Strategic Leadership in a Changing World - Research Paper Example

? STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP IN A CHANGING WORLD INTRODUCTION Organizations are today characterized by dynamic technological developments, intensified by existence of competition and self-enhancing values. Competitive advantage ensures the growth of an organization to extend its market niche. Michael Porter associates the competitive advantage on a positive view while Gary Harmel works on it with it on a resource view. Organizations can only retain their competitive edge by changing to meet the wants of the business environment. The strategies implemented will improve the organizations learning and knowledge. Existing cultures and prevailing organization cultures to be precise plays an important role in ensuring success. As discussed by Becker and Baloff (1969), the need to place cultures on a psychological platform will distinguish the procedural and declarative knowledge. The culture of an organization displays on the economic performance and the company’s continuity. For instance, an organization with a dedicated and strong team built through visionary leaders end up with more financial successful years on a long-term basis. Organizations structure also facilitates the success of new products and process innovation and change. Culture management is a relevant process in the growth of an organization and its extent is felt on the two articles above. Becker and Baloff (1969) explain that managing organization culture is the ultimate goal for an organization to realize the length of its potential. Fairfield-Sonn (2001), however, states that culture just gives direction to the staff on what they believe and how things should be run (Kapferer, 2008). Business platforms require both leaders and managers. Though taken by many individuals to mean the same, the two aspects of business are different. A good manager and leader offer success of the organization in different levels (Northhouse, 2009, p. 23). Corporate culture is a strategic investment that ensures well driven business activities. The needs to create success in the economy that come with corporate change are extensive. Approaching a change requires putting into consideration the important cultural themes that ensure expression in and organization, without any neglect. The cultural web is a tool designed to help managers with the challenge that comes with cultural change. Originated by Gerry Johnson (2002), the tool is applied by many companies including, KPMG, Shell and Castrol. The web is designed to compare to a spider’s web where the centre is the paradigm or main idea for the organization, acting as a centrifugal force aimed at weaving cultural themes together. The cultural web brings out the concept of change, most employees feel comfortable with the normal happenings (Charles &Jones, 2009). Expressions can be considered cultural to an organization after cultural artifacts have been made active. Selecting a process includes incorporating the aspects that require change. It is important to facilitate a clear understanding of the analytical process with which members of the organization can relate to, once the culture has been incorporated. The cultural web is a device that ensures a practical aspect of the themes with aspects placed on anthropology. The Characteristics of a Good Manager A good manager should be able to manage time properly as supervisory positions can be tasking if the manager lacks proper time management skills to adhere to deadlines. Proper time management skills translate to generation of revenue and proper budgeting skills adopted by the company (Schein, 2004, p. 12). Possession of proper communication skills is an essential for a manager. Management of business and project teams depends highly on communication to succeed. A manager should be able to communicate clearly to other managers, other businesses, employees, and most of all to customers. Proper communication comes with the personality and confidence growth with the knowledge of the running of the business (Bax,2002). Conflict resolution abilities are essential in a manager. Interaction with employees will raise disagreements that may require an expertise manager to solve the disagreement for a better working environment. As a manager, it is important to be able to listen to the problem, identify with the problem, discuss possible solutions for the solution, and follow up to see that the problem is resolved (Weber, 2008, p. 78). According to Schein (2004, p. 56), experience as a manager is a great characteristics of a manager, especially of a big company. How to handle situations during decision making is an aspect that comes long periods of interactions. Managers can be awarded the position after long periods in operation. A good manager can arise from an employee who has been in the environment for a long period of time (Guide, 2011). The last important characteristic of a good manager is responsibility. Being responsible of the happening of the work place in times of meeting deadlines, assigning tasks and ensuring that employees adhere to the company policy are some of the responsibilities that a manager. A manager should be able to take responsible for any misfortunes that occur due his watch (Weber, 2008). How a Leader Is Different from a Manager A leader is more of an influencer as opposed to a supervisor. A leader asks questions to find out the opinions of employees as opposed to a manager who gives directives for the achievement of the set projects. Leaders keep an open mind, and are open to change on the aspect that may arise in an organization. Leaders are interested in finding out what aspects work and what can be done to reverse the situation. In leadership, investigation of the reality is important to ensure that communication with the individual is achieved (Schein, 2004, p. 23). Management is about doing things in the correct manner; where as in leadership is about doing the correct things. A leader works with working towards a goal or a given direction. A leader works with an objective in life towards achieving a given goal. Managers require leadership skills as they have people looking up to them. A leader may not be a manager as he does not have individuals who expect his action to aid in the completion of a work related project. The leader is approached by his subordinates in the majority of the cases as a manager is expected to be aware of the progress of the project (Weber, 2008, p. 78). According to Northhouse (2009, p. 56), effective leaders are those who are able to communicate with a vision on the expectation of the organization. A leader is able to gain information