Case Study Bob Knowlton free essay sample

Was it effective? Explain. What would you have done with Fester if you were Knowlton? What would you have done to influence Dr. Jerrold if you were Knowlton? Conclusion Bob Knowlton Overview The Case (Bob Knowlton) depicts how inappropriate leadership styles can greatly influence employee’s performance and commitment to their organization. It also shows the impact that ineffective leadership can have on communication, teamwork, and the organization as a whole. The main characters are Bob Knowlton, whom was the Laboratory Leader, Dr Jerrold whom as the Director and Fester the new hire. Bob was promoted to be the leader of the Laboratory by Dr. Jerrold, (whom was the head of the lab), as he saw that Bob had the necessary skill set to oversee certain projects. Fester (whom Dr. Jerrold thought very highly of) was hired after, by Dr. Jerrold, without any formal introduction to the group, which in turn offset a series of animosity, and insecurity issues†¦ An organization has th e greatest chance of being successful when all employees, crucify self, focus on the company’s vision, and work towards achieving it. Since leadership involves the exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership exhibited by supervisors is therefore a critical determinant of organizational success. Leadership Leadership StyleLeadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. A person carries out this process by applying her/his leadership attributes (belief, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills). Although the position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make one a leader it simply makes you the boss. Leadership makes people want to achieve high goals and objectives, while, on the other hand, bosses tell people to accomplish a task or objective. Good leaders are made not born. If one has the desire and willpower, then they can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never-ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. The Attribution Theory of Leadership The early conceptualization of leadership was that leaders are characterized by certain enduring traits that predispose them to leadership roles. This view was later superseded by theories of leadership style, and then contingency theories, where leader behavior was approached, as an interaction of leader, follower, and environment. Bass (1) Theory of LeadershipBass HYPERLINK http://www. nwlink. com/~donclark/leader/leadcon. html \l one (1) theory of leadership states that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders. The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people, these theories are: Trait Theory. Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. Events Theory. A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. Transformational Leadership TheoryPeople can choose to become leaders, also people can learn leadership skills, this is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this guide is based. Questions Answers What attributions did Bob Knowlton make? Knowlton implemented the ideal of the Proton Correlator, thus he produced. He was very dedicated; he normally stayed after the others had gone, to review the group work. He was a good team leader, he lead meeting regularly before Fester came on the scene. Because of his attributions he was promoted only after two years with the company. What team norms seemed to be operating in Knowlton’s team? Norms can be defined as rules and patterns of behavior that are accepted and expected by members of team, we can say then that Knowlton had a clear goal – as he made the team produce to his boss level of satisfaction. Therefore to help the team attain that goal, Knowlton had developed team norms that are consistent with neutral respect to, or conflict with that goal. For example Knowlton held regular meeting with team members to discuss method of analysis of patterns, and other problems. He set norms on how to handle team meeting, and who can participate in these meetings, all these norms set in a way to improve their productivity. The team members were aware of these norms, and they understood how necessary the norms were in order to achieve their goal. What is also important to remember, is that these norms were well enforced with no problem at all, and members of the team felt comfortable with the norms, until Fester arrived. They generally form and enforce norms with respect to behaviors that they believe to be particularly important. The norms Knowlton set for the team aid in team survival and provide benefit, that is why once the norms were no longer enforced, the team collapsed. 3. What leadership style did Knowlton needed from Jerrold after Fester arrived? The Leadership style that Knowlton needed from Jerrold after Fester arrived was the Consult Team Style, the Supporting Style. Consult Team Style: The issue or the plan needed to be presented to the team in meetings or on a one to one basis to avoid misinterpretation of the primary goal. In the beginning of the passage, Jerrold had a one on one conversation with Knowlton which talked about his intentions of bringing Fester to the lab but he failed in communicating to the team what his real intentions were. He never focused on making others aware about the future of the lab, and that created friction among the members especially between Fester (the new comer) and Knowlton. We believe that Jerrold’s future intentions for the lab were good, however, his lack of team communication really affected the team performance as well as its productivity; consulting his team first was very vital in this scenario. Supporting Style is for people who have competence, but lack confidence or motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation. When Fester came on the scene Knowlton started to feel very insecure because of Fester’s brilliance competence, more over he felt that his job was being threatened, by him. He would have done well with some assurance from Dr. Jerrold. 