ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSIGNMENT BCOM302

EGERTON UNIVERSITY NAKURU TOWN CAMPUS FACULTY OF COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING, FINANCE & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

BCOM 302 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: LEADERSHIP STYLES THEIR APPLICATION IN THE AFRICA CONTEXT NAME OCHIENG JARED OPONDO REG. NUMBER C12/60275/09 SIGNATURE

PRESENTED TO: PRESENTED ON:

DR. D.J. KIPKEBUT 12TH April 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Definition of a leader----------------------------------------------------------------------3 Definition of leadership-------------------------------------------------------------------3 Definition of leadership style-------------------------------------------------------------3 Basic leadership styles Autocratic leadership style----------------------------------------------------------------3 Democratic leadership style--------------------------------------------------------------5 Bureaucratic leadership style-------------------------------------------------------------7 Laissez-faire leadership style-------------------------------------------------------------8 Other leadership styles Transformational Leadership-------------------------------------------------------------9 Transactional Leadership-----------------------------------------------------------------11 Charismatic leadership--------------------------------------------------------------------13 Servant Leadership------------------------------------------------------------------------14 Task-oriented leadership------------------------------------------------------------------15 People-oriented leadership----------------------------------------------------------------16 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------17 Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------------------------------18

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Who is a leader? A leader is "a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal". What is leadership? Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. (Northouses (2007, p3) definition) What is leadership style? Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, motivating people and achieving objectives. They are behavioural models used by leaders when working with others. (Fertman, C. I & Van Liden, J. A. (1999).) Leadership style refers to the style to the ways a manager chooses to influence other people. It shapes the way that manager approaches planning, organising and controlling. Leadership styles determine how managers lead their subordinates and how they perform the other management tasks. Leadership styles vary not only among individuals but also among countries and cultures, for instance, research indicates that, European managers tend to be more humanistic or peopleoriented than both Japanese and American managers. Thus, the way in which a leader uses power to lead others determine his or her leadership style.

1. Autocratic leadership style (sometimes referred to as dictatorial) This is often considered the classical approach. It is power-centred i.e. the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. An autocratic leader zealously shields himself from criticism about personal abilities and has an ego-driven need to control other people. If the workers are willing -- that is to say, submissive -- work can get done, perhaps not too willingly. Fear is often used as a tactic by an autocratic leader. The power to confer privilege on some, or withdraw it from others, serves as a powerful tool in the hand of an unscrupulous leader. Autocratic leaders tend to be theory X managers. Strengths of autocratic leadership styles
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Though autocratic leadership style is tyrannical, it has proved to be very efficient during certain situations and conditions, viz:
i.

Faster decision making. When only one person makes decisions with minimal consultation, decisions are made quicker, this will allow the management team to respond to changes in the business environment more quickly. It enhances efficiency in accomplishment of short term projects with are highly technical, complex or risky element. It enhances efficiency in environments where spans of control are wide and hence the manager has little time to devote to each employee. It enhances efficiency in Industries where employees need to perform low-skilled, monotonous and repetitive tasks and generally have low levels of motivation. It enhances efficiency and completion of Projects where the work performed needs to be completed to exact specifications and/or with a tight deadline. Improved logistics of operations. Having one leader with heavy involvement in many areas makes it more likely that problems are spotted in advance and deadlines met. This makes autocratic leadership ideal for one-off projects with tight deadlines, or complicated work environments where efficient cooperation is key to success.

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Weaknesses of autocratic leadership style i. Autocratic leadership style promotes a one sided conversation and due to this the creative and leadership skills of the employees become restrictive. As the leader would have all the authority, there is a chance that he would exploit his employees. There have been cases where an authoritative employer has fired employees because they showed the courage of disagreeing with him. It is also said that having an autocratic leader hinders workplace communication and socialization. It is very important to have a cordial work environment, where everyone is friendly. It can also give rise to disagreements and conflicts, if a group or company is led by an autocratic leader. Furthermore, there is high turnover and absenteeism, which ultimately can hinder progress. Increased workload for the manager. By taking on as much responsibility and involvement as possible, an autocratic leader naturally works at their full capacity, which can lead to long term stress and health problems and could damage working relationships with colleagues. This hyper-focus on work comes at the expense of good leadership development. People dislike being ordered around. They also dislike being shown very little trust and faith. As a result, the autocratic leadership style can result in a demotivated

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workforce. This results in the paradox that autocratic leadership styles are a good solution for demotivated workers, but in many cases, it is the leadership style alone that demotivates them in the first place. Generation Y employees particularly dislike this style.
vi.

