Exploring Effective Leadership Theories and Practices

Desklib provides solved assignments and past papers to help students succeed.

Leadership and Management
1

Table of Contents
1. What is involved in being a successful leader?........................................................................3
2. Can good leadership be developed, and if so, how?................................................................5
3. What distinguishes leadership from management?..................................................................7
4. What have you personally learnt about leadership from your own experiences, on this course
and elsewhere?.................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................12
2

1. What is involved in being a successful leader?
Successful leaders need to develop attributes, which help them in influencing and motivating
their teams. One of the primary responsibilities of a leader is to maintain a certain level of
confidence and trust among his teams and work in a way that they look up to him for motivation
and guidance. However, leaders often face various obstacles in their functioning and they must
have the capability of solving them effectively. Successful leadership can only be established
under a situation where the leader and his team are bound with honesty and trust (Punjaisri and
Balmer, 2016). There are various theories, which help in understanding the factors that are
involved in being an effective leader. They can be discussed as the following:
The situational leadership theory
This theory states that no specific leadership style is appropriate for all situations and different
leadership styles are needed for handling different situations. Leadership and its effectiveness
depend on the specific situation of the organization (Thompson and Glasø, 2015). Thus, it can be
stated that efficient leadership remains dependent on the current situation. It is important for the
leaders to assess the reason and origin of the situation and then implement the most effective
leadership strategy. A successful leader must be able to understand the nature and dynamics of
his team and gain all the attributes that are essential for being an effective leader.
Path-goal theory
This theory refers assumes that successful leaders are adaptive and flexible and motivates their
subordinates and inspires them to work hard. This theory states that leaders must provide their
team members opportunities where they can boost their performance and productivity while
achieving the common goals of the organization. Good leaders must assess the performances of
his team members and offer appropriate compensation and benefits according to their
performance and hard work (Bush, 2016). This acts as an effective motivating tool, which helps
leaders to encourage and inspire their team members. Motivation forms an intrinsic part of
leadership and a good leader must strive to maintain a strong relation with his team so that it is
able to achieve higher productivity and success.
3

Katz's three skills model
This theory states that leaders must be capable of developing basic skills such as conceptual,
technical and human skills. Technical skills are crucial as it helps leaders to attain greater
knowledge and develop their competency. It is important for the leaders to be able to develop
technical skills that can be updated according to the requirements of the situation so that they
remain capable of offering a good knowledge to subordinates (Boamah et al., 2018). Human
skills are integral in a good leader. They must have effective interpersonal and communication
skills. This theory states that interpersonal skills are important in the higher, middle and lower
levels of management and this helps in sustaining strong communication within the organization.
Great man theory
The great man theory states that good leaders have specific attributes and skills which
differentiate them from others. It assumes that leaders are born with these attributes and these
help them in accomplishing their goals in the organization. Communication skills and other such
traits help leaders in being responsible towards attaining the common organizational aims and
objectives.
Transformational leadership
According to this theory, it is crucial that good leaders work with their team members and
support them in bringing the desirable changes. This theory helps leaders in identifying and
creating organizational visions and goals which help them in motivating their subordinates.
Leaders must have the capacity to develop the individual skills of the workers so that they are
able to deliver their best performance (Komives and Wagner, 2016). Effective leaders must
strive to build positive relations with their team members and try to understand their needs and
requirements as this makes them satisfied and willing to work harder.
It is important for the leaders of Hotel Indigo to involve these positive attributes in order to be
effective in their job roles. They must consider all the factors of leadership that helps in offering
better services to customers. The leadership and management of Hotel Indigo must see to it that
effective leadership is in place so that they are able to cater to the varying needs of the customers
and provide them with excellent services.
4

