Leadership and
governance
Different types of leaders and traits of leadership
Should PM Lee sue
Roy Ngerng?
The issues at hand …
• What is a good leader?
• What are the qualities of a good leader?
• How do leaders lead?
• Can a good politician be a good leader?
• What are the different systems of governance?
• Does this have an impact on the leadership
style?
Leadership
• Leadership has been described as "a process of social
influence in which one person can enlist the aid and
support of others in the accomplishment of a common
task".
• A leader is simply somebody whom people follow, or as
somebody who guides or directs others
• Leadership is "organizing a group of people to achieve a
common goal"
• Peter Drucker famously stated that
"management is doing things right; leadership is
doing the right things."
• Great leaders possess dazzling social intelligence,
a zest for change, and above all, vision that
allows them to set their sights on the "things"
that truly merit attention.
Leadership Theories
Theories of how leadership works
Great Man theory
• Great leaders are born, not made
• Great leaders are simply born with the necessary internal
characteristics such as charisma, confidence, intelligence,
and social skills that make them natural-born leaders.
• Portray leaders as heroic, mythic and destined to rise to
leadership
• Notions that in times of need, a Great Man would arise,
almost by magic.
• Eg: Churchill, Jesus, Moses, Buddha
Trait Theory
• People are born with inherited traits.
• Some traits are particularly suited to leadership.
• People who make good leaders have the right (or
sufficient) combination of traits.
• Underlying assumption that if one could also be
found with these traits, then he, too, could also
become great leader.
Critique
• There are plenty of people who possess the
personality traits associated with leadership, yet
many of these people never seek out or are
given positions of leadership.
Contingency Theories
• The leader's ability to lead is contingent upon various
situational factors, including the leader's preferred style,
the capabilities and behaviors of followers and also
various other situational factors.
• There is no one best way of leading and that a leadership
style that is effective in some situations may not be
successful in others.
• Leaders who are very effective at one place and time
may become unsuccessful either when transplanted to
another situation or when the factors around them
change.
Situational Theories
• Leaders choose the best course of action based upon
situational variables. Different styles of leadership may
be more appropriate for certain types of decisionmaking.
• For example, in a situation where the leader is the most
knowledgeable and experienced member of a group, an
authoritarian style might be most appropriate.
• In other instances where group members are skilled
experts, a democratic style would be more effective.
• The main difference is that situational theory
tends to focus more on the behaviors that the
leader should adopt, given situational factors
(often about follower behavior), whereas
contingency theory takes a broader view that
includes contingent factors about leader
capability and other variables within the
situation.
Behavioral Theories
• Leaders can be made, rather than are born.
• Successful leadership is based in definable, learnable
behavior.
• According to this theory, people can learn to become
leaders through teaching and observation.
• This opens the floodgates to leadership development, as
opposed to simple psychometric assessment that sorts
those with leadership potential from those who will
never have the chance.
Participative Theories
• Ideal leadership style is one that takes the input of others
into account.
• These leaders encourage participation and contributions
from group members and help group members feel more
relevant and committed to the decision-making process.
• In participative theories, however, the leader retains the
right to allow the input of others.
Management Theories
• Focus on the role of supervision, organization and group
performance.
• These theories base leadership on a system of rewards
and punishments.
• Managerial theories are often used in business; when
employees are successful, they are rewarded; when they
fail, they are reprimanded or punished.
Relationship Theories
• Focus upon the connections formed between leaders
and followers.
• Transformational leaders motivate and inspire people by
helping group members see the importance and higher
good of the task.
• These leaders are focused on the performance of group
members, but also want each person to fulfill his or her
potential.
• Leaders with this style often have high ethical and moral
standards.
Different Leadership
styles
Charismatic Leader
Assumptions
• Charm and grace are all that is needed to create
followers.
• Self-belief is a fundamental need of leaders.
• People follow others that they personally admire.
Charismatic Leader
• The Charismatic Leader gathers followers through dint of
personality and charm, rather than any form of external
power or authority.
• Deliberate charisma is played out in a theatrical sense,
where the leader is 'playing to the house' to create a
desired effect. They also make effective use of
storytelling, including the use of symbolism and
metaphor.
• Usually to gather a large number of followers – political
leaders, religious leaders, cult leaders
• Charismatic Leaders who are building a group will often
focus strongly on making the group very clear and
distinct, separating it from other groups. They will then
build the image of the group, in particular in the minds of
their followers, as being far superior to all others.
