Normative decision model of leadership

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LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model

SLM is a leadership theory that draws much of its views from contingency thinking.

The leadership theory holds that leadership depends on individual situation.

There is no one single leadership style that can be said to be the best for all the situations.

A good leader is one that is able to adapt to the objectives and goals to be accomplished.

A successful ,leader is determined by two factors which are the level of education and experience of the leader.

In this theory of leadership, the maturity of the people being led determines the leadership style applied.

Situational Leadership Theory is really the short form for "Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory" and draws major views from contingency thinking. As the name implies, leadership depends upon each individual situation, and no single leadership style can be considered the best. For Hershey and Blanchard, tasks are different and each type of task requires a different leadership style. A good leader will be able to adapt her or his leadership to the goals or objectives to be accomplished.

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Skills that I have to apply SLM

One of the skills that I have that will help me in the application of SLM is that am a good listener.

Effective application of SLM is determined by the relationship that a ;leader has with his group members.

Good communication skills will help me to build a good relationship with my group members which will help me to successfully apply SLM.

Another skill is that I know how to inspire and motivate my group members.

Successful application of SLM depends on the behaviors of the people who are being led.

I will influence the behaviors of the group members through application of different motivational techniques.

Delegation of power is another skill that will assist me in application of SLM because this will enable the evaluation of the maturity of those being led.

Transactional leadership techniques operate here. In the "selling" behavior, the leader attempts to convince the group of that the leader should lead by providing social and emotional support to the individual being convinced. There is two-way communication, but it is clear that the leader is leading. With "participating" behavior, the leader shares decision making with the group, making the system more democratic.

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Vroom-Yetton Normative Decision Model

In this leadership model, leaders use the information that is readily available to make their own decisions.

Leaders gather the information needed for decision making from they followers but they make their decisions alone.

Depending on the leader, the decision may or may not be informed to the followers hence in this model, the followers are only used to provide the information.

The problem is shared by the leader to the followers individually and then collect the ideas from them and apply the relevant ideas to make decisions.

In this leadership model, the followers do not meet each other.

Therefore, the decision made by the leader may or may not be influenced by the ideas generated by the followers.

Design managers and art directors face critical times when they need to make strategic decisions that will not only affect the design process but also the entire production stage and subsequently the success of the product. While it is impossible to element the risk involved in decision-making, managers reduce this risk to a minimal level by deciding if they need to make the decision alone or consult with the team for the best results. Different models have been provided to guide managers through this decision making process.

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Skills that I have to apply Vroom-Yetton Contingency Model

One skill that I have which will help me in the application of this model is that am trustworthy.

Since the followers and the leader do not meet at a formal setup in this model, the followers should be able to trust that the leader will make the best decision.

I am creative which will help in making a number of decisions from the different ideas provided by the followers and then select the best one.

Creativity will enable me to solve untraditional problems by approaching them in untraditional way.

I am responsible which will help me to take the responsibility for the success and failure of my decisions without blaming the follower who provided me with the idea.

I am committed which will help me to follow on tall the ideas provided to me by my followers and make the best decision out of them.

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago model defines different managers and how they make decisions. Basically, it says that the decisions we make are affected by three main factors that work together: quality, the potential for collaboration, and the amount of time available.

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The skills that will be needed to apply the SLM

SLM is behavior dependent and therefore the leader has to be able to influence the behaviors of his followers.

Good communication skills is also necessary to enable the leader to effectively coordinate his followers.

The leader also need to poses various motivational techniques to enable him to inspire the followers because SLM depends on the maturity of those being led.

The leader also need to have feedback skills to enable him deliver useful information to his followers.

The leader should have a positive attitude when dealing with his followers which will enable him to build a good relationship with his followers.

If your employees see their leader pointing fingers and blaming others, they will lose respect for you. Accept mistakes and failures, and then devise clear solutions for improvement.

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The skills that will be needed to apply Vroom-Yetton Contingency model

One skill that is needed is the trustworthy of the leader since the followers provide him with information and trust him to make the best decisions.

The need also need to be creative to enable him to make various decisions from different ideas provided by his followers.

The leader also need to be responsible so that he can take responsibility of the failures and success of his decisions without blaming his followers for the information they provided.

Flexibility skills are also needed in the application of this model because it will enable the leader to be open to different suggestions from his followers.

The leader also need to have commitment skills to enable them to follow up all the suggestions provided by his followers.

leaders must be open to suggestions and feedback. If your staff is dissatisfied with an aspect of the office environment, listen to their concern and be open to making necessary changes. Employees will appreciate a leader's ability to accept appropriate feedback.

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Differences between SLM and normative decision model

In normative decision model, the leader makes the decision alone and explain it to the group members while in SLM the decision is made by the leader together with his followers.

In normative decision model, the decision made by the leader may not have been influenced by his followers while the decision made by the leader in SLM is highly influenced by the members of the group.

In SLM, the style of leadership applied by the leader is highly dependent on the behaviors of the followers while in normative decision model the behaviors of the followers does not influence the leadership style.

The maturity of the people being led in SLM determines which leadership style to be applied while the maturity of the followers does not influence leadership style in normative decision model.

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago model analyzes the decision-making process in order to reach the best methodology to make a decision based on the factors of quality, collaboration, and time. The basis of the model revolves around every situation needing a different style of leadership. Therefore, seven Yes/No questions should be asked in order to identify the best way to approach the situation.

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Pro and Cons of SLM

Pros -the simplicity of the theory makes it easy to apply.

-The theory focuses on the competencies and maturity of followers which is good for leadership.

- This theory has a simple scale which enhance the assessment of the leadership style.

Cons- This theory may not apply to managers who have limited powers.

-In situations involving time constraints and complicity of tasks, the theory may be less applicable.

-When the theory is tested, it does not seem to bear the desired predictions.

Situational Leadership Theory is really the short form for "Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory" and draws major views from contingency thinking. As the name implies, leadership depends upon each individual situation, and no single leadership style can be considered the best. For Hershey and Blanchard, tasks are different and each type of task requires a different leadership style.

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Pros and Cons of Normative decision model

Pros -This model enable the leader to make quality decisions.

- The process of decision making is faster since the leader does not have to consult his followers.

-The team members accept the decision made by the leader.

Cons - The information provided by the followers may not be enough to make sound decisions.

- The leader make decisions under unclear situation since he depends on the information provided by the followers.

-There may not be enough time for the leader to consult all the followers.

The advantages of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model are its flexibility and ability to organize the decision-making process. The model is highly flexible and the choices allow the leader to make the right decision based on any situation. The model can also provide a process for leaders to experience the decision-making process as an objective.

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Conclusion

In the application of SLM, the leader should have the necessary skills to influence the behavior of his followers.

This is because the leadership style applied highly depend on the behaviors of those being followed.

In the application of normative decision model, the followers are used to provide information to the leader but they are not involved the process of making the decision.

SLM is different from normative decision model in that the input of the followers may to be used in making the decision in the latter but the inputs of the followers in SLM highly influence the decision made by the leader.

For effective leadership, different leadership styles are applied in different scenarios using the SLM.

Leader discuss problem and situation with followers as a group and seeks their ideas and suggestions through brainstorming. Leader accepts any decision and does not try to force his or her idea. Decision accepted by the group is the final one.

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References

Geithner, C. (2007). Understanding leadership styles. Place of publication not identified: Healthy Learning.

Kippenberger, T. (2002). Leadership styles. Oxford: Capstone Pub.

Wirba, A. V. (2012). Leadership Styles. Saarbrücken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing.