definition and application of decision making as a management activity

2.  The art of mastering change ….. The ability to mobilize other’s efforts in new directions
 The art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done
 The ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do and like it
 Influencing the actions of others

4. Leadership Trait Theory
One of the early approaches to understanding leadership was the identification of
specific traits that leaders supposedly possessed.
Traits shared by effective leaders (supposedly)
 Credibility
 Creativity
 Self -confidence
 Drive
 Task-relevant knowledge
 Intelligence
 Motivation
 Flexibility

5. Leadership Behavior Theory
this theory assumes that you can learn to become a good leader because you
are not drawing on personality traits.
Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Country club style (High People : Low Task)
• the leader has a high concern for others
• Low concern for the task
• emphasis is to cultivate a high level of
friendly relationships with the group
• Not good for producing results
• The group ultimately suffers because they
fail to achieve

6. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Impoverished style (Low People : Low Task)
• The leader has both a low concern for people and low
concern for the task
• The leader mainly cares about himself and is afraid of
making mistakes
• The least effective approach to leadership
Middle of the Road Style (Mid people : Mid Task)
• This is essentially ineffective compromise
• There is some concern for the task, and some concern for
the people, but not enough of either
• Leader has not enough conviction, skill or insight
• Not effective, has much room for improvement

7. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid
Team style (High People : High Task)
• Combines a high concern for and involvement in the
group with a strong well-organized and communicated
focus on achieving the task
• Uses collaborative teamwork approach
• Difficult to use, and may be inadvisable when leading
inexperienced people to produce challenging and critical
results in a new or strange situation
Produce or Perish Style (Low people : High Task)
• High focus on the task and little or no concern for the people
(autocratic)
• Leaders using this style seek to control and dominate others
• Can be effective in a short term
• This approach is not sustainable, especially where followers
have the option to walk away.

8. Contingency Theory or Situational Leadership Theory
What works for a leader in one situation may not work in another. This theory holds that a leader’s
most appropriate action or behavior depends on the situation and on the followers.
The key words are acceptance and readiness. This theory subscribes to the idea that, how the
leader leads is not a question merely of his skills and abilities; it also depends heavily on the follower’s
abilities and attitudes.
Four styles of leadership
Directing – involves telling people what they should be doing
Supporting – involves relationship behavior such as listening to people,
providing support and facilitating the people’s involvement
Coaching - directing people in a more supportive way. The leader listens to
suggestions, ideas and opinions but decision-making remains with him.
Delegating - the leader discusses the problem with the subordinates. The
decision making for addressing the problem is handled by the subordinates

9. Situational Leadership Styles

11. 1. Being trustworthy
The leader who does not trust enough will not be trusted. - Lao Tsu.
If you don’t believe in the messenger, you won’t believe the message.
2. Integrity
I look for three things in hiring people. The first is personal integrity, the
second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy level. But if you don’t have
the first, the second two don’t matter. - Warren Buffett, CEO, Berkshire-
Hathaway.

12. 3. Self-reflection
The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself. - Thales.
Some activities you can do to improve your self-awareness:
• Keep a journal – Journals help improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a
few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher
degree of self-awareness.
• Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to
examine why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how
you react to it.
4. Self-confidence
Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment. - Thomas
Carlyle, historian and essayist.
Self-confidence is the lifeblood of success. - Jack Welch.

13. 5. Self-directed
Before we can lead others, we must be able to lead ourselves first. Kristi Staab, a
leadership trainer.
6. Action- and Results- oriented
Leadership is action, not position. - Gerald Greenwald.
You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. - Henry Ford.
7. Respecting and Caring for Others
inexperienced leaders are quick to lead before knowing anything about the people they
intend to lead. Mature leaders listen, learn, and then lead. - John Maxwell
Taking an interest in what others are thinking and doing is often a much more powerful form
of encouragement than praise. - Robert Martin.

14. 8. Willingness to take risk and being innovative
The history of great leaders is the history of great risk takers. -John Spence.
9. Transparency
10. Righting wrong
To bear with patience wrongs done to oneself is a mark of perfection, but to bear with
patience wrongs done to someone else is a mark of imperfection and even of actual sin.
Thomas Aquinas.
11. Staying focused
A good leader remains focused . . . Controlling your direction is better than being
controlled by it. Jack Welch, former General Electric chairman.
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape. unknown

15. 12. Responding quickly with agility
13. A positive attitude
A positive mindset is also associated with strong leadership. All leaders need
to be purveyors of hope. If leaders are to be inspiring, they need to be enthusiastic,
energetic, and positive about the future. This demonstrates the leader’s personal
commitment to pursuing the vision.
14. Clarity
More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity. Francois Gautier,
French writer and journalist.