What is Leadership?

A Leadership Story:

 A group of workers and their leaders are set a task

of clearing a road through a dense jungle on a remote island to get to
the coast where an estuary provides
a perfect site for a port.
 The leaders organise the labour into efficient units and monitor the
distribution and use of capital assets – progress is excellent. The
leaders continue to monitor and evaluate progress, making
adjustments along the way to ensure the progress is maintained and
efficiency increased wherever possible.
 Then, one day amidst all the hustle and bustle and activity, one
person climbs up a nearby tree. The person surveys the scene from
the top of the tree.

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 A Leadership Story:

And shouts down to the assembled group below…

“Wrong Way!”
 (Story adapted from Stephen Covey (2004) “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People” Simon & Schuster).

“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing

the right things”
(Warren Bennis and Peter Drucker)

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 Leadership

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 Types of Leadership Style

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 Types of Leadership Style

Autocratic:
Leader makes decisions without reference to anyone
else
High degree of dependency on the leader
Can create de-motivation and alienation
of staff
May be valuable in some types of business where
decisions need to be made quickly and decisively

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 Types of Leadership Style

Democratic (Participative)
Encourages decision making
from different perspectives – leadership may be
emphasised throughout
the organisation
 Consultative: process of consultation before decisions
are taken
 Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeks to
persuade others that the decision
is correct

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 Types of Leadership Style

Democratic: (Participative)
May help motivation and involvement
Workers feel ownership of the Org/firm and its ideas
Improves the sharing of ideas
and experiences within the depart/org/business
Can delay decision making

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 Types of Leadership Style

Laissez-Faire: (Delegative)
 ‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities
are shared by all
 Can be very useful in businesses
where creative ideas are important
 Can be highly motivational,
as people have control over their working life
 Can make coordination and decision making
time-consuming and lacking in overall direction
 Relies on good team work
 Relies on good interpersonal relations

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 Types of Leadership Style

Paternalistic:
Leader acts as a ‘father figure’
Paternalistic leader makes decision but may consult
Believes in the need to support staff

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 Change Leadership

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 Change Leadership

The most challenging aspect of life in orgs is

leading and managing change
The org/business environment is subject to fast-
paced economic and social change
Modern organiztions must adapt
and be flexible to survive
Problems in leading change stem mainly from
human resource management

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 Change Leadership

Leaders need to be aware of how change impacts on

workers:
Series of self-esteem scenarios identified by Adams et al
and cited by Garrett
 Adams, J. Hayes, J. and Hopson, B.(eds) (1976) Transition:
understanding and managing change personal change London, Martin
Robertson
 Garrett, V. (1997) Managing Change in School leadership for the 21st
century Brett Davies and Linda Ellison, London, Routledge

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 Change Leadership

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 Theories of Leadership

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 Theories of Leadership

Trait theories:
Is there a set of characteristics
that determine a good leader?
 Personality?
 Dominance and personal presence?
 Charisma?
 Self confidence?
 Achievement?
 Ability to formulate a clear vision?

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 Theories of Leadership

Trait theories:
Are such characteristics
inherently gender biased?
Do such characteristics
produce good leaders?
Is leadership more than
just bringing about change?
Does this imply that leaders are born not bred?

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 Theories of Leadership

Behavioural:
Imply that leaders can be trained – focus on the
way of doing things
Structure based behavioural theories – focus on the
leader instituting structures – task orientated
Relationship based behavioural theories – focus on the
development and maintenance of relationships –
process orientated

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 Theories of Leadership

Contingency Theories:
Leadership as being more flexible – different
leadership styles used at different times
depending on the circumstance.
Suggests leadership is not a fixed series of
characteristics that can be transposed into
different contexts

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 Theories of Leadership

Transformational:
 Widespread changes
to a business or organisation
Requires:
 Long term strategic planning
 Clear objectives
 Clear vision
 Leading by example – walk the talk
 Efficiency of systems and processes

