expertise to the maximum possible extent so that my followers can
have a complete trust in their leader or their Project Manager (Goleman 2017). For an instance,
one of the goals is to in update the software and the IT system and to develop on the social
networking as well. So, I will make sure to use my software programming skills in the best way
possible and write the codes in a flawless error-free manner. This will help them realize that I am
capable of being in charge of the new upcoming projects and that I can really guide them in the
right direction whenever necessary.
Motivate the team members to work collaboratively
In order to motivate the team members to work collaboratively, I will be using the
reward power. I will make sure that the employees are being rewarded as per their efforts and
their achievements are being properly recognized. This is a good motivation for many of the
employees to work properly (Luthans and Doh 2018). However, I will make sure that these
rewards are such so that it can be achieved by all. I will also make sure that the employees are
being motivated by a proper and good reference as well. I being the project manager will always

4ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND MANAGEMENT
try to refer the good works and the achievements of the company to the higher authorities
(Bolman and Deal 2017).
Impact the project’s success
I will make sure that I have been able to build a strong team spirit among all the team members. I
will be using the team leadership style and will be making sure that all the employees are
working together as a team so that they can work with all their efforts and make the project a
good success.
Explain your reasons for selecting these approaches
I selected the expert power approach because I need to gain the trust of the teammates so
that they can count on me and can follow my directions and my advice in the future days (Perez
2017). I will also use the rewards approach system so that I can really motivate the employees.
I realize this fact that the employees give in all their efforts and work so hard in order to make
the projects successful. So, their efforts are to be rewarded and recognized. I will also use the
referent power to make sure that all the employees are in the good books of the higher
authorities.
Describe the steps you might take, as project manager, to alleviate challenges faced by
your project team before those challenges grow so large that they damage the work
environment or the final product. Explain why.
I would like to inculcate the transparency among all the employees so that they can
openly discuss any and every challenge that they are facing. There must be a friendly and a

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mutual understand ding between me and all the teammates (Perez 2017). I will also try to
develop the trust factor among all the employees. I will also focus on correcting them. I will use
the punishment power so that I can praise them in public and can correct them in private. I will
never take the undue usage of my power and position.

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References
Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.
Edwards, G., Schedlitzki, D., Turnbull, S. and Gill, R., 2015. Exploring power assumptions in
the leadership and management debate. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(3),
pp.328-343.
Goleman, D., 2017. Leadership That Gets Results (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard
Business Press.
Luthans, F. and Doh, J.P., 2018. International Management: Culture, strategy, and behavior.
McGraw-Hill.
Perez, J.R., 2017. Leadership, Power, Culture, and Ethics in the Transcultural Context. The
Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 19(8), pp.63-68.
SHINOY, S. 2018. 5 Types of Power You Can Use As a Project Manager! -. [ebook] pp.1-3.
Available at: http://file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/690435%201.pdf [Accessed 10 Mar. 2018].
Wilson, F.M., 2018. Organizational behavior and work: a critical introduction. Oxford
University Press.