Essay (Study Guide attached)

MSL 6000, Psychological Foundations of Leadership 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

3. Appraise how leadership behaviors and situational factors can affect leadership success. 3.1 Evaluate motivational techniques and empowerment tools. 3.2 Discuss situational factors that affect leadership, such as size, structure, environment, and

geographic location.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

3.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Unit III Essay

3.2 Unit Lesson Unit III Essay

Reading Assignment In addition to a physical copy of the textbook, each unit contains the eTextbook version of the assigned reading chapters. If preferred, click on Unit III in the course navigation menu to access the online version of the assigned chapters. Chapter 8: Motivation and Empowerment, pp. 227–250 Chapter 9: Leadership Communication, pp. 261–283

Unit Lesson As you learned in previous units, leadership is based on the personal experiences of a leader and his or her ability to focus on and develop the skills, behaviors, and relationships of followers. Leaders need to be aware of the differences in their human capital and the fact that their followers vary in expectations, values, beliefs, and learning styles. Once leaders have made the attempt to establish and maintain a relationship with their followers, they must also cultivate the motivation and empowerment of those they lead. As you have learned, what motivates one person may not motivate another. Skillful leaders will hone in on the strengths and weaknesses of their followers and adjust their leadership techniques accordingly. This unit’s lesson focuses on the leader as a relationship builder and the factors that affect the leader’s ability to cultivate those relationships. One true essence of a leader is to motivate others, bring out the best in them, encourage them, and nurture them. Motivation, like leadership, is an ongoing practice, and the challenge is not only how to motivate followers but also to determine the means of motivation. For example, every day John gets up, goes to work, goes to the gym, then goes home to cook and eat dinner. Each task John completes leads to a specific type of an outcome. For example, John goes to work in order to receive a paycheck. John goes to the gym in order to stay healthy. John cooks and eats dinner in order to nourish his body. This may sound simple, but even in our daily routine, we are either intrinsically or extrinsically rewarded by our actions. We know that leaders focus on the organizational tasks and goals set for them. However, great leaders show flexibility in how they might address both organizational goals and their own personal goals, which might be

UNIT III STUDY GUIDE

Motivation and Empowerment

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very different. Leaders typically cannot just say, “Let’s do this!” and motivate and empower their workers. Leaders need to understand that one single type of motivation or empowerment will not apply to all of their employees. Why? Because just like leadership, individuals will have different methods and styles of doing things. It is likely that if leaders focus on a single way to either motivate or empower workers then they will not be truly successful. Think of what specifically motivates and empowers you. Is it exactly the same as what motivates your coworkers? Many leaders still use fear or penalty to motivate. However, this is not a true motivator. You may have seen leaders use organizational policy and rules to attempt to motivate their workers. While this might be somewhat effective, that leader really is not using motivation or empowerment to its full potential. We can reflect back to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ability to be a motivational leader. Instead of focusing on fear, Dr. King focused on the right of freedom, even if that right of freedom came with a strong price. Dr. King’s followers were motivated and empowered to the point of marching, facing jail time, and/or abuse, but they still followed and supported their leader. Leaders need to understand the true motivation and empowerment of their followers. Similar to our personal routine, our professional activities are also based on the outcome of a reward. Daft (2018) defines intrinsic rewards as an “internal satisfaction and enjoyment a person receives in the process of performing a particular action” (p. 229). Intrinsic rewards are typically internal, and the individual receives satisfaction and fulfillment from an accomplishment. The task is a behavior that satisfies the higher need of an individual. On the opposite side of the spectrum are extrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards satisfy the lower needs such as basic safety, security, and comfort, and they “are given by another person, typically a supervisor, and include promotions and pay increases” (Daft, 2018, p. 229). Leaders approach each reward as a motivational tool to meet the needs of the organization with a primary focus of meeting the higher needs of employees. There are numerous theories relevant to motivation with each having a focus on needs—in particular, needs that motivate individuals. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory “proposes that humans are motivated by multiple needs and those needs exist in a hierarchical order” (Daft, 2018, p. 233).

Maslow’s order, commonly referred to as a five-stage model, begins with basic, physiological needs (food, water, sleep), followed by safety needs (security and stability), then love and belongingness from work, family, and friends. Next, are the esteem needs (achievement, status, and self-respect), and last are self- actualization needs (self-fulfillment). Daft (2018) shares that, within an organization, these needs are reflected as follows:

(Pytyczech, n.d.)

