Reflection
As you reflect on the assumption of Theory X and Theory Y, how would you describe your own philosophy of leadership?
With consideration of the both theories, I would claim that my philosophy of leadership do not come to such extremes as revealed in the assumptions, but rather lies in the balance and comparatively equal distribution of those who would fall under the category of theory X, and those who would belong to the ones as outlined by theory Y. My positive attitude in life and towards leadership leads me closer to the Theory-Y, which assumes that most people consider work as “a source of satisfaction”, they possess motivation and “exercise self-control, self-direction, creativity, and ingenuity in pursuit of individual and collective (company) goals” (Business Dictionary). I believe that motivation lies in a great number of complex and interconnected factors, and one of the leader's role is to understand the sources of the employee's motivation, aligning his tasks and job requirements to his own needs. 2. On the three styles of leadership (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire), what style comes easiest for you? Describe how people respond to you when you use this style.
As a leader, I find democratic style as the most natural and inherent to me. According to Business Dictionary, democratic leadership style implies “a team guided by a leader where all individuals are involved in the decision-making process to determine what needs to be done and how it should be done” (Business Dictionary), therefore collaborative and teamwork approach where the voice of everyone is valued is the style which I definitely prefer to choose. Judging from the way my team members reacted to such leadership behaviors, I may claim that this style is highly effective as the one creates a trustful environment of respect and equity, and thereby I as a leader get greatly respected for that. My followers also feel more committed to the project as they put an active part in decision-making process, notwithstanding the fact that the final decision is done by me.Action
As you look at your results of the Leadership Styles Questionnaire, what scores would you like to change? What would you have to do to make those changes?
Judging from Leadership Style Questionnaire, I would definitely like to be less authoritarian. So long as my prevailing style is, as it was mentioned above, democratic one, there still seems to be a lot of autocracy in my actions and behaviours, which I would consider undesirable. I believe that such score may be diminished by embracing the fact that a greater control should be given to the group, while basing most activities on collaboration, but not a strict planning and order. I also believe that asking for feedback would be also a great step for me to a better leadership.
Works Cited
“democratic leadership”. BusinessDictionary.com. WebFinance, Inc. January 24, 2017
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/democratic-leadership.html>.
“theory X and theory Y”. BusinessDictionary.com. WebFinance, Inc. January 24, 2017
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/theory-X-and-theory-Y.html>.
