Hands-On, Participant Leadership Style

The Participant leadership style is collaborative, and takes an employee opinion and input into account during the decision-making process. This brings all of the best ideas to the table and puts the leader in a co-worker type of role that's often respected by the employees. While the participant style is a very effective leadership approach, it does not happen quickly. Sometimes, a nimble decision-making process is required to move forward. Ultimately, the decision is likely thorough and well-considered, but not necessarily timely.

Transactional Leadership

This is a straightforward leadership style with a focus on work, reward and processes that drive consistent results. While Transactional leaders tend to lack the charisma found in Transformative leadership, they are very much results-oriented. The style is not harsh, as an autocratic leadership type is, but it does punish poor performance. A transactional leader provides incentive for positive performance. In many cases, better performance means more money through bonus and commission structures.

Of course, many more leadership styles exist, and a really effective leader is adaptable and capable of executing multiple styles in a manner that best fits their current situation. One common leadership style is the Charismatic leader. This person is similar to the Transformative leader in the way they inspire, have a big picture vision and motivate people. It's a big personality role, but not a detail-oriented style. Another is the Bureaucratic leader, who's subject to strict guidelines and regulations. This is one of the more difficult types of leadership styles, because the leader must motivate and drive results under a strict set of regulations. They are severely limited in their ability to perform in an inspiring or creative manner.

Leadership positions do not come easily. Finding your way into a leadership job role in business usually requires years of hard work while learning and climbing the ladder. Starting a business is another route into leadership, and it immediately springs you into the top role. That's not always a good thing, as you will still need to work hard and learn some hard lessons. Finding your groove as a leader requires failing, on occasion. Learning from those failures and using that experience to become a better leader will ultimately benefit the business.

 

Comprehension Check

 

1. Explain what the following statements from the text mean.

 

A. Leaders provide direction for a company.

B. In order to be successful a business owner needs to be both a strong leader and manager.

C. Leaders should have the courage to think outside the box.

D. Managers should be people-focused.

E. Being an effective leader does not always correlate with being a well-liked person.

F. Many leaders are ineffective, and use leadership styles that do not correlate well with their industry or with the people they are attempting to lead.

G. A lot of styles exist, and a really effective leader is adaptable and capable of executing multiple styles in a manner that best fits their current situation.

H. Leadership positions do not come easily.

I. Finding your groove as a leader requires failing, on occasion.

J. Learning from failures and using that experience to become a better leader will ultimately benefit the business.

 

2. Complete the table “Leadership Styles: Strengths and Weaknesses”. The task can be done in pairs and then discussed in a group.

Style	Strengths	Weaknesses

 

3. Complete the following statements taking into account the information you’ve learnt. Brainstorm as many ideas as possible.

 

A. Leadership is …

B. Top management and key personnel positions are …

C. There are important differences between …

D. Leadership styles …

E. The most/ the least effective leadership style is … because …

 

Vocabulary Focus

 

1. Use the vocabulary of the text to complete the sentences.

 

1. In recent years our economy has … most other industrial economies.

a) enrolled

b) outperformed

c) encountered

 

2. Assistance is provided for students for improving their performance by introducing … instruction.

a) loyalty

b) integrity

c) mentor

3. The policy of minimum governmental interference in the economic affairs of individuals and society is called ….

a) laissez-faire

b) autocracy

c) supervising

4. There is little or no … to adopt such measures.

a) incentive

b) integrity

c) feedback

 

5. The software industries in that country … originality and had little innovative capacity.

a) performed

b) encountered

c) lacked

 

6. Her work is sometimes good, but the problem is she's not ….

a) distinctive

b) consistent

c) crucial

 

7. The role of the police is to … the law is obeyed.

a) lack

b) ensure

c) crucial

 

8. Selling and Administrative units are headed-up by Senior Vice Presidents who report directly to the ….

a) mentor

b) CEO

c) CFO

 

9. Your … reply to our letter will be appreciated.

a) prompt

b) crucial

c) distinctive

 

10. I'd like to thank the staff for having shown such ….

a) feedback

b) roadblock

c) commitment

 

2. Look through the Key Vocabulary and Pre-reading Activities and revise the adjectives which either characterize leaders or describe their actions and decisions. Read the following definitions and guess the words.

