LEADERSHIP CASE

Leadership Case

Leadership Case

Comparison of Leadership Traits & Behaviors

In the given scenario, Ben follows participative/democratic leadership style. The democratic leadership style favors decision-making by the group as shown, such as leader gives instruction after consulting the group. He can win the cooperation of his group and can motivate them effectively and positively. The decisions of the democratic leader are not unilateral as with the autocrat because they arise from consultation with the group members and participation by them. It's hard to order and demand someone to be creative, perform as a team, solve complex problems, improve quality, and provide outstanding customer service. The style presents a happy medium between over controlling (micromanaging) and not being engaged and tends to be seen in organizations that must innovate to prosper.

On the other hand, Phil follows transactional leadership style. The approach emphasizes getting things done within the umbrella of the status quo; almost in opposition to the goals of the transformational leadership. It's considered to be a "by the book" approach in which the person works within the rules. As such, it's commonly seen in large, bureaucratic organizations.

Thus, Ben and Phil have totally different leadership styles which are evident from the results in the given scenario. Under Ben, the plant has the lowest turnover while Phil increased the turn-over by his attitude of getting things done.

Most Effective Leader

Obviously, Phil is the most effective leader and I would love to work with Phil. Transactional leadership typically means that followers accomplish the leaders goals based upon a reward-and-punishment system. At one time, this style of leadership was commonly labeled “active management by exception” according to Aviolio, Bass, Berson, and Jung (2003). The leader typically passed out awards for goal achievement and punishments of some type for failure to achieve the expected desires.

In the military ...