Assignment 01

Problem Solving, Decision Making, Team Work and

Leadership

K.M.Welagedara
GA/L5/ETB04/01/0006
NVQ level 06
Mechatronics 2017(semester 01)

1
 1. What are the characteristics of good leaders?

2. Explain following leadership styles

a) Autocratic style
b) Democratic style

3. What do you mean by transactional and transformational leadership?

Explain characteristic of each leader

01. What are the characteristics of good leaders?

2
Good leadership is essential to business, to government and to the numerous groups
and organizations that shape the way we live, work and play. Having a great idea , and
assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a successful
business venture.

While finding a new and unique idea is rare enough; the ability to successfully
execute this idea is what separates the dreamers from the entrepreneurs. And this is
where leadership transforms potential into reality. Leaders are a key human resource
in any organization. We generally think of companies competing by means of their
products, but they probably compete more by means of their leaders than their
products.

Better leaders develop better employees and the two together develop better products.
The importance of leadership in management cannot be overemphasized. To get things
done by people, management must supply leadership in the organization. Team-work
is essential for realizing organizational goals. Managers must influence the team for
work accomplishment through leadership. Secondly, leadership aids authority.

Here are some characteristics which I found interesting as characteristics of a good

leader.

1. Recognizes the value in other people, so continually invests in others

Good leaders see a large part of their role as developing people and new
leaders. Leadership development takes place in an organization as leaders begin to
share their experiences, both positive and negative, with others.

2. Shares information
There is a tendency of some leaders to hold information, because information
is power. A good leader uses this to the teams advantage knowing the more
information the team has collectively the stronger the team.

3. Has above average character

3
 There are no perfect people, but for a leader to be considered good, in my
opinion, they must have a character which is unquestioned within the organization.
Their integrity and transparency is paramount. Leadership always draws criticism, so
a leader may not be able to get everyone to believe in him or her, but the people who
know the leader best should trust the leaders character most.

4. Uses their influence for the good of others

Good leaders are as interested in making a positive difference in peoples lives
as they are in creating a healthy profit margin or accomplishing a strategy. In fact,
people-building is a large part of the strategy. This doesnt mean that balance sheets
and income statements arent important, in fact they are important for the success of
an organization (even non-profits even churches), but a good leader doesnt separate
a desire for helping others from the desire for financial health. And, good leaders find
ways to leverage financial health to strengthen the well-being of others.

5. Skillful, competent and professional

Good leaders are talented or knowledgeable about their field and can be
depended on for their follow through. You dont question whether a good leader is
going to be able to complete a task. They may not be the smartest in the room, but if
they dont know how to do something, they will find someone who does and they
arent afraid to ask or empower others. They will ensure a job they have committed to
do is done the best it can be done. This also means they dont commit to more than
they can reasonably accomplish. They know the power of No!

6. Not afraid for others to succeed (even greater than their own success)
Good leaders realize some followers will outgrow the leaders ability to
develop them any further. Good leaders, however, arent threatened by anothers
success. They are willing to celebrate as those around them succeed even help
them get there.

7. Serve others expecting nothing in return

4
 Good leaders have a heart of service. They truly love and value people and want
to help others for the good of the one being helped, not necessarily for personal gain.

8. Continue to learn
Good leaders are always learning and implementing those learnings into the
betterment of the organization. That could be through reading, conferences, web-based
learnings, or through other leaders, but also through people who report to the leader.

9. Accessible, approachable, and accountable to others

Good leaders dont isolate themselves from people regardless of the amount of
responsibility or power he or she attains. Good leaders willingly seek the input of
other people into their professional and personal lives. They desire to know people,
not just be known by people.

10. Visionary thinks beyond today

Good leaders are always thinking Whats next? It is a common question
asked by good leaders, knowing someone must continually challenge the boundaries
and encourage change. They spur growth and strategic thinking so the organization
can remain healthy, vibrant and sustainable.

02. Explain following leadership styles

a) Autocratic style

5
Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style
characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group
members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas and
judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. Autocratic leadership involves
absolute, authoritarian control over a group.

Like other leadership styles, the autocratic style has both some benefits and some
weaknesses.

Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership

Some of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership include:

Little or no input from group members

Leaders make the decisions
Group leaders dictate all the work methods and processes
Group members are rarely trusted with decisions or important tasks

Benefits of Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership can be beneficial in some instances, such as when decisions

need to be made quickly without consulting with a large group of people. Some
projects require strong leadership to get things accomplished quickly and efficiently.
When the leader is the most knowledgeable person in the group, the autocratic style
can lead to fast and effective decisions.

6
Downsides of Autocratic Leadership

While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances
where this leadership style can be problematic. People who abuse an autocratic
leadership style are often viewed as bossy, controlling and dictatorial, which can lead
to resentment among group members.

Because autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting the group, people in the
group may dislike that they are unable to contribute ideas. Researchers have also
found that autocratic leadership often results in a lack of creative solutions to
problems, which can ultimately hurt the group from performing. Autocratic leaders
tend to overlook the knowledge and expertise that group members might bring to the
situation. Failing to consult with other team members in such situations hurts the
overall success of the group.

Autocratic leadership can also impair the morale of the group in some cases. People
tend to feel happier and perform better when they feel like they are making
contributions to the future of the group.

Since autocratic leaders typically do not allow input from team members, followers
start to feel dissatisfied and stifled.

b) Democratic style

7
 Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is a type
of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the
decision-making process. Everyone is given the opportunity to participate, ideas are
exchanged freely, and discussion is encouraged. While the democratic process tends to
focus on group equality and the free flow of ideas, the lead of the group is still there to
offer guidance and control.

The democratic leader is charged with deciding who is in the group and who gets to
contribute to the decisions that are made. Researchers have found that the democratic
leadership style is one of the most effective and leads to higher productivity, better
contributions from group members, and increased group morale.

Characteristics of Democratic Leadership

Some of the primary characteristics of democratic leadership include:

Group members are encouraged to share ideas and opinions, even though the
leader retains the final say over decisions.
Members of the group feel more engaged in the process.
Creativity is encouraged and rewarded.
Honesty
Intelligence
Courage
Creativity
Competence
Fairness

Strong democratic leaders inspire trust among followers. They are sincere and base
their decisions on their morals and values.

Followers tend to feel inspired to take action and contribute to the group. Good
leaders also tend to seek diverse opinions and do not try to silence dissenting voices or
those that offer a less popular point of view.

8
Benefits of Democratic Leadership

Because group members are encouraged to share their thoughts, democratic

leadership can leader to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems.

Group members also feel more involved and committed to projects, making them
more likely to care about the end results. Research on leadership styles has also shown
that democratic leadership leads to higher productivity among group members.

Downsides of Democratic Leadership

While democratic leadership has been described as the most effective leadership
style, it does have some potential downsides. In situations where roles are unclear or
time is of the essence, democratic leadership can lead to communication failures and
uncompleted projects. In some cases, group members may not have the necessary
knowledge or expertise to make quality contributions to the decision-making process.

Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are skilled and
eager to share their knowledge. It is also important to have plenty of time to allow
people to contribute, develop a plan and then vote on the best course of action.

9
3. What do you mean by transactional and transformational
leadership? Explain characteristic of each leader

a) Transactional leadership

A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are
likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead
international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time
or move people and supplies in an organized way. Transactional leaders are not a good
fit for places where creativity and innovative ideas are valued.

Transactional leadership focuses on results, conforms to the existing structure of

an organization and measures success according to that organizations system of
rewards and penalties. Transactional leaders have formal authority and positions of
responsibility in an organization. This type of leader is responsible for maintaining
routine by managing individual performance and facilitating group performance.
This type of leader sets the criteria for their workers according to previously defined
requirements. Performance reviews are the most common way to judge employee
performance. Transactional, or managerial, leaders work best with employees who
know their jobs and are motivated by the reward-penalty system. The status quo of an
organization is maintained through transactional leadership.
Here are some of the characteristics of transactional leaders:
Focused on short-term goals
Favour structured policies and procedures
Thrive on following rules and doing things correctly
Revel in efficiency
Very left-brained
Tend to be inflexible
Opposed to change

10
b) Transformational leader

Transformational leadership is a style of leadership where a leader works

with subordinates to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change
through inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of
a group. Transformational leadership serves to enhance the motivation, morale,
and job performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms; these include
connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to a project and to the collective
identity of the organization; being a role model for followers in order to inspire them
and to raise their interest in the project; challenging followers to take
greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of
followers, allowing the leader to align followers with tasks that enhance their
performance.

Five major personality traits have been identified as factors contributing to the
likelihood of an individual displaying the characteristics of a transformational leader.
Different emphasis on different elements of these traits point to inclination in
personality to inspirational leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational
leadership. These five traits are as follows.

Extraversion
The two main characteristics of extraverts are affiliation and agency, which
relate to the social and leadership aspects of their personality, respectively.
Extraversion is generally seen as an inspirational trait usually exhibited in
transformational leadership.

Neuroticism
Neuroticism generally gives an individual an anxiety related to productivity
which, in a group setting can be debilitating to a degree where they are unlikely to
position themselves in a role of transformational leadership due to lower self-esteem
and a tendency to shirk from leadership responsibilities.

11
 Openness to experience
Creative expression and emotional responsiveness have been linked to a
general tendency of openness to experience. This trait is also seen as a component of
transformational leadership as it relates to the ability to give big-picture visionary
leadership for an organization.

Agreeableness
Although not a trait which specifically points to transformational
leadership, leaders in general possess an agreeable nature stemming from a natural
concern for others and high levels of individual consideration. Charisma and idealized
influence is a classic ability of individuals who possess agreeability.

Conscientiousness
Strong sense of direction and the ability to put large amounts of
productive work into tasks is the by-product of conscientious leaders. This trait is
more linked to a transactional form of leadership given the management-based
abilities of such individuals and the detail oriented nature of their personality.

12