Leadership Styles

“Traditional methods and styles of leadership must change to meet the changing environment “(Sims, 2002, p.242). Sims (2002) argues that organizations can ensure success by developing individuals in leadership positions as leaders and managers. There is a perception that leadership is a level above management. McConnell (2006) states that there are differences between leading and managing. In short, “people obey managers because they must or they expect to; people follow leaders because they want to” (McConnell, 2006, p.147).Therefore, leadership can be defined as “the act of influencing others to work toward a goal” (Bauer & Erdogen, 2009, p.285) and can be considered “more art than science” (McConnell, 2006, p.147). In health organizations, leaders exist at all levels. In the imaging department, leaders are directors, supervisors, and team leaders.

There are various theories on leadership styles, McConnell (2006) states that the three basic leadership styles are laissez-faire, participative (democratic), and authoritarian (autocratic). He argues that few leaders have only one leadership style. Sims (2002) states that factors such as experience, training, professional competence, technical competence and the leader’s philosophy regarding human nature would affect his or her leadership style. However, he thinks that leadership styles should be flexible and adaptable to various situations. Imaging departments exist in dynamic market environments, and many factors influence the leadership styles that imaging department leaders use .Ismail, Zainuddin, and Ibrahim (2010) argue that participative leadership (democratic) and consultative leadership are the leadership styles that seems to be implemented in such departments ,and ment...

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... styles are suited for their departments and that they communicate effectively with their employees.

Works Cited

Bauer. T & Erdrogen .B (2009). Organizational behavior. Nyjack, N.J: Flat World Knowledge Inc.

Madlock, P. E. (2008). The Link between leadership style, communicator competence, and employee satisfaction. Journal of Business Communication, 45(1), 61-78. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

McConnell, C, R. (2006). Umiker management skills for the new health care supervisor (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett publishers

Sims, R. R. (2002). Managing Organizational Behavior. Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Ismail, A., Zainuddin, N., & Ibrahim, Z. (2010). Linking participative and consultative leadership styles to organizational commitment as an antecedent of job satisfaction. UNITAR e-Journal, 6(1), 11-26. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.