C O M M U N I I C A T I I O N I I N O R G A N I I Z A T I I O N
LEADER COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
L e c t t u r r e 8 a
What Do We Know About Good Leadership?
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One Best Way
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Good leaders have certain characteristics in common
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Contingency Theories
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Good leadership depends on the situation
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APPROPRIATE LEADER STYLE?
L E A D E R S T U D I E S : 1940-
50’S
O H I I O S T A T E
U .
.
O F M I I C H I I G A N
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B E G A N W I I T H 1 0 0 0 D I I M E N S I I O N S F O U N D T W O T H A T M A T T E R E D
E F F E C T I I V E L E A D E R S
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I N I I T I I A T E S T R U C T U R E ( ( P R O D U C T I I O N O R I E N T E D )
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A S S I G N S W O R K , , S E T S S T A N D A R D S ) )
C O N S I I D E R A T I I O N ( E M P L O Y E E O R I I E N T E D )
M A N Y
 M U T U A L T R U S T , , R E S P E C T S E M P L O Y E E S
S T U D I I E S : “ “
H I G H H I I G H
” ” I I S ‘ ‘
O N E B E S T W A Y ’ ’
C O N T I I N U U M O F L E A D E R S H I I P B E H A V I I O U R
Graphic
Blake & Mouton: The Managerial Grid
Graphic
LEADER BEHAVIOR-STYLE IGNORES SITUATION
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N E I I T H E R D E M O C R A T I I C N O R A U T H O R I I T A R I I A N B E H A V I I O R I I S

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E F F E C T I I V E I I N E V E R Y S I I T U A T I I O N
L E A D E R ’ ’ S N E E D T O B E F L E X I I B L E A N D K N O W W H E N T O D O
W H A T
S I I T U A T I I O N A L C O N T I I N G E N C I I E S ( ( C H A N G E S O F C O N T E X T ) )
F I I S H E R
SITUATION DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
EXAMPLE
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Study of high performance US Army Commando Team
During planning the group functioned democratically - an adhocracy.
During execution of mission it was a tightly controlled bureaucracy; each individual had a specific task, changes in plan were only made by
 commanding officer - autocratic leader
Post execution back to adhocracy to share info on the mission and learn for future - democratic leadership
P A T H G O A L L E A D E R S H I I P : :
R E S P O N D I I N G T O S I I T U A T I I O N S
L E A D E R S
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C L A R I I F Y P A T H T O G O A L
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R E D U C E O B S T A C L E S T O G O A L
I I N C R E A S E O P P O R T U N I I T I I E S F O R P E R S O N A L S A T I I S F A C T I I O N
A L O N G T H E W A Y
G I I V E R E W A R D S L I I N K E D T O I I N D I I V I I D U A L P E R F O R M A N C E A N D
W A N T S
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P A T H G O A L L E A D E R S H I I P : :
R E S P O N D I I N G T O S I I T U A T I I O N S
C O N T I I N G E N C Y L E A D E R S H I I P
L E A D E R S U C C E S S D E P E N D S I I N P A R T O N F O L L O W E R S
S O L E A D E R S C A N B E : :
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D I I R E C T I I V E
S U P P O R T I I V E
P A R T I I C I I P A T I I V E
R E S U L T I I N G M O T I I V A T I I O N D E P E N D S O N

E M P L O Y E E S A B I I L I I T I I E S
T A S K S T R U C T U R E
D
E
E
M
G
P
R
L
E
O
E
Y E
O
E
F
S ’ ’
C
L
O O
O C
P E
U
R
S
A
O
T
F
I O
C
N
O
I N
N T
W
R
O
O L
R K G R O U P
C O M M U N I I C A T I I O N I I N O R G A N I I Z A T I I O N
LEADER COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
L e c t t u r r e 8 b
T R A N S F O R M A T I I O N A L L E A D E R S
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P R O M P T S F O L L O W E R S T O E X P A N D T H E I I R N E E D S A N D
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W A N T S
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T O S E E V A L U E I I N T H E I I R W O R K
W O R K T R A N S C E N D S S E L F I I N T E R E S T
D E V E L O P C O M M I I T M E N T
R A I I S E C O N S C I I O U S N E S S
T H I I S I I S A C T I I V E , , P A R T I I C I I P A T I I V E , , T H E O R Y Y L E A D E R S H I I P
F A R L E S S D E P E N D E N T O N E X T E R N A L R E W A R D S A N D
M O T I I V A T I I O N
T H E F O U R ‘ ‘
I I ’ ’ s ” ”
O F T R A N S F O R M A T I I O N A L
L E A D E R S H I I P
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Leader as mentor; assumes each employee has different needs; removes “road blocks” inhibiting followers performance.
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Gives reasons/ways for people to change the way they think about work problems and their own personal attitudes; encourages employee to help leaders rethink “old” problems
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Strengthened when a vision/mission shared by co-workers.
Leader stays optimistic in times of crisis; searches for creative methods to reduc e employees’ duties and workloads.
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Based on respecting others; building confidence and trust in overall

mission; followers likely to imitate leaders when they see them achieving desired results.
T R A N S F O R M A T I I O N A L L E A D E R S H I I P
‘ ‘
O N E B E S T W A Y ’ ’
I I S B A C K
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Check out the Saturn Example in reading and as a linked video on lecture schedule from last week.
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Saturn built to have self-managed teams at every level
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With co-management by the union