MBA401 Leadership Styles Assignment Sample

Subject Code : MBA401
University : Kaplan University My Assignment Services is not sponsored or endorsed by this college or university.
Subject Name : leadership

People, Culture and Contemporary Leadership

Introduction to People , Culture and Contemporary Leadership

A leader is someone who can motivate and influence a group of people towards one common goal in a dedicated manner. In a business setting this usually stands for how well a manager or a leader can strategize and inspire his employees in working towards goals that align with company needs. A good leader is able to influence his workers in affective manner while handling daily situations smoothly. From decision making abilities to good communication skills, a cool temperament and the ability to think ahead- there are certain qualities that make a leader successful. In this assignment, we will be analysing three such theories of leadership with regard to self-reflection.

1.Charismatic Theory of Leadership

The charismatic theory of leadership states that effective leaders are basically actors or performers who attract followers because of the charisma of their personality. This theory of leadership emphasizes on the fact that good leaders are naturally magnetic that their characteristics influence people way beyond comprehension. It is also based of idealized influence and inspiration-based models. The personal style of the leader affects the business directly and it elicits and directs follower/worker emotions with its sheer power. When used in the ideal manner it can transform the ideologies and motivations of the followers and will create an extremely high level of commitment for the goal.

According to me, the charismatic theory of leadership could be an excellent choice in a situation of genuine uncertainty as original charismatic leaders have the confidence and the gall to lead a team even when its chaotic. But in general circumstances the approach might be a bit too erratic as there is not guarantee that the personality trait of a leader will always be appropriate for every situation. But too much of idealization can also create a disproportionate amount of superiority complex and the arrogance may actually prove to be harmful for the work environment.

I do believe that the faith and trust initiated by a charismatic leader in their follower can be monumental in creating a beautiful change and higher levels of drive but it has to be managed with balanced levels of humility and delegation of duties.

I also believe that charisma alone cannot ensure the success of a business. Charismatic leaders must posses the ability to back this charm with proper operational abilities and great performances. They must be just as effective in order to create an actual change.

Here, I have taken Catell’s 16 personality factors test and the score is out of 4. I believe I have the adequate level of charm, dominance openness to change and social boldness to cause an impact as a charismatic leader. But I feel I must immediately develop my work ethic and perfectionism to create a bigger, more significant impact in my field.

2.Contingency Theory of Leadership

The first model of contingency theory was developed by Fred Fiedler. It implies to the theory that there is no one perfect way of being a leader or the perfect leadership theory. That in fact the effectiveness of a leader is determined by how they respond to a particular situation.

The contingency theories suggest that there is no one best style of leadership. Effective and successful leaders will employ many ways and innovative styles to respond to a situation and take care of it depending on the need of the hour.

The contingency theory of leadership suggests that leaders will often respond to a situation in alignment with their judgement and understanding. Mature leaders also know that just because a solution worked in the past does not mean it will always work. They know how to use the best of their experience to adapt and change the outcome of a situation in the favour of their business.

There are numerous variables that might influence this leadership style like the maturity if the leader, the work culture of the organisation, the amount of autonomy provided to all the members of the organisation or the time and financial limitations. The interaction and power balance among the leader and the members also play a pivotal role.

This is my result of the classic five-factor ‘Big Five’ personality questionnaire based on Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism. Based on the results of this test, I feel I have the necessary courage and understanding to adapt and respond to a situation properly. My proactivity and boldness scan be a valuable asset for me and my team in any. given situation. I need to increase my sense of reliability and develop a calm attitude in order to enhance my leadership development. It is important for me to hone these basic management abilities to make rational decisions in given context to ensure the success of my business as a leader.

3. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory

This theory states that depending on their set of people who follow them and the situation at hand. This kind of leadership theory uses the most appropriate leadership style to get a better result. It is important here that leader is extremely vigilant and confident about his leading abilities to lead his team properly.

It recognizes the need for flexibility and helps in creating an atmosphere that is transparent and comfortable for its workers. I personally prefer this form of leadership as it is better suited in the context of businesses that are coming up in the current global market. If employees feel more engaged and more involved in the decision-making process, they will feel more motivated to do work that helps the company.

Situational relationship that utilizes the skill set of its employees in a proficient manner is the need of the hour as one person cannot always do everything that is required for successful operations. This also implies that the leader must be extremely secure about their sense of authority so that they can delegate responsibilities and step back if that is what the situation demands.

It is unlikely that one individual ill always knows what is right for the company at all times. In each developmental phases of business, the leader will have to act accordingly. Some phases might require his solitary astute judgments, some may require dedicated team work. In each and every phase, the leader must have the understanding and knowledge to judge the situation accurately and make a call. For this he should also build a framework at the organisation that fosters trust, belongingness, accountability and responsibility among all its team member.

The only few drawbacks that might arise out of this style of leadership is that it may often not be effective in application of long-term goals. Also the maturity level of a leader can be a subjective thing as different situations require different levels of response. In such a situation, relying solely on the maturity of the leader can be pretty risky. The unpredictable levels of corporate dependency can also debilitate the company

This is the result of the are you an authentic leader quiz. I feel I have the right attributes to lead a team. However as mentioned before, I feel I need to develop certain skill sets that will increase my value as a leader of the company and help me bring more perspectives to the table. This will require years of professional experience in my early twenties so that I can come face to face with operational behaviour in business settings and understand my social behaviour patterns in times of decision making and problem solving.

References for People , Culture and Contemporary Leadership

Gaille, Brandon. “13 Situational Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages.” BrandonGaille.com, 12 Nov. 2018, brandongaille.com/13-situational-leadership-advantages-and-disadvantages/.https://brandongaille.com/13-situational-leadership-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Posted August 7, 2019 | Psychology. “The Art of Charm: The Charismatic Leadership Theory.” Alvernia Online, 7 Aug. 2019, online.alvernia.edu/articles/charismatic-leadership-theory/.https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/charismatic-leadership-theory/

Diksha. “Leadership Theories: Top 11 Theories of Leadership.” Essays, Research Papers and Articles on Business Management, 22 June 2016, www.businessmanagementideas.com/leadership/theories/leadership-theories-top-11-theories-of-leadership/3562.

“Are You an Authentic Leader?: Leadership Quiz.” Ganttic, www.ganttic.com/blog/authentic-leader-leadership-quiz.

Test, Psychometric. “Free Personality Test.” Psychometric Tests, www.psychometrictest.org.uk/big-five-personality/.

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