Leadership Models

The discussion in last week’s class dealt with eras of leadership and the implications of the leaders and followers in each form. The first model of leadership discussed was “Tribal” leadership. This type of leadership revolves around family and is run by people’s fear of not surviving. Tribal members are alienated from goals other than surviving. The tribal leader uses a directive and task oriented approach. This type of approach is mentioned in the reading. They take a high directive-low supportive approach to get work done. It is also required that they have some technical skill because they needed to cooperate with the other members to achieve a goal. The leader is in a leader role because he/she has a skill that is very important for the group to function. An example of tribal leadership that exists today can be found in the United States and Canada. The Sioux people maintain tribal governments in North America and Canada. The leaders make decisions that include: hunting, camp movements, war and peace with their neighbors, and many other community actions. The next model discussed was “Pre-Classical” leadership. In this model, leaders are considered divine amongst their subordinates. They were deeply concerned with spirituality and harbored all of the power. These leaders were usually kings and queens. They had the power to terminate anyone who opposed them and demonstrated strong complicity with churches. The next model is “Classical” leadership. This model took precedence in the early twentieth century. At this time, workers didn’t need very much technical skill. They were given one task, and had to perform the same task over and over again. This consequently made them replaceable, and because they were only doing one thing, they earned very low wages. The leaders, however, didn’t need any technical skill at all. They needed conceptual skill. They needed to work with ideas and concepts rather when with the machinery. Leaders such as Rockefeller and Ford are examples of classical leaders. Workers were overworked and were convinced that their work would build their characters. Following this model is the “Progressive” model of leadership. A coaching approach is taken in this style of leadership. It focuses on empowering employees and unlocking their potential for the good of the organization. Leaders in this model need human skills. Lastly, there is “Post-progressive” leadership. This model addresses the world in which we live today. Leaders of this model must have social perceptiveness and be motivational. They are more concerned with collaborating with team members, rather than be the boss. I experienced this model myself when I worked with a Real Estate company. Once my boss showed me how to do my role, he asked for my opinions about what would make certain things better about the company. He encouraged me and made the work environment very comfortable. I suggested a new way of organizing files and we implemented the idea. It made work more enjoyable and this model, in my opinion, is superior to the ones used prior to this one.