CASE FOR TRAITS APPROACH (LEADER’S TRAIT)

Case 2.1: Choosing a New Director of Research

Sandra Coke is vice president for research and development at Great Lakes Foods (GLF), a
large snack food company that has approximately 1,000 employees. As a result of a recent
reorganization, Sandra must choose the new director of research. The director will report
directly to Sandra and will be responsible for developing and testing new products. The
research division of GLF employs about 200 people. The choice of directors is important
because Sandra is receiving pressure from the president and board of GLF to improve the
company’s overall growth and productivity.

Sandra has identified three candidates for the position. Each candidate is at the same
managerial level. She is having difficulty choosing one of them because each has very strong
credentials. Alexa Smith is a longtime employee of GLF who started part-time in the
mailroom while in high school. After finishing school, Alexa worked in as many as 10
different positions throughout the company to become manager of new product marketing.
Performance reviews of Alexa’s work have repeatedly described her as being very creative
and insightful. In her tenure at GLF, Alexa has developed and brought to market four new
product lines. Alexa is also known throughout GLF as being very persistent about her work:
When she starts a project, she stays with it until it is finished. It is probably this quality that
accounts for the success of each of the four new products with which she has been involved.

A second candidate for the new position is Kelsey Metts, who has been with GLF for five
years and is manager of quality control for established products. Kelsey has a reputation for
being very bright. Before joining GLF, she received her MBA at Harvard, graduating at the
top of her class. People talk about Kelsey as the kind of person who will be president of her
own company someday. Kelsey is also very personable. On all her performance reviews, she
received extra-high scores on sociability and human relations. There isn’t a supervisor in the
company who doesn’t have positive things to say about how comfortable it is to work with
Kelsey. Since joining GLF, Kelsey has been instrumental in bringing two new product lines
to market.

Thomas Santiago, the third candidate, has been with GLF for 10 years and is often consulted
by upper management regarding strategic planning and corporate direction setting. Thomas
has been very involved in establishing the vision for GLF and is a company person all the
way. He believes in the values of GLF, and actively promotes its mission. The two qualities
that stand out above the rest in Thomas’s performance reviews are his honesty and integrity.
Employees who have worked under his supervision consistently report that they feel they can
trust Thomas to be fair and consistent. Thomas is highly respected at GLF. In his tenure at the
company, Thomas has been involved in some capacity with the development of three new
product lines.

The challenge confronting Sandra is to choose the best person for the newly established
director’s position. Because of the pressure she feels from upper management, Sandra knows
she must select the best leader for the new position.

Questions
1. Based on the information provided about the trait approach in Tables 2.1 and 2.2, if
you were Sandra, whom would you select?

According to Northouse (2018), Table 2.1 identifies five major leadership traits:

Intelligence, Self-confidence, Determination, Integrity, and Sociability.

Alexa Smith demonstrates the strongest combination of determination, creativity (a form
of intelligence), and proven innovation success, which aligns closely with the role’s needs.

Conclusion: Alexa’s creativity, persistence, and proven product success align most closely
with GLF’s urgent goals to innovate and grow.
2. In what ways is the trait approach helpful in this type of selection?

Strengths of the Trait Approach in This Case:

1.​ Provides a clear framework: Trait theory gives specific criteria (e.g., intelligence,
determination) to evaluate each candidate objectively.​

2.​ Simplifies decision-making: Allows Sandra to match candidate traits to role

demands (e.g., innovation, product development).​

3.​ Predictive power: Traits like persistence and creativity can predict future
performance in a role requiring long-term commitment and innovation.​

“Trait assessments provide managers with a clearer picture of their strengths and
weaknesses and help predict leadership success.”

4.​ Recognizes leadership potential: Even though Alexa lacks formal education like
Kelsey, her behavioral evidence (product launches) proves effective leadership.

3. In what ways are the weaknesses of the trait approach highlighted in this case?
Trait approach does not provide a definitive set of traits. It is more descriptive than
prescriptive

Case 2.2: A Remarkable Turnaround

Carol Baines was married for 20 years to the owner of the Baines Company until he died in a
car accident. After his death, Carol decided not to sell the business but to try to run it herself.
Before the accident, her only involvement in the business was in informal discussions with
her husband over dinner, although she has a college degree in business, with a major in
management.

The Baines Company was one of three office supply stores in a city with a population of
200,000 people. The other two stores were owned by national chains. Baines was not a large
company, and employed only five people. Baines had stable sales of about $200,000 a year,
serving mostly the smaller companies in the city. The firm had not grown in a number of
years and was beginning to feel the pressure of the advertising and lower prices of the
national chains.

For the first six months, Carol spent her time familiarizing herself with the employees and the
operations of the company. Next, she did a citywide analysis of companies that had reason to
purchase office supplies. Based on her understanding of the company’s capabilities and her
assessment of the potential market for their products and services, Carol developed a specific
set of short-term and long-term goals for the company. Behind all of her planning, Carol had
a vision that Baines could be a viable, healthy, and competitive company. She wanted to carry
on the business that her husband had started, but more than that she wanted it to grow.

Over the first five years, Carol invested significant amounts of money in advertising, sales,
and services. These efforts were well spent because the company began to show rapid growth
immediately. Because of the growth, the company hired another 20 people.

The expansion at Baines was particularly remarkable because of another major hardship
Carol had to confront. Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer a year after her husband died.
The treatment for her cancer included two months of radiation therapy and six months of
strong chemotherapy. Although the side effects included hair loss and fatigue, Carol
continued to manage the company throughout the ordeal. Despite her difficulties, Carol was
successful. Under the strength of her leadership, the growth at Baines continued for 10
consecutive years.

