Leadership Styles and New Manager Development
This paper examines the challenges new managers face when transitioning into leadership roles, particularly when promoted internally without adequate training. It discusses the importance of understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses, the needs of employees, and situational flexibility in leadership style. Drawing on Blanchard's situational leadership framework, the paper contrasts situational and contingency theories of leadership, arguing that situational theory is more practically effective. It also weighs the benefits and risks of internal versus external promotions, highlighting how leadership training can mitigate communication breakdowns and help newly promoted managers build authority among former peers.
- Introduction to Leadership Style: Defining leadership style and common manager mistakes
- The Importance of Leadership Training: Why training is critical before and after promotion
- Situational vs. Contingency Theory: Comparing two key leadership frameworks
- Internal Promotion: Risks and Benefits: Weighing internal versus external leadership appointments
- Conclusion: Final evaluation of promotion strategies and leadership
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper uses a practical, list-based framework early on to anchor its argument, making abstract advice about leadership style concrete and actionable.
- It grounds its discussion in a recognizable real-world scenario — the promotion of Cheryl, Rob, and Linda — which illustrates the consequences of inadequate leadership training effectively.
- The contrast between situational and contingency theories is clearly articulated, with the author taking a clear evaluative stance rather than simply describing both theories neutrally.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative theoretical analysis — presenting two related leadership theories (situational and contingency), identifying their similarities and key distinctions, and then making an evaluative argument for which is more practically useful. This technique is common in management and organizational behavior essays and shows the student's ability to move beyond description toward critical judgment.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by defining leadership style and identifying common manager mistakes, then transitions into a discussion of leadership training using a case example. It proceeds to compare theoretical frameworks before concluding with a nuanced evaluation of internal versus external promotion. The argument builds progressively, using each section to support the overall claim that flexible, well-trained leadership is essential for organizational success.
Introduction to Leadership Style
Leadership style determines the way a manager or leader interacts with others in an organization (Blanchard, 1999). This style does not need to be fixed or unchangeable; instead, it can be flexible and adaptable to suit various situations. Most managers make a mistake in choosing the right leadership style when they feel they must stick with one style in all situations. Inadequate knowledge of leadership styles can result in erroneous choices, and similarly, a manager who does not understand his or her own strengths and weaknesses can make the same mistake. There is not one single reason why a manager would falter when choosing a leadership style — a host of issues can affect that choice.
A person who knows that he can do better by being amiable does not need to adopt an autocratic style, and similarly, a strong charismatic leader does not always need to be a servant leader in order to get the best out of people. Lack of proper leadership training can create all of these conflicts. In order to choose the right leadership style, it is important for managers to:
The Importance of Leadership Training
Leadership training is essential for everyone in a management position. If a person is to supervise or lead a team of workers, it is important that the organization provides sufficient leadership training so that the individual can choose the right style and become a more effective leader. In many organizations, such training is either unheard of or simply not effective. Organizations will typically invest in their future leaders by sending them to attend seminars and courses on leadership, which helps them attain self-confidence, learn more effective ways of communicating, and build a professional vision for themselves and their teams.
However, in organizations where this is not done properly, managers can find themselves in a difficult position. In the case at hand, for example, Cheryl, Rob, and Linda were all promoted to leadership positions without any training in that area. They clearly lacked the skills to command a team and to communicate effectively with members of their teams who had been their peers only a day before. It is important for firms to understand that a great deal changes among employees when one of them is promoted to a senior position. Giving directives to former peers is not an easy task and must be handled with care. For this reason, good leadership training must be provided both before a person is promoted to a senior position and while he or she is in that position, in order to facilitate better communication.
Conclusion
Ultimately, effective leadership requires self-awareness, situational flexibility, and adequate training. Whether a leader relies on situational or contingency frameworks, the key is recognizing that leadership style must respond to context rather than remain rigidly fixed. Organizations that invest in leadership development — before and after promotion — position both their managers and their teams for greater success, regardless of whether that leadership comes from within or outside the organization.
References
Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, P., & Zigarmi, D. (1999). Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership.
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