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 Physiological needs: Heat, air, and base salary

 Safety needs: Safe work, fringe benefits, and job security

 Belongingness needs: Work groups, clients, coworkers, and supervisors

 Esteem needs: Recognition, approval, high status, and increased responsibilities

 Self-actualization needs: Opportunities for advancement, autonomy, growth, and creativity (p. 233) Maslow’s theory is predicated on the idea that one must satisfy the lower-level needs before progressing to a higher level. Successful leaders realize and support the capability of those that seek to attain the highest level, yet they realize that obstacles and challenges may prevent them from progressing from one lower need to a higher need. Complementing Maslow’s theory is Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Daft (2018) states that there are some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction (p. 234). Daft classifies the two factors as hygiene and motivators. Hygiene factors include pay, policies, benefits, working conditions, status, interpersonal relations, and job security. Each factor symbolizes physiological needs. Inherent to intrinsic rewards are the motivational factors, which include recognition, achievement, growth opportunities, responsibility, meaningful work, and performance. Herzberg’s theory implies that leaders need to utilize employees’ skills and competence, and work needs to be stimulating and rewarding, improving overall work quality. Each theory is important to employee motivation, but what about empowerment? Daft (2018) states that “empowerment refers to power sharing, the delegation of power or authority to subordinates in the organization” (p. 243). Empowerment is a motivation enhancer that satisfies the higher needs of employees. The following factors are necessary for employees to be truly empowered and perform their jobs effectively:

 knowledge of the company’s performance,

 training and development of skills,

 power to make substantive decisions,

 an understanding of the impact and meaning of their jobs, and

 rewards based on company performance (Daft, 2018). Motivating employees is a critical component of leadership, but it is equally important that the messages transmitted by leaders (i.e., communication) are deciphered by their followers. Communication is a process where a sender transmits information and a receiver receives and interprets the message sent. How leaders communicate with others can influence as well as motivate individuals to perform, attain, and accomplish their goals and objectives. Daft speaks of leaders being communication champions whose primary role is to build trust and commitment among individuals in meeting an organization’s vision and strategy. Keep in mind a leader’s communication should be purpose driven, directing “everyone’s attention toward the vision, values, and desired outcomes of the group” (Daft, 2018, p. 265). A communication champion leader is open-minded, has a willingness to actively listen, uses candor, is a good story teller, asks inquisitive questions, and is a strategic communicator.

Listening is the key to effective communication. Leaders use listening as a relationship builder and understand that listening is a communication process that leads to the receiver of the message accurately

Listen actively Keep an open

mind Resist

distractions

Capitalize on the fact that thought

is faster than speech

Seek understanding

Judge content, not delivery

Hold one's fire Listen for ideas Work at listening Show respect

Ten keys to effective listening (Daft, 2018, p. 269)

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receiving and interpreting the message. When we listen, we foster the skill in others by acting as a model for positive and effective communication. We can apply one or more of the steps above to be a better listener. Followers can also continuously improve and become the best listeners possible. Successful leaders and their followers strive to pay close attention to the message being stated, keep eye contact on the speaker at all times, ask questions, paraphrase the message, and remain positive throughout the communication process to enhance the relationship among one another and become a more effective listener and communicator. The last note to focus on is that leadership is a process, not a job title. As such, situational factors affect the outcome of the leadership process. Situational factors that can influence a leader’s ability to lead include the structure of the organization (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation), the size of the company (small, medium, large), the work environment (culture, social/psychological climate, employment patterns) and even the geographic location of the organization. According to Daft (2018), leaders will often need to “adjust their leadership style depending on a variety of factors in the situations they face” (p. 66). For example, a leader in a small organization may be able to successfully lead his or her employees in a decentralized informal manner, whereas a leader in a large organization will likely find that he or she needs a more complex, formalized approach to be successful. The specific culture of an organization will also dictate the type of approach a leader should take to lead the team. The level of formality at an organization can impact the communication, decision-making, and the performance of the leader. Leaders need to understand the various situational factors that can influence their ability to lead and adjust their approach accordingly. As we conclude this unit, think about your encounters with leaders—both good and bad. Consider those leaders you would classify as good leaders; what are some of those skills they conveyed? How were they able to motivate and inspire others? Were they honest? Compassionate? Good communicators? Consider leaders you would label as bad leaders; did they lack empathy? Did they seem to devalue their employees? Were they poor listeners? As an employee, think about what factors motivate you to excel at your job and how these motivators change as your situation changes. Consider how you will incorporate the motivational techniques and empowerment tools you learned in this unit to enhance your leadership skills. Your process will continue to evolve, and those leaders who are able to adapt their skills to these changes will stand out as leaders in the future.

References Daft, R. L. (with Lane, P. G.). (2018). The leadership experience (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Pytyczech. (n.d.). Maslow’s pyramid of needs. Diagram, person (ID 65741575) [Image]. Retrieved from

dreamstime.com

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You are not required to submit these to your instructor but are encouraged to keep a copy for your personal files. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. Apply the Concepts: Take the Self-Assessment! There is no question that leaders should be relationship builders, but there are many factors that affect a leader’s ability to create these relationships. Have the leaders in your life met your needs? What impact do others have on your approach to motivating others? Chapters 8 and 9 focus on these very topics. To take the self-assessments associated with these chapters, click on Unit III in the course navigation menu, and then click on Nongraded Learning Activities.