Leadership

A lesson in effective leadership elements, traits, and styles

Leadership

Chapter 7, Lesson 1

Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people to accomplish the mission

Being a leader means more than winning an election or receiving a title

A leader directs others toward a common goal Any member can be a leader when he or she

influences the others to help the group reach its goal

Basic Elements of Leadership

Chapter 7, Lesson 1

The Air Force Leadership Concept The Air Force’s concept of leadership has two elements: •the mission •and the people who must carry out the mission

Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Officer Opportunities

Chapter 7, Lesson 1

The Air Force Leadership Concept

Mission—The primary task of an organization is to perform its mission The leader’s primary responsibility is to lead team members to carry out the mission successfully Yet a leader must never forget the importance of the team’s people

Chapter 7, Lesson 1

The Air Force Leadership Concept

People—People perform the mission They are the heart of the organizationWithout their support, any team will fail A leader’s responsibilities include caring for and supporting team members

Photo Courtesy of Ilene Perlmam

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Traits of Effective Leaders

Effective leaders have certain traits that make up the foundation of their approach to their work

These traits form their character

Your character defines you as a leader

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Six Traits of Effective Leaders

Many traits go into building a strong character

For you, as a future leader, six traits are essential:

Integrity

Loyalty

Commitment

Energy

Decisiveness

Selflessness

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Integrity

Having integrity means establishing a set of values and adhering to them

Integrity means being a whole person—in mind, body, and spirit

Integrity is a total commitment to the highest personal and professional standards

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Loyalty

Loyalty is faithfulness or allegiance—to superiors, peers, and subordinates Leaders must display loyalty to their team members before they can expect members to be loyal to them

Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Commitment

Dedicated service is the hallmark of the leader

A leader must demonstrate total dedication to the United States, the Air Force, and the team

This commitment sets an example for team members

Commitment is contagious

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

EnergyEnergy is an enthusiasm

and drive to take the initiative

Throughout history, successful leaders have demonstrated both mental and physical energy

They approached assigned tasks aggressively

They had the perseverance and stamina to stay the course

Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

DecisivenessDecisiveness is a willingness

to actA leader must make timely

decisions and then effectively communicate those decisions to the team

Decisiveness includes the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Selflessness

Selflessness is the ability to sacrifice personal needs and wants for a greater cause

Leaders put accomplishing their mission and caring for their people before their own welfare or desires

Willingness to sacrifice is essential to military service

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Selflessness

Selflessness includes the courage to face and overcome difficulties and physical dangers

It also includes the need to make difficult decisions—this is moral courage Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Commitment in a LeaderProbably nothing is as

important in a leader as commitment to the job

Indicators of a strong personal commitment in a leader are the

“3 Es”:

nthusiasmnergy

mpathyGraphics courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Commitment in a Leader

These three forces (“3 Es”) define you as a leader and keep you motivated to lead

Without them, you’d find no flavor or color in your work

It would be “just a job”


Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is great excitement for and interest in a subject or cause It’s the underlying force that pushes people to become leadersTry as you might, it’s hard to find a successful unenthusiastic leader

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Energy and PersonalityEnergy as a character trait is the

willingness to take on a job and see it to completion

But leaders also have another kind of energy—the energy of personality

Leaders are serious about their individuality—they are not comfortable following the herd

Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to show compassion for people

It’s the capacity to feel what others feel and to act on that solidarity


Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Empathy

People who show empathy can usually see beneath the surface to the root causes of problems Good leaders empathize with their team membersEmpathy inspires trust


Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Knowing Yourself and Your RoleTo be a successful leader, you must

recognize your strengths or abilities, as well as your limitations

You must then build on your strengths and try to overcome your weaknesses

As a leader, you must understand your own role

Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Knowing Yourself and Your RoleYou must also

understand how your team contributes to the overall mission of the organization

Finally, you must make sure that each team member understands how his or her role relates to the mission Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Setting the ExampleSetting an example means

giving people a strong model to imitate

As a leader, you must set the standard for your team by your actions as well as your words

If you are arrogant or domineering, you will command little respect


Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Setting the ExampleSelf-control is also essential—a leader

who cannot control himself or herself cannot control others

Lack of self-discipline in a leader destroys the team’s unity and its ability to perform

Chapter 7, Lesson 3

MotivateA leader’s greatest

challenge is to motivate team members to achieve the high standards set for them

The ability to generate enthusiasm about the mission may be the single most important factor in leadership


Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Leadership Behavior

Becoming a good leader requires training and practice It’s helpful to understand the difference between leadership and management:• Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people to accomplish the mission •Management is supervising the use of resources to achieve team objectives • In essence, you lead people, and you manage things

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

How Does a Leader Get People to Accomplish a Mission?

