Leadership and Decision-Making: Case Study and Reflection

This report examines leadership and decision-making through a case study of Dr. David Lew, a chiropractor. It explores his leadership style, which combines direct, supportive, and participatory behaviors, and emphasizes his empathetic approach and focus on employee needs. The report analyzes his traits, including self-confidence, enthusiasm, trustworthiness, and assertiveness, and discusses his use of power and influence. It also includes an interview with Dr. Liew, providing insights into his flexible leadership style, employee involvement, and the path-goal theory. The report aims to identify leadership skills that can be applied to enhance personal leadership capabilities. The report emphasizes relationship-oriented leadership and the importance of task-oriented approaches to achieve organizational goals, and is a good resource for students learning about leadership.

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING
Leadership and Decision-making
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Introduction:
I have eventually come across many bosses while doing part time jobs for years as a
student. However, I have selected to discuss about my present boss Dr. David Lew, a
chiropractor in Chiropractic Health and Wellness Clinic.
Effective leadership is often the leadership that considers the needs of the individuals and
implements small changes that bring a huge difference so that the quality and productivity of
work can be improved (Fowler 2011). According to me, my boss pursues an empathetic
behaviour for his subordinates and implements required changes as well.
My boss has demonstrated his good leadership skills for his subordinates and that is what
has stuck me because I have faced many unpleasant bosses and that is why I consider him an
effective leader. The journey of success in his work is because of his patients who have much
faith in him that they will get full recovery under his treatment.
This essay aims to discuss and identify the leadership style of my boss and utilize the
same to enhance my leadership skills.
Observation:
Having worked with Dr. Liew for the past two years it is very easier for me to interact
with him. In the next part of this essay, I will be discussing about my observation about Dr.
Liew’s leadership skill, behavioral aspects.
Leadership:
Dr. Liew’s leadership skills involve combination of direct, supporting and participatory
behaviour.

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Direct as he guides his subordinates about the task and makes them match the standard.
He is supportive because he reaches out to his subordinates and remains concerned about them.
He has participatory behaviour because he trusts his employees and believes that every
individual has the ability to take proper decisions for them.
According to the Ohio state university studies, he is marked in the consideration category
because he displays his concern towards his employees and has a friendly behaviour for them.
He is the person who takes care of his employees and consults them in the decision making
process regarding any improvements of the business.
Behaviour:
In my opinion, Dr. Liew pursues both relationship and task oriented approach but his
relationship approach is more highlighted. His task oriented approach deals with allotting tasks
to me as well as other employees along with a discussion on how it needs to be done. He mainly
pursues interpersonal leadership skill but has no negligence towards the actual tasks as well.
Traits:
Few personality traits make an effective leader and for describing my boss, I would like
to use the words like self-confident, enthusiastic, trustworthy, assertive and warm natured
person. He has a confident approach towards his capabilities as a chiropractor and in managing
his subordinates; this makes us spread the positive vibe of his abilities in the doubtful patients.
His self-confident nature warms up to be confident while delivering answer to every query
regarding treatments. He is enthusiastic towards his work and always enjoys whatever he does.
He trusts us that we will carry our duties and work properly and will ensure honesty so
that it leads to good culture within the workplace. He always hears the concern of the employees

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and he implies the fact that he is happy to have our participation in the company. He explains his
assertiveness in a formal way when he has different opinions about any issue and this is an
uncommon trait as there are few persons who care about others people’s demands.
His task related approach describes that he is passionate about his work. When I enquired
him about his level of comfort in longs hours of work he revealed his pride about his work and
said that it makes him happy to make patients feel better. This point of his behaviour influenced
me to enjoy my work even I am having long hours. He has flexible approach towards every
change and towards situations as well. I learned about this flexibility when he allowed me to take
offs for my exams even if he had the trouble to arrange my replacement. He does not even show
his unhappiness when anyone of his employees are unable to visit office and he tries to make up
the situation by finding any worthy solution instead of being aggressive about the change.
Pursuing graduation, I wanted to work for full time, Dr. Liew advised me about my life,
and he made me face the truth that in spite of working hard we will often face problem that
would lead us to, not reach our goals. At the same time, he revealed that in spite of wanting to be
a heart doctor, changes in law blocked his roads and he had to focus of chiropractic studies.
Unable to fulfil his dream he adapted to the change and established himself. In his opinion,
people needs to pick them up after they fall down and look forward to what fate has for them.
Power and influence:
Power is the capability to do things in a desired manner (Salancik and Pfeffer 1977). By
observing Dr Liew, I realized that he uses two types of each positive position power and
personal power for getting work done.

