Key Elements of an Extraordinary Employee - Coursework Example

Human Resource Management Introduction Working in a firm requires more than what most people think. Remarkable college degrees, extraordinary university transcripts and an IQ of 160 is not all what it takes to be a noteworthy employee. One often needs to give up his egocentric attitude and accept that are people in the workplace better than him. One also needs to realize that it is as important to be responsible as it is to be good at what one is doing. Deadlines need to be met and expectations need to be achieved. To sum it all, it isn’t everyone’s piece of cake. Some of the key elements of an extraordinary employee would be highlighted in this account. It is very important to understand that an employee needs to have some characteristic elements that would help him not only to cope up with his working environment but also help him in succeeding. In every firm, big or small, there is a margin for success. There is scope for improvement and betterment. And it is the employees whose hard work and dedication will lead the company to success. Not every employee has innate leadership qualities and there may be instances when an employee cannot build these in himself. Therefore, leadership needs to be developed to succeed, it does not come naturally Leadership Leadership is a process by which an employee encourages his fellow employees to achieve an objective. This objective may be very farfetched and difficult to attain, but it is a leader’s responsibility to direct the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and the employees work without realizing that they are made to do something. In fact, they do it for their own pleasure. For a leader to be influential, his character, beliefs, ethics, values, knowledge and skills should be spotless (Currie). No one should be able to raise a finger at him in disapproval. People often confuse being the head of an organization to being its leader. Well, these two differ from one another significantly. A leader will not just sit in his multibillion dollar empire and enjoy while the workers work for him. He’d rather sit with them and plan what to do next. A true leader helps the organization achieve its goals in a manner that the organization on the whole flourishes and not just the executives (Abdalla, 2001). A leader also needs to make sure that everyone working for the company is satisfied with it and the work experience is an interesting one, not one that the employees dread. A leader acts like a cohesive to the organization (Winget, 2006). He glues all the employees together in working constructively and avoids any hindrances that may hurdle the path to advancement. Leadership Styles Since leadership is essential for the growth and development of a firm, there have been various leadership styles seen around the world. Leaders do not need to necessarily abide by these styles, but if they do, they are bound to succeed. Some leaders however, choose to move from one style to another as the goals of the organization change. Others may prefer to use an amalgam of these styles (Yulk, 1999). Whatever the case may be, it is the leader that determines the heights that an organization would eventually reach since all other members follow the footsteps of the leader. Despotic leadership style This style of readership entails absolute power of the leaders over their organizations. The leaders that adopt the autocratic leadership style are tyrannous. They have complete authority over all decision making in the firm and other employees have little say in work matters (Gardner, 2002). It is thought that the leader is all knowing and will always decide in the best interest of the firm. Since the employees generally have little say in such a leadership style, there is a high employee turnover in such instances. However, if the firm deals with rare and expensive commodities like the mining of diamonds, making of electricity etc then this leadership style of supreme control is the most appropriate. Practical leadership style This type of leadership includes following all rules and regulations of the firm accurately and not slipping from the law even slightly. This avoids a lot of risks that businesses may otherwise get into and it helps maintain a safe and healthy working environment. This type of leadership allows the leader and his followers to learn more about the law and this helps in keeping the organization far from any corruption and other vices. Influential leadership style Influential leadership style is adopted by leaders who believe in transforming the organization. Such leaders work on inspiring all other employees with their hard work, dedication and everlasting fervor. Inspiring and influential leaders are very important if the organization wants every employee to progress and not just the top ranked staff (Judge). Such leaders help the other employees learn from their example and move on the path of success too. Influential leaders, however, bear a great responsibility since they are the flag bearers for the rest of the organization. All other employees depend on such influential leaders for guidance and so they need to be their best at all times. Self-governing leadership style This leadership style involves collectivity and democracy. The leader allows all the staff members to give in their suggestions and ideas. The decision by the leader would be ultimate; however, all other employees are free to voice their opinions and have their say in all business matters. This type of leadership is most susceptible to success since this helps the firm in working for collective growth and progress. Under a self governing leadership style, the employees have an invisible hand factor behind their progress and so they tend to work tirelessly to succeed. Independent leadership style This style of leadership is also known as laissez-faire leadership style. It is more about giving other members of the organization autonomy and power to make their decisions. It is achieved when the leaders focus on giving the employees a free hand after guiding them about company goals and objectives (Molesworth, 2003). However, leaders adopt this style of leadership only when they are very confident