Leadership is often talked about and discussed without   thoroughly   being   explained.   Exactly, what is leadership? Are leaders born or can they be  trained?  Management  specialists  have  been searching  for  the  correct  answers  for  over  90 years. The Navy defines leadership as the ability to influence others toward achieving the goals and objectives   of   the   organization.   Leadership involves  inspiring,  motivating,  and  developing others. Many  theories  have  been  developed  to  explain the leadership process. The theories range from Douglas  McGregor’s  Theory  X  and  Theory  Y  to William  Ouchi’s  Theory  Z.  The  Japanese  used Theory  Z  to  develop  the  Total  Quality  Manage- ment (TQM) leadership style, discussed later in this chapter. Based  on  Theory  X,  the  leader  assumes  people are basically lazy; will avoid working if possible; must   be   coerced,   controlled,   directed,   or threatened; wish to avoid responsibility; have no ambition;  and  want  security.  People  who  base their leadership style on that theory use threats to  motivate  subordinates. Theory  Y  proposes  that  the  leader  assumes people   like   to   work;   will   seek   additional responsibility  when  the  proper  work  environment exists;  will  exercise  self-direction  and  self-control; and have a high level of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity. People who pattern their leadership style after this theory help subordinates perform work  assignments. According  to  Theory  Z,  people  who  don’t  fit either  Theory  X  or  Theory  Y  are  really  a combination  of  the  two.  People  who  develop  a leadership style based on Theory Z use different styles  of  leadership  with  different  people, depending  on  the  situation. Relation to Management Civilian management sees leadership as just one of its five functions. It expects its managers to  plan,  organize,  control,  staff,  and  then  apply leadership to motivate employees. The Navy sees leadership as all-encompassing. The Navy leader first  and  foremost  motivates  subordinates.  The Navy then applies the management functions of planning, organizing, controlling, and staffing as needed  to  meet  organizational  goals. Although  the  views  of  the  civilians  and  the Navy seem to be different, both have one element in common. Effective leadership involves planning, organizing,  controlling,  and  staffing.  Good leaders plan well, establish an effective organiza- tion,  set  up  an  efficient  and  effective  control system,  and  staff  required  jobs  with  the  right people. Finally the leader excels at inspiring and motivating  subordinates. Leadership  Styles What’s  your  style  of  leadership?  Do  you practice  one  style  of  leadership  all  the  time,  or do  you  vary  your  actions  according  to  the particular situation or type of people with whom you are working? You might have asked yourself, How  do  I  maintain  respect  for  my  position  of authority and at the same time allow my people to voice their opinions? How can I take the time to get their point of view when I’m under pressure to get the job done? These questions are puzzling, and  they  have  no  easy  answers.  A  leader  must walk a tightrope when it comes to solving these dilemmas  of  leadership. As  a  leader,  you  can  practice  leadership  in many ways. Research on leaders and leadership has  identified  several  leadership  styles.  Most people  have  a  preferred  range  of  styles.  No  one leadership  style  is  right  or  wrong;  the  appropriate style   depends   on   the   people   being   led,   the situation,  and  the  requirements  of  the  job. In  any  situation,  a  leader  must  perform  six tasks  that  in  some  way  involve  or  affect  subor- dinates.  A  good  leader  takes  the  following  actions: • Listens  to  subordinates  to  diagnose  or solve  problems • Sets goals and develops short- and long- range  action  plans • Gives  directions  about  who  is  to  do  which tasks to what standards • Provides feedback on task performance • Rewards or disciplines task performance and  personal  characteristics • Develops   subordinates The way these six tasks are handled at any one time varies with the nature of the jobs. A different leadership style should be used for routine tasks than  for  innovative  tasks  or  for  situations  that require  crisis  management.  Similarly,  tasks  of short duration often warrant a different style from those  that  extend  over  long  periods. 3-15