Question

5. How can team leaders and members use the team leadership model to help make decisions?

6. What cultural considerations must be considered when leaders are in a multicultural environment? What does it take for a leader to be a true multicultural leader?

7. Do you feel that there are differences in leadership styles based upon gender? Why or why not?

8. What advantages do you see in the situational leadership approach? What determines the leader’s style (or behavior)?

9. In examining the various leadership models, what is the leader's role in ensuring that the team is functioning at the highest level?

Answer 1

5. Team leaders and members use the team leadership model to make decisions with the help of top management to develop a strategy for the team. It is based on the leader's approach for building the team by using internal interventions like redefining tasks and roles, resolving conflicts, using collaborative approach, coaching and mentoring team members to improve performance and assessing the external environment to collect information and its influence on the organization. The team leadership model advises on the role of a leader for structuring the team, long term planning and effective team building.

6. Cultural considerations that must be considered when leaders are in a multicultural environment are developing understanding of the different cultures, the values and beliefs of the teams shared through communication and information sharing for awareness, addressing the concerns and facilitating support required for functioning in a multi cultural environment. The leaders need to practice an unbiased approach in a multicultural environment and increase accountability. For a leaders to be a true multicultural leader, they need to identify with the different cultures and create positive work environment in the organization for motivation, encouraging diversity in teams and ensuring availability to listen to the problems of the employees and coworkers. They need to develop a management approach which provides opportunity and support to employees and coworkers irrespective of their cultural differences.

7. There are differences in leadership styles based on gender to some extent depending on the type of roles and the personality differences between men and women. While men tend to have more directive and dominant style of leadership, women have more participatory style of leadership based on consensus building and are more communicative with nurturing approach towards team. Women are considered more sensitive, process oriented and more interpersonal while leadership style of men has more risk taking qualities and task oriented approach.

8. The advantages of situational leadership is it is flexible and more focused on problem solving. It uses different skills and approach to find the most appropriate solution to the problem by building team support and enabling them to deal with the situation. It creates opportunities for leaders and teams to adapt to different situations, learn and grow in the process and developing better understanding of the challenges and actions required in different situations and business scenarios.

The leader's style (behavior) is determined by the situation or circumstances, experiences, qualities and insights developed from leading and understanding the problems and situations.

9. In examining the leadership models, the leader's role in ensuring that the team is functioning at the highest level is to guide the team and employees with the goals and objectives, supporting them to build and implement a strategy, increasing cooperation through communication and decision making. They can create examples by being role models and develop a result oriented approach by motivation and long term planning. They help in problem solving, monitoring the team and controlling the team actions for goal oriented behaviour. They develop the team capabilities by encouraging them to learn and grow.