Dan Martin, Rob Williams, and Gracia Arthur have something in common. Recently, they were all made leaders within their organizations into management positions. And for each of them it was a challenge. Dan Martin was promoted to director of catering for the Pyramid group restaurants in Saskatoon City. When he received the promotion, he found that things are not going to be the same again. He knew that he would now not be the part of water-cooler gossip or shrug off an employee's chronic lateness. He says he found his new role to be daunting. "At first I started like a bulldozer knocking everyone over, and that was not well received. I was saying, 'It's my way or the high way'. It made me forget that my friends were also in transition". He admits that this style isolated him from everyone with whom he worked.

Rob Williams, a technical manager at Blue Chip Company in Tornoto, narrates about the uncertainty he felt after being promoted to a project manager from a junior programmer. "It was a bit difficult to be suddenly giving orders to peers, when just the day before you were one of them. You have to be careful and try not to upset anyone. It's strange to see yourself walking into a room and the whole conversation changes. Nobody wants to be as open with you when you become the boss".

Gracia Arthur is now president of Medico Insurance Services in Calgary, Alberta. She started as a customer service representative with the company, and then leapfrogged over colleagues in a series of promotions. Her advancements created problems. Colleagues would say, 'Oh, here comes the big cheese now.' God only knows what they talked about behind my back."

a)A lot of new managers make errors in selecting the right leadership style when they move into management. Why do you think this happens?

b)Which leadership style you will suggest for Dan Martin, Rob Williams and Gracia Arthur? Why?