Introduction

to
Leadership

Compiled
by
Prof. Rajiv Kumar
IIM Calcutta
Preliminaries
 Components of leadership
 An individual’s influence
 Towards a group
 Achievement of common goal
 The level of leadership dominant in leadership
research: Superior-subordinate relationship
 Explains 20% to 45% of organizational outcomes
 Leadership can be substituted
 Evolution:
 Traditional approaches: Rational
 Charismatic/transformational: Values, emotions
 Competence-based approaches
Trait Theories

 Trait: Enduring tendencies of people*

 Traits differentiate leaders from non-leaders
 Most important traits in business setting:
 Likes being around people, can assert, has high
levels of energy (extraversion)
 Curiosity, creativity, insightful (openness)
 Social/emotional intelligence
 Leader emergence vs. effectiveness
 Issue of general intelligence
*Based on Ones, Viswesvaran, & Dilchert, 2005: 390
Behavioral Approaches
 Ohio State Studies/University of Michigan
 Task orientation/Initiating Structure
 People orientation
Situational Leadership

 Task-specific development level of

subordinates:
 Ability and experience
 Willingness to take responsibility
 A Combination of directive (task) and
supportive (relationship) behavior as per
development level
Fiedler’s Model (1)
 Leader’s style (task-oriented vs. relationship-oriented)
 Measured by LPC questionnaire (LPC can be a peer,
subordinate or superior)
 16% people cannot be categorized.

 Considers Situational Favorableness for Leader

 Leader-member relations

 Position power

 Task structure

 Key Assumption
 Leader must fit situation

 options to accomplish this:

1. Select leader to fit situation

2. Change situation to fit leader
Fiedler’s Model (2)
LMX Theory

 Leaders do not have same relationships with

all subordinates
 These relationships may develop over time
Leader-Member Behaviors
 Do you let your people know how satisfied you
are with their work?
 Do you know the problems your people face at
job?
 Do you recognize the potential of your people?
 Do you use your power/authority to help your
people solve work-related problems?
 Would you bail out your people, even if it is
expensive for you?
 Would your people defend your
decisions/actions in your absence?
Competence-Based
Approaches
 Two broad domains:
 Technical
 Behavioral
 Importance of these two across levels
 Focus on trainability
 Widely used in organizations
 High predictive validity