Report: Emergent Leadership Skills for the Workplace and EY

This report provides a detailed analysis of emergent leadership skills, exploring various leadership theories, models, and styles relevant to the workplace, using Ernst and Young as a case study. It delves into key concepts such as the Great Man theory, trait theory, contingency theory, situational theory, and behavioral theory, alongside management approaches like scientific management and contingency management. The report examines transactional and transformational leadership styles, democratic and autocratic leadership, and theories X and Y, highlighting their application in a business context. It also evaluates Ernst and Young's current leadership strategy and offers recommendations for adapting leadership styles in response to challenges, especially those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to equip leaders with the skills needed for the evolving workplace.

Emergent Leadership
Skills for the
Workplace

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction about company........................................................................................................3
Key management and leadership theories/ models/ styles of management and leadership.........4
Current leadership strategy........................................................................................................12
Recommendations for leadership style......................................................................................15
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is activity to motivate the people to follow a particular defined task for the
attaining of a purpose. In the context of business, it implies directing the employees and the
colleagues action in such a way that follows them in attaining the defined goals or objectives.
The leadership style with the time requirement has also evolved. Similarly the managers or the
leaders now have to evolve their skills related to the leadership style in accordance to the
pandemic prevailed in the world. During the pandemic the working styles of the organisation has
changed to very extent (Agodu, 2019). The leaders have to come up with the ways through
which their organisation can continue their work and also meantime they could follow the
pandemic rules in a proper manner. For reference purpose this report has taken an example of a
company, Ernst and Young. Ernst and Young is an American company which is engaged in the
business of providing the professional services to its client. The major or core service in which
the company deals with were the audit, taxation, performing of financial audit and advisory
services to the clients. The company was establish in the year 1989 with its headquarters in
London.
This report discusses about the theories, styles and methods related with the management
and leadership available or practice. Apart from this the report also includes the current
leadership practices which the organisation practice along with the recommendations for leader
about their leadership styles after the impacts faced from the COVID-19.
TASK
Introduction about company
The Ernst and Young is the multinational company which is originally based from
America. The company is engaged in the business of providing the professional services to their
clients. The services to which the company offers to their clients may includes the financial
management services, the consultancy or advisory services, the services related to audit and so
on. The company was establish in the 1989 and its headquarters is in London. E&Y comes under
the category of big 4 companies. The company is so big and successful that it counts as one of
the 4 major companies which are ruling the cooperate world. The company serves worldwide.
The current chairman of the company is Carmine Di Sibio (Alloubani and et al., 2019). Getting

into this company and working with this is something considered as a dream job or motive for
many people.
Key management and leadership theories/ models/ styles of management and leadership
Leadership is defined as an activity in which a leader motivates the persons or the group
of persons to follow a particular path. Developing a leadership quality in an individual is not an
easy task. Some are born with these skills whereas some needs to develop this skill in
themselves. There are various theories related to this concept i.e. leadership. These theories are
as follows:
Great man theory: This theory suggested that an individual who is a capable leader is born with
that leadership qualities. The great man theory suggested that the leaders are only born. There is
no way to develop the skills as they are inherent in an individual. According to this theory the
great leaders are born not made.
Trait theory: According to this theory, the leadership in a person is determined through the
skills and traits are posses by him. These traits are matched or analysed in a leader. The leader
skills or traits are determined through psychological traits by examining the height, weight,
appearance and so on. Through demographic traits the traits of a leader is also analysed, some of
the traits may includes education, gender, lifestyles, family background and etc. Through the
analyses of these traits a leader get analysed and examined. In this trait theory, the people
consider an individual a leader through the traits it has in himself. If a person or an individual
does not have much trait regarding the leadership then the other people does not consider and
accept him as a leader. Apart from this if the people see in an individual all the traits if leadership
then they would be ready to consider him as a leader. The traits which states an individual a
leader may includes the honesty, transparency, hard working, trust worthy, rational decision
making, accountability and the like. These traits are very necessary to inculcate as a leader as it
helps in gaining the support of the public.
Contingency Theory: According to this theory, no particular type of leadership style is
applicable or suitable at every situation. The style of leadership gets changed with the situation.
Different situation calls for the different style of leadership. The contingency theory states that
there is no a particular type of theory available which can be applicable to every situation. The
type of leadership style applied in a particular situation or place totally depends upon the type of
situation has prevailed at that particular moment. This is a type or style of theory which is