Interviews with new and old employees at Baines revealed much about Carol’s leadership.
Employees said that Carol was a very solid person. She cared deeply about others and was
fair and considerate. They said she created a family-like atmosphere at Baines. Few
employees had quit Baines since Carol took over. Carol was devoted to all the employees,
and she supported their interests. For example, the company sponsored a softball team in the
summer and a basketball team in the winter. Others described Carol as a strong person. Even
though she had cancer, she continued to be positive and interested in them. She did not get
depressed about the cancer and its side effects, even though coping with cancer was difficult.
Employees said she was a model of strength, goodness, and quality.

At age 55, Carol turned the business over to her two sons. She continues to act as the
president but does not supervise the day-to-day operations. The company is doing more than
$3.1 million in sales, and it outpaces the two chain stores in the city.

Questions
1. How would you describe Carol’s leadership traits?

Trait Approach suggests thatSome individuals have innate or developed traits that make
them effective leaders.According to Northouse (2018), key leadership traits include:

1.​ Intelligence​

2.​ Self-confidence​

3.​ Determination (Determined, determined)​

4.​ Integrity​

5.​ Sociability​

6.​ Emotional intelligence

2. How big a part did Carol’s traits play in the expansion of the company?

Carol's leadership traits played a central and decisive role in the company's growth:
Strategic vision (intelligence + determination): Market analysis and specific goal setting set
the stage for expansion.

Effective investment in marketing and service is a testament to decision-making ability and

long-term thinking.

Ability to motivate and retain employees: Almost no employees have left the company since
she took over. Employee engagement is vital during times of rapid growth.

Positive spirit in the face of illness: Become a strong source of inspiration, strengthen
employee trust and commitment to the organization.

As Northouse says, leadership traits do not guarantee absolute success, but they are important
factors that give individuals the potential to lead effectively in particular contexts.

Result:

●​ After 10 years, the company went from $200,000 in revenue to over$3.1 million
USD– growth rate15 times.​

●​ Increase the number of employees from 5 to more25 people.​

●​ Outperformed both national chains – demonstrating the superior performance of the

personal trait leadership model in a local business context.

3. Would Carol be a leader in other business contexts?

Applying the theory: Trait-Situation Interaction

Theo Stogdill (1948), Traits alone are not enough to make an effective leader if they are
not appropriate to the situation.. Modern theory emphasizes the combination of individual
characteristics and situational demands (Zaccaro, 2007).
Carol haspotential to become an effective leader in a variety of business contexts,
especially medium-sized, people-oriented organizations that need a positive leadership role
model – but effectiveness still depends ondegree of fit between characteristics and
situational requirements.

Case 2.3: Recruiting for the Bank

Pat Nelson is the assistant director of human resources in charge of recruitment for Central
Bank, a large, fullservice banking institution. One of Pat’s major responsibilities each spring
is to visit as many college campuses as he can to interview graduating seniors for credit
analyst positions in the commercial lending area at Central Bank. Although the number
varies, he usually ends up hiring about 20 new people, most of whom come from the same
schools, year after year.

Pat has been doing recruitment for the bank for more than 10 years, and he enjoys it very
much. However, for the upcoming spring he is feeling increased pressure from management
to be particularly discriminating about whom he recommends hiring. Management is
concerned about the retention rate at the bank because in recent years as many as 25% of the
new hires have left. Departures after the first year have meant lost training dollars and strain
on the staff who remain. Although management understands that some new hires always
leave, the executives are not comfortable with the present rate, and they have begun to
question the recruitment and hiring procedures.

The bank wants to hire people who can be groomed for higher-level leadership positions.
Although certain competencies are required of entry-level credit analysts, the bank is equally
interested in skills that will allow individuals to advance to upper management positions as
their careers progress.

In the recruitment process, Pat always looks for several characteristics. First, applicants need
to have strong interpersonal skills, they need to be confident, and they need to show poise and
initiative. Next, because banking involves fiduciary responsibilities, applicants need to have
proper ethics, including a strong sense of the importance of confidentiality. In addition, to do
the work in the bank, they need to have strong analytical and technical skills, and experience
in working with computers. Last, applicants need to exhibit a good work ethic, and they need
to show commitment and a willingness to do their job even in difficult circumstances.

Pat is fairly certain that he has been selecting the right people to be leaders at Central Bank,
yet upper management is telling him to reassess his hiring criteria. Although he feels that he
has been doing the right thing, he is starting to question himself and his recruitment practices.

Questions

1. Based on ideas described in the trait approach, do you think Pat is looking for the
right characteristics in the people he hires?

Answer: Yes, Pat is looking for traits that fit the Trait Approach, but needs to be
adjusted to better align with long-term leadership development goals.

Detailed explanation:

Trait ApproachIdentify five core characteristics of effective leadership:​

○​ Intelligence​

○​ Self-confidence​

○​ Determination​

○​ Integrity​

○​ Sociability​
→ According to Northouse (2018), these are the most common factors in
successful leaders.​

Pat is looking for the following criteria:

○​ Communication skills (corresponding tosociability)

○​ Confidence, maturity, initiative (self-confidence, determination)​

○​ Ethics and Confidentiality (integrity)​

○​ Analytical and technical skills (intelligence)​

○​ Work ethic and commitment (determination extend)​

Pat's criteria closely match the Trait Approach's theory of leadership traits.​

However, Pat should note that he is evaluating based on current ability, without focusing
onlong term leadership potential, such as strategic orientation, vision or influence –
important factors for future advancement to senior positions.
2. Could it be that the retention problem raised by upper management is
unrelated to Pat’s recruitment criteria?

Answer: Yes, employee retention issues may not be directly related to recruitment
criteria but stem from other organizational factors.