• Typically attach themselves firmly to the identify of the
group, such that to join the group is to become one with
the leader. In doing so, they create an unchallengeable
position for themselves.
Critique
• The values of the Charismatic Leader are highly
significant. If they are well-intentioned towards others,
they can elevate and transform an entire company. If
they are not, they can create cults and effectively cause
harm.
• Their self-belief is so high, they believe that they are
infallible, and hence lead their followers into an abyss
• They may also be intolerant of challengers and their
irreplaceability (intentional or otherwise) can mean that
there are no successors when they leave.
Participative Theories
Assumptions
• People are more committed to actions where they have
involved in the relevant decision-making.
• People are less competitive and more collaborative when
they are working on joint goals.
• When people make decisions together, the social
commitment to one another is greater and thus
increases their commitment to the decision.
• Several people deciding together make better decisions
than one person alone.
Participative Leader
• This approach is also known as consultation,
empowerment, joint decision-making, democratic
leadership, Management By Objective (MBO) and powersharing.
• Participative Leadership can be a sham when managers
ask for opinions and then ignore them. This is likely to
lead to cynicism and feelings of betrayal.
Situational Leader
• Assumptions :
• When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not
just fall into a single preferred style
• The leaders' perception of the follower and the situation
will affect what they do rather than the truth of the
situation. The leader's perception of themselves and
other factors such as stress and mood will also modify
the leaders' behavior.
• Leaders not only consider the likelihood of a follower
accepting a suggestion, but also the overall importance
of getting things done.
Transactional Leader
Assumptions
• People are motivated by reward and punishment.
• Social systems work best with a clear chain of command.
• When people have agreed to do a job, a part of the deal is
that they cede all authority to their manager.
• The prime purpose of a subordinate is to do what their
manager tells them to do.
Transactional leader
• Clear structure of what is required of the subordinates
and the rewards that will come if they obey
• When the Transactional Leader allocates work to a
subordinate, they are considered to be fully responsible
for it, whether or not they have the resources or
capability to carry it out.
• When things go wrong, then the subordinate is
considered to be personally at fault, and is punished for
their failure (just as they are rewarded for succeeding).
Critique
• The main limitation is the assumption of 'rational man', a
person who is largely motivated by money and simple
reward, and hence whose behavior is predictable.
• But it doesn’t always work this way – Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs
• When the demand for a skill outstrips the supply, then
Transactional Leadership often is insufficient, and other
approaches are more effective.
Transformational Leader
Assumptions
• People will follow a person who inspires them.
• A person with vision and passion can achieve great
things.
• The way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm
and energy.
Transformational Leader
• Transformational Leadership starts with the development
of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and
convert potential followers
• The Transformational Leader thus takes every
opportunity and will use whatever works to convince
others to climb on board the bandwagon.
• Transformational Leaders are always visible and will
stand up to be counted rather than hide behind their
troops.
• Transformational Leaders are often charismatic, but are
not as narcissistic as pure Charismatic Leaders, who
succeed through a belief in themselves rather than a
belief in others.
Quiet Leader
• Assumptions
• The actions of a leader speak louder than his or her
words.
• People are motivated when you give them credit rather
than take it yourself.
• Ego and aggression are neither necessary nor
constructive.
Quiet Leader
• Base their success not on ego and force of character but
on their thoughts and actions.
• The quiet leader leads by example.
• They do not tell people what to do.
• They do not force people to do things that they are not
willing to do.
• They do not give loud speeches, sweeping statements
and clear cut orders.
• They do what needs to be done, inspiring their followers
to do the same.
Servant Leader
• Assumptions
• The leader has responsibility for the followers.
• Leaders have a responsibility towards society and those
who are disadvantaged.
• People who want to help others best do this by leading
them.
Servant Leader
• Greenleaf says that true leadership "emerges from those
whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help
others."
• Servant leadership is a very moral position, putting the
well-being of the followers before other goals.
• The people served grow as individuals, becoming
'healthier, wiser, more autonomous and more likely
themselves to become servants' (Greenleaf, 1977).
• The extent to which the leadership benefits those who
are least advantaged in society (or at least does not
disadvantage them).
• Name 2 – 3 great leaders (not too ancient
please)
• What are the qualities they possess that make
them great leaders?
• What is their leadership style like?
• To what extent do leaders pursue personal
gains at the expense of morality?