Principles of Business Leadership - Coursework Example

Principles of Business Leadership Introduction Any successful business requires an effective business leader to steer it towards the desired success. Many business professionals point out that leading a business organization or company is not an easy task. It takes arduous efforts and work for one to lead a business success. A business leader has so many different things to do and oversee. He or she has to manage so many people and a lot of resources to ensure that the organization meets its goals and objectives. There are so many responsibilities that a business leader is charged with and he or she has to be committed to his or her business so as to ensure that it is successful. Business leadership is a process of organizational influence in which a single person or a group of people can enlist the support and aid of others in the business organization so as to accomplish its common goals and objectives. Leaders may not have formal authority but have the power to drive people to do something so as to achieve a common goal or task. Any business, no matter the size, requires effective leadership. For this reason, many scholars have come up with numerous principles to guide business leaders on how they can be effective in their leadership roles and responsibilities. This essay will discuss the principles of business leadership that effective business leaders should abide by. This paper will focus on how to be an effective business leader. There are very many scholarly and non-scholarly sources that talk about what makes an effective business leader (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 212). Most sources that are reviewed in this essay link the success and performance of a business organization with effective business leadership. The performance of a business organization is also closely associated to specific leaders of that particular organization. Hersey, Paul, Blanchard, Ken and Johnson (55) argue that the influence of effective business leaders is very powerful and can never be ignored. Business leadership requires individuals who have the capacity to influence others positively towards the realization (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). That is why effective business leaders are guided by business leadership principles as they execute their leadership roles. The following are some of the most common principles of effective business leadership: 1. Principle of Clarity This principle calls for a business leader to be clear on what they want to ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘have’ and ‘know’. In being clear on what a business leader want to be, he or she should know what he/she is. This means that he/she should identify his/her beliefs and values so as to understand himself/herself better before being understood by others (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). A good business leader should have an honorable and outstanding character because other people observe who he/she is. A good business leader should also be clear on what they know and want to know. These include all the tasks, jobs and nature of the members of his or her organization. To be an effective business leader, one has to concentrate and be clear on what he/she does, for example, implementing, motivating and providing direction to the other members of the organization (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). Being clear also entails effective communication by business leaders so that they can be well understood by those that they lead. Research shows that a leader is respected more if he or she has the ability to be clear and give a clear sense of direction to the other members of the organization that he or she leads (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). Studies in organizational behavior indicate that members of an organization want to follow a leader is if he or she is clear on ethical principles and gives the organization a sense of direction by being clear on the vision and mission of the organization. The principle of clarity also requires an effective business leader to have the ability to communicate the plans of the organization to all relevant stakeholders. Information is very crucial to the success of any business and the manner in which it is conveyed is important in determining the success of an organization (Heifetz p 45). An effective business leader is one who has the ability to share his or her vision in clear and understandable words so that his or her followers can be able to take part in helping the organization to achieve its vision (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). An effective business leader is one who is clear on his/her plans and actions and does not leave others in the dark concerning the affairs of the organization. Clarity also means that a business leader should be open and transparent on all organizational matters (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). 2. Principle of Strategy This principle calls for business leaders to have the ability to plan their actions carefully so as to achieve a particular goal. This principle requires a business leader to be able to critically think about something before executing it (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). An effective business leader should inspire a shared vision. Strategy requires that an effective business leader plans for his or her business organization by looking at the pros and cons of each and every action taken and determining the viability of taking any action. Strategy also requires that an effective business leader considers whether an action is worth taking or not and have measures in place to deal with any unexpected situation that may arise (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). The principle of strategy calls for effective and strategic planning such that a business leader plans for all the pertinent factors that determine the success of a business such as resources, personnel and processes (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). Strategic planning requires the business leader to be able to define its strategy and direction and make wise decisions on how its resources should be allocated so as to pursue a particular strategic plan (Kouzes & Posner p 213). This requires that the business leader understands the current position of the organization and all the possible avenues that it can use to pursue a particular course of action. A good business leader has to determine where his or her organization is headed in the near future and in the long term. It requires the business leader to be visionary and know what might happen along the way so as to deal with it effectively (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). 