about their employees’ capabilities and skills. If the employees are amateur and do not know much about the smooth running of the organization, this method of leadership can turn out to be detrimental for the company’s grown and well being. This allows the leaders to let other new ideas flow into the organization however, it gives them lesser control. Relationship oriented leadership style This style of leadership is about developing cordial relationships with the employees. It focuses on developing a healthy work environment that encourages growth and prosperity. However, this style of leadership is most criticized because it is believed that developing relationships in the work place prohibits an unbiased, fair system of working which is necessary if the organization wants to make its mark in the long run. Servant leadership style Although, the word “servant” seems to be very contradictory with a leader, this word was coined for a very appropriate purpose. Servant leadership style is adopted by leaders who want little recognition for their services. Such leaders fulfill their tasks but do not like to take credit for them. Servant leaders feel that they are obliged to do their work and they therefore do not ask for any credit or acknowledgement (Bass, 1999). This kind of leadership can be discouraging for other members as servant leaders are seldom influential. Mostly they are timid people, who are afraid to even accept their own achievements and successes confidently. Task oriented leadership style Task oriented kind of leaders are most appreciated in the contemporary work environment since they are capable of setting goals and making all efforts to attain those. They can be autocratic or democratic, whatever the case, such task oriented leaders know how to get their job done. Task oriented leaders are very beneficial for the firm since the height of their goals determines the strength of the firm eventually. Transactional leadership style This style of leadership entails the concept that all employees agree to comply with their leader completely as long as they are hired. The leader has the ultimate right to punish his employees if their work is not up to the mark. In this, the leaders focus on short term tasks and tell exactly how they want the employees to proceed with the tasks. However, this kind of leadership hampers growth, success and progress since the creativities and ideas of the employees are almost neglected and it is only the leader who decides how to attain a goal or an aim. Leadership Theories Over time, it has been deduced that leadership is not an inborn talent but it needs to be incorporated in an employee’s lifestyle so that he can achieve success. People have come up with a lot of theories describing how a leader would come into existence. Three major theories are The Trait Theory, The Great Events Theory and The Transformational Theory. The trait theory states that there are certain qualities like self confidence, good orator ship, tolerance and the ability to understand people that naturally instigate leadership skills in people. On the other hand, The Great Events theory states that it is not day to day events that instill leadership skills in a person. It is, in fact, when important events in the history of time occur that we get to see the true leaders (Stallard, 2006) The Transformational Theory chooses to differ from the two ideologies by stating that leadership skills can be acquired by anyone who aspires to be a leader. One needs to have the vigor to lead and transform so that he can acquire good leadership. It states that people need to decide if they want to be the leaders and the rest just follows. What makes a good leader? After all being said about leadership, one often wonders what the essentials of a good leader are. It is difficult to point out a set number of characteristics and say that anyone who is on that scale is a good leader. The requirements differ from organization to organization but there are a few qualities that are always there in leaders. These distinguishing qualities enable them to have an influence in the firm and allow them to successfully run the firm. A leader is the best at everything he does. It is extremely important for a leader to be technically proficient at whatever he does (Maxwell, 2007). This is essential because the rest of the employees see him as their role model. A leader must have good problem solving and time management skills. He should be able to tackle emergencies and other problems that may arise without creating panic and disturbing the flow of information in the organization. A leader should be from amongst the employees and not someone alien imposed on them. This is very important because a leader is the sailor of the ship, if the ship and the people sitting in it are not his own, he might just try to save himself in times of catastrophes (Dorfmann, 1999). Analogous to this, a leader should understand the employees and have cordial relationships with them so that he is able to help them reach their goals. A leader should be very influential. He should develop a sense of responsibility and belonging in his workers. It is a leader’s responsibility to be able to guide all the employees about what is expected from them. In case, things do not turn out as planned, a leader should try fixing things and figure out what exactly went wrong instead of blaming others. A leader should communicate with all the employees and make sure that the workers have no communication barriers with him. Some workers are naturally gifted, while others are not. It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that the workers who are not as good are trained sufficiently so that they can compete at the same level as the competent workers. Practical application of modern motivation theories In today’s business world, there is a concept of imparting motivation and fervor to the employees through the leaders. Most organizations believe that it is the leaders who encourage the other employees to put their best foot forward in the business market and thus lead the firm to success (Noe, 2010). Many motivation theories have been suggested and applied. For example, the goal setting theory asks the leaders to set some goals