Bias towards organisation- autocratic leadership is not effective in small organisation, in organisational culture that fosters team work, continuous innovation or rapid response to environment changes. The risk of Zombies revenge- autocratic leaders tend not be sensitive to the feelings of others and create resentments, metaphorically, the leave a large number of dead bodies along the road. These dead bodies function like zombies waiting for the magic moment when autocratic leader gets in trouble so that the can rise up and get their revenge.

vii.

Famous Autocratic Leaders In post-colonial African history, there are far too many examples of autocratic leaders who will stay in power for decades despite great dissatisfaction from the people. Theyre infamous Mobutu (Zaire), Gaddafi (Libya), Mubarak (Egypt), Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Al-Bashir (Sudan). Idi Amin of Uganda.

Application of autocratic leadership style Autocratic leadership works positively during emergency and stressful situations. When such situations arise in a company or organization, most people are confused and are not able to reach a common solution. During such times, having an autocratic leader would be great as he would take the reins in his hand and would direct the workers or employees to move forward. For instance, there is a terrorist attack at some place and the soldiers have to rescue innocent people from there. If many people try to give solutions, it may take time and the mission may end in failure. In such situations, having one autocratic person to command the rest of the group on how to go about with the mission can lead to success. The best example of organisation where this kind of leadership applies is The Kenya Defence Forces in handling the threat of Al shabab. Another situation where the autocratic leadership style proves appropriate is while doing group projects. Many group projects tend to fail because group members depend on each other to make decisions. Such situations demand the need of an authoritative leader who can make decisions for the group. The leader should determine the ways in which the project would be done, divide the job among the members, and also set a deadline for completion of the project.

2. Democratic leadership style

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The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. This style requires the leader to be a coach who has the final say, but gathers information from staff members before making a decision. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. Democratic leadership can produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. Typically the democratic leader: Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance Allows employees to establish goals
Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted Recognizes and encourages achievement.

Strengths of democratic leadership style i. Participative leadership expand the range of possibilities for the team. When leadership style that essentially leave all the direction and decision making in the hands of one individual, it is much more difficult to see a given approach from several different angles and unlike when others are encouraged to be involved in the decision making process. Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted Recognizes and encourages achievement. It provides perfect environment for everyone to provide input that has the potential to make final decision more well rounded and ultimately profitable to the company as a whole. Participation and involvement of members can result in high motivation of group members. Group may be better informed as a result of two way communication. that is from the group members to the leader and also from the leader to the members. It reduces resistance to change and helps in winning loyalty of employees, thus this type of leadership helps the team to adapt to change better and more rapidly than other leadership styles.

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Weaknesses
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ii. iii. iv. v.

Time factor- this approach can be very time consuming for the leader because of the use of two-way communication Less initial production Leader can be unsure and makes everything a matter for group discussion. Individuals may dominate the participation or make disruptive contribution. Quality of the final decision depend on the competence of the team members/ group, this is because the leader listen to the teams ideas and uses their input to make the final decision.

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Famous Democratic leaders In Africa leaders who are the epitome of democracy include; President John Atta Mills of Ghana, John Kufuor of Ghana, Kofi Annan. Application of Democratic leadership styles It is most suited when situations change frequently, democratic leadership offers a great deal of flexibility to adapt to better ways of doing things. It is quite effective for manufacturing industries, professional organizations, non-profit companies and creative fields such as advertising where everyones opinion can make a difference, e .g. Safaricom in promotion of its sales, Truth Justice and reconciliation Commission (TJRC), Independent Electoral Commission (IEBC). It is equally fit in:

Creative groups (advertising, design): ideas need to flow in creative environments to find create new concepts and designs. Consulting: when paid to explore problems and find solutions, your role will be to explore the possibilities in depth, and that means there has to be a great deal of exploration and open discussion. Much of the Service industry: new ideas allow for more flexibility to changing customer demands, e.g. Safaricom, Airtel Education: few places need to be open to different ideas than education, both by educators and their students.

