This means that the traits that a person is born with may hold the key to them being a successful leader or not. This is supported by research that suggests that it is not one section of traits that show a leaders qualities, but a mixture of a number of these.
From what I have found in some more up-to-date this theory states that the behavior and approach to each situation needs to be different, for example, a good coach will be hard and strict with some players but may need a softer more encouraging approach to others, whilst maintaining a fair and supportive role to all people in the team.
In most teams, the leaders come in two forms, emergent leaders, those who come from the base of players and show all the correct qualities needed to show the way for the team, a commanding personality and a head for authority are needed and often recognized by fellow team members, others are prescribed leaders, those who are appointed by a club or by an organizing body. There are good and bad effects of both, prescribed are seen to be more authoritative where emergent leaders are seen as more approachable in some situations.
In individual sports like tennis and swimming, a leader is more than likely to be the coach, who is going to drive the athlete to success, this is not just the coaches task though. There is also the need for the person to drive and lead themselves to success in situations of difficulty.
The characteristics of effective leadership are difficult to pinpoint, but are generally split into three main groups.
Leader characteristics – in terms of the individuals quality and style
the Situation – in terms of group cohesion, the size and traditions of the group and the nature of the tasks facing the group.
Members Characteristics – in terms of their expectations and preferred leadership style
The theory is that the more the leaders actual behavior matches the expectations and preferences of the members of the group and specific demands of the situation, the greater the satisfaction will be.
Fiedler stated that the two styles are task-centered, is where the leaders focus is on the task in hand, the progress of individuals is less important than the goals of the team as a whole. Person centered leaders are those that try and involve the group as much as possible in decision making and they may be willing to sacrifice success for good interpersonal relationships and the integrity of the group. They are usually have good people skills and can relate to peoples problems and needs, and although not related to sport, great leaders throughout the ages such as Churchill and Hitler were both known for their rallying speeches that appealed and pleaded to their subjects.
The approach adopted by the leaders have been identified in three styles
- Autocratic – this is similar to how a task centered leader would act, in that they are in control of the situation, normally more helpful in situations where decisions are needed to be made rapidly and stuck to without hesitation and question.
- Democratic – these leaders are more people orientated and try to deal on a more personal note with performers, they are also willing to take advice from others and are influenced by decisions made by the group as a whole.
- Laissez-faire – is a style in which the leader lets the group get on with the task without any guidance unless it is asked for or unless obvious problems arise. This style may be adopted consciously, because the leader wants the group to establish their own working patterns and strategies (it is sometimes used in counseling, therapy or education) or unknowingly when the leader lacks skill and confidence. It works well if the group is achieving success and/or empowering group members. The drawback is it can lead to frustration is success it not quickly achieved.
The styles of teaching may quickly change depending on a teams success, if a team becomes successful then the democratic personal approach may be required to keep up moral, however if results and performances go downhill, then the autocratic may need to be implemented. The team may feel then that they are performing at a high level and that some kind of authority figure is still needed.
Feidlers contingency model shows this.
There is a range of other factors that the leader will need to take into consideration like the situation to select an appropriate style. Research shows that players in team sports look for a captain or coach who’s directive uses his/her authority to organize and structure the group in order to complete the task or achieve the groups ambitions. Individuals, for example skaters and athletes prefer a more orientated leader. This seems to relate to the size of the group – the more people that are in the group, the less easy it is to take each personas individual needs into account. Once a group comes accustomed to a style, they usually find it hard to change.
