Organization Behavior of Leadership - Essay Example

?Organisation Behaviour: Leadership Table of Contents Introduction 4 Awareness and Insight through Self-Assessment 4 1.Your leadership potential 5 1.2.Your self-confidence 5 1.3.Your team leadership skills 5 1.4.Communication apprehension 6 1.5.Do you have a creative personality? 6 2. Introspection and Reflection: Personal Mission Statement for leadership development 6 2.1. Personal mission statement 6 2.2. Personal values 7 2.3. Personal goals 8 2.4. Personal action steps 8 3. Integration and Extension: Personal Model of Leadership and “Theory-in-Use” 9 3.1. The personal leadership model+300 9 13 3.2. Abilities+400 13 3.3. Personality+400 16 3.4. Values+500 18 3.5. The discussion desired effective theory of leadership+500 20 References 23 Bibliography 24 Introduction This process must include a structured procedure for self-assessment and development of necessary criteria like mission, value, ideals, goals etc. This paper will attempt to present a systematic procedure for encouraging the leadership qualities. In order to meet this objective, this paper is primarily divided into three sections. The first section will deal with the self assessment as it is necessary to identify and analyse the potential of being a successful leader. It is also important for taking necessary actions for the areas of improvements. The second section includes the development of necessary goal, mission, values etc, and these factors are very crucial as it paves the way for nurturing the leadership quality. In fact, this section creates a necessary basis for encouraging leadership quality through proper direction. The third section will present necessary theoretical backgrounds which are essential for shaping leadership qualities. This section will also focus on the development of personal leadership models and development of other leadership traits like personality, values, abilities etc. Finally, the entire discussion will be summed up in the conclusion. 1. Awareness and Insight through Self-Assessment To support the necessity of self-awareness for leadership development, Rothstein and Burke have commented that “self-awareness provides a basis for introspection, choice, priority setting, change and development” (Rothstein and Burke, 2010, p.5). The following self-assessment exercise have framed on the basis of five major areas that includes leadership potentials, self confidence, leadership skills, communication apprehension and creative personality. 1.1. Your leadership potential In regards to assessment relating to readiness it is observed that I have scored 6 which in turn signify a moderate to higher readiness. Our supervisors thus tried to explain the aspects of the work to us to help enhance our abilities to be more ready with the task assigned (Leadership, n.d., p.3; Bowerman & Wart, 2011, p.121). The dimensions of participative and stewardship reflect an above average score of three and this shows that our supervisors not only helped work in a participative work environment but also worked as the protector of the resources both human and technological in regards to the organization (Nolan, 1998, p.1). This data shows that our supervisors avoided showing an authoritative position and also were not the blind followers of the works of the subordinates (Waddell, 2006, p.2). 1.2. Your self-confidence In terms of my character I am a hard working and confident individual who desires to be self reliant in achieving the goals set or entrusted upon me by my superiors. This personality trait also helps my superiors to better depend on me for achieving tasks of advanced level. In respect to the assessment made the scores obtained in each of the different parameters reflect a problem in my character where I reflect getting a jerk in respect to the rising of some unexpected event which may be adverse in nature. 1.3. Your team leadership skills This assessment exercise is also very useful in understanding the leadership orientation of the leadership type. The test for this sell-assessment exercise for the leadership orientation includes a number of questions focusing to detect the potential leadership quality within a person. As per the result of the test on self-assessment, I have scored 3 points each for participative and stewardship. Therefore, it can be interpreted that my primary leadership orientation is belong to the combination of participative and stewardship. This indicates that I possess the team leadership skills. 1.4. Communication apprehension Communication apprehension refers to the fear or the nervousness while communicating with others. In presence of huge crowd of unknown or strange people, I have to take trouble for delivering the message due to nervousness. This is my one of the major weaknesses. In future, during my employment status, I may have to interact with a large number of strange people and this fear will influence my performance and career growth. Therefore, I must try to overcome this weakness by more engaging into the interaction with new people. 1.5. Do you have a creative personality? As per the self-assessment test for creativity, I have scored 7 that indicate that I have a slightly above average creativity. I always try to look for the new ideas and views from my supervisor and friends. Considering my own perception for my creativity, I believe that the score I achieve in the self-assessment is quite justified. In case of any given task and assignments, I am always eager to use the new ideas as it helps me to get better insight knowledge. 2. Introspection and Reflection: Personal Mission Statement for leadership development 2.1. Personal mission statement Moreover, in future, my responsibility towards the society and the people around me will be multiplied and hence, to meet my responsibilities I have to develop my personal mission statement aiming to bring betterment. In order to meet my responsibility, the necessary factors are discipline, fairness and utilisation of my productive knowledge. To maintain a disciplined lifestyle, I must concentrate on priorities; to maintain a fair characteristic, I must develop my unbiased thinking and to utilise my knowledge I must be attentive and take necessary initiatives to enhance my knowledge. 