Detailed explanation:

Trait Approachdoes not take into account situational or work environment factors –
this is a major weakness of this method (Northouse, 2018).​

People with the right characteristics can still leave the organization if:​

○​ Corporate culture is incompatible with personal values.​

○​ Lack of opportunities for development, advancement or mentoring.​

○​ The job does not match realistic expectations.​

○​ Stressful environment, no work-life balance.​

○​ The compensation policy is not attractive enough compared to the market.​

25% of employee turnover may be due to behavioral issuesPost-recruitment human

resource management, not entirely due to choosing the wrong person.​

Therefore, the Trait Approach is not sufficient to fully explain this problem because it
does not take into accountintrinsic motivation, organizational commitment or job
satisfaction

3. If you were Pat, would you change your approach to recruiting?

Answer: Yes – it is necessary to adjust and expand current recruitment methods rather
than change them completely.

Detailed explanation:

Continue to retain the criteria of the Trait Approach such as intelligence, integrity,
perseverance, confidence and sociability – because these are the fundamental
elements of potential leadership.​

However, candidate evaluation should be expanded to include the following factors:​

 ○​ Long term career goals: Does the candidate have a long-term development
orientation in the industry/banking?​

○​ Motivation and personal values: Is it consistent with the organization's

culture and mission?​

○​ Ability to learn and adapt: This can predict the possibility of promotion and
overcoming difficulties at work.​

Combine assessment tools such as:​

○​ Leadership Trait Questionnaire (LTQ)to quantify leadership traits.​

○​ Emotional intelligence test or MBTIto analyze personality.​

Develop a mechanism to track recruitment and retention data to identify the most
successful and suitable candidates for the Central Bank environment.​

Coordinate with management and training to ensure that recruits haveclear

development roadmap, increasing the likelihood of long-term engagement.​

Summary of main points:

●​ Pat is hiring people with the right traits according to the Trait Approach, but has not
yet fully assessed their long-term leadership potential.​

●​ The problem of turnover may be due to organizational factors, not errors in hiring
criteria.​

●​ If you were Pat, you should keep the Trait Approach but add assessments based on
soft skills, motivation, and development environment to hire a more suitable person in
the long term.

CHAP 4: BEHAVIOUR APPROACH

Case 4.1: A Drill Sergeant at First

Mark Young is the head of the painting department in a large hospital; 20 union employees
report to him. Before coming on board at the hospital, he had worked as an independent
contractor. At the hospital, he took a position that was newly created because the hospital
believed change was needed in how painting services were provided.
Upon beginning his job, Mark did a four-month analysis of the direct and indirect costs of
painting services. His findings supported the perceptions of his administrators that painting
services were inefficient and costly. As a result, Mark completely reorganized the department,
designed a new scheduling procedure, and redefined the expected standards of performance.

Mark says that when he started out in his new job, he was “all task,” like a drill sergeant who
didn’t seek any input from his soldiers. From Mark’s point of view, the hospital environment
did not leave much room for errors, so he needed to be strict about getting painters to do a
good job within the constraints of the hospital environment.
As time went along, Mark relaxed his style and was less demanding. He delegated some
responsibilities to two crew leaders who reported to him, but he always stayed in close touch
with each of the employees. On a weekly basis, Mark was known to take small groups of
workers to the local sports bar for burgers on the house. He loved to banter with the
employees and could take it as well as dish it out.

Mark is very proud of his department. He says he always wanted to be a coach, and that’s
how he feels about running his department. He enjoys working with people; in particular, he
says he likes to see the glint in their eyes when they realize that they’ve done a good job and
they have done it on their own.

Because of Mark’s leadership, the painting department has improved substantially and is now
seen by workers in other departments as the most productive department in hospital
maintenance. Painting services received a customer rating of 92%, which is the highest of any
service in the hospital.

Questions
1. From the behavioral perspective, how would you describe Mark’s leadership?

Reply:​
From a behavioral approach, Mark is a leader with aharmonious coordination between
task-oriented behaviors and relationship-oriented behaviors. Although he initially
focused solely on tasks, he gradually incorporated people-centered behaviors and built
positive relationships with employees.

Detailed explanation:

●​ According to Northouse (2018), the Behavioral Approach does not focus onpersonal
characteristicsthat researchthe behaviors that leaders exhibit, divided into two
main groups:​

○​ Task behaviors: helps the team achieve goals by organizing work, developing
plans, defining standards, and demanding specific results.​

○​ Relationship behaviors: build trust, care about the needs and feelings of
subordinates, encourage their participation and development.​

●​ In this case, Mark, when he first started his job, displayed very typical
behavior.task-oriented leadership:​
 ○​ He performed cost-effectiveness analysis.​

○​ Reorganize the entire department.​

○​ Establish new procedures and strict work standards.​

○​ Not consulting employees when making decisions.​

●​ After a while, Mark changed his style:​

○​ Begin authoritypart of the work for two team leaders.​

○​ Proactivesocial interactionwith subordinates through activities such as having

lunch with them.​

○​ Expressing therespect, closeness, and supportin the process of working.​

→ This transformation clearly demonstrates two key behavioral elements in the model:both
ensuring work efficiency and building positive relationships with the team.

2. How did his behavior change over time?

Reply:​
Mark's leadership behavior has changed significantly over time: from a leaderpurely work
oriented, he turned to become acombining both job orientation and people orientation– a
positive development in behavioral patterns.

