Leadership training

Before you read

Discuss this question:

Who is considered to be a leader?

Now read the article. What does it say about the question above?

Some abilities as a leader may take a person to the top but may not be to his or her advantage when he or she is there. From this approach there is a point of view which suggests that in a group almost any member may become a better leader if there are circumstances that enable him or her to perform the needed functions of leadership, and different persons may contribute in different ways to the leadership of the group. This implies that leadership is an ‘organizational function’ rather than a personal quality.

A fairly successful model of leadership training used on some management courses in the United Kingdom is by J. Adair. The model is based upon three overlapping circles that form part of any leadership situation. It is a functional leadership approach, which identifies functions of a leader in relation to the basic needs which are common in all leadership situations. Individual needs are distinguished from group needs and the needs of the task to be done. There will never really be a perfect match between the three elements and the job of the leader is to be aware of these aspects and manage each situation by giving suitable priority to be aware of these aspects and manage each situation by giving suitable priority to the variables. Adair considers that the skills of leadership can be recognized and developed to be sufficiently sensitive to these leadership variables.

Training is organized around the eight elements of: defining objectives (tasks), planning, controlling, evaluating, motivating, organizing, briefing and setting an example. The idea of the model is to encourage a flexible approach to leadership and he considers leadership to be more in the adopting of appropriate behaviour than of personal traits.

Each situation is different and affects the priority given to each area of need. An effective leader will note these priorities and give certain needs preference in any situation.

This concept of leadership proposed by Adair is really a contingency approach whereby the leader’s action is determined by the overall situation and therefore needs to be adaptive.

A final comment is that of the analysis by C. B. Handy. He suggests a ‘best-fit’ approach to leadership and that a leader must take four sets of influencing factors into consideration in any situation.

· the leader – his preferred style of operating and his personal characteristics;

· the subordinates – their preferred style of leadership in the light of circumstances;

· the task – the job, its objectives and its technology.

All of the above factors and their ‘fit’ will depend upon:

· the environment – the organizational setting of the leader, his group and the importance of the task.

He emphasizes that ‘there is no such thing as the “right” style of leadership, but that leadership will be most effective when the requirements of the leader, the subordinates and the task fit together’.

Reading tasks

A. Understanding main points. Answer these questions:

1. May any person become a better leader of a group?

2. Under what circumstances may a person become a leader?

3. What is leadership?

4. What is Adair’s model based upon?

5. What does Adair consider?

6. How is leadership training organized according to Adair?

7. What does Handy suggest?

8. What influencing factors does Handy consider?

B. Five sentences have been removed from the text. Read the text and insert each sentence in its appropriate position:

1. The model is based upon three overlapping circles that form part of any leadership situation.

2. In a group almost any member may become a better leader.

3. The skills of leadership can be recognized and developed.

4. The idea of the model is to encourage a flexible approach to leadership.

5. There is no such thing as the “right” style of leadership.

Vocabulary tasks

A. Match the adjectives from the text with nouns:

B. Add a preposition from the box below:

1. There is a point ____ view.

2. A model used ____ some management courses.

3. The model is based ____ overlapping courses.

4. These basic needs are common _____ all leadership situations.

5. Manage each situation _____ giving suitable priority.

6. This concept_____ leadership was proposed by Adair.

7. He suggest a “best-fit” approach _____leadership.

8. There will never really be a perfect match _____ the tree elements.

9. Training is organized _____ the eight elements.

10. His preferred style _____ leadership.

Role play:

Discuss the problem: how can leadership be trained?

Unit 20

Team Spirit

Before you read

Discuss this question:

What is team spirit?

Now read the article. What does it say about the question above?

Morale can be a combination of many factors. A simple definition is that it is the state of a person’s (or a group’s) feeling and attitudes. In a more military sense, it is the quality that exists in a group of people, which arises from faith in their efficiency and discipline, and in the collective and fair way with which they are led. A rather broader meaning is given when it is used in business management – it is the collective attitude of workers towards each other, their work and management.

When morale is high, work is done willingly, and with less supervision; when it is low, work is of poor quality and problems arise, e.g. with a high labour turnover and absenteeism. When groups emerge in industry, each person must sacrifice some part of his individuality, as he in effect joins the group to serve the group purpose, thereby (impliedly or otherwise) agreeing to obey those who are in charge. Each group has a particular kind of acceptable behaviour, which is implanted in the member’s thoughts, and this participation tends to give the members a feeling of superiority over non-group members. Craftsmen often adopt this attitude over non-craftsmen.

If a group can constantly work towards the common purpose, morale can be maintained. The purpose of the group, e.g. to win a race, or to produce an article, becomes accepted as the purpose of the individual. Individual interests, though, must be subordinated to the group interest and, if this can be done, morale will be high. If morale is good, team spirit should be good as this arises where all members of the group know every member is working to achieve the group goal and obeys internal authority. But, if some members are aware that others are more interested in personal success, morale will be low and team spirit will be low.

In industry, for example, the manufacturing department may not achieve its target because of lack of material, and the planning department may be blamed. Many similar cases occur daily, in business – morale may be high (as everyone is trying to achieve the desired goal), but team spirit may be low because people (rightly or wrongly) are aware that some members are not pulling their weight.

The remedy for lack of team spirit is to give staff better education and knowledge of the other person’s or section’s problems and to make them aware of the fundamental interrelations between departments.

Reading tasks

A. In pairs discuss these questions about the text:

1. What is morale?

2. When work is done with less supervision?

3. Under what circumstances can morale be maintained?

4. What is the purpose of the individual?

5. When morale is high?

6. When morale is low?

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1004