from various people as well as support from the audience. Northhouse (2009, p. 57) goes on by adding that a good leader persists on the set rules and regulations to cater for the completion of staling projects. Culture creation is an important characteristic of leaders. A leader ensures that the organizations culture is followed, while the manager ensures the set culture is practiced by its subordinates. A good leader is judged by the use of various theories including the trait theory where the leader’s traits such as alertness, activeness’, patience, kindness and positive criticisms form a good leader (Guide, 2011). The theory on behavior is also applicable in determining a good leader. A leader may be job oriented or employee oriented. Depending on the nature of the business, a leader with either behavior will be applicable for leading the organization. The contingency theory is also applicable in determining whether a leader is good or bad. The decisions of effective leaders are contingence to the situation. The transactional theory is the last one where leaders provide what the followers want. Transactional leaders look into the needs of the followers and deploy the ones that are reasonable sound (Northhouse, 2009, p. 76). How might having a poor leader impact an organization? An organization with a poor leader may lack direction into the set objectives of the organization. Making sound and observation based judgment may lack in the departments as many individuals in an organization look up to the reasoning of their leader. The organization may miss out on opportunities that arise from merging with other companies as their leader may not be humble enough to accept beneficial merging (Northhouse, 2009, p. 67). Problem solving may take longer periods in an organization that may lack a proper leader. Once a leader is satisfied with the outcome of a situation, immediate dispense of the decision made ensures continuity of the business in a different level (Hill & Jones, 2007). A good leader should invest in the business. Business are likely to collapse without a proper leader as they do not direct the business towards the set goals and objectives that they set during the commencement of a financial period (guide, 2011, par. 3). He states that “skills and abilities that can be learned and developed” (Northouse, 2009). My View as a Leader Yes, I am a good leader. I believe it is important to be a role model. I have an outgoing personality that enables e interact with people. I am a good listener. I know this as I get many people approaching me for advice on a variety of issues. I ensure that proper information is outlaid through the actions that I take (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). Leadership come with ensuring communication is well received by the people I lead. I ensure this by providing room for feedback from the people I lead. I understand it is important to lead by example hence I work on the virtues I preach as a leader before deploying them into my followers (Cleland &Ireland, 2006). My View as a Manager Also, I am a good manager, as I am organized and have the ability to grasp important concepts and put them into action. I have proper time management skills as I complete projects as scheduled. This is achieved by setting a schedule that incorporates the things I need to do for the given time. Others view me as a great leader and have since high school playing baseball, I was captain. People felt comfortable coming to me with questions and concerns and knew I would listen and not judge (Freedman & Tregoe, 2004). As a manager, I was bestowed with the responsibility of ensuring that the team members showed up for training sessions on time when the coach was not on time. The experience I had in managing the basket ball team was translated in the schools business club as I was given the treasurer position (Hitt, Miller & Colella, 2006). Managing the funds of the club was a big responsibility and required responsibility for the monies collected in every meeting. I top the managing technique by being able to work on these aspects and still handle my studies. With poor management skills, I would not be able to graduate with honors as I did (Evans, Stonehouse & Campbell 2012). Management and leadership go hand in hand in elevating the position of a company. Possessing both as an individual ensures that the personal and business traits are applied in meeting the objectives of the organization. Elevating the success of the business comes with a practice that makes a good manager and a skill of leadership that an individual is born with (Weber, 2008, p. 67). Strategic Alternatives In marketing various strategic alternatives can be employed by company to ensure that as new strategies come up they blend in well with them. Alternative strategies could include using more of technology to make their products known; having the logo of their products in common websites could be a good way to start since this could also mean increased publicity (Weygandt & Kimmel, 2009). Recommendations For a company like company which has already established a well customer base, it is important that it ensures continuity to retain its customers by making sure that consumers continue to be satisfied hence continue to enjoy consumer loyalty. I can also recommend that they keep checking for new trends and fashions that are related to packaging that can make them enhance more on their products look. They should improve on their pricing strategies to make sure that all people in their target market gets to enjoy their products (King,2012). References Bax, E. H., 2002. The strategic labor allocation process. [Online] Available at: http://som.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/FILES/reports/themeA/2002/02A24/02A24.pdf [Accessed 6 November 2011]. Charles & Jones, G., 2009. Essentials of Strategic Management (2nd ed). Mason,OH: South- West(Cengage). Cleland, D. I. & Ireland, L. R., 2006. Project management: strategic design and implementation. USA: McGraw-Hill Professional. Evans, N., Stonehouse, G. & Campbell, D., 2012. Strategic Management for Travel and Tourism. Washington: CRC press. Flamholtz, E. & Randle, Y., 2011. Corporate Culture: The Ultimate Strategic Asset. Stanford : Stanford University Press. Freedman, M. & Tregoe., b., 2004. The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership. Chicago: Mc-Graw Hill Professional. Guide, M. S., 2011. Strategic Leadership - Definition and Qualities of a Strategic Leader. [Online] Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-leadership.htm [Accessed 1 July 2011]. Hill, C. W. L. & Jones, G. R., 2007. 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