2.2. Personal values I have identified five major values that are highly required for developing my leadership quality and these are given below. Honesty- I must include and practise honesty in every step of my life and will follow it without any influence of fear, bias and selfishness. Self-Respect- If I will be able to maintain my self-esteem and self-respect, it will help me to realise and offer respect to others. I must maintain my sportsman spirit that can be achieved by the maintenance of self-respect. Adaptability and Team Work: I will try to make myself adaptable and flexible so that I can easily adjust myself as per my surroundings. Initiative: I will aim to realise my prior responsibilities and must take necessary initiatives to meet those requirements. Disciplined Lifestyle: I must follow the best possible practises to keep myself physically and mentally fit. 2.3. Personal goals In order to achieve the success in life in a broader way, I must needs to develop and follow set of short terms goals. Therefore, I have developed my five measurable, specific, attainable and consistent goals. I must do exercises every day at least for 1 hour to keep myself stress free. I must aim to finish of my pending tasks as soon as possible so that it will be able finish my task prior its deadlines. I will try to meet the common goal. For example, I must take initiatives for group work, presentations, in 2011 during the course of my studies. In 2011, I must attend all my lectures and will prepare my exam note for better performances in exams. I will also engage myself in part time job for three days in a week. I will always follow the fair practises, so that I can include the honesty as an integral part of my daily activities. Moreover, I will also aim to work in organisation where fair policies are followed. For flexibility and adaptability, I must enhance my knowledge do that I can be able to contribute the best towards a team work by reading relevant books. 2.4. Personal action steps For physical exercises, I will aim to take admission in organisations that will train me for healthy physical exercises. In order to increase my adaptability and flexibility to become an ideal team works, I will buy the relevant books. Moreover, I will also read the success stories and biographies of great leaders like Warren Buffett. In order cope up with my studies and part time job, I will plan my entire daily work schedule. In weekdays, I will attend my class regularity and during weekends I will utilize my time in part-time jobs. Every week, I must try to spend times with my near and dear one like family members and friends. Finally, at the end of the week, I will try to enlist all my past activities in a note books and will try to analyse the mistakes I have done. 3. Integration and Extension: Personal Model of Leadership and “Theory-in-Use” 3.1. The personal leadership model+300 An effective organisational leader is required to portray a myriad number of characters that one should possess to help render high amount of motivation and a competitive and challenging work atmosphere in the concern. The organisational leader must first devise the organisational mission and vision to help cultivate a background for effective organisational performance. Organisational leaders must also cultivate an environment of sustained knowledge in the concern through the incorporation of newer knowledge and skills which in turn changes the existing business processes. Business leaders in addition to the above skills must reflect a sense of high amount of integrity and honesty which helps the employees to counter challenges proactively. Similarly the organisational leaders must reflect a high amount of self confidence in them to stand apart from the rest and to be followed by others. These business leaders must however not be blind followers of suggestions rendered by the employees working in the collaborative environment but in that must testify such to help gain a better market and profit position in the future. Many scholars have argued that leadership qualities in a person are due to his or her charismatic characteristics. On other hand, many academics gave to perceived that leadership quality can be nurtured within a person by following focusing on the multiple leadership traits. One of the primary features of successful leaders is that they are able to achieve the common goal with a team effort. Each team members are equally important and there must be a mutual understanding and a better relationship among and/or between the team members and leaders. In general, there are four primary leadership orientations or leadership styles i.e. authoritarian, participative, stewardship and service. The participative leadership style is more favourable for team leadership skills and it tends to offer equal importance to each team members’ ideas and view. The strength of a team is always higher than individual and effectiveness of team effort is highly values as the team work is helpful in achieving the optimum level of output. The priority in the development of the leadership qualities requires a comprehensive self-assessment. The process of self-assessment is should be the first task in the process of leadership development. The process of self-awareness can be described as the internal analysis which generates the self-awareness. Effective communications is inevitable for leaders as they have to deliver the message of common goal and other instructions to their followers, subordinates and to their team members. This self assessment focuses on the communicational skill of a person. Communication is also very effective for in handling the team conflict. This self assessment exercise aims to analyse my creativity and innovative skills. Innovative ideas are very essential for better performances in a new way that will also help to save the resources like time, money etc. Organisational leaders helped to create an environment of open mindedness wherein we could develop our creative potential and insights to perform better. As per the above self-assessment discussion, the areas of improvements can be clearly indentified and it is necessary to follow a proper leadership framework to overcome these weaknesses so the leadership quality can be nurtured. However, in this process, the proper direction is mandatory. This direction can be created though the development of my personal leadership model. For example, in case of business organisation, the decision maker clearly states and defines the overall mission of the company so that entire organisation can work together for achieving the common goal of the organisation. This mission statement depicts core leadership focus and hence a clearly stated mission statement is very helpful in providing the essence of life