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 Theories of Leadership

Transactional Theories:
Focus on the management
of the organisation
Focus on procedures and efficiency
Focus on working to rules
and contracts
Managing current issues
and problems

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 Theories of Leadership

May depend on:

Type of staff
History of the business
Culture of the business
Quality of the relationships
Nature of the changes needed
Accepted norms within the institution

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 Factors Affecting Style

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 Factors Affecting Style

Leadership style may be dependent

on various factors:
 Risk - decision making and change initiatives
based on degree of risk involved
 Type of business – creative business
or supply driven?
 How important change is –
change for change’s sake?
 Organisational culture – may be long embedded
and difficult to change
 Nature of the task – needing cooperation? Direction?
Structure?

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 Leadership and Management

What do leaders really do?

Leadership and management are distinct but
complementary systems, each having its own function
and characteristic activities.
Both necessary for management of complex
organizations.

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 Leaders and Managers

According to Zalenik, (1986) Managers are seen as fairly

passive people-centred operators intent on keeping the
show on the road, whereas leaders seem to be more
solitary, proactive, intuitive, emphatic, and are attracted
to situations of high risk where the rewards for success
are great.

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 Leadership

Leadership is a force that creates a capacity among a

group of people to do something that is different or better.
This could be reflected in a more creative outcome, or a
higher level of performance. Leadership is an agency of
change and could entail inspiring others to do more than
they would otherwise have done, or were doing.

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 Management

Management is a force more preoccupied with planning,

co-ordinating, supervising, and controlling routine activity
which can be done in an inspired way. Managerial
leadership could be viewed as an integral part of the
managerial role, and its significance grows in importance
as one moves up the organizational hierarchy.

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 Leaders and Managers

Manager
• The present
• Doing things right
• Solves problems
• Responsible for resources
• Organizational
Leader
• The future
• Doing the right things
• Deals with Uncertainty
• Accountable for outcomes
• Inter-Organizational

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 Leadership and Management

According to Kotter, (1990) management is about

planning, controlling , and putting appropriate structures
and systems in place, whereas leadership has more to do
with anticipating change, coping with change, and
adopting a visionary stance.

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 The Public Service Leadership
Environment
Administrative-Political Interface
Citizen Service Expectations
Efficient and Equitable
Shared Authority
Multiple ‘Bottom Lines’
Complex Accountability

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 Competencies for Public Service
Leadership
Have a vision

Set direction
Strategic Thinking
Communicates with Influence
Strategic Choice

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 Competencies for Public Service
Leadership
Get things done

Deliver results
Management Excellence
Service Delivery

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 Competencies for Public Service
Leadership
Work with Others

Engagement
Cultivates working relationships
Interpersonal Relationships

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PS Values

Live the values

Values and Ethics
Exemplifies Personal Drive and Integrity
Dynamic Groups
Develop People

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 Translating Competencies into behaviour

Having a Vision

Seeking input from broad constituents

Envisions possibilities without detailed information

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 Translating Competencies into behaviour

Getting Things done

Identifying and communicating priorities, accountabilities and

responsibilities
Ensuring necessary resources, processes and systems are in
place

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 Translating Competencies into behaviour

Working with others

Inclusive and co-pperative approaches with peers and staff and

superiors
Communicating and supporting corporate decisions
Following through on commitments

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 Translating Competencies into behaviour

PS values

Demonstrating integrity, values and ethics in personal and

professional life
Building PS values in policies, programmes and strategies
Promoting transparency and fairness

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 Conclusion

Leadership is a team sport

Expect to be surprised
Today competes with tomorrow
Focus on the future
Grow people
Reflect and know that
“The Buck stops with the Leader “

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 If you don’t want to be a Leader

• Be absent from meetings

• Contribute nothing
• Come on strong, be a know –it-all
• Do no more than you have to do
• Read during meetings

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