A leader sets the tone for those he supervises. Having a weak or ineffective leadership style turns what could be a productive organization into one that is directionless, chaotic, and unable to fulfill its potential. Incompetent central leadership can also cause a power struggle among other remaining team members. Groups seek leadership; when leaders fail to use their powers, others will maneuver to use the power left in the void. This can lead to a power struggle and backstabbing (Morgan, 2007). Averill, DeWitt, and Zimmer (1978), stated that a person is commonly considered less responsible if his or her actions are interpreted as emotional rather than intentional. While working for a previous employer as a Case Manager for individuals receiving social service benefits, a popular and well-liked supervisor failed to provide consistent leadership for members of his unit. It was his mood of the day, rather than politics, that dictated how the circumstances should be handled. While most situations must be handled on a case-by-case basis, a certain set of criteria should and must be followed to maintain the integrity of the program. Based on this, as case managers, we assisted our clients based on past practices; however, we were sometimes called upon to explain our actions. While we worked within the rules, if he felt our actions were not compliant, we had to defend our decisions. To reinforce the direction I took with my cases, I often used supervisors' past actions as precedent. Without a fair and equitable way to determine who received what, our program tended to rely on subjectivity rather than objectivity. Never knowing exactly what was acceptable, even if it was within the rules and regulations, he now became a fru...... paper leader ...... leader - I know what doesn't work and I strive to always remember lessons learned from an ineffective, but very kind supervisor. Works Cited Averill, J.R., DeWitt, G.W. & Zimmer, M. (6/1978), The Self-Attribution of Emotion as a Function of Success and Failure. Journal of Personality, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p323, 25p; DOI: 10.1111/1467-6494.ep7380419. Retrieved from EBSCOhostDrucker, P., 18 Famous Quotes by Peter F. Drucker. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Peter-F.-Drucker/1/index.htmlKotelnikov, V. (n.d.). 25 Lessons from Jack Welch. Retrieved 8 31, 2011, from 25 Lessons from Jack Welch: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/mgmt_new-model_25lessons-welch.htmlMorgan, T. (2007). Overwhelm weak leaders. Business Journal (Central New York), Vol. 21 Number 16, p.26-26. Retrieved from EBSCOhost