Ldr/531 Approach to Leadership

Approach to Leadership
Zai Kents
LDR/531
May 21, 2012
William Shearer

Approach to Leadership
Leadership is a method where one person influences another or others to attaining organizational goals.   Leadership is defined in terms of traits, behaviors, influence, interaction patterns, and role relationships. Leadership is a collective control method, which does not exist without a person in charge and followers, leadership elicits voluntary action by followers, and leadership outcome in follower’s actions is focused and goal-oriented.   One major approach to leadership is the behavior approach.
Behavior Approach
Behavior approach focuses more on what managers do on-the-job, and falls into two subcategories.   Research examines how managers spend their time and the pattern of activities, responsibilities, and functions for managerial jobs.   Research also investigates how managers handle constraints, demands, and responsibility conflict.   The study of managerial labor is expressive on approaches that exploit the gathering of information like diaries, job description, questionnaires, direct observation, and information gathered from interviewing.
The behavior approach also focuses on identifying effective leadership behavior.   Because the behavior approach place importance on the measure of the leader, it better describes transactional leadership styles instead of transformational leadership style.   Behavior approach leadership provides a structure for assessing effectual guidance by relating key workings of behavior.   Also reminded are leaders actions toward others are at the task and relationship level, and that on some levels task behavior is appropriate and on some levels relationship is appropriate. Leaders are reminded that workers need managers who offer support, direction, and nurturance.
The behavioral approach falls under two leadership styles:
  * Autocratic leader centralizes authority and derive power from position, coercion, and control of...