4 Smircich and Morgan 1982 in an earlier reading identified

4. Smircich and Morgan (1982), in an earlier reading, identified “learned helplessness” as a possible negative outgrowth of leadership. What is learned helplessness and how might leadership contribute to this state?

Solution

Learned helplessness means \"a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.\"

Leadership does make the difference:

A leader can have so much influence over whether his/her team is vital, alive and kicking goals, or being apathetic.

Without being aggressive or blaming, call it when you see it. You don\'t want people becoming defensive so choose your words carefully.