applied by majority of the contemporary leaders as the result which this leadership provides does
not provide by any other theory about leadership (Bashir and Khalil, 2017).
Situational theory: This theory is similar to contingency theory. In this type of theory it is
assumed that there is no particular theory or style of leadership which is perfect for every
situation. Different situation calls out for different type of leadership style. In the situational
theory the leader changes his style of leadership practice according to the situation. He is not
very much stick towards a particular kind of leadership style but changes his leadership style
very frequent. His leadership style is with accordance to the need of situation. Here the methods
which are used to motivate the employees are very much strict as the manager lays a strict
activities or consequences if the employee fails to fulfils the performance standard. The
situational theory is very active and adopted by majority of leaders now a days as they feel that
with the changing time and situation the style of leadership also needs some change.
Behavioural theory: This theory puts the major focus upon the specific type of behaviour of a
leader instead of the traits and skills. Here the behaviour which an individual carries defines his
leadership. The type of behaviour a leader shows in a particular situation gives a gimps that
whether he is capable to lead the group or not. According to this theory to be a good leader an
individual needs to be good on 3 ground and i.e. technical, human and conceptual skills.
There are various models of leadership, some of these model or types may include:
Transactional skills: In this type of skills the leader majorly focuses upon the success of the
task. And he does that by showcasing the rewards and punishment the employees or the team
members will get if they will not perform their work up to the mark. In the transactional
leadership style, the leader becomes very harsh with his team members as he only cares about the
goal to get achieved.
Transformational leadership style: In the transformational leadership style, the leader involve
into a discussion with his team members about the areas where they might need a change and the
ways to bring it the work place. They also discuss about their goals and objectives, mission and
about any issue or problem regarding work (Crews, 2019). Here the whole group work as one
and the decisions are made after proper discussion about the topic.
Democratic leadership style: In this type of leadership style, the leader takes any decision
whether small or big after consulting the associated team members. Here all the decisions are
taken only after the undertaking all the ideas and opinions of the involved people in that. Also

the final policies or operations are settled down through the democratic pole. Here the employees
are treated with fairness and equal opportunity is provided to them.
Autocratic leadership style: The autocratic leadership style in a leadership style in which all the
decision are taken by the top level management people only. There is no consultation or idea gets
consider from the middle or lower level of people. All the planing are done and performed only
by the top level of management people and they does not take any suggestion from below level
of people as they just impose the decisions upon them.
Management theories are related with the concept of managing the resources of the
organisation in such a way that it they all comprehensively contributes to the success of the
organisation. There are various theories about the concept of management and some of them are
as follows:
Scientific management theory: In this theory the scientific laws and theories where applied to
the management. Scientific management theory concept was introduced by Fredrick Taylor
(Durmus and Kirca, 2020). Here all the operational activities and functional activities are not
performed on the trial and error method. All these operations are performed through the proper
analyses of that task or the method. The proper timings about the human resource, slack timings,
operational timings and so on where get analysed by the organisation. This will help them in
providing the effective and efficient working in their activities.
System management Approach: In this type of theory, it is assumed that an organisation is the
combination of many systems as the human body is. These system have the different tasks or the
work to performed. All these systems are aligned in a manner through which the sync can be
created among these various systems in such a way that the comprehensive objective or goal
could get achieved. These different systems are group in various departments. These departments
are human resource department, finance department, marketing department, operational
department and much more. All these departments have the different functions or objectives to
achieve.
Contingency management Theory: According to this theory there is no particular management
theory as the business environment as changing very fast. The organisations has to cope up with
these changing environment therefore to cope up with these contemporary business changes, the
organisation has to bring up these changes in their structure and systems (Durmus and Kirca,
2020). Therefore for implementing the same in the business contingency management theory is