3. Bureaucratic leadership style Bureaucratic leadership is where the manager manages by the book Everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isnt covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is really more of a police officer than a leader. He or she enforces the rules. In this style, there is little scope for initiative and subordinates like to play safe. Such a rule centred leadership often results to red tape and inefficiency. The salient features of bureaucratic leadership style include:

Leaders impose strict and systematic discipline on the followers, and demand businesslike conduct in the workplace Leaders are empowered via the office they hold: position power Followers are promoted based on their ability to conform to the rules of the office Follower should obey leaders because authority is bestowed upon the leader as part of their position in the company

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Strengths of Bureaucratic leadership style i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. It is most effective where employees are asked to perform certain routine tasks repeatedly, such as on a production line for example. It is best where employees are asked to understand and follow certain standards or procedures It is most appropriate when cash is being handled. It is equally effective when people are working with delicate or dangerous equipment, or in dangerous lines of work. It is also appropriate when safety and security training is being conducted. It can also be used in any situation where there is not a stated procedure or guideline to follow, a leader can refer to their superiors to ascertain what new guideline needs to be installed to resolve the problem and allow workers to follow this advice in the future.

Bureaucratic leadership isn't ideal in all situations and there can be some disadvantages to this system, namely: i. ii. iii. iv. It causes resentment from the workforce under the manager over their management style, particularly if it is seen to be more autocratic than democratic. If work habits have formed that are unproductive, they can be hard to break and replace with new procedures and this can alienate and demotivate a workforce. If morale in a workplace is low and workers only do the minimum of what is expected of them, but no more. If the workforce are not allowed to feel part of the decision making process and their feedback is not considered by upper management, this can cause resentment and undermine productivity.

Examples of Bureaucratic leaders include Examples include Paul Kagame. Application of Bureaucratic leadership style In the working world bureaucratic leadership skills would be best utilized in jobs such as construction work, chemistry-related jobs that involve working with hazardous material, or jobs that involve working with large amounts of money. e.g. Kenya Bureau of standards, KCB, Equity, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi teaching and Referral Hospital, Egerton University, Nairobi University, Moi University, Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University, Maseno University.

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4. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the hands-off style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. The manager acts as an empire or consultant to the group, and abdicates its authority. He beliefs that people will perform better if they are left free to make and enforce their on decisions, thus it is subordinate centred leadership. Free rein ignore the managers contribution just as the autocratic leadership ignores group contribution Strengths of laissez-faire leadership style i. ii. iii. iv. v. It is effective where employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated. Most appropriate where employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully on their own. It is equally appropriate where outside experts, such as staff specialists or consultants are being used Is also effective where employees are trustworthy and experienced. It demands little guidance from the decision maker.

Weaknesses of laissez-faire leadership style: i. ii. iii. iv. v. It makes employees feel insecure at the unavailability of a manager. The manager cannot provide regular feedback to let employees know how well they are doing. Managers are unable to thank employees for their good work. The manager doesnt understand his or her responsibilities and is hoping the employees can cover for him or her. This type of leaderships style is associated with leaders that dont lead at all, failing in supervising team members, resulting in lack of control.

Examples of Laissez-Faire leaders; In Africa there is no notable personality that expemplify laissez- faire kind of leadership. Elsewhere personalities that were epitome of laissez faire style of leadership include; Kayleigh Currie, Willy Wonka, Adam Smith. Application of laissez-faire leadership style Laissez faire leadership style is most appropriate in a number of situations, viz;

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A group project requiring subject matter expertise e.g. organisations that develop softwares like Microsoft. Laissez faire leadership can be used more frequently when the ultimate decision maker is comfortable that he or she is surrounded by a talented and capable team of executives. Hire talented people and let them do what they do best. A hands off approach works well when the ultimate decision maker is surrounded by A list players. The best example is software development companies that use a team of highly skilled programmers e.g. Google Routine or mundane tasks can be handled in a laissez faire manner. Each industry and business must be able to identify what tasks and duties fall into these areas. A general oversight of these tasks and duties can and should be entrusted to an executive or manager. The ultimate decision maker must free himself or herself from these minor issues to focus upon the bigger picture.