Detailed explanation:

●​ Early stage:​

○​ Mark describes himself as a “drill sergeant” – strict, commanding, and not

looking for contributions from subordinates.​

○​ According to the model ofBlake and Mouton (1964)presented in the book,

this style corresponds to“Authority-Compliance” (9,1)on Leadership Grid,
with:​
​
​
“Heavy emphasis on task and job requirements and less emphasis on people.
Communication is downward.”​
​

●​ Later stage:​

○​ Mark adjusted his behavior:​

■​ Delegate authority to two team leaders.​

 ■​ Proactively build informal relationships with employees.​

■​ Encourage autonomy and independence at work.​

○​ This style is close to“Team Management” (9,9)– ideal style in Leadership

Grid:​
​
​
“Work accomplishment is from committed people; interdependence through a
common stake in purpose leads to relationships of trust and respect.”

→ This is a translation fromcommand and control leadership sang Leadership based on

encouragement, development and trust, is a clear sign of behavioral leadership
development.

3. In general, do you think he is more task oriented or more relationship

oriented?

Reply:​
Looking at Mark's entire leadership journey, it can be seen that he is
currentlyrelationship-oriented, although his initial background was task-oriented.

Detailed explanation:

●​ In the early stages, Mark's behavior was associated with control, imposition, and a
complete emphasis on results – the pure behavior of a task-oriented leader.​

●​ However, Mark later showed clear signs of arelationship-oriented leader, expressed

through:​

○​ Ability communication and relationship buildingpositive with subordinates​

○​ Theencouragement and supportemployee morale​

○​ The “wanna be coach” perspective is a typical image of a relationship-oriented

leader who helps others grow and find value from their work.​

●​ In theory,relationship behavior create:​

​
​
“A supportive climate where subordinates feel comfortable with themselves, with
each other, and with the situation in which they find themselves.”​
​

→ Therefore, Mark exhibits preferential behavior indeveloping others, build human

relationship, so he isrelationship-orientedas defined by the Behavioral Approach.

4. What score do you think he would get on Blake and Mouton’s grid?
Reply:​
Based on the behaviors described, Mark would be rated atlevel (9.9) above Blake and
Mouton's Leadership Grid, that isTeam Management Style– the highest level in both
directions: concern for production and concern for people.

Detailed explanation:

●​ Concern for Production – 9:​

○​ From the very beginning, Mark demonstrated a strong commitment to

performance:​

■​ Cost analysis, organizational restructuring.​

■​ Set high standards for service quality.​

■​ Specific results: His painting room achieved92% customer

satisfaction score– the highest hospital​

●​ Concern for People – 9:​

○​ Later, he paid deep attention to people:​

■​ Friendly communication, open conversation with staff.​

■​ Enable employees to be autonomous, develop and be recognized.​

■​ Describe your leadership role as that of a “coach” – someone who

inspires and helps others shine.​

●​ According to the 9.9 model, Mark is the ideal model that Blake & Mouton describe:​
​
​
“This style promotes a high degree of participation and teamwork in the organization
and satisfies a basic need in employees to be involved and committed.”​
​

→ This style is consideredmost effectiveamong the styles on the Leadership Grid because
they createcommitment, performance and high satisfactionin organization

Case 4.2: Eating Lunch Standing Up

Susan Parks is the part-owner and manager of Marathon Sports, an athletic equipment store
that specializes in running shoes and accessories. The store employs about 10 people, most of
whom are college students who work part-time during the week and full-time on weekends.
Marathon Sports is the only store of its kind in a college town with a population of 125,000.
The annual sales figures for the store have shown 15% growth each year.
Susan has a lot invested in the store, and she works very hard to make sure the store
continues to maintain its reputation and pattern of growth. She works 50 hours a week at the
store, where she wears many hats, including those of buyer, scheduler, trainer, planner, and
salesperson. There is never a moment when Susan is not doing something. Rumor has it that
she eats her lunch standing up.

Employees’ reactions to Susan are strong and varied. Some people like her style, and others
do not. Those who like her style talk about how organized and efficient the store is when she
is in charge. Susan makes the tasks and goals for everyone very clear. She keeps everyone
busy; when they go home at night, they feel as if they have accomplished something. They
like to work for Susan because she knows what she is doing. Those who do not like her style
complain that she is too driven. It seems that her sole purpose for being at the store is to get
the job done. She seldom, if ever, takes a break or just hangs out with the staff. These people
say Susan is pretty hard to relate to, and as a result, it is not much fun working at Marathon
Sports.

Susan is beginning to sense that employees have a mixed reaction to her leadership style.
This bothers her, but she does not know what to do about it. In addition to her work at the
store, Susan struggles hard to be a good spouse and mother of three children.

Questions
1. According to the behavioral approach, how would you describe Susan’s
leadership?

According to behavioral theory, Susan exhibitshigh level of task behavior and low levels of
relationship behavior.

●​ Task behavioris what leaders do to help their team accomplish goals, such as
planning, organizing, and delegating tasks (Northouse, 2018). Susan demonstrates this
clearly when she works 50 hours a week, takes on multiple roles (buyer, planner,
trainer...), and always maintains efficient operations in the store.​

●​ However, shethiếu relationship behavior– behaviors that help build positive

relationships such as caring, support, communication, and empathy. Susan does not
spend time interacting with employees, has little communication outside of work, and
does not create a friendly atmosphere.​

→ FollowBlake and Mouton's Leadership Grid, Susan is at the level(9,1) –

Authority–Compliance Style, focusing on work, paying little attention to people. This style
is highly effective in the short term but can easily cause stress and internal disconnection.