applicable properly. A leader needs to be very much quick in identification of change which
needs to bring up in the internal factors of environment due to the changes in the external
business environment.
Theory X and Theory Y: These are the theory which is adopted by the managers to make their
employees work. According to this theory, the employees who are lazy and are in the category of
non performing personnel, the theory X is applied to them to make these people work. The
manager uses the “carrot and stick” method to make these employees work. In this method the
consequences are shown to the employees if they fail to achieved the task or performance. Where
as in theory Y, the employees who are very motivated and active towards there work lies in this
category (Elrehail, and et al., 2018). To motivate further to these employees a proper rewards
system is offered to them. The rewards may include financial increase, increase in status,
promotion, bonus and much more. In this theory the managers handle the employees with regard
to the attitude they have towards their work. If the employee is very motivated towards the work
then the theory Y is applied towards them. This theory helps in motivating the employees in
their desired way. These employees are so enthusiastic and full of zeal for their work that they
take the initiatives and provide creative and innovative ideas to the organisation. These
employees are the ones who give more productivity to the organisation and the organisation also
cannot afford to lose them. Apart from this the productivity level of employees who comes in the
category of Theory X, is very low. They does not provide much ideas or creative opinions to the
people or organisation. Also they are no that much motivated towards the work and take the task
very carelessly.
There are various management styles is also available for the organisation. Some of these
styles may include:
Autocratic style: In the autocratic style of management the top to down approach gets followed
by the organisation. In this approach the organisation's top level management takes all the
decisions and then they communicate to the middle level of management people and these
middle level of management people convey the decisions to the lower level of management
people. Here all the decisions are taken by the top level management people only without any
consultation of below level of management people. In this the lower level people only has to
follow the decisions which are made by the top level people (Hamzat and et al., 2020). The fair

and equal treatment of the people are also not provided to the employees and the growth
provided to them is also slow.
Democratic management style: In the democratic management style, the organisation exercises
the democratic rule in the organisation. All the decisions are made after the proper consultation
of employees are people related to the topic. Here the equal treatment is given to all the
employees along with the equal opportunities. This is the best form of management style which
an organisation can follow by reviewing the today's business environment.
Merit: Through this management style, the motivation level of the employees get
increased which is beneficial for the organisation itself. The equality will get establish in the
system which help in attracting and retaining the talented employees to the organisation only.
Participative management styles: In this participative management style the employees or the
staff members are access to all the information and data. This enables the transparency and
clarity about the business operations. This will help the employees in putting their ideas and view
points in the information which can help them in bringing the new and innovative way in
performing the task (Kalsoom, Khan, and Zubair, 2018).
Merits: With this type of management style, the employees feel valued and very
motivated that their organisation gives value to them and they more builds up a strong
connection with the organisation.
Demerits: The decision making process is very slow in this type of management style.
Here there is a risk for the organisation in leaking the information or data which is important to
them outside the organisation.
Applied model/theory of leadership and engagement.
In this world there are various option in every thing whether it be product or it be goods or
services. Like wise as discussed above there are also various type of leadership theory and
leadership style as well as management theory and management style. Not every theory or every
style can be applied by they management or by the leader, all this depend on the situation that
they are in and it also depends on the type of resources that they are currently having. In the case
of Ernst and Young as they are one of the top four companies in the world their leadership style
and the leadership theory should also be the best and that should also be the one that can be