through developing a sense of purposes (Snow, 2010, p.10) In order to lead a successful life; a mission statement helps to visualize life’s purpose and determined character. The business leaders to render organisational effectiveness must endeavour to communicate with the different organisational teams in order to gain their enhanced cooperation to deliver enhanced business performance. The business leaders having set effective organisation mission and vision objectives must endeavour to relate such in an effective manner to the ideologies of the different organisational people which helps in enhancing the parameter of teamwork. Further the modern day business leaders also endeavour to incorporate special assessment techniques like the 360 Degree Performance Appraisal procedures which help to render a holistic performance enhancement system in the concern. The said performance appraisal system helps both the managers and the employees to gain effective understanding of their performance rates and thereby to improve on such to generate enhanced productivity. Objectifying both personal and organisational goals helps the organisational leader in gaining the perspectives of the different team members to work together for achieving common business objectives. The personal leadership model framed in this respect incorporates basically three main parameters viz. ability of the individual, personality traits of the person and the values that the individual possesses to perform better in a competitive business environment. The diagrammatic representation for the same can be rendered as follows. Figure 1: Personal Leadership Model 3.2. Abilities+400 One of the primary qualities of successful leaders is their initiative. The initiatives takes by leaders will help to encourage and motivate other to be included themselves for contributing towards the cause and this is one of the most appropriate examples of ability. Man is a social animal and hence, everybody must learn to be adaptive. Team work is always preferred over the individual performance and adaptability must be counted as a strong ability. Focusing on the ability of managers the parameters of knowledge and skills are considered to render significant impacts in determining the potential of successful leadership in an organization. In regards to the knowledge factor it is observed that a successful business leader is required to reflect considerable expertise in the field of new technological developments in the external business sphere. Similarly the leader is also required to have a clear understanding of the interpersonal environment in the organization. The business leaders must have a profound understanding of the human aspects of the organization in that they endeavour to encourage the employees to work in a collaborative environment wherein they can freely share their views. Successful business leaders also require having a clear understanding of the relevant technical domains in respect to the various departments in the organization. This fact would help the leader to manage work by oneself in case of certain emergencies. Further enhancement of the knowledge aspect of the business leaders also helps them in gaining more confidence to manage the existing human and technical resources. The business leader through a detailed knowledge of the resource potential can work to make the optimal utilisation of the same to achieve business goals. The business leaders are also required to have a detailed knowledge about the legal dimensions relating to the business and industrial environment. Knowledge of the legislative and legalised environment helps the business leaders to render high amount of flexibility to the organisation to counter external pressure. Management of the initiatives of the workforce through the creation of a collaborative business environment helps in motivating the employees to perform more effectively. Henceforth the business leaders should bore a complete knowledge of the different personal and organisational traits of the employees pertaining to different organisational levels to render effective administration. The business leaders responding to the external environment must become adequately reflective and must adapt to the spontaneous amount of changes in such. Thus adaptation to external changes and thereby rescheduling oneself to counter growing challenges stands out to be one of the important skills in a business leader. In respect to the skills aspect the business managers are required to reflect certain levels of advanced business skills and acumen to sustain the profitability dimension of the organisation. Organizational managers need to reflect a high amount of interpersonal skills to help understand the psychology of the different individuals pertaining to the varied organisational levels. Development of the interpersonal skills in the business hemisphere helps to create a motivated atmosphere in the concern wherein the workers can effectively share their views and ideas with higher level managers. Further the organisational managers need to reflect effective skills in resolving potential conflicts in the various organisational levels which emerge owing to shift in ideologies between the managers and the employees. Organisational leaders need also to reflect potential dynamism in solving business problems through considerable knowledge and business expertise. This fact helps the business leaders to create a mark among others in restating their position in the concern. Similarly business leaders are also required to reflect a high amount of administrative skills in effectively managing the huge amount of diversity of the organisational work groups. Effective administration rendered in the business helps in rendering corrective and controlling measures to help in the correct utilisation of the organizational resources. An effective organisational manager needs to possess effective skills pertaining to allocation of the right organisational resource to the right department for effective performance. Maintaining a strong interactive environment in the organisation helps in the enhancement of skills of both the managers and the employees and thereby helps in enhancing the total organisational productivity. The businesses leaders must deliver reflect potential skills of being an effective arbitrator to sustain peace in the organisation. Organisational leaders must also act as change managers to help render efficiency and productivity in the concern. This practice of change management thereby helps in rendering innovation to the existing business processes and systems and also motivates the employees to work in a healthy atmosphere. The employees along with the business organisation working on the change attributes can look forward for more business and career growth (Locke, pp.35-38, 41-43). 