4. What leadership style did Knowlton seem to get from Dr. Jerrold before and after Fester arrived? Before the arrival of Fester, Jerrold used the Delegate Style, he allowed Knowlton to brainstorm with the team for solutions to their problems. The Delegate style is when the leader allows the employees to make the decision. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. Jerrold saw that Knowlton was capable to handle the projects so he used the delegate style with him. After Fester arrived Dr. Jerrold used the Decide leadership style. Dr. Jerrold hired Fester without the knowledge of the team, and Fester also started working without being introduced to the group by Dr. Jerrold. He then used Fester’s expertise to collect information to assist him in solving the issues of the lab. His decision about the team’s future was primarily influenced by Fester’s knowledge and contribution. Even before Fester started with the team Dr. Jerrold saw the need of adding a stronger source to the team. 5. What leadership style did Knowlton use with his subordinates? Knowlton used two leadership styles with his subordinates, the Consult Team Style, and the Participating Style – The Participating style because he was fully involved, he was able to perform, however he was not fully confident of his ability. Knowlton also admitted that he would have felt less secure if he had to direct the work on his own. The Consult Team Style because he constantly held meetings and allow the other members to share in decisions about how best to complete a high-quality job/their project. 6. What leadership style did Knowlton use with Fester? Was it effective? Explain. The leadership style that Knowlton used with Fester was the Avoidance Style and Democratic Style. First he tried to stay away from conflict with Fester, ignoring disagreement and remaining neutral. This style refers to unassertive and uncooperative behaviors like Fester. When unresolved conflict gets in the way of accomplishing goals, the avoid style led to negative results for the organization. It also seems that he used the Democratic Leadership Style which is more flexible. However, it is also less efficient and provides less emotional security. This style was not effective with Fester’s character, as Fester was very direct and aggressive, which led him to take advantage of the situation. Knowlton did not try to influence Fester to adopt any solution and was willing to accept and implement any solution that Fester proposed. . What would you have done with Fester if you were Knowlton? We believe that the key here is the lack of communication between the head of the lab and the rest of the employees. The future structure of the lab was not well defined by Dr. Jerrold. He had other plans in mind that were not communicated clearly, and as a result caused a lot of confusion and friction amongst the members, that led to the dismantlement of the t eam. We felt that Knowlton should have expressed to Jerrold how he felt about the whole situation. He obviously felt intimidated by Fester’s knowledge in the field and he assumed that his job was being threatened. A professional conversation with Fester could have altered and improved the situation. Knowlton was very intimidated and threatened by Fester’s brilliance and outspokenness, however if we were Knowlton we would have used Fester’s brilliance to the advantage of the team, and the company as a whole. Fester instead allowed self to rule his judgment and believe. 8. What would you have done to influence Dr. Jerrold if you were Knowlton? Knowlton needed to demonstrate to Dr Jerrold that he was capable of leading the team without having to worry about someone taking his place. His insecurity intimidated him into leaving the company. He could not handle the pressure of having to work with someone more qualified than him. He was a leader until Fester got there, Knowlton should have taken advantage of his experience to show more leadership skills to Dr. Jerold not just walking away and hurting the team. Conclusion According to the Bass (1) theory Knowlton would fall under the Events Theory, as he did not choose to become a leader. Also he did not have the personality trait that steered people into leadership, (he was more a manager); the event of implementing the idea of the Photon Correlator, placed him in that position. He performed his duty very well; however he admitted that he would feel far less secure if he had to direct the work completely on his own, without the support of his team. According to the Situational Leadership, good leaders are able to adopt differing leadership styles with different people, and also with the same people, but at different times; Knowlton should have altered his leadership style with Fester. Although there is much more to successful leadership than selecting the right style, the situational component of leadership is crucial to an organization’s success. The better a leader can gauge the impact of decisions on team members and how technically self-sufficient they are, the better he/she can lead. Leadership success certainly cannot be guaranteed, but knowing when and when not to use a particular style will greatly enhance one’s capacity to succeed. Knowing what to do and when to do it is half the battle in successful leadership/ management. References: Organizational Behavior, 10th edition, Hellriegel Slocum HYPERLINK http://www. nwlink. com/~donclark/leader/leadstl. html http://www. nwlink. com/~donclark/leader/leadstl. html Big Dogs Leadership Page Leadership Styles Blake, Robert R. and Jane S. Mouton (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Bass, Bernard, Stogdills Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research, New York: Free Press, 1989. Bass, Bernard, From Transactional