3. Principle of Anticipation An effective business leader is one who has the ability to realize what may happen beforehand. This calls for him or her to have the ability to realize beforehand and be aware of what may happen and taking the necessary action so as to be prepared (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). Anticipation requires one to be able to evaluate, examine, judge and appraise anything that may happen in an organization before it happens so that it can be prepared for (Kaiser, Hogan and Craig p 96). Anticipation can be achieved through evaluation which entails collecting information so as to make wise judgments about any situation that may arise. Anticipation also requires a business leader to have the ability to systematically determine the worth, significance and merit of something so that the business leader can know what works best for the organization and what does not (Hersey, Paul, Blanchard, Ken & Johnson p 139). An effective business leader must have the ability to use gathered information to make positive improvements and changes in an organization. In order to become a good business leader, one must have the ability to forecast and know what may affect the organization in future. Forecasting is the art of predicting what might happen in the future and taking the necessary steps to deal with the situation when it arises (Frey, Kern, Snow & Curlette p 216). After forecasting and anticipating the problems that may arise, an effective business leader should be able to come up with viable and workable solutions to those problems (Hersey, Paul, Blanchard, Ken & Johnson p 139). Conclusion In summary, the principles of business leadership demand that an effective business leader is one who has the ability and capacity to know themselves and seek self improvement. This will enable them to be technically proficient in the sense that they will know their job and be familiar with the jobs of their employees. An effective business leader is one who takes responsibility for his or her actions and continuously looks for ways to make his or her organization to grow to new heights. An effective business leader does not blame others when things go wrong but accepts responsibility and takes the necessary and appropriate corrective measures. For one to become an effective business leader, he or she must make timely and sound decisions concerning his or her organization by using various planning, decision making and problem solving tools. He or she should set an example for the rest to emulate and be a good role model for his or her employees. Speech on the principles of business leadership Good business leaders are those that are guided by certain principles of business leadership. It is important to note that there are various principles of business leadership that exist. These principles act as guides to business leaders by directing them on what they should do so as to drive their organizations to success. The principles of good business leadership stipulate that effective business leaders should know their people and look out for them and their wellbeing. As an effective business leader, you must understand human nature and understand why it is important to care for your workers at all times. You must know how to communicate and keep your people well informed so that they can know the best action to take. You must also develop a clear sense of responsibility ownership and accountability so as to help them carry out their roles and responsibilities. To be an effective business leader, you must ensure that all tasks are understood, accomplished and supervised. Proper communication can help here in the sense that all matters relating to tasks will be communicated to the workers for execution. You should have the ability to train your people as a team and have them work together as a team towards goal accomplishment. Team spirit is one way that effective business leaders can use to get things done around their organizations. In conclusion, a good business leader must abide by the principles of good business leadership in order to be effective. It is important to ensure that everything you do earns you respect and makes your workers want to be like you. Works cited Day, D. V., and Lord, R. G. “Executive Leadership and Organizational Performance: Suggestions for a New Theory and Methodology.” Journal of Management 14.3 (1988): 453-464. Print. Frey, M., Kern, R., Snow, J., and Curlette, W.. “Lifestyle and Transformational Leadership Style.” Journal of Individual Psychology 65.3 (2009): 212-240. Heifetz, Ronald . Leadership without Easy Answers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994. Print. Hersey, Paul, Blanchard, Ken and Johnson, D. Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2008. Print. House, R. J. Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2004. Print. Kaiser, R. B., Hogan, R., and Craig, S. B. “Leadership and the Fate of Organizations.” American Psychologist 63.2 (2008): 96. Print. Kouzes, J. M., and Posner, B. Z. The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002. Print. Read More