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Being the boss of the company, he already has legitimate power and this makes his
subordinates follow his decisions. However, he timely praises the employees for their good work
and this is what keeps us motivated and energetic towards our work. He does not possess
authority on us and does not pursue coercive power. The stems of his power are expanded from
being a chiropractor to being a boss. We follow his knowledge and abilities and admire his
struggle that he went through in his life to achieve this stage.
Influence is often defined as a change of behaviour, which holds an individual among
others (Lucas and Baxter 2011). Dr Liew has much influenced his employees with his power
whereby he is liked and able to gather respect, interest and esteem from others. His personality
does not make him go and talk down to people because of his authority, and he does not expect
people to work over tasks. He uses rational thought to tell us how something is to be done, and
this makes us accept his influence due to his logics for any specific matter.
He is never aggressive even if he has the authority to do so. He thinks that being a part of
his company, we are helping him out and that is why he helps us too in our personal or
professional matters and guides us to the right way. He always guides me with many life
decisions and reminds me that there are very few things in life, that goes according to our wish
and that is why we need to adapt changes and accept what fate has for us. Doing this will make
our life easier and we will able to accept everything in a calm manner. His leadership guides us
to enjoy our work even if we get long shifts because he taught us that we must learn to love what
we are doing rather than giving up our interest and doing the work just for the sake that it has to
be done. I have learnt many things from him, which will help me, enhance my leadership skill
and be a good leader as well as an individual in my life. His thoughts help me to trust others and
be supportive towards others problems.

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Interview:
The following part is the discussion of the interview of Dr. Liew who made me glad by
giving the opportunity to interview him about his leadership skills. I asked him for the interview
in order to increase my knowledge about leadership skills.
Leadership style:
Dr. Liew described himself to be a leader who has flexibility, which means he has
very few demands expect the quality work from his employees. He described that he has flexible
approach towards every change in the organisation and towards every burning situations as well
if he sees that it can be handled. According to him, we must stay calm on a matter that can be
managed because managing something is more important that behaving in an aggressive manner
for the reason it happened. He never believes in autocratic leadership and he said that he had
allowed me to take offs for my exams even if he had the trouble to arrange my replacement
because of his flexible nature. He again depicts the fact that he does not even show his
unhappiness when not anyone of his employees visits office for any certain reason and at the
moment he tries to make up the situation by finding any alternate solution instead of being
aggressive about the off. This is because the absence can be taken to consideration later but work
will not stop due to someone’s absence.
He believes that involvement of the employees in the decision making process of the
company, they will be more motivated to work and give their best for the company. I have got
the evidence for this because there are many times when he allots us some work but do not guide
us about the ways it needs to be done as he trusts that we will not do the thing wrong for proving
him that his trust is at the right place. This often helps him take our test about how we can
manage work all by us without depending on him every time. This process helps us to gain

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confidence about our work and we get adapted to some work that we did not have faith that we
would have been able to do any time. However, he pursues different thought for the employees
who are not able to match the standards because he thinks that those employees need good
guidance and support rather than space, which is thought to be helpful for doing things on their
own.
He prefers leadership as a manner that can be led by someone else Deckop, Cirka,
Andersson 2003). He thinks that all his employees are his family and he shows helpful and
friendly behaviour and trust towards them. He believes that by practising proper interpersonal
relationship he will be able to influence the commitment of the employees towards their work
and let them do their work with interest and not for any command of their leader. He thinks that
in his company people will work with interest and not only because they will have to do it. He
disclosed the fact that he does not want his employees to get tired of their work by thinking that
every day they are following instructions and working, instead of them he wants his employees
to get involved in the decision making process and helping him in management work of the
company.
The path-goal theory of leadership states that the behaviour of the leader should motivate
the employees and the leader must compliment and supplement the good and bad things of the
work place (Jermier 1996). Dr. Liew said that he is sure about the aim that doing one task
reaches and having the involvement of the employees and helping them out with good behaviour
will make the result of the work more worthy. The employees will acknowledge the good
behaviour of the leader and try to help them out as well in order to prove that he has not made a
bad choice by trusting them.