2. Can good leadership be developed, and if so, how?
Today’s hugely competitive business environment requires strong leadership skills and these can
be developed according to the needs and demands of the situation in an organization. Good
leaders must try to boost self-discipline and then encourage his team members to do the same in
order create an effective work culture within the organization. Good leaders would have the
capacity to schedule their work according to their priorities in order to ensure that each task is
carried on perfectly and on time without any delays (Thompson and Glasø, 2015). They must put
a substantial amount of emphasis on building their communication and interpersonal skills. In
addition, leaders may think about innovative ideas which help them in achieving the common
organizational goals and objectives.
Servant leadership theory
This theory is based on the belief that the primary role of a good leader is to serve and see to it
that his team is able to attain the common goals and objectives. Leaders can use this theory for
increasing their level of communication and cooperation. This would help the leaders in catering
to the needs of the individuals and boost collaboration levels which has a huge role to play in
defining and accomplishing the organizational goals and objectives. The leaders must be able to
motivate their team and lead them towards higher progress. A good leader must look after the
requirements and demands of his subordinates as this motivates them to work harder. They must
take proactive steps to empower all team members as this helps in boosting the overall
productivity and performance of the team as well as the organization. A good leader must try to
develop attributes like persuasion, commitment and discipline and manifest them in the team
among his subordinates. In addition, leadership can also be boosted by a consistent learning
procedure. It helps in developing the knowledge and skills required to boost the overall
organizational productivity. It is also important for the leaders to develop situational awareness,
which helps in determining effective solutions in all challenging situations.
Managerial grid model
5

The managerial grid model implies the process of developing an effective leadership style that
involves people as well as the production processes in an organization. This model states that
managers may boost their leading style through technical approaches. This model states that
people and production are the most crucial aspects of an organization (Cho et al., 2018). The
leaders must focus on all the requirements of their team members and must strive to create their
individual growth and development. When the individual skills are boosted, the employees are
able to develop and boost their productivity and achieve the organizational goals in a better
manner. The leaders must always try to build the interest and motivation of their team members
so that they are able to fulfil the requirements of the organization effectively.
The leader-member exchange theory
The leader-member exchange theory states that the relationship that is shared between the
leaders and their team members proves to be a vital factor for developing leadership. This theory
also stated that such relationships between the leader and his subordinates usually go through
three distinct stages. These stages can be identified as role making, role taking and the process of
routinization. It is with the process of role taking that leaders are able to access the range of skills
and capabilities that the candidates must possess for being a part of the team. The second stage
comprises of role making. This implies the process in which leaders develop their basic
leadership skills and examines the job roles and specification for their subordinates. They try
their best to provide appropriate facilities and opportunities for their team members and expect
them to be trustworthy, loyal and committed in return (Pyc et al., 2017). They must assess the
various skills from time to time and thereafter they can conduct the process of short listing team
members for specific activities and this gives them an opportunity to develop their leadership
capabilities further.
As has been seen from the discussions made above, it is evident that leaders must possess
effective skills that make them efficient in conducting their roles and responsibilities in an
effective manner. The leaders in Hotel Indigo must focus on the different factors that help in
developing leadership and makes them better leaders and this would have a huge positive impact
on the overall functioning and productivity of the organization. The leaders must always try to
create and maintain a positive and harmonious work culture that motivates each of their team
6

