Leadership
Leadership is probably the most important and hard thing in every industry. People that are named as a leader is not made, they are born. It is the ability to attain objectives by working with and through people. Leader is the person that is creating conditions that motivate employees by establishing goals and influencing on the employees to achieve those goals.
For example the role of the supervisor is to create the needed conditions for the employees to become motivated and to satisfy the guest needs.
Power and Empowerment
Power is the ability to influence the behavior of the others. Within organizations, a manager’s power is a function of responsibility, authority and accountability.
There are different types of power that people can be used. Power based on organizational sources includes position power, reward power and coercive power.
- Position power is also known as a legitimate power, stems from the formal authority granted to a position within the hierarchy of an organization. This type of authority comes with the title.
- Reward power results from the manager’s authority to provide formal rewards such as pay increases, promotions, bonuses, days off and so on. The most important is that you can reward employees.
- Coercive power – the manager is using it when the behavior of the employee is not as it has to be and he is demoting or firing employees. It stems from a supervisor’s authority to withhold rewards or inflict punishment.
Personal sources of power include expert power and referent power.
- Expert power stems from an individual’s special knowledge or skills in relation to tasks performed by members of the team.
- Refreshment power results from the administration and respect that others have for for an individual’s personal characteristics and interpersonal skills. For example one employee can be a good example not only in his department but example for the other departments.
- Enhancing Position Power – Increasing the flexibility of their jobs. Becoming an important part of the organization’s information loop and thereby increasing their visibility. Promoting the importance of their work.
- Enhancing Personal Power – Supervisors can enhance their personal power by promoting their current achievements and abilities, by refining their interpersonal skills, and by obtaining more specialized knowledge.
Empowerment is the redistribution of power within the organization that enables managers, supervisors and employees to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
The overall goal of the empowerment is to enhance guest service and increase profits for the organization by releasing decision-making responsibility, authority, and accountability to the lowest levels within the organization.
Leadership styles
Autocratic style is when you are leading by using your authority. It is by saying for example “Just do it”. You can use this leading style when for instance there is an emergency situation and everyone needs to listen to you.
Democratic leading style is when you are asking your team for example for suggestions and what they think about this idea and you give them a chance to take part of the whole decision making.
Bureaucratic leading style is when you lead by using the book for example when you are giving a warning to some of your employees you are doing it by the book because you are using the rules and the regulations.
Laissez – faire leading style means free and it is when you give to the employees choice to take decisions by themselves. Hands off.
Factors affecting Leadership Styles
- The supervisor personal background
- Characteristics of employees
- Organizational Climate
International leader/manager in the hospitality industry
J.W. Marriott, Jr. is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc., one of the world's largest lodging companies. His leadership spans more than 50 years, and he has taken Marriott from a family restaurant business to a global lodging company with more than 3,600 properties in over 70 countries and territories.
Known throughout the industry for his hands-on management style, Mr. Marriott has built a highly regarded culture that emphasizes the importance of Marriott's people and recognizes the value they bring to the organization. Today, approximately 300,000 people wearing Marriott International name badges are serving guests in Marriott managed and franchised properties throughout the world.
Regarded as a lodging innovator, Mr. Marriott began shifting the company's business model in the late 1970s from hotel ownership to property management and franchising. His strategic decision allowed the company to accelerate its growth and broaden its leadership position.
Conclusion:
We chose this person based on our research of his skills and leading. J.W. Marriot is a successful person because he is using the 4 leadership styles and if you want to be a successful leader you have to use all 4 styles not only one.
The work atmosphere in general has a lot to do with employee motivation. Typically managers that treat employees in a friendly manner are apt to get more of a positive response. You want to work at a business with individuals that enjoy their work and like their surroundings.
Employees will compare themselves to others to make sure they are being treated in a way that they perceive as fair. If an employee feels that they are not being treated fair, they will lack the motivation to work hard. Everyone likes to have a little independence and to be useful while they are working. Some control is always needed, but flexibility is appreciated. Employees and coworkers are also happy when they feel like they fit in and are able to be themselves. This goes back to the basis needs that humans strive to fulfill.
References:
Raphael R. Kavanaugh, Jack D. Ninemeier (2007). Supervision in the Hospitality Industry Fourth Edition. Michigan: Bridgette Redman