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He seemed to have agreed with my statement of practising relationship oriented
leadership when he said that he wants to be a guide for the employees but at the same time he
disagreed about the fact by describing that an organisation cannot move towards its goals unless
there are some task allotted and expectations fulfilled by the employees. He unlike me believes
that there is no way that the employees will respect him for being a leader if he always focuses
on enhancing the employer-employee relationship and misuse his power and behaviour by not
working at all.
Power and influence:
Dr. Liew has seen many ups and downs in his life and that is why life has made him
understanding and provided him with the ability with which he can fit in any condition he wants
to fit himself in. He believes that using a referent power will help his employees be influenced.
He explains the fact how he started working and how he struggled long hours at the medical hall
which his father had while he was much younger. Struggling in that situation had made him
understand what right attitude for work means and how others will appreciate this hard struggle
one day. He knows how we as an employee feel when we have to struggle with long hours of
work as he has gone through the same stage in his early life. That is the reason he remains
concerned about our work and understands our situation as well. He guides us a parent guides
them, which makes it clear that he did not get the same support from his parents at his young
age.
He is able to set himself as a good influence for many employees and they all have
accepted the fact that he is very dedicated towards his work. We as his employees understand his
concern regarding work, as he understands our concern and try to help him out with our hard
efforts.

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Factors influencing him to be a good leader:
Dr. Liew in the interview mentioned that there is no chosen method, which leads to the
way of being a good leader. According to him, adapting in every situation is more important and
more important than adaptation is the chosen action that we pursue in our work life. He claimed
that effective leadership may change timely but his words relates to situational leadership.
He described that to be a good leader a person first need to consider the fact of learning to
listen to others and understand them. This is because may be from the person whom we have
been asking for work can be facing a lot of challenges in his life and that is why it is better to
listen and understand others problem rather than just behaving harsh towards them. A good
leader always has the ability to understand the unspoken words of others and relate to their
problem as well (Bonnci& Cooper 2011).
Reflection and improving areas:
After making an effective interview with Dr Liew, I came to know that he is having the
capability of being charismatic leader. He is successful enough in influencing us positively from
his personal life experience. A charismatic relationship occurs at that particular time when
followers intend to trust on the positive attributes of a leader (Geberta, Heinitzb, Buengelerc
2016). As per my personal opinion an efficient leader should be concerned on fairly work within
the workplace. After making an effective interaction with this personality I got to know that a
good leader should be possessed with numerous components. A good leader should have a
proper personality who is able to motivate us for succeeding towards the meeting the target. I
came to realize that good leader should have the quality of supporting the performance level of
employees by implementing motivational theories, strategies and policies. I was enjoying my

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workplace after being acquainted with this good leader. I was very happy in delivering effective
services for my organization due to the presence of a good leader. As a leader Dr Liew never
intends to impose his own decision on the employees. I was not confident at all in handling the
entire process of business if Dr Liew did not stretch his hand towards me and trust on my
efficiency (Bonnici& Cooper 2011). The primary responsibility of a good leader should be
dealing with every negative situation positively. I should never surrender my skill in front of
situation. I have learnt from Dr Liew that any kind of difficulties should be dealt with proper
skill and competency. Hardships and constraints are the part of business process. I as a
professional should deal every single situation effectively. It is undeniable that I am highly
influenced at the leadership skill and policy that Dr Liew uses at the workplace. I have come to
know different form of leadership styles and models that can be used at my workplace. The
situational leadership model indicates that the structure of the leadership style should be changed
according to the task orientation and follower’s maturity (Vecchio&Guion 1987).

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(Source: http://www.project-management-skills.com/situational-leadership-model.html)
Emotional intelligence differs from one person to another. In this kind of situation, the
professionals should use the leadership style as per the temperament level of an individual
employee. After conducting the interview of Dr Liew I came to know how to deal with immature
professionals at the workplace by maintaining their performance level for achieving the success
of business. In order to deal with an immature personality leader should decrease the level of
work pressure by maintaining relationship behavior. However, it can be stated that
implementation of model or theory cannot render the success of business. The leaders should use
the model in the practical field so that a person can realize the pros and cons (Hersey, Blanchard
and Natemeyer 1979).

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Conclusion:
As already stated, leadership skill can be learnt theoretically. However, it is undeniable
that a leader would not be able to become efficient unless the individual is facing the practical
situation and gaining experience from the workplace (Kohler 2016). A good leader should have a
proper personality who is able to motivate us for succeeding towards the meeting the target. I
came to realize that good leader should have the quality of supporting the performance level of
employees by implementing motivational theories, strategies and policies. Effective leadership
signifies the mutual understanding between managers and subordinates. I personally feel that we
should make a constant observation on the people around us for making them professional for
becoming a good leader.