members to work hard for the growth and development of their organization and for helping it
achieve the goal of higher customer satisfaction and profit maximisation.
3. What distinguishes leadership from management?
Leadership
Leadership implies the quality and traits that are maintained by the leaders in an organization in
order to attain organizational success and productivity. Effective leadership is maintained when
leaders have the necessary personal attributes such as collaboration, communication,
interpersonal skills, confidence and the art of motivating the team members (Grint et al., 2016).
One of the primary aims of leaders is to motivate and inspire their subordinates and see to it that
they are able to finish their work efficiently and within time. Appropriate leadership is crucial as
it helps to ensure and accomplish the future goals and aspirations of the organization. Effective
leaders must be able to motivate their team members and solve their problems related to work.
They must see to it that they are able to understand their work and are able to do them perfectly.
When the individual performances are monitored and supported, it becomes easier for the
organization to boost its overall performance and productivity (Renz, 2016). At the same time,
the leaders must look after the developmental needs of the team members and offer sufficient
training and development opportunities to them. These are integral as they help in developing
their skills and capabilities and this has a positive impact on the overall productivity and
performance of the organization. The leaders must ensure that all their team members are able to
see the common vision and are clear about their responsibilities in fulfilling these visions.
Management
Management forms an intrinsic part of the growth and success of all organizations. Management
can be understood as those specific activities which are conducted by the management team in an
organization which helps it to attain the common goals and objectives. Management is
essentially the processes which help an organization in utilising its resources for attaining the
long and short-term goals and targets of the organization. For example, the managers in Hotel
Indigo see to it that all disputes are effectively controlled so that the overall organizational
performance can be stabilised and boosted. Effective managers make it easier for the
7

organizations to achieve their missions and visions. The role of managers in integral when an
organization tries to resolve its financial and other hazards and this would make them effective in
enhancing the overall organizational progress (Western, 2019). The managers see to it that all of
the tasks of the organizations are carried on with appropriate efficiency and that all the
employees are able to deliver expected results within the required schedule. This proves to be
vital in the long-term success of the organization as its success is hugely dependent on its various
activities and the overall performance. Therefore, it can be assessed that management essentially
implies the practice of helping and supporting the human resources in an organization in a way
that assists the organization in securing its own growth and development.
Primary differences between leadership and management
Leadership and management are both aimed at making constructive changes within organizations
in order to achieve the long and short-term business goals. Though both have a significant role to
play in the proper functioning of organizations, a few differences can be identified between the
nature and functioning of leadership and management. For instance, management implies that
discipline which is aimed at managing all the aspects of an organization in order to ensure that
everything is conducted in the best possible manner. Leadership, on the other hand, refers to the
skills that are used for influencing people so that the goals and objectives of the organization can
easily be achieved. Management can be understood as that art that is implemented by
organizations in order to organise and manage the regular activities and processes (Ansoff et al.,
2018). Management is a crucial aspect for all kinds of sectors such as hospitality, sports,
education and commercial offices. Management is essentially a formal framework which applies
to a certain group of people. Leadership, on the other hand, applies to formal as well as informal
groups of people within the organization. The leaders are responsible towards the needs of the
team and the needs of the organization in general. The management, on the other hand, sees to it
that the activities are appropriately conducted in the best possible manner and within the
necessary time frame. They are not liable for the individual performance of the workers.
Managers usually work with the different reports that they get from the organizational leaders.
Team leaders are also responsible for managing all kinds of disputes within their team and see to
it that positive work environment is provided to the employees (Rosenbach, 2018). Managers, on
8

the other hand, manage all the activities of an organization so that the overall productivity and
performance can be boosted and enhanced.
The leaders in Hotel Indigo must ensure that all the team members are able to follow the
common organizational vision and they must take the overall responsibility of the various
projects and must monitor and assess its progress at regular intervals. The managers in the hotel,
on the contrary are not responsible and liable for any one project. Rather, they take the charge of
all the teams who work for the organization. The leaders strive to maintain coordination and
communication among the team members so that they can perform the work well (Shamir and
Eilam-Shamir, 2018). The management in Hotel Indigo, on the other hand, is responsible for
managing the overall functioning and operations of the hotel and ensures securing its long-term
growth.
4. What have you personally learnt about leadership from your own experiences, on
this course and elsewhere?
I have been working in the Hotel Indigo for quite some time and so I can very well make out the
difference in my working styles. The business management course has assisted me in laying out
my job responsibilities. A leader facilitates the right kind of knowledge to its team and that
brings out the efficiency at work. Working in the hospitality sector it is essential on my part to be
responsible for all the undertaking within the hotel. The function of the manager plays a crucial
role in the functioning of the hotel. The application of the learning from the course has helped
me in having a more professional outlook. During my job as a manager, I initially lacked
professionalism but after taking up the leadership and management course, I was able to organise
and function well in the Hotel.
It is mentioned in the Great Man Theory that a leader is born and not made (Lee, 2018). In
additional it also states that the leaders can function well and highlight the post of the leader
when there is a need. This was very similar to my experience as the manager. I was able to
organise big events and was successful in catering to the needs of the customers along with my
team. Apart from this I was able to motivate, my team constantly that helped me boost the
success rate. For instance, a big budget wedding took place in the hotel with a guest list of more
than 500. The guests were majorly from the elite class and so it was very important for me to
9