2. Why does her leadership behavior create such a pronounced reaction from her employees?

The mixed reaction stems fromthe imbalance between two types of leadership behavior:

●​ The group of employees who like Susan are those who value efficiency, discipline and
results. They feel clear about their roles, goals and feel a sense of accomplishment.​

●​ On the contrary, the group disliked her feeling.lack of emotional engagement, lack
of encouragement, and a very sterile environmentThey described the job as
 “unfun,” “Susan is difficult to approach.”​

According to the Behavioral Approach, when a leadertask oriented and lack of

relationship, the work environment is easily demoralizing, reducing motivation, especially
for employees who value friendliness, support and companionship (Northouse, 2018).

3. Do you think she should change her behavior?

Yes. Although Susan is an effective manager,The current style is only suitable for a certain
group of employees.. In the long run, if she doesn't change, she could face:

●​ High turnover rate.​

●​ Internal conflict.​

●​ Decreased team morale and effectiveness.​

Theo Northouse, Effective leaders should know how to combine both work behavior and
relationship behavior., because it helps motivate, improve performance, and maintain a
healthy work environment.

Susan should:

●​ Spend more time talking and listening to employees.​

●​ Recognize and praise them when they do well.​

●​ Create an open, engaging environment rather than focusing solely on performance.

4. Would she be effective if she changed?

Yes. If Susan increases her relationship-oriented behavior, she may move toward a“Team
Management” (9,9)According to Leadership Grid – this is the most effective leadership
style:

●​ Maximum combination betweencare about work and care about people.​

●​ Create trust, commitment, and cooperation within the group (Blake & Mouton, 1964).​

●​ Rated asThe ideal style for high productivity and long-term motivation.​

→ With her responsible personality and working spirit, Susan only needs to develop her
relationship aspect to become a comprehensive leader, maintaining business efficiency while
creating a positive human resource environment.

Case 4.3: We Are Family

Betsy Moore has been hired as the director of marketing and communications for a
medium-sized college in the Midwest. With a long history of success as a marketing and
public relations professional, she was the unanimous choice of the hiring committee. Betsy is
excited to be working for Marianne, the vice president of college advancement, who comes
from a similar background to Betsy’s. In a meeting with Marianne, Betsy is told the college
needs an aggressive plan to revamp and energize the school’s marketing and communications
efforts. Betsy and Marianne seem in perfect sync with the direction they believe is right for
the college’s program. Marianne also explains that she has established a departmental culture
of teamwork and empowerment and that she is a strong advocate of being a mentor to her
team members rather than a manager.

Betsy has four direct reports: two writers, Bridget and Suzanne, who are young women in
their 20s; and Carol and Francine, graphic designers who are in their 50s. In her first month,
Betsy puts together a meeting with her direct reports to develop a new communications plan
for the college, presenting the desired goals to the team and asking for their ideas on
initiatives and improvements to meet those goals. Bridget and Suzanne provide little in the
way of suggested changes, with Bridget asking pointedly, “Why do we need to change
anything?”

In her weekly meeting with the vice president, Betsy talks about the resistance to change she
encountered from the team. Marianne nods, saying she heard some of the team members’
concerns when she went to lunch with them earlier in the week. When Betsy looks surprised,
Marianne gives her a knowing smile. “We are like a family here; we have close relationships
outside of work. I go to lunch or the movies with Suzanne and Bridget at least once a week.
But don’t worry; I am only a sounding board for them, and encourage them to come to you to
resolve their issues. They know you are their boss.”

But they don’t come to Betsy. Soon, Bridget stops coming to work at 8 a.m., showing up at
10 a.m. daily. As a result, she misses the weekly planning meetings. When Betsy approaches
her about it, Bridget tells her, “It’s OK with Marianne; she says as long as I am using the time
to exercise and improve my health she supports it.”

Betsy meets with Suzanne to implement some changes to Suzanne’s pet project, the internal
newsletter. Suzanne gets blustery and tearful, accusing Betsy of insulting her work. Later,
Betsy watches Suzanne and Marianne leave the office together for lunch. A few hours later,
Marianne comes into Betsy’s office and tells her, “Go easy on the newsletter changes.
Suzanne is an insecure person, and she is feeling criticized and put down by you right now.”

Betsy’s relationship with the other two staff members is better. Neither seems to have the
close contact with Marianne that the younger team members have. They seem enthusiastic
and supportive of the new direction Betsy wants to take the program in.

As the weeks go by, Marianne begins having regular “Mentor Meetings” with Bridget and
Suzanne, going to lunch with both women at least twice a week. After watching the three
walk out together one day, Francine asks Betsy if it troubles her. Betsy replies, as calmly as
she can, “It is part of Marianne’s mentoring program.”

Francine rolls her eyes and says, “Marianne’s not mentoring anyone; she just wants someone
to go to lunch with every day.”
After four months on the job, Betsy goes to Marianne and outlines the challenges that the
vice president’s close relationships with Bridget and Suzanne have presented to the progress
of the marketing and communications program. She asks her directly, “Please stop.”

Marianne gives her the knowing, motherly smile again. “I see a lot of potential in Bridget and
Suzanne and want to help foster that,” she explains. “They are still young in their careers, and
my relationship with them is important because I can provide the mentoring and guidance to
develop their abilities.”

“But it’s creating problems between them and me,” Betsy points out. “I can’t manage them if
they can circumvent me every time they disagree with me. We aren’t getting any work done.
You and I have to be on the same team.”

Marianne shakes her head. “The problem is that we have very different leadership styles. I
like to empower people, and you like to boss them around.”

Questions
1. Marianne and Betsy do indeed have different leadership styles. What style would you
ascribe to Betsy? To Marianne?

According to the Behavioral Approach model, the difference between Marianne and Betsy is
clearly shown throughTwo core leadership behaviors:

●​ Task behavior– the extent to which the leader focuses on accomplishing work goals.​

●​ Relationship behavior– the extent to which the leader is concerned with maintaining
positive relationships with subordinates (Northouse, 2018, p. 83).​

Betsy demonstrates leadership styletask-oriented, while Marianne shows off her

style.relationship-oriented.