3.3. Personality+400 The personality aspects of effective leadership are studied along two parameters viz. the behavioural aspects of the leaders and the creativity potential. The behavioural aspects of the business leaders are studied along the following parameters. Firstly the authoritative aspect of the business leaders focus more on the directional elements of the leadership characters which does not take into account the views rendered by subordinates. Another specific behaviour reflected by the business leader show that leaders encourage effective collaboration of the employees pertaining to the different levels. Leaders in this manner reflect a high amount of friendliness which helps the subordinates to share in their views with the higher mangers. Another characteristic reflected by the business leaders in this case encourages the subordinate staffs to share in their views and thereby focuses on gaining useful suggestions. These suggestions received from the subordinate staffs help the business leaders in making effective business decisions. Finally in the fourth case the business leader work on certain set goals which they previously have set and gauge the performances of the employees based on such ends. This fourth behaviour of the organisational managers helps them in uncovering new business challenges and thereby helps the employees to enhance their performance and knowledge skills (Furnham, 2005, pp.582-583; Fidler, 1981, pp.56-57). In regards to the assessment conducted it was found that higher scores were attributed to the aspects of participation and stewardship which signified a better work environment in the concern. Another specific behavioural trait of the business leader is that the person needs to be effectively creative in resorting to innovative programs and business processes in the organisational structure. While acting on creativity the business leaders need to significantly reflect an environment of openness in the concern. Such environment of openness helps the employees to come up with new ideas and innovations to help in the enhancement of the business and service potential. Further working on the parameter of creativity also helps the employees to take new challenges which help them to perform in a motivated manner. Further the dimension of organisational creativity also helps the business concern to be flexible in regards to the changes in the external business environment. The organisations by dearth of the flexibility parameter can respond in an effective manner to design newer business processes which would help address the needs of the customers in an enhanced manner. Creativity aspect ingrained in an organization also helps in cultivating an era of huge growth in respect to the performances of the employees. The organization as a whole along with the several employee groups can help grow much faster owing to the creativity aspects incorporated in the business organisations. The business leaders must endeavour to incorporate high amount of innovation in the organizational process through the installation of enhanced technology and also in rendering changes in the operational processes. The process of innovation rendered tends to become effective if the organisational leader can effectively percolate such to the different departments and organisational teams by inviting them to take part in key training programs. These training programs can also be made highly interactive and innovative by the leaders to help the employees sustain such changes and render enhanced productivity (Premuzic, 2007, p.10). 3.4. Values+500 Values are important for developing a culture and in case of personal values, it plays very critical role in creating the internal environment of people. This internal environment provides a healthy and attractive personality. The personal mission statement provides a direction; whereas, the personal value developed the basis and a platform for a personal to meet the overall personal goal of a person (Barcellos and Stein, 1977, p.264). The strength of a people’s value determines the strength of his or her life. Everybody has to play multiple roles in their life as we are inter-dependent on the society and on other people and hence, everybody is responsible for the maintenance of a growth oriented society. A healthy society can be maintained, if the people of society can follow appropriate set of values. Considering multiple responsibilities of people, one should develop proper missions that should also include a number of necessary values. Therefore, it becomes necessary to shape owns character so that it will be helpful to meet my responsibilities without focusing on self gain. Therefore, everybody must maintain a healthy and open relationship with the people around them and their primary aim will to fulfil unbiased expectations of people and society. Discipline must be made one of the primary values. The disciplined lifestyle is one of the most essential factors that must be present in very human being and especially for the student as it determines the future growth. The disciplined life styles include a large areas e.g. healthy habits, time punctuality etc. Another major value that must be considered as a priority is the self respect. Self-respect helps to maintain a higher self-esteem and dignity. The proverb, ‘Honesty is the best policy’ itself explains the core essence of honesty for leading a better life and people should try to set a good example for society and for their juniors by practising honest policies The organisational leader needs to possess large amount of integrity and honesty which helps create a benchmark for others in the organisation. These leaders need to reflect a strong disciplined environment in the organisation which would help the employees get better motivated to perform better. Strong personal values embedded in a person create a distinct personality which is awed by others in the concern. The organisational leaders must endeavour to render high amount of self-respect for other employees in the concern. This fact would help the employees in getting properly attached to the organisational ideologies and thereby also desire to perform more effectively. Enrichment