look after the needs and demands of the guest. Along with my team, I was able to able to
complete the entire task and make the event successful. This shows that I was capable of
applying the learned skill and knowledge from the leadership and management course.
As the manager of the Hotel, I had applied certain approaches to make the team effective and
dedicated towards the tasks. I applied the transformational leadership to inspire and encourage
my team so that the work culture remained healthy (Hawkins, 2017). The motivational drive
resulted in providing me an increase in the rate of profit and accomplishing all the level of tasks.
The course further guided me in taking decisions and, managing the entire work. My managerial
skills improved that is necessary in the job role of the manager. I could easily assign tasks
according to the skills and knowledge my team had. This showed that my organisational skills
had improved. The leadership qualities helped me to solve problems that would have caused a
hindrance at work. The course guided me in taking up a creative or innovative approach at work.
Lastly, I was able to guide and well train my team that I lacked earlier before the course. The
communication skills of mine had improved enormously and that helped in providing my team a
friendly workplace. All this have helped me to exemplify myself in front of my team. The
professional traits gained from this course will help me become a successful manger in the
future.
10

Conclusion
The report has highlighted the manner in which successful leadership has become integral for the
growth and success of organizations today. It identified different theories of leadership and
discussed the manner in which they can be developed for the growth and sustenance of the
organization. Taking the instance of Hotel Indigo, a well known hotel based in UK, it assessed
the significance of leadership there and the ways in which they are crucial for the organization.
In addition, it highlighted the significant differences between management and leadership
highlighting the nature and functioning of both.
11

Reference List
Ansoff, H.I., Kipley, D., Lewis, A.O., Helm-Stevens, R. and Ansoff, R., 2018. Implanting
strategic management. Springer.
Boamah, S.A., Laschinger, H.K.S., Wong, C. and Clarke, S., 2018. Effect of transformational
leadership on job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. Nursing outlook, 66(2), pp.180-189.
Bush, T., 2016. The rise and rise of leadership. Questioning Leadership: New directions for
educational organisations.
Cho, K.W., Yi, S.H. and Choi, S.O., 2018. Does Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid work?: the
relationship between leadership type and organization performance in South Korea. International
Review of Public Administration, 23(2), pp.103-118.
Grint, K., Jones, O.S. and Holt, C., 2016. What is Leadership? The Routledge Companion to
Leadership, p.3.
Hawkins, P., 2017. Leadership team coaching: Developing collective transformational
leadership. Kogan Page Publishers.
Komives, S.R. and Wagner, W. eds., 2016. Leadership for a better world: Understanding the
social change model of leadership development. John Wiley & Sons.
Lee, K.C.S., 2018. 3 The Great Man and Trait Theory of Leadership. Mastering Theories of
Educational Leadership and Management.
Punjaisri, K. and Balmer, J., 2016. Brand value co-creation with employees through the Leader-
Member Exchange theory: the case of a corporate brand.
Pyc, L.S., Meltzer, D.P. and Liu, C., 2017. Ineffective leadership and employees’ negative
outcomes: The mediating effect of anxiety and depression. International journal of stress
management, 24(2), p.196.
Renz, D.O., 2016. The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John
Wiley & Sons.
12