Specifically, Betsy clearly defined her work goals from the beginning: creating a new
communication plan, organizing team meetings to develop specific strategies, and promoting
progress. She prioritized efficiency, expecting employees to be on time and complete
assigned tasks. However, Betsy did not spend much time building personal relationships, did
not proactively create a friendly space, and thus lacked relationship-oriented behavior.

In contrast, Marianne demonstrated high relational leadership behavior. She proactively built
personal relationships with Bridget and Suzanne through lunches and movie dates. She
emphasized mentoring and emotional attachment over control. However, Mariannelack of
task-oriented behavior, for not supporting Betsy in handling disciplinary violations (Bridget
being late to work, Suzanne reacting negatively to change), thereby undermining work
performance.

According to Blake and Mouton's Leadership Grid, Betsy is closer to the

styleAuthority–Compliance (9,1)– high on work, low on people; while Marianne exhibits a
style closer toCountry Club Management (1,9)– high on people, low on work

2. Does Betsy need to change her leadership style to improve the situation with Bridget
and Suzanne? Does Marianne need to change her style of leadership?
Chief Both Betsy and Marianne need to adjust their leadership styles., because each was
on one extreme: Betsy was too focused on results, Marianne was too prioritizing personal
relationships at the expense of discipline and work efficiency.

Betsy should add more behaviorrelationship-oriented, by:

●​ Take time to understand Bridget and Suzanne's feelings and psychology.​

●​ Communicate in a way that encourages and shares goals rather than just giving
instructions.​

●​ Listen to feedback from the group, creating a sense of companionship rather than
imposition.​

In theory,The combination of task and relationship behaviors is necessary for effective

leadership.(Northouse, 2018, p. 85) If Betsy focused only on the goal without connecting
emotionally with her employees, she would have difficulty influencing and maintaining
cooperation within the team.

However, Marianne also needed to change. Her particularly close relationship with two
young employees led to:

●​ Causes role conflict between “mentor” and “direct manager”.​

●​ Undermining Betsy's credibility, breaking down the clear leadership structure in the
room.​

●​ Creates bias and unfairness in organizational culture.​

Marianne needs to lose weightexcessive relationship behaviorand supplement

work-oriented behavior by:

●​ Support Betsy's authority in professional decisions.​

●​ Establish boundaries between personal and organizational roles.​

●​ Contribute to resolving conflicts instead of taking sides.​

→ According to the Blake and Mouton model, both people should move towards a styleTeam
Management (9,9)– where the leader is both concerned with work efficiency and building
positive relationships with employees. This is the ideal style recommended in theory.

3. How can Marianne and Betsy work together?

To work effectively together, Betsy and Marianne need to:

1.​ Unified leadership: Marianne needs to make it clear that Betsy is the direct manager
of the team, and that leadership authority must be respected. Mentoring should be
 supportive, not undermine Betsy's leadership authority.​

2.​ Together towards Team Management style (9.9):​

○​ Betsy needs to add relational behaviors, to create connections and reduce

confrontation with employees.​

○​ Marianne needs to support the implementation of work, avoiding

"interrupting" or causing misunderstandings within the group.​

3.​ Create a transparent feedback mechanism: Marianne and Betsy should have
regular meetings to openly share about the team situation, difficulties, and how to
handle personnel conflicts in a coordinated manner.​

4.​ Unify the rules in mentoring: Mentoring comes with boundaries. Marianne can
support Bridget and Suzanne's skill development, but should not replace Betsy's
managerial role in evaluating performance and handling violations.​

5.​ Communicate consistently to employees: Both should show consensus in front of

the group, avoiding employees taking advantage of style differences between
superiors and subordinates to "overtake" or avoid tasks.​

→ The combination of two different leadership styles is necessary.Respect, transparency

and situational behavior adjustment, as the Behavioral Approach theory suggests

CHAP 3: SKILLS APPROACH

Case 3.1: A Strained Research Team

Dr. Adam Wood is the principal investigator on a three-year, $1 million federally funded
research grant to study health education programs for older populations, called the Elder Care
Project. Unlike previous projects, in which Dr. Wood worked alone or with one or two other
investigators, on this project Dr. Wood has 11 colleagues. His project team is made up of two
co-investigators (with PhDs), four intervention staff (with MAs), and five general staff
members (with BAs). One year into the project, it has become apparent to Dr. Wood and the
team that the project is under budgeted and has too few resources. Team members are
spending 20%–30% more time on the project than has been budgeted to pay them. Regardless
of the resource strain, all team members are committed to the project; they believe in its goals
and the importance of its outcomes. Dr. Wood is known throughout the country as the
foremost scholar in this area of health education research. He is often asked to serve on
national review and advisory boards. His publication record is second to none. In addition,
his colleagues in the university know Dr. Wood as a very competent researcher. People come
to Dr. Wood for advice on research design and methodology questions. They also come to
him for questions about theoretical formulations. He has a reputation as someone who can see
the big picture on research projects.

Despite his research competence, there are problems on Dr. Wood’s research team. Dr. Wood
worries there is a great deal of work to be done but that the members of the team are not
devoting sufficient time to the Elder Care Project. He is frustrated because many of the
day-to-day research tasks of the project are falling into his lap. He enters a research meeting,
throws his notebook down on the table, and says, “I wish I’d never taken this project on. It’s
taking way too much of my time. The rest of you aren’t pulling your fair share.” Team
members feel exasperated at Dr. Wood’s comments. Although they respect his competence,
they find his leadership style frustrating. His negative comments at staff meetings are having
a demoralizing effect on the research team. Despite their hard work and devotion to the
project, Dr. Wood seldom compliments or praises their efforts. Team members believe that
they have spent more time than anticipated on the project and have received less pay or credit
than expected. The project is sucking away a lot of staff energy, yet Dr. Wood does not seem
to understand the pressures confronting his staff.

