Leaders: The strategies for taking charge

Chapter 2 

Trait Theory 

The trait approach theory implies that organizations function better if the people that occupy the managerial positions have assigned leadership profiles. As a result, organizations prefer to use the trait assessment instrument to find the appropriate people to occupy these leadership positions. This procedure suggests that selecting the right people to occupy the leadership positions will increase the organizational effectiveness. Organizations usually identify the specific characteristics or traits that are relevant to them and fulfill the needs of a particular position and apply the trait assessment measure to decide whether an individual fits the needs of the job. 

The trait theory questionnaires score reveal that I possess self-confident characteristics since the self-rated score are closer to what others would rate me but slightly lower. Northouse (2015) asserts that the trait assessment tool used by organizations is effective as it allows the leaders to examine their strengths and weaknesses – and identify areas that, according to one’s perception are congruent with that of others and where there are gaps. Furthermore, the trait approach is considered to be effective for assessing one’s personal awareness and development. Bennis and Nanus (2007) argue that by analyzing one's traits, managers gain an in-depth understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and can also get a glimpse of how others within an organization perceive them. Additionally, the trait assessment is effective as it allows the managers to determine whether they have the desired qualities to progress and occupy other positions in the company. 

Chapter 6 

Path-goal Theory 

Path-goal theory refers to how leaders motivate their followers to accomplish the outlined goals. According to Northouse (2015), the outlined goals of this theory is to improve the follower's performance and satisfaction by focusing on the follower motivation and the nature of the work assigned. The scores from the path-goal theory questionnaire indicate my scores as follows: Directive leadership =31, supportive style =26, participative=26, achievement style = 29. These scores show that my leadership style is mainly the directive leadership and achievement style. 

Directive leadership style refers to leaders who give their followers instructions to adhere to about a task. These instructions the expectations, how a task should be done, and the timeline to complete the task Kanfer et al. (2017). Therefore, a directive leader is mainly concerned with setting elaborate standards of performance and outlines the rules and regulations to be followed. An achievement-oriented leader is one that challenges their followers to perform at the highest level. This type of leader establishes high standards of performance for the followers and encourages them to improve continuously. In addition to this, achievement-oriented leaders express a high degree of confidence in their followers to establish and achieve challenging goals. 

Participative leadership involves inviting the followers to share their ideas in the decision-making process. Participative leaders consult with their followers, listen to their ideas and opinions and integrate some of the ideas into the final decisions regarding how a group or the organization should proceed. Supportive leadership consists of using a friendly approach as a leader and attending to the well-being and needs of the followers. Supportive leaders create a pleasant work environment for their workers which enhance their confidence to succeed. 

Chapter 7 

Leader-member Exchange Theory 

The leader-member exchange (LMX) theory refers to the leadership process that focuses on the interactions that leaders have with their followers and vice versa. The LMX theory concentrates on the relationship dynamics between leaders and their followers as the center point of the leadership process. The LMX theory indicates that leaders and followers share a dyadic relationship. The exchange theories in the dyadic relationships were previously referred to the vertical dyad relationships (Northouse, 2015). The characteristics of vertical dyads are defined according to two types of linkages or relationships between leaders and followers. The in-group relationships are those that are based on expanded and negotiated roles and responsibilities (additional-roles), and the out-group are those that are defined according to the formal employment contract (defined roles). 

From the LMX theory questionnaire scores indicate that I have a high leadership trait under the theory with a score of 26. According to Atwater and Carmeli (2009), high-quality leader-member exchanges lead to reduced employee turnover, increased positive performance evaluation, higher frequency of promotions, enhanced organizational commitment, more desirable work assignments, improved job attitudes, increased attention and support from the leader. As a result, the lead-member exchanges benefit both the leader and the follower as it contributes to greater participation and quicker career progress. 

The lead-member exchanges approach encourages leaders and followers to form a unique professional relationship. Thus, the relationships formed within a group or organization (in-group) are characterized by mutual trust, respect, liking and reciprocal influence (Northouse, 2015). On the other hand, out-group LMX relationships are characterized by formal communication that is dictated by the governing principles of the leader’s and follower’s job description. 

Reference 

Atwater, L., & Carmeli, A. (2009). Leader-member exchange, feelings of energy, and involvement in creative work. The Leadership Quarterly, 20, 264–275. 

Bennis, W. G., & Nanus, B. (2007). Leaders: The strategies for taking charge (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Harper & Row. 

Kanfer, R., Frese, M., & Johnson, R. E. (2017). Motivation related to work: A century of progress. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 338–355. 

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership Theory and Practice 8th ed. Sage Publishing