5. Transformational Leadership style

Transformational leadership is a kind of leadership style that enhances the motivation, morale and performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. These include connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to the mission and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that optimize their performance. These leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are they concerned and involved in the process; the are also focused on helping every member of the group to succeed as well. Transformational leadership has four different components, namely.
1. Intellectual Stimulation Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo;

they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn. 2. Individualized Consideration Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of each followers unique contributions. 3. Inspirational Motivation Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfil these goals. 4. Idealized Influence The transformational leaders serves as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate the leader and internalize his or her ideals. Strengths of Transformational leadership
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Transformational leadership leads to job satisfaction among the employees It equally results to less stress among the employees which implies better performance It results to happier residents/employees It results to improvement in quality of care and safety practices. It makes the subordinates aware of the importance of their jobs and performance in the organization and aware of their own needs for personal growth and that motivates subordinates to work for the good of the organization. It provides a platform where managers can see how much better things could be done in their organizations, how much more their subordinates are capable of achieving and how important it is to treat their subordinates with respect and to help them reach their full potential.

Weaknesses of transformational leadership style Assumes Follower Motivation; Transformational leadership does not incorporate situational dynamics and assumes that followers want to work together toward a larger goal. Transformational approaches are not as effective in situations where followers do not have the skills or experience necessary to complete a task or are not motivated to perform without an immediate and tangible reward. Time-Consuming; The results of transformational leadership take time. Transformational leaders must invest time and energy building trust and convincing followers to believe in a shared vision. Organizations hoping to achieve instant results by installing a transformational leader are likely to be frustrated and disappointed. Depends on the Individual; Much of the power of the transformational style rests with the values and personality of the leader. Other theories, such as contingency or situational, explain that leaders can align their style to the needs of the group to improve effectiveness. Transformational leadership might be out of reach for those who lack inspirational communication skills and charisma even if they possess the skills and experience necessary to be in charge. Similarly, the transformational leadership theory assumes one leader, which ignores the fact that many organizations and campaigns employ a framework of leaders to motivate a group to reach a goal. Lacks Application Details; Transformational leadership theory explains the "what" but lacks details about the "how." Little information is given about how a leader should articulate and communicate her vision and empower followers. In addition, explanations of strategy and mission are left out of the theory. Potential for Abuse; Transformational leadership is powerful, but not always used morally. At time it is susceptible to abuse, e.g. Adolph Hitler and Osama Bin Laden are examples of "pseudo-transformational" leaders.
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Transformational leaders pose great dangers if their goals and value are opposed to the basic tenets of a civilised society. Examples of transformational leaders include Nelson Mandela of south Africa and Martin Luther King Jr of USA, Paul Kagame.

Application of transformational leadership style The transformational leadership style is highly effective at changing a culture and motivating others to strive for the goal at hand. Transformational Leaders have the ability to inspire, motivate, and lead on behalf of others. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr are two examples of transformational leaders. They essentially shifted an entire culture through using the transformational leadership style to effectively transform and motivate change throughout the world. It is equally effective when it is necessary to change the organisational structure e.g. change from a rigid hierarchy to a free flowing hierarchy. Transformational leadership style is applicable in organisations when is necessary to revitalise and renew operations E.g. The Uchumi Supermarket and the new management Jonathan Siano. 6. Transactional Leadership style This style of leadership starts with the idea that team members agree to obey their leader totally when they accept a job. The "transaction" is usually the organization paying the team members in return for their effort and compliance. The leader has a right to "punish" team members if their work doesn't meet the pre-determined standard. Team members can do little to improve their job satisfaction under transactional leadership. The leader could give team members some control of their income/reward by using incentives that encourage even higher standards or greater productivity. Alternatively, a transactional leader could practice "management by exception" rather than rewarding better work, the leader could take corrective action if the required standards are not met. As far as reward and correction methods are concerned, think of the carrot and stick approach. Rewards are contingent on successful completion of the transaction. Meeting the objectives typically leads to rewards and reinforcement of the successful performance. The transactional rewards are material (e.g. raise, award or job security). However, psychological rewards are also present in transactional leadership (explicit positive feedback, praise). Corrective actions are typically more reactive than proactive - the leader monitors the deviations, mistakes and errors in the performance of the subordinates. Failure to reach the objectives will bring disappointment, dissatisfaction, and a psychological (e.g. negative feedback, disapproval, disciplinary actions) or material punishment (Bass, 2008).