modified in times of trouble. For this they have chosen contingency type of leadership theory
(Liao and et al., 2017).
Contingency theory – as there is nothing permanent in the life and there is always a risk of
uncertainty, so Ernst and Young have chosen the contingency theory of leadership as according
to this type the leadership style can be changed according to the situation . This type of they
gives flexibility to the leaders as they can modify their styles according to the required situation
and according to the resources available. What this theory suggest is that there is no universal
style that can be applied to every situation. So Ernst and Young have chosen this type of
leadership theory. Being one of the top audit company in the world they always have various
situation which requires the modification in the leadership style and traits like during the Covid
pandemic everything changed and everyone suffered a lot financially. For this they have to
modify their style and because of that they have choose the contingency type of leadership
theory. Everything has its own strengths and weakness in case of contingency theory their
strengths are as follows :
 dynamic nature – what this theory suggest is that the there is no universal style of
leadership that can be applied in each and every situation. So what this theory suggest is
that the leader should be able to change the policy according to the needs of the task at a
given situation.
Help employees grow – as the leadership style are changed with the situation this will pave way
for the employees to grow themselves. As because of this they will be able to participate and can
give ideas (Nguyen and Hooi, 2020).
Weakness
 complex- as the nature of business is very dynamic and complex in nature so it always
carries risk with it. When the leadership style changes the ideas and process also changes
that can create more complex situation than helping it.
 Follows instincts – according to this theory the leaders can change its style according to
the situation. But the drawback in this is that while changing the style they follow their
instinct and sometime there are chances where their instincts aren't up to mark which will
lead the company to suffer losses
leadership style that the leader adopts is having a very high impact on the organisation and on the
employees. Ernst and Young have chosen the transformational leadership style. According to his

leadership style the leader also consults its teammates while making any changes. They discuss
about the areas in which they need to change their ways of doing it and how can they change it.
They also discuss about the goals and the objectives of the teams and the organisation. They
think and take action as one, whatever they do they do it after a proper discussion and in that
discuss their is smooth flow of ideas. This smooth flow of ideas will also help them in finding
the faults in the plan and in rectifying the faults by taking corrective measures. This type of
leadership will help them in knowing their weakness and it will also help them in having creative
ideas. This type of leadership style will increase the morale of the employees and with this they
will be able to work better and can show their full potential. Ernst and Young being a financial
company needs full support of their employees so that they can work and provide their services
to the customer whole heartedly (Nguyen and Hooi, 2020). This leadership style is also having
its own strength and weakness.
Strength
 open minded discussion – this type of leadership style is very honest as the employees are
free to express their views about the plan and about the management. In this type of style
there is honesty and it is very open as the employees are also part taking in this
discussion.
 Effective leadership – this type of leadership style is very effective as the morale of the
employees also boosts up. If the employees are happy they will also be working with their
full potential, which will help the company to yield better result,
Weakness
 risky – there are some decisions that are only meant for the management to take as this
decisions are very delicate for the company and this type of leadership style will not be
able to withstand while making these type of decisions.
 Leaves something – this type of leadership is very good for having the employees opinion
on the task but there are various side which get lost while looking in the bigger picture
which will result in having some Gap in the plans and in the decisions.
Management theories are the one which provides a clear picture of the concept of management to
manage their resources and the management should be in such a way that they should make use
of these resources in a effective and efficient manner so as to sustain them for the future.
Management theory that they should use is the contingency management theory and as these

theory suggest that the environment of the business are changing very rapidly and the
management all over the world are facing various problem due to this. What this theory suggest
is that they the management of Ernst and Young should also cope up with the change in the
environment. For coping up with the change they have to make changes from time to time and
they also have to see and analyse various changes for this a leader neds to be very quick in its
decision making and in its analysis as it can cost a company like Ernst and Young loses worth
billions. Ernst and Young should adopt to this strategy when there is a need or their environment
is changing very fast. This type of management theory is also having its own strength and
weakness.
Strength
 dynamic – as this type of management theory states that the management should be able
to make changes in their decision with the change in the business nature. This will help
them in increasing their profit.
 Assist organisational activities – this type of management theory helps io formulating and
designing organisational structure with the help of planning.
Weakness
 complex – this type of management theory is complex in nature because they change
from time to time and situation to situation.
 Unpredictable in nature – this type of theory unpredictable in nature as they are required
to change from time to time and from situation to situation.
Management style is the one that the management of the company adopts so that they can mange
their resources effectively and efficiently and that they can also motivate their employees to
work harder. In case with Ernst and Young they follow the participative management style,
according to this type of leadership the management gives their employees and their staff
members access to all the information. With the help of these Ernst and Young can have
transparency in their working. They can adopt this management style when they are in between
the crisis like the employee strike or when the employees have lost their faith in the company.
Ernst and Young being one of the top four companies in the world should also keep their
employees motivated from time to time so that they can make full utilization of their employees.
This will help the employees to put more and more creative ideas so that they can contribute in