to Transformational Leadership: Learning to Share the Vision, Organizational Dynamics, Winter 1990. Leadership is indeed a complex process, but two key factors are especially important in determining which style will work best in a given situation: (1) the impact the decision or leadership action likely will have on the team, and (2) the extent to which team members are competent to make the decision or take action on their own. Leadership Styles Your leadership style is how you behave when you are trying to influence the performance of others. It is the way you supervise or work with someone. The are four leadership styles (but there is no one best leadership style): Directing HYPERLINK http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/crosscuttings/coaching_main. html Coaching Supporting HYPERLINK http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/mgmt_decentralzation_delegation. html Delegating. Depending on your employees competences in their task areas and commitment to them, your leadership style may vary from one person to another. You may also lead the same person one way sometimes and another way at other times. Use a variety of leadership styles in directing and supporting the work of others and make them a second nature to you in your roles as a manager and as a parent. Leadership Styles1 | |Directing Style is for people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get| |them started. | |Coaching Style is for people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are | |still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build their self-esteem, and involvement in decision-making| |to restore their commitment. |Supporting Style is for people who have competence, but lack confidence of motivation. They do not need much direction because | |of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation. | |Delegating Style is for people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by | |themselves with little supervision or support | | INCLUDEPICTURE http://www. 1000ventures. com/design_elements/selfmade/leadership_situational_styles. if \* MERGEFORMATINET | a situational leader is one who can adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. By adopting the right style to suit the followers development level, work gets done, relationships are built up, and most importantly, the followers development level will rise A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control ori entation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation). (Zimbardo, 1985, p. 75) Our attribution style determines which forces we hold responsible for our successes and failures. Both locus of control and attribution styles have great influence on our motivation, expectations, self-esteem, risk-taking behavior, and even on the actual outcome of our actions. What is your locus of control? And what forces are responsible for your successes and failures? Important Keys of Leadership Helping employees understand the companys overall business strategy. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives. Sharing information with employees on how the company is doing and also how an employees own division is doing –in relation to strategic business objectives. Ask question when you don’t understand Make sure everyone has a chance to participate Respect others’ opinions. Presume positive intentions. Be open to new ideas. In concluding Fester was more a manager than a leader Know your mission. If you are assigned to a position of leadership, you are expected to accomplish something, so find out what it is. If you find yourself in a leadership role and that happens any time someone elects to follow you take a good look at where you are going. You are likely to be displeased with yourself if you lead them over a cliff, and it is difficult to answer someone who says, I followed you because I thought you were going somewhere. So leadership is a responsibility that requires a workable sense of direction. Overview The value of an innovation project is largely determined by the quality of the team that conducts it. Essential teamwork capabilities include choosing team members and partners, mobilizing resources, developing a group culture specific to the project and establishing a framework of norms and values that directly influence the project’s dynamics. Goal The goal of this module is †¢ to explore the nature of teams and discuss the basics of effective teamwork, †¢ to analyze effective and less effective ways of communicating, making decisions and resolving conflict in a team environment and †¢ to identify barriers to creativity and innovation in teams and discuss ways of overcoming those barriers. Evaluation Written test at the end of the module (Saturday A participating or democratic leadership style is more flexible, and better able to use the minds of the followers, and thus less likely to charge off into a blind alley, than an autocratic leadership style. However, it is also less efficient and provides less emotional security. An autocratic leadership style focuses authority and responsibility on the leader. It gets things done, and it is essential in time of emergency. There is a valuable kind of comfort in knowing that someone is in charge provided that he or she is not leading the whole crew over a cliff. There is a place for both democratic and autocratic leadership: democratic when the leader needs inputs; autocratic when a decision must be made: Okay, I heard you. Now this is what we will do. A purely democratic organization has no leader the majority rules. A purely autocratic organization has no feedback the leader rules. The most successful organizations seem to have some of both. This type of balance is an art, and not yet a science. However, some leaders are pretty good at it. I worked for a squadron commander who held a staff meeting every morning. As a newly assigned