of personal goals helps the organisational leader to thrive more and encourage the employees to take to more challenging tasks. Development of organisational culture and values helps in creating a healthy work environment in the concern in which the employees can perform in a proactive manner to achieve higher organisational and personal goals. In regards to the leadership values the parameter of self confidence earns an important position. Confidence is a crucial factor in regards to development of leadership skills for it helps in creating an environment of high amount of motivation in the organisation. This motivational factor enhanced helps the organisational manager in drawing high levels of commitment from the people. The parameter of self confidence enhanced in the individuals helps them to reflect high amount of integrity in regards to their work. Self confidence also cultivates high amount of honesty in the individual. The above fact also enhances the personal drive in a person to achieve end goals effectively. A self confident individual also creates huge amount of enthusiasm in the person which helps one to take new and challenging tasks (Daft & Lane, 2007, pp.39-41; London, 2002, p.25). Mindfulness in regards to the organizational leader refers to the interest of the person in changing oneself in respect to the changes in the external environment. Such interests developed in the person make one highly flexible and open to the external scenario. The organisation leader should continuously endeavour to adapt to new skills and enhance the previous expertise in regards to the need for innovation which makes the organisation greatly productive. Organisational leaders reflecting high amount of open mindedness can easily adapt to newer environments and take to new challenges which again helps in cultivating good amount of motivation in the organisation. These leaders also reflect a definite trait where they become highly curious about the happenings both in the external and internal environment and thus fail to accept any view without aptly testing it. Organisational leaders are thus required to be highly alert to the changes in the external environment in order to sustain the element of high profitability and enhanced market share in the long run (Daft & Lane, 2007, p.138; Peterson & Ferrell, 2005,p.99). 3.5. The discussion desired effective theory of leadership+500 The above discussion made along the separate theories of leadership reflects that a person to become an effective leader must possess a keen interest in developing both one’s skill and knowledge domain. The domain of knowledge must be enhanced by the organisational leader in regards to both technological and human resources. Similarly the organisational leader must reflect specific behavioural traits like development of strong interpersonal relationships with the different employees of the organisation. The organisational leader must also reflect high amount of creativity in regards to cultivating an innovative business process and taking resort to newer technologies. Similarly the business leader must also reflect high amount of self confidence in one’s character which in turn creates large amount of motivation among the employees. The theories analysed also postulate that business leaders are required to gain high amount of creative knowledge which helps them to be highly flexible in regards to external changes and also cultivates a passion to meet newer challenges. However another set of theories also reflects that business leaders must show high amount of integrity and honesty towards their work and organisation. Such integrity and honesty arises from the point of self confidence ingrained in such individuals. Such value of self confidence creates an outstanding business personality which again stands as a sense of inspiration for the other team players in the concern. Finally the leadership theories also show that organisational leaders must have an open mind to become flexible and strong to be equivalently productive in the future as in the past. The leadership theories also suggest that organisational leaders must not be blind followers of the views given by the subordinates. Rather these people must counter and test the views rendered to be confident about the changing organisational environment. Thus among the various theories on organisational leadership stated above the point of enhancing the confidence parameter gains more importance in respect to the other factors in cultivating a true organisational leader. In addition to organisational confidence the business leaders must reflect a high sense of business integrity and honesty to deliver the best possible atmosphere to help the employees perform effectively. This high amount of integrity and honesty also helps the business leaders in sketching a different personality trait for him in the concern. The parameter of confidence in regards to organisational performance can be better enriched through the system of effective performance appraisals wherein both the management and organisational teams are evaluated by both external and internal eyes. Proper performance appraisal system enabled in the concern also helps the business leaders in evaluating the existing operational and service standards. Through effective evaluation the business leaders can plan of generating effective changes in the business sphere and thus can work on the parameters of transformational leadership. The business leaders in endeavouring to reflect high amount of self respect for the different organisational teams and classes of employees tend to enrich their confidence scales to work in a proactive manner. Mission and Vision values are designed by the organisational leaders in such manner so as to instil larger confidence among the organisational employees to work better in an enriched environment. Value enhancement in the organisation thus can be rendered by enriching both the human and technological resources so as to enhance the performance parameters of the organisation in total. Working on enhanced value helps in cultivating healthy organisational culture and business environment wherein the workers can thrive to better perform. This enhances the motivational parameter of the total set of human resources in the organization. References Barcellos, A. and Stein, S. K. (1977). Solutions manual to accompany Calculus and analytic geometry. 2nd ed. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. 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