Question:

"Much has been written about the need for leaders not to assert control, and that a different style is required for organisations to succeed in this fast changing and complex environment...In organisations that are „stuck?, I come across an inherent belief on the part of the leaders that they know best. Their desire for control, I find, is in itself a key indicator of the kind of systemic issues that struggling organisations face."

*Lindsey Masson, Director of Executive Coaching, Ashridge (Chartered Secretary, October 2007)

(a) Critically evaluate this statement and explain how the different leadership styles of different people can influence the behaviour/ actions of others.

(b) A new manager complains to you that she is unable to get her team to do what she tells them to do. Identify how an understanding of both power and leadership might be applied to help the situation.