Organizational Management - Term Paper Example

?Organizational Management Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems, is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. Colin Powell, 1996 Introduction: The concept of leadership has been discussed, debated and explored by various scholars, authors and theorists alike, for several decades, and over a period of time, several new definitions of the concept have been added, based on the findings, observations and experiences in the real world. The range of theories on leadership highlights the multidimensional nature of the concept. However, the primary theories of leadership such as trait theory, behavioral theory, and contingency theory have more or less remained the same. This paper on Leadership Theories, studies the various theories of leadership against the background of U.S. military, and explores the manner in which these theories influence the various aspects of the military as an organization. The armed forces continuously seek to improve their efficiency and leadership by evaluating various forms of leadership and application of various leadership principles. In order to achieve effective leadership, the army relies on both the traditional as well as contemporary leadership theories and instances of effective leadership drawn from corporate organizations and applies the same within their own setting. According to the army, the term leadership is defined as “influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (NA, 2004, p.5). The various concepts and theories of leadership as it pertains to the U.S. Army are described in the following sections. Leadership in the U.S. Army: The army believes in effective leadership which aims to not only motivate the followers / soldiers but also ensure that they are trained appropriately to enhance their skills. The officers in the army are likely to encounter various critical situations in their day to day lives, and particularly in cases of war, where they are entrusted with a responsibility to lead their troops safely and successfully towards the final accomplishment of their missions. The leaders in the army, hence, are expected to motivate their followers, and apply their skill, personal and ethical values, tactical expertise and most of all, lead them fearlessly towards their common goals. Leadership as observed in various cases, comprises of a wide variety of elements and characteristics, and hence in order to truly understand the true essence of leadership as applied in various forms of organizations and organizational sectors, it is essential to study various theories and models of leadership, as there is no single and right way to study leadership. It is multidimensional in nature, and every theory can be applied differently in different situations. It must be taken into consideration that in order to become a good leader, the application of various theories of leadership is essential, one theory alone cannot help in making a good and efficient leader. The primary theories of leadership, discussed in the following section, help in understanding various leadership theories and the various ways in which these leadership theories can be and are implemented by the U.S. Army. Primary Leadership theories: The primary theories of leadership include trait theory, behavior theory and contingency theory but for the purpose of this study other theories of leadership such as transformational theory and servant-leadership style, and the situational leadership theories are also included for a broader understanding. Trait theory Northhouse (2007, p.3) the term leadership refers to a process by which an individual seeks to influence the others for the accomplishment of a common goal. The leaders seek to motivate their subordinates to achieve the common organizational goals based on their own personal characteristics such as values and beliefs, or traits. The trait theory of leadership relies on these traits of the leaders which include – the overall personality of the leader; their attitudes towards leadership; their gender; achievements etc., among others. Source: Northouse (2007, P.5) According to Northouse, leaders learn skills required to motivate their followers, and apply the same by transferring their knowledge and applying their own personal traits. Such knowledge and skill play a key role in the process of leadership, while the other characteristics or traits such as values, beliefs, confidence and achievements, make the leaders unique and respected among their colleagues. In the context of the army, the leaders are required to possess all the skills necessary to motivate their troops, apply their problem solving skills to resolve differences, and encourage them to achieve their missions successfully. According to the U.S. War Department, the various traits required of a leader include - self confidence, precision, endurance, humor, honesty, justice, obedience, decisiveness, sincerity, decency, impartiality, thoughtfulness, self-control, restraint, enthusiasm, loyalty, friendliness, courage among others (U.S. War Department, 1946). Currently the leadership doctrine in the army is based on the skills theory of leadership (Campbell & Dardis, 2004). As mentioned above, the army uses and acknowledges a range of leadership styles, which include styles that help them improve their communication skills, interpersonal skills, follow-up, the ability to work in a team, as well as skills to motivate their subordinates. Hence, it is for this reason, that individuals in the army, who possess one or more of the above mentioned traits or were known to display greater confidence regarding their leadership skills and abilities, are regarded as better leaders and performers (Chemers, Watson & May, 2000). Behavior theory: Contrary to a trait theory, which entails that leaders are born, not made; the behavioral theory states that leadership can be learned, by observing the actions and traits required. However, although the behavioral theories give more emphasis to the behavioral aspects of leadership, it must be taken into consideration, that the behaviors of the leaders are an outcome of their skills or personal traits since the attitudes, skills and intelligence of the leaders directly affect their decisions. In the army, the leaders are required to possess a range of skills including problem solving skills, interpersonal skills, the ability to take appropriate and prompt decisions, and to ensure the compliance of the rules laid down by them, for their followers. Contingency theory: According to this theory, the effectiveness of a leader isn't consistent and it changes from time to time depending on the situation. Thus, what works for the leader in one situation may not work for them in some other situation / scenario, as the characteristics and elements of each scenario differs. This is also referred to as situational leadership theory. According to the leadership grid developed by Blake and Mouton the situational leadership entails use of a combination of various leadership styles, which are aligned by the leader in accordance with the appropriateness and relevance of the given situation, and also taking into consideration the type of their followers / subordinates (Hitt, Miller & Colella, 2006). Furthermore it is also stated that leaders change over time, and develop or acquire new traits and / or qualities, thus resulting in a significant change in their leadership behavior. Thus, this concludes that training and development does have an impact on enhancing and polishing the leadership skills (Mumford et al, 2000, Pernick, 2001). Leadership in the Army is of utmost significance, and the criticality of the same was expressed aptly by the ex-chief of staff of the U.S. Army, General Eric K. Shinseki as follows: “We are about leadership; it is our stock in trade, and it is what makes us different. We take soldiers who enter the force and grow them into leaders for the next generation of soldiers. We will continue to develop those leaders through study in the institutional schoolhouse, through field experiences gained in operational assignments, and through personal study and professional readings. Our soldiers provide back to America a corps of leaders who have an unmatched work ethic, who have a strong sense of values, who treat others with dignity and respect, who are accustomed to hard work, who are courageous, who thrive on responsibility, who know how to build and motivate teams, and who are positive role models for all around them. We provide this opportunity to American youth so that we can keep our Nation strong and competitive and enable it to fulfill its leadership role in the community of nations. We invest today in the Nation's leadership for tomorrow” ( Levy, 2001, P. 101) Effect of power and influence on leadership: “Leadership at one time meant muscle, but now it means getting along with people” Mahatma Gandhi The link between power and leadership cannot be denied and in fact has been acknowledged by various researchers in their studies. The use of power while in position of leadership may result in change in attitudes, behavior and intentions of the leaders. The change of behavior is observed not only in the leaders but also their subordinates, where the subordinates change is evident in the form of compliance of orders or instructions given to them by the leader. Leadership is defined as the process of guiding others towards achievement of common organizational goals, while power is usually defined as the ability to influence others towards the achievement of goals which are considered important by the power holder. Thus, according to these definitions both power and leadership go hand in hand, as they offer the individual the opportunity to influence their subordinates to achieve the desired goals. However, good leadership is characterized by the use of power exercised not on the individuals but for the achievement of goals (Messick, Kramer, 2005). Power must not be used for instilling fear and ensuring compliance by the subordinates, but rather influencing them to follow the leader’s commands, due to their skills and expertise in the matter. Significance of leadership in initiating and managing change within organizations: Leaders are responsible for creating a vision for their organizations and steer the followers towards achievement of goals based on that vision. The success or failure of any organization depends on the organization’s vision and goals, which are conceived and developed by the leaders. Furthermore, it is the duty and responsibility of the leaders to adapt to and initiate change within organizations depending upon and corresponding to the changes in the external environment (Yukl, 2002). Failure to do so might lead to disastrous results such as failure to achieve organizational goals, and losing the competitive standing in the industry, while in terms of the army setting, it might mean loss of several lives, and losing the war, thus putting the entire country in danger. Such a leadership is termed as transformational leadership whereby the leaders are required to gauge the changes in the external environment and implement new polices and strategies for the achievement of their goals. Conclusion: With respect to the U.S. Army the concept of leadership of immense significance as it is the leaders who strive to influence the soldiers to win wars, and bring glory to the country. The army is responsible for defending the country and protecting the citizens from alien aggressions, and it is the vision and skills of a leader which helps in preventing such hostilities. The qualities of a leader either in-born or acquired are both given higher significance,, as the success and benefits of the strategies formed by them, define the consequences of their action. References: Campbell, D., & Dardis, G. (2004). The "Be, Know, Do" Model of Leader Development. Military Review, 27(2), p. 26-40. Chemers, M .M., Watson, C. B., & May, S. (2000). Dispositional affect and leadership effectiveness: A comparison of self-esteem, optimism and efficacy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(3), p. 267-277. Hitt, M., Miller, c., & Colella, A., (2006). Organizational behavior: A strategic approach, Australia: Wiley Publications Levy, D. G., (2001). Strategic and performance planning for the office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development in the Department of Defense, Issue 1234 Rand Corporation, p. 101 Messick, D. M., Kramer, R. M., (2005). The psychology of leadership: New perspectives and research, NY: Routledge Publication, p. 287 - 289 Mumford, M. D., Marks, M. A., Connelly, M. S., Zaccaro, S. J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2000). Development of leadership skills: Experience and timing. Leadership Quarterly, 11(1), p. 87. Pernick, R. (2001). Creating a leadership development program: Nine essential tasks. Public Personnel Management, 30(4), p. 429. Northouse, G. (2007). Leadership theory and practice. (3rd ed.) Thousand Oak, London, Sage Publications, Inc. U.S. War Department. (1946). Leadership, courtesy and drill. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. NA (2004). The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual, McGraw Hill Publication, p. 5 GovLeaders (1996). Quotations from Chairman Powell: A leadership primer [Online] Available from: http://govleaders.org/powell.htm [Accessed: May 10, 2011] Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in Organizations. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall Read More