Understanding the main points. 1. Number the following ideas 1-8, depending on the order in which they appear in

LANGUAGE STUDY

1. Idiomatic uses of point.

Complete the following sentences, using suitable verbs, phrases and expressions

from the table above.

1. Our Chairman likes to know everyone in the firm. When he visits our factory

  he ……………….. chatting with all the staff he meets.

2. Harry is boring at meetings. He talks for hours and never ……………….. .

3. Pamela is very good at chairing meeting. She makes sure that speakers

  ………………. .

4. I thought John ……………….. at the meeting about our need to improve our

  distribution system.

5. I don’t entirely accept your analysis of the situation, but I agree …………… .

6. I have heard a rumour that there will be quite a few redundancies when we’re

  taken over. There’s only one way to find out. I’ll have to ask the Personnel

  Director ……………….. .

7. Peter seems to be really fed up with his job at the moment. I’d say he is

  ……………….. leaving the company.

8. The Financial Director ……………….. that the loan would have to be

   repaired within ten years.

2. Idiomatic uses of back.

Answer the following questions using suitable verbs, phrases and expressions

from the table above.

1. If you are not happy when negotiating a contract, what is the best thing to do?

2. What sort of person would you select to run a major car manufacturing

  company?

3. Suppose you are a creative person and you have just invented a revolutionary

  electric razor but do not have enough money to develop it yourself. What

  would you try to do?

4. In some countries, goods can be delayed at customs for a long time. How

  might some dishonest people speed up clearance of the goods?

5. Some workers have to spend all day lifting heavy cases on and off trucks. How

  would you describe that sort of work?

6. How does the owner of the firm feel when he/she is faced with a desperate

  situation such as a huge tax bill or bankruptcy?

7. It is September. After several months of hard negotiations between your union  

  and management you learn that you are to receive a pay increase. What do you

  hope management have agreed to?

8. You have been working all morning on a difficult task. Now you feel fairly

  happy. Why?

Use the remaining verbs, phrases and expressions with backin your own

sentences.

DISCUSSION

Work in groups of three or four. Each member of the group should choose a famous leader, either living or dead.

First, members should say briefly

a). what the leader achieved

b). what qualities and abilities the leader has (or had)

c). whether group members think the person they chose was an effective leader

Then, the group should discuss the following questions.

1. Do the leaders you have described have any common characteristics, e.g.

  similar qualities, abilities, skills etc.?

2. Are leaders born or made?    

READING

Leadership is needed at all levels in an organization. It is likely, however, that the leadership qualities required by a supervisor or manager are not the same as those required by the chief executive of a company. It is, therefore, difficult to define leadership satisfactorily.

A typical definition is that the leader “provides direction and influences others to achieve common goals.” This is true in the case of supervisors and managers, but is it a good definition of the leader of an organization? A chief executive must indeed give “direction” but he must do much more than that. He has to create “a sense of excitement” in the organization, and convince staff that he knows where the business is going. In addition he must be a focus for their aspirations. As Peter Drucker, the American writer, says, “Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a man’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a man’s personality beyond its normal limitations.”

When psychologists and other researchers first studied leadership, they tried to find out if leaders had special personal qualities or skills. They asked the question: Were there specific traits which made leaders different from other people? The results of their research were disappointing. In time, it became clear that there was not a set of qualities distinguishing leaders from non-leaders. Some studies had suggested, for example, that leaders were more intelligent, more self-confident, had better judgement etc. than other people. But, it was pointed out, many people with these traits do not become leaders. And many leaders do not have such traits!

In 1974, a researcher, Ralf Stogdill, reviewed a large number of projects on leadership. In Chart 1, you can see the personal qualities which were considered important for success as a leader.

Chart 1.

    However, as early as the 1950s, the trait approach to leadership had become discredited. It is generally agreed now that you cannot say a person is a leader because he/she possesses a special combination of traits. All you can say is that some qualities, like above-average intelligence and decisiveness, are often associated with leaders.

An important analysis of leadership has been made by Fred Fiedler, Professor of Psychology and Management at the University of Washington. For over twenty years, he has carried out research into effective leadership in a number of organizations – businesses, government agencies and voluntary associations. Fiedler observed how leaders behaved, and he has identified two basic leadership styles:

Task-motivated leaders “tell people what to do and how to do it.” Such leaders get their satisfaction from completing the task and knowing they have done it well. They run a “tight ship”, give clear orders and expect clear directives from their superiors. This does not mean that they show no concern for other people. But their priority is getting the job done.

Relationship-motivated leaders are more people-oriented. They get their satisfaction from having a good relationship with other workers. They want to be admired and liked by their subordinates. Such leaders will share responsibility with group members by encouraging subordinates to participate in decisions and make suggestions.

Throughout his work, Fred Fiedler emphasized that both styles of leadership could be effective in appropriate situations. There was no best style for all situations. Effective leadership depended on matching the leader to the task and the situation.

In a book called The Winning Streak, the authors studied leadership in some top British companies. The managers of those companies believed that effective leadership was a crucial factor in their organisations’ success.

The authors were able to identify some characteristics of the chairmen and chief executives of the companies, which made them good leaders: firstly, the leaders were “visible”. They didn’t hide away in some ivory tower at Head Office. Instead, they made regular visits to plants and sites, toured round their companies and talked to employees. Leaders made their presence felt. There are some fascinating examples of this practice. Sir Hector Laing, Chairman of United Biscuits, travels around his company with a jug of orange juice. He uses this to show employees how the company profits are divided up between employees, reinvestment, dividends, tax etc. Lord Sieff, Chairman of Marks and Spencer until 1984, kept close contact with his staff. Once, when there had been heavy snowfalls, he drove from London to Chatham – a long way – just to thank sales assistants for turning up in spite of the weather. Lord Sieff had the habit of making telephone calls every Saturday, at about 5 p. m. to a few stores, chosen at random. He wanted to know how the day’s trading had gone. No doubt, by doing this, he kept the staff on their toes. And he showed them that the Chairman had not forgotten them!

Another example of being “visible” is provided by Brian Nelson, Group Managing Director of Bulmer, the cider-making firm. Every six months, he goes out in a lorry which delivers cider, and works as the lorry driver’s mate. This gives him the opportunity to learn about the delivery service, and to talk frankly to employees about their problems.

Besides being visible, the leaders of these top companies provided a “clear mission”. In other words, they knew where the organization was going and persuaded staff to follow them. Sometimes, they spelled out the mission in a written statement. For example, Saatchi and Saatchi, the advertising group, include a statement of their principles in all annual reports. The statement says that Saatchi and Saatchi must be “sharp in the definition of their long-term objectives”. And the documents also cover matters like employees, clients, creativity, market position and profitability.

Finally, successful organizations have clear values. And it is the job of the leader to show what they are. As Douglas Strachan, Managing Director of Allied Lyons Beer Division, says, “You have to keep telling people your values. If you repeat it often enough, it does go down the line”. Thus, the leader is not only someone who “lifts a man’s vision”. He/She must also protect and promote the organisation’s values.    

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