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Transactional leaders achieve set goals by acting within established procedures and standards. This leader assigns specific, well-defined tasks to subordinates and requires that they fulfil their responsibilities and meet standards precisely as prescribed or agreed upon. Transactional leadership emphasizes the exchange that occurs between the leader and the follower. This involves directives from the leader (or a mutual discussion between the leader and the subordinate) regarding the requirements and objectives (Bass, 2008).

Strengths of Transactional Leadership style

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It clearly defines the roles and expectations of the leader and the followers. The style also ensures that the culture within an organization is maintained, with the rules strictly followed as well as the behavioural norms.

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Powerful Motivator: Money and other tangible rewards are a proven and reliable motivator. While the transformational style's use of follower self-actualization can lead to powerful results over time, the reality is that many employees need or want a job to pay the bills. Gets Results Fast: The transactional approach works well when short-term results are needed fast. For example, providing a bonus for sales associates to meet a surge in holiday demand or offering extra vacation time to information technology staff if they finish project by a deadline are effective approaches to solving immediate business problems. Clear and Easy to Follow: The transactional approach leaves little room for misinterpretation or ambiguity. Subordinates and managers enter a contract where the manager provides positive rewards such as a bonus, time off, health benefits or simply a paycheck in exchange for the completion of a task. Managers may also use negative rewards such as a "do it or else" threat of job loss if tasks are not met or do not meet the employer's expectations. Simple and Low Cost: Since it depends on external rewards or punishments for motivations, the style can be performed by most employees or managers without extensive training or required personal traits such as charisma, vision or inspiration. Weaknesses of transactional leadership style
i.

The transactional leadership style means that failure to deliver the expected output can result in consequences like reduction of pay, absence of bonuses, or--the worse: dismissal. Simply put, this leadership style is a very direct, in-your-face approach, with the leader expecting results from his followers who in turn must deliver unless they want to suffer the consequences. The main limitation of this leadership is that it assumes that people are largely motivated by simple rewards. Under transactional leadership, employees can't do much

ii.

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to improve job satisfaction. Transaction leadership has been ineffective in providing skilled employees to their organization. This style of leadership is least interested in changing iii. Employees motivation depend extensively on the reinforcements such as rewards and reprimands, which if they lack, the drive to work harder may be at all time low.

Examples of transactional leaders A couple of famous examples of transactional leaders are Joseph McCarthy and Charles de Gaulle. Application of transactional leadership style The transactional leadership style may, for example, be useful in crisis management or in emergency response, and in situations when activities must be carried out efficiently and exactly as planned. It could also be appropriate in stable situations; where the leader sets high goals that can be measured such as business-units sales or the rate of product introduction and demands that the subordinate meet them. E.g. in the sales agencies like Coca-Cola distributing department.

7. Charismatic leadership

Charismatic Leadership is one of the modern leadership styles in the changing world. In this kind of leadership, the leader uses charm to get the admiration of their followers. They show concern for their people and they look after their people's needs. They create a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for their followers by listening to them and making them feel that they have a voice in the decision making. Charismatic leaders tend to be very good listeners and great information gatherers. They like to expose themselves to a wide range of individuals in order to get new ideas. Charismatic leaders create a sense of purpose for their organisation that is motivating and inspiring. Charismatic leaders express things simply so that everyone gets it, they use positive language, often use stories, symbols, metaphors to get their point across. They walk the talk, show empathy, remain optimistic, make everyone feel important and build confidence. Charismatic leaders question the status quo, take risks and thrive on innovation and change.

Strengths of Charismatic leadership i. ii. Results in relatively strong, unchallenged levels of obedience. Useful in difficult times or circumstances, such as an urgent organizational turnaround or Crisis Management.

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Effective.-If the charismatic leader's vision is right, this leadership style can be extremely effective. Rhetorical ability. Energetic, inner clarity, visionary, unconventional, and exemplary.

iv. v.