The research staff is starting to feel burned out, but members realize they need to keep trying
because they are under time constraints from the federal government to do the work
promised. The team needs to develop a pamphlet for the participants in the Elder Care
Project, but the pamphlet costs are significantly more than budgeted in the grant. Dr. Wood
has been very adept at finding out where they might find small pockets of money to help
cover those costs.

Although team members are pleased that he is able to obtain the money, they are sure he will
use this as just another example of how he was the one doing most of the work on the project.

Questions
1. Based on the skills approach, how would you assess Dr. Wood’s leadership and his
relationship to the members of the Elder Care Project team? Will the project be
successful?

According to the Skills Approach, leadership effectiveness depends on three main

competencies:

●​ Problem-solving skills​

●​ Social judgment skills​

●​ Knowledge (specialized knowledge)​

Dr. Wood demonstrates expertise and problem solving skills:

 ●​ He is a leading expert in his field, academically competent and nationally recognized.​

●​ He solved the problem of lack of funding by finding additional funding sources,

which demonstrated high level problem-solving skills.​

However, his social judgment skills are very weak, as shown in:

●​ Lack of empathy and understanding of subordinate pressure (social perceptiveness).​

●​ No recognition or encouragement of team efforts (weak social performance).​

●​ Negative statements and blaming at meetings demoralize the group.​

Therefore, despite his high technical knowledge and skills, Dr. Wood is not an effective
leader because he fails to maintain team spirit and is causing employee burnout.

→ The project may still be completed, thanks to the team's commitment, but performance
will be poor, the risk of burnout is high, and it will be difficult to maintain positive morale in
the long term.

2. Does Dr. Wood have the skills necessary to be an effective leader of this research
team?

Dr. Wood have a necessary skill set, but not enough to become a comprehensive leader:

●​ ✅ Knowledge: Yes – he is a top expert, has “mental structures” to solve complex

problems.​

●​ ✅ Problem-solving skills: Yes – he knows how to find creative financial solutions

and see the big problems of the project.​

●​ ❌ Social judgment skills: Lack – not knowing how to inspire, listen, or resolve
conflicts flexibly.​

Therefore, helack of “human-centered” skills to connect and maintain team spirit, which
is especially important in research environments that require interdisciplinary collaboration
and emotional support.

3. The skills model describes three important competencies for leaders: problem-solving
skills, social judgment skills, and knowledge. If you were to coach Dr. Wood using this
model, what competencies would you address with him? What changes would you
suggest that he make in his leadership?
Skills to develop: Social Judgment Skills

According to the skill model of Mumford et al. (2000), this group of skills includes:

●​ Perspective taking: understand other people's point of view.​

●​ Social perceptiveness: identify subordinates' emotions and needs.​

●​ Behavioral flexibility: flexible in response.​

●​ Social performance: ability to communicate, resolve conflicts, inspire.​

Proposed change:

1.​ Increase empathy and recognition of team efforts:​

○​ Dr. Wood needs to recognize that employees are working overtime and remain
committed to the cause of the project.​

○​ A few words of thanks, encouragement, or praise can make a huge impact on

team morale.​

2.​ Change your communication style in meetings:​

○​ Avoid using negative language (“I wish I had never taken this project”).​

○​ Switch to more positive language: “I know we're all under pressure, and I
appreciate what everyone has contributed.”​

3.​ Delegate work more effectively and avoid taking on too much:​

○​ Instead of taking on the entire task, trust and empower qualified colleagues
like the other two co-investigators.
4.​ Create a two-dimensional feedback space:
○​ Set up one-on-one or small group sessions for employees to share challenges
and suggest solutions.​

→ The ideal destination is to help Dr. Wood develop the skills to become a leader who
balances academic intelligence and social intelligence., creating an effective and
sustainable research environment.

Case 3.3: Andy’s Recipe

Andy Garafallo owns an Italian restaurant that sits in the middle of a cornfield near a large
Midwestern city. On the restaurant’s far wall is an elaborate mural of the canals of Venice. A
gondola hangs on the opposite wall, up by the ceiling. Along another wall is a row of real
potted lemon trees. “My ancestors are from Sicily,” says Andy. “In fact, I can remember
seeing my grandfather take a bite out of a lemon, just like the ones hanging on those trees.”

Andy is very confident about his approach to this restaurant, and he should be, because the
restaurant is celebrating its 25th anniversary. “I’m darned sure of what I want to do. I’m not
trying different fads to get people to come here. People come here because they know they
will get great food. They also want to support someone with whom they can connect. This is
my approach. Nothing more, nothing less.” Although other restaurants have folded, Andy
seems to have found a recipe for success.

Since opening his restaurant, Andy has had a number of managers. Currently, he has three:
Kelly, Danielle, and Patrick. Kelly is a kitchen (food prep) manager who is known as very
honest and dependable. She loves her work, and is efficient, good with ordering, and good
with preparation. Andy really likes Kelly but is frustrated with her because she has such
difficulty getting along with the salespeople, delivery people, and waitstaff.

Danielle, who works out front in the restaurant, has been with Andy the longest, six years.
Danielle likes working at Garafallo’s—she lives and breathes the place. She fully buys into
Andy’s approach of putting customers first. In fact, Andy says she has a knack for knowing
what customers need even before they ask. Although she is very hospitable, Andy says she is
lousy with numbers. She just doesn’t seem to catch on to that side of the business.

