Leadership Theories - Free eBook in PDF Format
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Book Description - ISBN 978-1-62620-778-4 (48 Pages)
This eBook describes the ten most popular contemporary leadership theories. You can use these as inspiration and a potential toolkit from which you can develop your own leadership style based on your own personality, the task at hand and the team that you are leading.
Chapter 1 - Action Centered Leadership
This involves balancing task, team and individual focus, as each of these three elements plays an important role in the leadership picture, and only when all three are balanced properly will the leader be achieving success. No matter what the goal is, that task is what will guide the leadership that has to be provided to the team. Making sure that the team as a whole feels invested in the success of the group is something that a good leader will be able to accomplish.
Chapter 2 - Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid
This is a system that can be used to group like leaders into categories based on the methods that they use. While no organizational system will ever be perfectly complete, this grid is a great way to understand more about certain leadership styles and how they work.
Chapter 3 - Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model
This model addresses all of the key elements that play a role in leadership, and helps the manager to understand how each part affects the other parts of the equation. It states that there are four factors that play a role in the leadership process: the Leader, the Followers, the Context, and the Outcomes and suggests that everything done within the context of a leadership situation is important and if you are able to learn from your team and how their actions dictate the Context and the Outcomes, everyone will have a better chance at success.
Chapter 4 - Fiedler's Contingency Model
This model is based on the idea that rather than having a single leadership style for all circumstances, the best approach is to be able to vary the leadership that is provided based on the group and task at hand. Starting with the idea of a leader who is unable to change his or her ways, we see that Fiedler uses a scale to determine what kind of leader an individual will be. Fiedler's Contingency Model can give you some insight into the leadership styles available to you provided that you are aware of its limitations.
Chapter 5 - French and Raven's Five Forms of Power
This model attempts to determine what it is that makes someone powerful in a given setting. It can help you to understand what kind of power you already have, and what kind of power you should be working toward achieving if you want to further your career.
Chapter 6 - Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory
Specifically, this theory has to do with the maturity of those who are being led. To those who have worked as leaders in the past, it is no surprise that maturity should be considered when working on finding the right leadership style. For example, someone who is inexperienced in their field will likely lack the skills or confidence to take on tasks that would be comfortable for a more experienced employee. Only when a leader is able to mold their approach to the maturity and talent of those that make up the team will the overall performance be up to par.
Chapter 7 - Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum
Using the Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum is an excellent way to understand the various approaches that leaders can take to managing their teams. Since it is more nuanced than many other leadership theories, a wider variety of leaders will find this tool to be a useful one. As you prepare to lead a new team, or work on improving the performance of your current team, consider the various styles represented within this model.
Chapter 8 - Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework
This Framework divides leadership styles up into three easy to remember groups. Authoritarian Leadership involves the leader passing down assignments and objectives to the team, with specific instructions on how to get the job done. The three styles of leadership put forward by Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework each can be successful when put to use in the right time and place.
Chapter 9 - Path-Goal Theory
This theory presents three different responsibilities that leaders take on throughout a project, including clearing the path, removing obstacles and offering rewards. It highlights four different styles of leadership that could be used to achieve team objectives.
Chapter 10 - Zenger and Folkman's 10 Fatal Leadership Flaws
This takes a close look at the most common leadership flaws and is designed to help leaders acknowledge and address their shortcomings. If you are in a leadership position, take the time to look inwardly and think about these ten points. If you spot any of them in your own performance, then take the necessary steps to correct your leadership style and you will be better for the effort.
Realistic Advice for a Working Manager
I liked this eBook because it struck a good balance between explaining leadership theory and saying how it can be applied in my day-to day-work leading a team. I have read a few other books on this topic that were more inspirational, but none that were as practical if, like me, you are leading a team that are doing pretty much the same thing every day.
Callum Rawls
Understanding Why Teams Underperform - Understanding the different factors that contribute to your team's level of satisfaction is a significant part of your management role. In many instances you will need to focus on minimizing their dissatisfaction and recognize that this is a continual process. This is because what was satisfying yesterday is now seen as part of the 'package' so no longer has a positive influence.
Leadership Styles in Business - The Leadership Continuum described by Tannenbaum and offers a continuum of potential ways a manager can behave along which many leadership styles are placed. This offers you great flexibility in selecting the style of leaderships that best suits the different circumstances you encounter every day at work.