Weaknesses of Charismatic leadership i. ii. iii. iv. Results in relatively strong, unchallenged levels of obedience. Tendency of gathering weak "yes-men" around him. Poor delegation. People possessing these skills and attributes are relatively rare. Tendency to narcissism. Loosing reality. Insensitive to others Lack of accountability. Freedom from inner (moral) conflicts. The values of charismatic leaders are essential. If such leaders are well-intentioned towards others, they can elevate and transform an entire company. But if they are selfish or poor, they can create cults and effectively rape the m inds of the followers. Unpredictable. Potentially dangerous.

v. vi.

Examples of Charismatic leaders Famous examples of charismatic leaders are, Tom Mboya-Kenya, Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa and Adolph Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi of India. Applications of Charismatic leadership style Charismatic leadership could be applied in difficult times or circumstances, such as an urgent organizational turnaround or Crisis Management, 8. Servant Leadership In servant leadership, the leader takes care of the needs of his followers first before they take care of their own. Instead of acting like a king to their subordinates, leaders act as servants. The leader feels that they need to serve their followers rather than force upon them what they want. This leadership style is based on strong values and personal integrity. Its quiet, without fanfare. The leader of the group becomes an administrator for the group as opposed to a policy maker
or disciplinarian.

Strengths of Servant leadership style i. The servant leadership approach can be effective in a diverse workplace, as an autocratic style of leadership can cause alienation among employees.

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It results to loyalty among the employees. The strong consideration for the needs of the employees, and the advantages this can have in the areas of career development and work-home life balance, develops a strong sense of loyalty from the employee to the company Involvement of all the employees: in a servant leadership setting, all opinions and input matters. A company can obtain a wide variety of solutions to issues and improve the feeling of teamwork within the workplace by using the servant leadership style to get employees involved in decision making.

iii.

Weaknesses of servant leadership style

i. ii. iii. iv. v. Servant leadership is too idealistic and nave. In an individualistic consumer culture, many people will take advantage of the servant leaders kindness as weakness (Johnson, 2001) It is too unrealistic and impractical. It would not work in many situations such as military operations or prison systems (Bowie, 2000) It is too restrictive, because we need all sorts of leadership qualities, such as intuition, risk taking and courage It is too closely tied to Christian spirituality, because it is impossible for people to model after Christs humility without being redeemed and transformed by the Holy Spirit It is too hypocritical too many claim to be servant leaders but behave more like dictators

Examples of servant leaders Famous examples of servant leaders include George Washington, Gandhi and Cesar Chavez. Application of servant leadership style Servant leadership applies best in politics, associations and community clubs where elected officials are required to serve their members or citizens. In business organisation, the managers and CEOs treat their employees and their customers as their master.

9. Task-oriented leadership
This is a great leadership style to adopt when procedures, tasks and goals need to be set into place as a task-oriented leader will focus on getting the job done, he may tend to lose sight of his peoples needs though.

A highly task-oriented leader focuses only on getting the job done, and can be quite autocratic. He or she will actively define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, plan, organize and monitor. However, as task-oriented leaders spare little thought for the well-being of their teams, this approach can suffer many of the flaws of autocratic leadership, with difficulties in motivating and retaining staff. The task-oriented leadership style includes aspects of task management and leadership. The task management aspects include coordinating work activities, paying attention to administrative details, monitoring product quality and preparing financial reports. The
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leadership aspects include taking responsibility for decisions, setting short- and long-term strategic goals and training employees to perform their assigned tasks. Strengths
i. ii. Clarity of purpose- Leaders communicate where they want to take their companies, and thus the employees know the purpose of the organisation.. Precise task definitions- the leader also organize groups for particular tasks and ensure

that group members have a clear understanding of their individual roles. Weaknesses The weaknesses of the task-oriented style include a fear of breaking the rules among employees, which may lead to a lack of creativity, low morale and high turnover. Employees who are afraid to break rules may not take any risks, which means that innovation may suffer. Eventually, the creative individuals may become demoralized and leave to find interesting opportunities elsewhere. In an unstructured environment, such as a startup company or a rapidly growing small business, creativity and innovation are some of the key success factors. Businesses operating in highly competitive industries, such as retail or food services, must be able to immediately respond to external threats and opportunities. This means that their employees should seize the initiative and take calculated risks, which they may not feel comfortable doing in a task-oriented leadership environment. Example The late John Michuki demonstrated this style of leadership while in transport ministry (implementing the Michuki rules) and environment Ministry in cleaning the Nairobi River Applications The task-oriented leadership style is well suited to structured work environments, such as law enforcement and manufacturing assembly lines, in which repeating well-defined processes usually results in consistently high levels of productivity and quality. E.g. Uniliver Company.

