Page 244 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Principles and Practices of Management

Notes 4. Leadership is a process of influence: Leadership implies that leaders can influence their
followers or subordinates in addition to being able to give their followers or subordinates
legitimate directions.

Example: Leaders like Dhirubhai Ambani and Ratan Tata not only had legitimate powers
but also influenced the lives of the employees working at Reliance and Tata (Respectively).
5. Leadership is the function of stimulation: Leadership is the function of motivating people
to strive willingly to attain organisational objectives.
6. A leader must be exemplary: In the words of George Terry – "A leader shows the way by his
own example. He is not a pusher, he pulls rather than pushes".

7. A leader ensures absolute justice: A leader must be objective and impartial. He should not
follow unfair practices like favoritism and nepotism. He must display fair play and
absolute justice in all his decisions and actions.
8. Leadership styles and patterns: Tannenbaum and Schmidt have described the range of
possible leadership behaviour available to a manager.

13.5 Leadership Styles

1. The Manager makes decision and announces it: It is an extreme form of autocratic leadership
whereby decisions are made by the boss who identifies the problem, considers alternative
solutions, selects one of them and then reports his decision to his subordinates for
implementation.

2. The manager sells his decisions: It is a slightly improved form of leadership wherein the
manager takes the additional step of persuading the subordinates to accept his decision.
3. The Manager presents his ideas and invites questions: There is greater involvement of the
employees in this pattern. The boss arrives at the decision, but provides a full opportunity
to his subordinates to get fuller explanation of his thinking and intentions.
4. The manager presents a tentative decision subject to change: Herein the decision is
tentatively taken by the manager but he is amenable to change and influence from the
employees.
5. The Manager may present the problem, get the suggestions and then take his own decision:
Here manager gives sufficient opportunity to the employees to make suggestions, that
are carefully considered by the Manager.
6. The Manager may define the limits and request the group to make a decision: Under this
style of management, the manager delegates to the group the right to make the decision.
His subordinates are able to take a decision within well defined criteria and limits.
7. The Manager may permit full involvement of the subordinates in the decision-making
process: This is a style of leadership often referred to as 'Democratic' leadership.
Leadership style refers to the behaviour pattern adopted by a leader to influence the behaviour
of his subordinates for attaining the organisational goals. As different leadership styles have
their own merits and demerits, it is difficult to prefer one leadership style over another. The
selection of a leadership style will depend on the consideration of a number of factors.
Tannenbaum and Schmidt have pointed out the important factors that affect the choice of a style
of leadership. They are:
1. Forces in the manager, i.e., the manager's personality, experience and value system.

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