A lesson in effective leadership elements, traits, and styles

Basic Elements of Leadership 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 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 Chapter 7, Lesson 1 Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Officer Opportunities

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 organization Without their support, any team will fail A leader’s responsibilities include caring for and supporting team members Chapter 7, Lesson 1 Photo Courtesy of Ilene Perlmam

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: 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 Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman

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

Energy Energy 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 Gra Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Decisiveness Decisiveness is a willingness to act A 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 Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Commitment in a Leader nthusiasm nergy mpathy Probably 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”: Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Graphics courtesy of Clipart.com

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 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Enthusiasm Enthusiasm is great excitement for and interest in a subject or cause It’s the underlying force that pushes people to become leaders Try as you might, it’s hard to find a successful unenthusiastic leader Chapter 7, Lesson 2

Energy and Personality Energy 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 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Empathy People who show empathy can usually see beneath the surface to the root causes of problems Good leaders empathize with their team members Empathy inspires trust Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Knowing Yourself and Your Role To 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 Role You 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 Chapter 7, Lesson 3 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Setting the Example Setting 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 Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman

Setting the Example Self-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

Motivate A 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 7, Lesson 3 Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman

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 Task Task 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 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Four Leadership Styles The Leadership Grid Supporting - S3 High Supportive Behavior Low Directive Behavior Coaching - S2 High Directive Behavior Delegating - S4 Low Supportive Behavior Low Directing Behavior Directing - S1 Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Directing (Style 1) The leader provides specific instructions Closely supervises team members as they perform their tasks High task orientation and a low relationship orientation People 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) supervising closely following up Typical selling behaviors include: supervising closely following up explaining relationships between tasks and team goals encouraging questions supporting progress Chapter 8, Lesson 1 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

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 Chapter 8, Lesson 1 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

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 Chapter 8, Lesson 1

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

Tuckman’s Model – Team Dynamics Forming Storming Norming Performing

Drucker’s Teams 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.

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 Relationship Throughout 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 Photo courtesy of Thinkstock Images Chapter 8, Lesson 2

The Follower Relationship The 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 Power As 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 Photo courtesy of Ilene Perlman Chapter 8, Lesson 2

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 Followers Willingness 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 Followers As team members learn more and become more competent, their confidence level will increase Confidence 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