Full Answer Section

• Servant Leadership:
  • Focus: Prioritizing the needs of followers and empowering them to grow and develop.
  • Characteristics: Humble, empathetic, and focused on serving others.
  • Examples:
    • Howard Schultz (Starbucks): Emphasized employee well-being and community involvement.
• Situational Leadership:
  • Focus: Adapting leadership style based on the readiness and competence of followers.
  • Characteristics: Flexible, adaptable, and able to assess and respond to different situations.
  • Examples:
    • Leaders who effectively manage diverse teams with varying levels of experience.
• Authentic Leadership:
  • Focus: Leaders who are genuine, transparent, and build trust through their actions.
  • Characteristics: Self-aware, relational transparency, balanced processing, internalized moral perspective.
  • Examples:
    • Oprah Winfrey, known for her genuine connections with her audience.

2. Power Bases:

Leaders use various power bases to influence others:

• Legitimate Power: Derived from a formal position or authority.
• Reward Power: The ability to provide rewards or incentives.
• Coercive Power: The ability to punish or threaten.
• Expert Power: Derived from specialized knowledge or skills.
• Referent Power: Derived from personal charisma and the ability to build strong relationships.

3. Effective and Ineffective Leadership Behaviors:

• Effective Behaviors:
  • Active listening and clear communication.
  • Empowering and delegating.
  • Providing constructive feedback and recognition.
  • Building trust and fostering a positive culture.
  • Demonstrating integrity and ethical behavior.
  • Adaptability.
  • Emotional intelligence.
• Ineffective Behaviors:
  • Micromanaging and lack of trust.
  • Poor communication and lack of transparency.
  • Ignoring or dismissing feedback.
  • Creating a toxic or negative environment.
  • Lack of accountability.
  • Inconsistency.

4. Conducting the Interview:

• Identify a Business Leader:
  • Seek someone who has demonstrated leadership qualities in their field.
  • Consider local business owners, managers, or community leaders.
  • Ensure they are willing to participate in an interview.
• Prepare Interview Questions:
  • Focus on their leadership experiences, challenges, and strategies.
  • Ask questions related to leadership theories and power bases.
  • Examples:
    • “How would you describe your leadership style?”
    • “What challenges have you faced as a leader, and how did you overcome them?”
    • “What power bases do you rely on to influence your team?”
    • “What behaviors do you believe are essential for effective leadership?”
    • “How do you motivate your team?”
• Conduct the Interview:
  • Create a comfortable and respectful environment.
  • Listen actively and take detailed notes.
  • Ask follow-up questions to gain deeper insights.
• Analyze and Reflect:
  • Connect the interview findings to leadership theories and concepts.
  • Identify the leader’s strengths and areas for development.
  • Reflect on how their experiences can inform your own understanding of leadership.
• Document and Report:
  • Clearly document the interview, and the answers given.
  • Build your paper around the answers, and how they relate to the leadership theories, and power bases.

Example Interview Questions to Tie into Theories:

• “Can you give me an example of a time you inspired your team to achieve a goal that seemed impossible?” (Transformational Leadership)
• “How do you ensure your team members understand their roles and responsibilities?” (Transactional Leadership)
• “What steps do you take to support the growth and development of your team members?” (Servant Leadership)
• “How do you adapt your leadership style to different situations and team members?” (Situational Leadership)
• “How do you build trust with your team?” (Authentic Leadership)

By following these steps, you can effectively complete your assignment and gain valuable insights into the world of leadership.