The leader must base his or her approach on the situation Situational leadership is a leadership model based on the concept that there is no single best way to influence and lead people Two orientations on the leader’s part—orientation toward people and orientation toward task—are key to understanding situational leadership

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Orientation Toward TaskTask behavior is the leader’s involvement in defining the duties and responsibilities of an individual or a group

Task behaviors include directing team members on what to do, how to do it, and when to do it


Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Four Leadership Styles

The Leadership GridSupporting - S3

High Supportive BehaviorLow Directive Behavior

Coaching - S2High Directive Behavior

High Supportive Behavior

Delegating - S4Low Supportive BehaviorLow Directing Behavior

Directing - S1High Directive Behavior

Low Supportive Behavior

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Directing (Style 1)

The leader provides specific instructionsClosely supervises team members as they

perform their tasksHigh task orientation and a low

relationship orientationPeople lack competence but are

enthusiastic and committed

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Directing (Style 1)

Typical telling behaviors include:• directing others what to do• supervising them closely• following up to ensure they

complete their tasks

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Coaching (Style 2)

The leader closely supervises task completion and following up

Provides explanations and opportunities for clarification from team members

People who have some competence but lack commitment

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Coaching (Style 2) Typical selling behaviors include:• supervising closely• following up• explaining

relationships between tasks and team goals

• encouraging questions

• supporting progress Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Supporting (Style 3) The leader helps and supports team

members’ efforts toward completing the task by sharing ideas and responsibility for decision making with his or her team members

People who have competence but lack confidence or motivation

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Supporting (Style 3) Participating behaviors

include:• asking team members

for ideas• listening• encouraging others to

try out their ideas• allowing others to

structure their tasks• sharing control and

accountability Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Delegating (Style 4)

The leader turns responsibility for decision making, problem solving, and implementation over to team members

People who have both competence and commitment

Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Delegating (Style 4) Delegating behaviors include:• setting task boundaries• letting others make their own

decisions• allowing members to chart their

own courses of action• giving group members the freedom

they need to do the job well• providing help when asked• monitoring progress

http://www.slideshare.net/sherooo83/situational-leadership-ii

Situational Leadership Model



• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing

Tuckman’s Model – Team Dynamics

Baseball – Players play in fixed positions, but don’t play as a team.Football – Players play on the team, but one position has to be effective for the team’s success.Tennis Doubles Team – Best Type of Team – Players use strengths and weaknesses to overcome difficulties.

Drucker’s Teams

Situations and Team Capabilities

Followership

Ability

Willingness

Confidence

Proactive

The Importance of Good Followership

“Before you can lead, you have to learn to follow”Followership is displaying the attitudes, behaviors, and actions that help a leader succeed at leading A dynamic follower who shares the leader’s goals and values is an invaluable team member

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

The Follower RelationshipThroughout your life you will be a follower in one role or another

For example, on a sports team, you follow the lead of the captain or coach

Chapter 8, Lesson 2Photo courtesy of Thinkstock Images

The Follower RelationshipThe relationship between follower and leader

sometimes blurs

During a single day, a team member’s role might flip back and forth from leader to follower

A group of business leaders was asked to list traits they looked for in leaders and followers. The traits they chose were similar: • Leader: honest, competent, forward-looking,

inspiring

• Follower: honest, competent, dependable, cooperative

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

Followers Have PowerAs a member of a group, you probably possess certain skills or knowledge that no one else does To the degree that the team needs your knowledge and skills, you as a follower can exert considerable power Your skill may even be the power of your personality

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

The Readiness Factors of Followers

Readiness is how prepared a team member is to carry out a particular task or tasks

Team members are at different levels of readiness as they face each task

The leader’s job is to help followers gain the knowledge and skills they need to perform at the highest level they can

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

The Readiness Factors of Followers

Three factors determine readiness:

• ability

• willingness

• confidence

Chapter 8, Lesson 2Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman

Ability of Followers

Ability is the knowledge, experience, and skill a team member or a team brings to a task

If you are a leader, first consider the task you will be assigning and its desired outcome

Then decide which followers are best suited, by knowledge, skill, and experience, to handle that task

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

Willingness of FollowersWillingness is the degree to which a team member or a team shows confidence, commitment, and motivation to accomplish a task Willingness consists of the ability to do the work, a sense of duty in doing it, and a desire to do it Ability and willingness work in tandem

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

Confidence of FollowersAs team members learn more and become more competent,

their confidence level will increaseConfidence is a team member’s level of energy, enthusiasm,

and commitment As a leader, you must be aware of your followers’ changing

levels of confidence and competence

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

Leadership

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