Patrick, who has been with Andy for four years, usually works out front but can work in the
kitchen as well. Although Patrick has a strong work ethic and is great with numbers, he is
weak on the people side. For some reason, Patrick treats customers as if they are faceless,
coming across as very unemotional. In addition, Patrick tends to approach problems with an
either–or perspective. This has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. Andy
wishes that Patrick would learn to lighten up. “He’s a good manager, but he needs to
recognize that some things just aren’t that important,” says Andy.

Andy’s approach to his managers is that of a teacher and coach. He is always trying to help
them improve. He sees part of his responsibility as teaching them every aspect of the
restaurant business. Andy’s stated goal is that he wants his managers to be “A” players when
they leave his business to take on jobs elsewhere. Helping people to become the best they can
be is Andy’s goal for his restaurant employees.

Although Andy works 12 hours a day, he spends little time analyzing the numbers. He does
not think about ways to improve his profit margin by cutting corners, raising an item price
here, or cutting quality there. Andy says, “It’s like this: The other night I got a call from
someone who said they wanted to come in with a group and wondered if they could bring
along a cake. I said ‘yes’ with one stipulation. . . . I get a piece! Well, the people came and
spent a lot of money. Then they told me that they had actually wanted to go to another
restaurant, but the other place would not allow them to bring in their own cake.” Andy
believes very strongly in his approach. “You get business by being what you should be.”
Compared with other restaurants, his restaurant is doing quite well. Although many places are
happy to net 5%–7% profit, Andy’s Italian restaurant nets 30% profit, year in and year out.

Questions
1. What accounts for Andy’s success in the restaurant business?

Andy's success comes frompractical, people-oriented leadership style, and the ability to
make the most of individual skills in a specific context.

According to the modelSkills Approach, leaders do not need to have all skills at the same
high level, but depending on the organizational level and specific job, each type of skill is
prioritized differently (Northouse, 2018, p. 44). Andy isrestaurant owner – direct
management level, so his success is largely based on:

●​ Human skills:Andy is good at building personal relationships with customers,

employees, and the community. Customers come back because they feel connected to
Andy – as he puts it: “People come here because they want to support someone with
whom they can connect.”​

●​ Technical skills:Andy understands the restaurant operations process, from food

preparation, service, to creating an Italian culinary culture space. He does not hesitate
to teach the entire job to the staff and plays a direct coaching role, demonstrating his
solid technical foundation.​

●​ Inspirational and coaching leadership style:Andy not only leads the operation of
the restaurant, but alsofocus on human development, train employees to become “A
players” even if they leave later.​

→ It is the combination betweenhigh level of human skills and technical skills, along with
a business philosophy that focuses on quality, kindness and sincerity, has helped Andy
maintain an outstanding profit of 30% - much higher than the industry average of 5-7%.

2. From a skills perspective, how would you describe the three managers, Kelly, Danielle,
and Patrick? What does each of them need to do to improve his or her skills?

Based on the leadership skills model (Skills Model), the three skills analyzed
include:technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills(Northouse, 2018, pp. 44–47).
Every manager has strengths and weaknesses in these skills.

Kelly– Kitchen management:

 ●​ Strengths:Very good technical skills – she is good at preparation, order management,
kitchen efficiency.​

●​ Weaknesses:human skills – she does not get along well with sales, delivery or service
staff.​

●​ Needs improvement:People skills – learn to communicate more flexibly, understand

and connect with other parts of the system, build a spirit of cooperation instead of
isolation.​

Danielle– Service management:

●​ Strengths:human skills – she understands customers, builds excellent relationships

with them, and fits perfectly into the restaurant culture.​

●​ Weaknesses:technical skills – especially in numbers, financial management.​

●​ Needs improvement:Technical skills – should learn more about order management,

basic finance, and performance analysis.​

Patrick– Multi-function management:

●​ Strengths:technical skills (good with numbers) and good work ethic.​

●​ Weaknesses:human skills – cold behavior towards customers, lack of flexibility

(weak conceptual skills).​

●​ Needs improvement: Chief human and conceptual skills– learn to understand other
people's emotions, behave flexibly, be less stereotyped, and know how to put
problems into more flexible contexts.​

→ All three managers have their own strengths, but none of them are truly “well-rounded” in
terms of skills. Developmentremaining weak skillsis necessary if they want to become
well-rounded leaders.

3. How would you describe Andy’s competencies? Does Andy’s leadership suggest that one
does not need all three skills in order to be effective?

Andy has very effective leadership skills, although he does not possess all three skills at
equally high levels:

●​ Human skills (very high):Andy is inspirational, engaging, and very personable. He

creates a warm, personal environment and genuinely cares about his employees. This
 is evident in his work as a coach and his mission to develop people.​

●​ Technical skills (cao):Andy knows how to run a restaurant efficiently, understands

cooking, food, service, and service culture. The fact that the restaurant has been stable
for 25 years and has a high profit margin shows that he has very solid operational
skills.​

●​ Conceptual skills (thấp): Andy little interest in financial strategy or

macroeconomic analysis. He admits that he doesn’t like analyzing data or calculating
profits. However, this doesn’t greatly affect his work efficiency – because he is at the
operational leadership level, which doesn’t require as much conceptual thinking as at
the strategic level of a large organization.​

→ According to Northouse (2018), these three skillsno need to distribute evenly, which
depends onleadership position. Low-level leaders need high technical and human skills,
high-level leaders need more conceptual skills (p. 45). Andy is a typical example of this.An
operational leader can be very successful with one conceptual skill deficient, if the other
two skills are strong and appropriate to the job situation.