A. quick and light

B. encouraging, or making you feel you want to do something

C. believing that something is very important and giving a lot of time and energy to it

D. comprehensive and thorough

E. decisive or critical, of great importance

F. produced by or involving two or more parties working together

G. characteristic of one person or thing, and so serving to distinguish it from others

H. taking no account of other people's wishes or opinions; domineering

I. involving or offering active participation rather than theory

J. always behaving or happening in a similar, especially positive, way

 

3. Work in pairs or individually to create your own crossword or puzzle on the topic. You can use any online Crossword Puzzle Makers on the internet. Exchange your crosswords and enjoy solving them.

 

Watching

“What is Leadership?”

A. Pre-watching

1. Express your point of view on the question: What makes a person a real leader?

2. Before watching the video, make sure you understand what these words mean.

a possession

to entrust

to articulate

to position

inner and social worlds

B. Watching

Follow the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdsH3cYbMyk or find the video “What is Leadership?” on YouTube and watch it. What does the speaker mean when he tells about the essence of leadership? Explain the following statements from the video.

1. When it comes to leadership, many people think that it’s a position or a possession.

2. Leadership is not just another word for “influence”.

3. As a leader you need to position yourself in relationship to two worlds.

4. There is a great difference between a follower, a consultor and a leader.

C. Follow-up Activity

1. Basing on the ideas from the video, discuss the following question with your partner, then report to the group.

In what ways can successful leaders win the respect of subordinates and exercise authority over them?

2. The grandfather of leadership studies, James McGregor Burns, once wrote, “Leadership is one of the most observed, and least understood phenomena on Earth.” In what way can you explain it with reference to the video you have watched?

Talking Points

1. Here are some quotes on leadership. In what way do they characterize their authors? Find some additional information and interesting facts about these people.

Whose life and career stories have you found to be the most inspiring? Which of the quotes do you like most of all? Why?

F ” Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Jack Welch

F "My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better." Steve Jobs

F “If your action inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams

F “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” Ray Kroc

F “Great companies in the way of work, start with great leaders.” Steve Ballmer

2. Work in small groups to consider the role of a leader in the situations you are given below and how the leadership should address the situation. You should consider the different approaches, the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, and try to come to some conclusions about which approach should be adopted.

The following are some guides as to the possible reasons for the differences and the issues that you might need to consider:

- What is the overall vision?;

- What is the intended outcome?;

- How complex is the change likely to be?;

- When do you tell people about the change?;

- How much do you tell the staff about the change? Why is it necessary?;

- How do you get people 'on board' with the change?;

- How does the leader view the people s/he is working with?;

- What is the nature of the change required?;

- What resources are available?;

- How will you know when you have been successful?

Situation A.

 

A new working practices regime is being introduced. Staff were working 40 hours per week (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), but the firm now needs greater flexibility. The flexibility will come from staff working on shift patterns covering the period 6 a.m.-10 p.m., 365 days per year. The working week will be adjusted to 37 hours per week but there are no funds available for additional pay to be given to any member of staff.

 

Situation B.

 

A client has contacted your firm of commercial designers and asked them to come up with a new logo that represents a change in the direction the firm wishes to go in. The new logo and associated corporate branding of headed paper, publications, packaging and so on are set to coincide with the launch of the re-branding in a two-month time at the start of the client company's new season sales drive. If it does not meet this deadline, the client will run the risk of falling behind their rivals.

 

Situation C.

 

A business has decided to change its production process. It feels that it will improve productivity and build a stronger team spirits thus improving motivation. It can do the change in two ways:

o It can impose its preferred system which it has been planning for two years onto the plant;

o It can hire a consultant to come in to discuss the change with the staff and allow the staff to plan and design their own systems.

 

Situation D.

 

Following Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visit, a chemical company has been warned that its safety procedures in parts of the plant are lacking. It must take steps to remedy these weaknesses within three weeks or face having the plant shut down. The guidelines for remedying the weaknesses are readily available in detailed HSE publications.

 

Summary Points

Read the text about essential leadership tasks and make a summary. Be ready to answer the questions after the text.