Case Study 2.1
Choosing a New Director
1. Which candidate should Ms. Coke select?
I believe the rightful person to be picked as the new director should be Thomas Santiago. He possesses honesty and integrity, and most of all; he puts the values and goals of the company first and foremost. However, this doesn’t mean that the two other candidates are far behind; they possess, in their own right, qualities that could possibly make them good leaders. Alexa, possesses creativity, insight and persistence which are great assets to the company, and Kelsey, who possesses intelligence and sociability also present great assets to the company. However, in my assessment, I believe that Thomas possesses the abilities that a great leader must possess. Furthermore, it has been noted that far greater intelligence would create an adverse effect on the undertaking. Having a great gap on intellectual and cognitive ability (), would make it difficult for people working under her to catch up with her views and desired undertakings. Furthermore, in Alexa’s case, though it should not be taken personally, I believe she lacks credentials that should be possessed by a director. However, I believe Thomas Santiago is balanced on all the traits mentioned which should be possessed by a leader.
2. In what way is the trait approach helpful in this selection?
Leadership is not simply an idiosyncratic characteristic of some individuals. It is a systemic property derived from the interaction of the requirements of critical organizational tasks, the critical functions those tasks serve, and the problem-solving characteristics of the actors in “leader” roles. The nature of the critical functions and tasks is related to organizational level. (1992) expanded those concepts and incorporated them into a multilevel model of leadership. His model provides an integrative perspective on the type of leadership required, critical tasks, individual capabilities needed, and the importance of organizational culture/subcultures at each organization level.
In this type of selection, the trait approach would be of great help since it highlights the traits and the capabilities many great leaders share. The trait approach could be pertained to as the shortcut method of choosing a leader with a pool of various traits that many leaders do possess.
3. In what ways are the weaknesses of the trait approach highlighted in this case study?
The trait theories focused their attention on determining what attributes and qualities differentiated leaders from followers. Theorists concentrated on the personal attributes and characteristics of ‘good’ leaders-extraordinary individuals who were revered by their followers. Subsequently, style theorists explored the idea that the leadership qualities could be explained in terms of how leaders behaved. For instance, it has been suggested that the behavior of leaders could be grouped into two distinct styles. What is termed theory X was a directive style and theory Y was a supportive style; both styles achieve success in different circumstances. Contingency theories considered the possibility that there was no one best solution to every problem; extraordinary individuals have to lead by making the choice that is most appropriate to prevailing circumstances ( 2004).
In this case study however, the trait approach would seem robotic and much generalized. The trait approach is somewhat like a stereotype of traits many leaders possess. But being a great leader cannot be accurately predicted by just referring to a sheet of paper filled with “supposedly” possessed traits of many leaders. A leader may not possess some of these traits but still become a great leader. The general weakness of the trait approach is the fact that it creates a stereotype of a leader.
Case Study 3.1
1. Based on the skills approach, how would you assess Dr. Wood’s leadership style and his relationship to the members of the Elder Care Project Team? Will the project be successful?
Dr. Wood’s relationship to his research team is truly strained, as the title suggests. One cannot blame the team or Dr. Wood if they feel the way they do. The situation- lack of funds, time pressure; and the difficulty of the task also played a major part on their predicament. However, the Dr. should have not taken the situation personally, since all of them were experiencing the same thing. He, of all people should have understood their situation and should not take things negatively. Since all of them are strained and pressured, he should at least acknowledge the fact that his research team is working pretty hard despite the fact that they are underpaid. At the rate they are going and the way that he is handling the situation, it is not unlikely that the project will fail.
2. Does Dr. Wood have the necessary skills to be an effective leader of his research team?
Dr. Wood, as mentioned, is a very effective researcher. He has completed many works and is considered a genius in his craft. However, I believe he lacks the skills that would have made him an effective researcher. For one thing, he should be able to empathize with his colleagues and should not spit out bitter comments about having to do much of the load, without thinking that his researchers are also working hard despite being underpaid. Furthermore, he lacks sociability, making it more difficult for them to work together.
3. The skills model approach describes three important competencies for leaders: problem – solving skills, social judgment skills, and knowledge. If you to coach Dr. Wood using this model, what type of things would you address with him?
Since Dr. Wood is already highly polished in the aspects of problem-solving skills and knowledge, I believe that the only area needed to be addressed is his social judgment skills. Dr. Wood needs to further develop these areas in order to work harmoniously with any other team he would lead.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment