Executives: Good Leaders or Just Managers - Term Paper Example

Executives: Good Leaders or Just Managers Executives: Good Leaders or Just Managers Many theories exist on the formation of leaders. Such theories include the theories situational, behavioral and trait theories. However, without a doubt, whatever style of leadership an individual prefers, one cannot dismiss the importance of apprenticeship and experience in acquiring good leadership skills. One of the best ways that a student might use to gather information on how to become a good leader is to acquire it directly from those people who have the necessary experience in leadership. This is a prerequisite to begin understanding how to not only become a good team player, but also a good leader (Northouse, 2010). Therefore, this paper aims to provide a brief synthesis of some of the common themes that leaders face, as well as some contradictory statement. The aim will be to consider the best executive as per their different stands and strengths at being both a manager and a good leader. The executive involved in the group work exhibit very different types of personalities in regards to how they make their choices and their leadership styles. However, there are several characteristics that these executives share that seem to display themes of leadership, in general. One of the ubiquitous themes is hard work. According to Lee Miler, the Assistant Vice President in claims at GEICO, one of the most important aspects of getting to the top is being hard working. He claims that an individual cannot succeed at climbing the career ladder unless they are willing to start from the bottom and work their way up. Miller goes on to advice the students not to turn down a job opportunity because they deem it to be below their education standards. He states that such opportunities have the advantage of increasing experience and offering other opportunities. Scott Free also concurs with this stand, stressing on the importance of hard work to become a good leader. Another significant characteristic is to forge solid relationships. The most important aspect of succeeding in working in a stressful organization is being a good team player. In turn, becoming a good team player increases the chances of becoming a good leader (Northouse, 2010). There are several reasons that increase this probability. Being a good team player increases charisma and confidence when dealing with work mates. These are key components of a good leader. A good team player also has to become conversant with the requirements of the job, an aspect that increases professionalism and conversely a roadway to leadership. One of the biggest supporters of the benefits of a good working relationship with other co-workers is Dr. Haynes, the president of CSUSM. She states that relationships are critical to professionalism since they enable an individual to share and grow within their particular field. This view especially suits her position in a tertiary institution since it enables her to interact with her students understands their problems better. Scott Free also finds that relationships are an important aspect for the growth towards becoming a better leader. He insists on this by speaking widely on issues pertaining to people. Though the students agree with his particular stand due to how he presents it, Meeler also states that a leader must first understand other people. The third feature that is recurring among different executives is the importance of setting goals in pursuing good leadership. One executive who greatly supports this stand is Lusardi Construction CEO, Scott Free. He states that nothing precedes setting goals when pursuing any part of a career. He states that the main reason for having a culture of setting goals is that they affected both sides of the individual’s life, the personal and the professional. However, he does concur that one would best learn how to set goals with time, because every occasionally the futile goals became apparent. Dr. Hynes also states that, “Don’t roll your success strategies forward without thinking,” commenting on the importance of looking at the bigger picture when making plans. The executives however differ slightly on their diverse leadership styles based on their different personalities. This does not necessarily mean that any of them is wrong but simply implies that these two executives have grown under different environments that have shaped their divergent views. One of the views that seem to diverge is the stand on how to deal with other employees. GEICO’s Miller insists that before making any decisions, one should learn the other employees first so that they can create a comfortable environment for themselves. However, executives such as John Reilly, a park president, may disagree with this view. According to the information provided on Mr. Reilly, for one to become a good leader they have to ensure that they create an environment that guarantees there is a lot of energy in the workplace. This calls for budding relationships between the workers and the clients. One of the reasons why there is such a divergence might be the working field. The working field plays a critical role in the type of leadership style that a budding manager displays. This is because different industries have differing cultures (Northouse, 2010). For example, Meeler works in insurance, where the environment calls for high levels of marketing. The competition is cut throat and there is need for having high alertness when dealing with others, especially with the client. However, Mr. Reilly works at a park, a position that needs a candid personality. This is because his job needs a person who knows how to deal with all age groups and keep them entertained since his field is in the realm of providing services. This is clear from the personality traits that Mr. Reilly exhibits, such as his love for both the environment and animals. Dr. Hynes’ insistence at having close candid relations with all the people under the executive gives premise to the point. Another point of divergence between the executives is on the stand of risk taking. According to Scott Free, his company strives to create a culture of low debt level by the organization According to him, his company over the years has been able to maintain sustainable growth by ensuring that they pursuing goals that they can comfortably achieve. In their bidding process for new jobs, the main determinant of whether they go through with their plans or not is their financial capacity. If they cannot afford to sustain a job financially; then they do not take the risk. On the other hand, the executive Greg Lucier of the Lakeshore Capital Partners seems to prefer risk taking to being conservative. According to his leadership model, risks, even when they end up becoming disappointing, are a good way of learning and creating a stronger personality as a leader. In addition, from these views we see that there are different reasons for each executive going for a particular view on matters concerning how to deal with risks in their field. Here also, it is clear that the particular industry plays a critical role in determining a leader’s view on a particular way of leadership. For example, Mr. Free works in an industry that requires sub-contracting of activities. His organizational culture is to ensure that the subcontractors are paid as early as possible in contrast with other market players who keep their contractors’ checks waiting for longer. This way, he has created a brand that shows reliability in the industry. On the other hand, Lucier works in the capital markets industry. This very tough market is wholly based on risk taking. Therefore, the divergence in these two working environments accounts for the divergence of views on this point. From an analysis of the entire portfolio of these executives, a few characteristics might enable an individual to choose which executive fits for the position of Most Valuable Executive (MVE). One of the characteristics, which the writer finds are most important for a good leader, include the capacity to be a good team player. This way, the individual gets to learn about their weaknesses and strengths and in this way, they can improve on their personality. Part of being a good team player is having a lot of humility, charisma and being a good listener. Another important characteristic is being capable of making good decisions regarding organizational goals. Good decision making is a trait exhibited by professional leaders who are well versed with the necessary information pertaining to an organization’s operations (Northouse, 2010).A good leader must also be able to balance between their careers and their family. According to Northouse, there is a great correlation between the environment at home and at the workplace. This correlation mainly exists because the psychological position of an individual determines their temperament and capacity to deal with other issues (Northouse, 2010). Having a good life in both fields would greatly improve the productivity of an individual. Another insight offered by the executives is the importance of having organizational goals. Goals enable for individual and organizational target setting, which in turn acts as an incentive to work hard. Working hard is an important aspect of all these insights since as many executives contend; it would be futile to carry out any planning without taking any solid planning. From all these insights, the executive who fits best the position of MVE is Scott Free, Lusardi Construction Company’s CEO. The reason for finding his leadership style to offer the best leadership is due to the importance he places in the employees, all the clients as well as his insistence on maintaining a sustainable budget. He also places great importance on a good balance between work and home. Of all these insights also, the most appealing insight is the one provided by Free on ensuring sustainability. One of the biggest weaknesses of most youths is debt. Free does not advocate for not taking any loans or such risks, but rather for better money management for budding managers. Indeed, there are many other insights that make or break a leader. Apart from good teamwork, good money management skills and good planning skills, a well-rounded leader also needs to have other small important features. From the study on the executives, some of the features that stand out, which play a critical role in the personality of the leader include confidence and professionalism. These two factors influence each other, meaning that professionalism comes from being confident in one’s field, and confidence comes from ensuring that you are professional. Being professional also applies to dressing. A well groomed leader is more confident and self-assured. Finally, another extra feature that seems to stand out apart from those highlighted by the paper is the importance of interpersonal skills, such as communication, and ability to work under intense pressure. Such traits, incorporated with hard work enable a manager to become conversant in all aspects of management thus enabling an individual to become not just a manager, but also good leader. References Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Read More