10. People-oriented leadership In this kind of leadership the people are the focus and leaders spend a lot of time and effort on grooming, leveraging and organizing their teams. While this is great for team work, the actual goal may not be at the forefront and hence may not be achieved. People-oriented leadership often energizes employees. Staffs feel empowered and meaningful. Job satisfaction levels usually rise. Employees believe they have a "say" in decision-making and workplace efficiency. By encouraging employee feedback and ideas, management often develops a much better understanding of their staff, workplace conditions and enjoys some fresh new ideas and suggestions for improvements. Hearing honest comments from the people

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"in the trenches" allows managers to have a better understanding of the positives and negatives. This usually leads to better, more effective decisions. Strengths The relational-oriented leader understands that productivity is paramount in meeting goals and succeeding, whether in a business environment or otherwise. Likewise, the relational-oriented leader understands that building positive productivity requires a positive environment where individuals feel driven. Personal conflicts, dissatisfaction with a job, resentment and even boredom can severely drive down productivity, so the relational-oriented leader puts people first to ensure that such problems stay at a minimum. Weaknesses People orientated leaders focus more on the individuals and group well-being and mood rather than the tasks at hand, so though the group may function well together, disadvantages may be - not completing tasks on time - not achieving set goals - individual and group well-being may suffer as they are not fulfilling set tasks If employees receive too much responsibility without management guidance, the decisionmaking duty can become overwhelming. The far end of the people-oriented graph is rife with garbled job descriptions; confused, ineffective decisions; and ultimate job dissatisfaction. This leads to lower performance, high employee turnover, customer dissatisfaction and decreased profitability. Examples of people oriented leaders Shane Radbone, CEO, is a good example of a people or relations- oriented leader. He has the key skills required to develop good relations with people of all levels in the company as well as manage all types of personalities. More importantly, Radbone is able to inspire everyone who is working for him and with him to contribute their best in meeting the goals of the company. Application of people oriented leadership style This style typically occurs in situations where there is time to consider alternatives, to listen to ideas. There is time for the team to gather information and use in the decision process, propose approaches to the problem, generate ideas. These situations usually occur in areas of business where you have to make decisions and have time to decide: directories of companies, working in functional areas of the organization, groups of professionals. It is important in organisation where there are situations where the project is important to involve the team, develop skills, listen to their views, to enrich the decision process. E.g. Apple Company that develops smart phones, Ipods, Ipads.

Conclusion
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In conclusion the various leadership styles are influenced majorly by three factors. The managers personal background: What personality, knowledge, values, ethics, and experiences does the manager have. What does he or she think will work? Staff being supervised: Staff individuals with different personalities and backgrounds; the leadership style used will vary depending upon the individual staff and what he or she will respond best to. The organization: The traditions, values, philosophy, and concerns of the organization influence how a manager acts. There is no one best style, leaders must adjust their leadership style to the situation as well as to the people being led.

Bibliography Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectation. New York: Free Press. Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, (Winter): 19-31. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row Greenleaf, R. (1977). Servant leadership, Paulist Press Lewin, K., LIippit, R. and White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-301 Newstrom, John W. & Davis, Keith (1993). Organizational Behaviour: Human Behaviour at Work. New York: McGraw-Hill. Schriesheim, Chester A. The Great High Consideration: High Initiating Structure Leadership Myth: Evidence on its Generalizability. The Journal of Social Psychology, April 1982, 116, pp. 221-228. Tannenbaum, R. & Schmidt, W. How to Choose a leadership Pattern. Harvard Business Review, May-June 1973, No. 73311 (originally published in March-April 1958 issue). Conger, J. A., and R. N. Kanungo (Eds), Charismatic Leadership in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998 U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership. http://www.task.fm/Laissez-Faire-Leadership-When-If-Ever-To-Use-It http://www.what-are-good-leadership-skills.com/leadership-styles.html

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http://www.legacee.com/Info/Leadership/LeadershipStyles.html http://www.essortment.com/styles-leadership-36149.html

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