that seem practically impossible at the time they are decided and then make the impossible possible through hard work and dedication (Gronfeldt, 2005). The challenge taking motivation theory encompasses around working towards professional goals which get tougher with time, yet are attainable through dedication. The leaders establish goals and give incentives for attaining them. This motivates all the other employees to work hard to attain these goals thus succeeding in their aim. The leader needs to ensure that he gets positive feedback every now and then from the employees so that the leader is not disconnected from any of the projects at any time. This motivates the employees to work hard and attain seemingly impossible goals. In some cases, the leaders may use motivation through curiosity. In this theory, the leader establishes such a work environment that simulates interest in work and leads to progress. The leader gives new and progressive ideas to the employees but does not spoon feed the employees (Sims, 2000). In this way, the employees are curious to know more about the subject and they research on it independently. This leads to more creativity and sense of self achievement. This is highly valuable in creative industries like the media. The leaders may also choose to motivate the employees by giving them some control and authority. There are employees who work better if they feel that they are made responsible of certain tasks. The responsibility and the control that’s handed to them, makes the employees work harder. In such cases, the employees need to be made clear about the causes and effect of all the possible routes that they may take to attain their goals and it should be left on the employee to decide what is best for him. Modern motivation theories also include motivation through fantasy. This involves making the employees imagine situations that are motivating. The leaders can encourage the employees to think big. This will foster a lot of positivity in the employees who would be able to foresee their future and work hard for it (Stallard,2006). This has great implications in the hotel business where employees have fairly large degrees of promotion and progress. Employees can also be motivated via competition.  The employees are encouraged and gain self confidence if they are shown what competition awaits them. This type of competition can occur naturally in a firm or it can be built artificially to stimulate growth. However the practical implication of motivating through competition is limited since competition motivates some while it discourages others. Also, losing in a competition may de-motivate an employee. Also, at times, the competitive spirit gets bitter and employees begin to pull each others’ legs and not help each other grow. This is detrimental for the overall growth of the firm. One of the most effective motivation theories is motivation through teamwork and mutual aid. When employees are directed to help each other out and evolve as a successful team rather than a successful individual, they have more scope for progress and there buds in healthy competition. The employees get satisfaction by helping their fellow employees achieve their goals (Molesworth, 2003). This will help the firm grow and not just individuals. For leaders, this motivation theory works best since it develops a feeling of mutual respect and helpfulness in the firm. The employees help each other out and this leads to healthy competition and respect for each others’ work. This builds in a healthy work environment where everyone can grow as individuals and also as a team. Impact of corporate culture on employee’s behavior The corporate culture that pertains in a firm includes the working environment, the relationships between employees, the target meeting strategies and other work related ethics. The corporate culture of a firm affects the employee’s behavior and growth tremendously (Gardner, 2002). If the corporate culture is such that a positive environment is fostered and employees help each other out in dealing with business related issues then the employees will have more self confidence. When employees know that they would be helped by other fellows when in trouble, they would have more resistance to cater with difficult situations and they will not panic when business deals do not turn out the way they should. This will help them orient their long term goals and be more optimistic about their careers. When the employees are satisfied with their jobs and have a positive working environment, they are more contended with their lives and this makes them calm and satisfied. A positive working environment and a corporate culture that promotes discussions and suggestions helps the employees build their convincing and speaking skills and they eventually turn out to be good orators. It helps the employees build their personalities and boosts their self confidence. If on the other hand, the corporate culture entails aggressive and unhealthy competition between the employees, the employees will turn out to be revengeful and will become very aggressive and violent. This will hamper their personality growth and will decay the foundations of respect and cooperation in the firm (Winget, 2006). Respect is an essential component for the employees in a firm as otherwise they will lose track of normal business ethics and will end up fowling each other and gaining nothing in return. Aspects of corporate ethics and social responsibility that impact on sustainable organization development The development and progress of any firm depends a great deal on the corporate ethics that prevail in the firm and the extent of social responsibility that the employees bear. When the employees think positively and help each other, the firm can benefit on the whole. It helps the firm aim higher and consequently it reaches greater heights too. For making a mark in the business world for long, the employees must learn to respect one another and not let jealous and envy ever come in their career paths. The employees must help each other and this will enable the firm to grow step by step. When employees speak badly of one another and let business secrets out of the firm, the development of the firm is greatly hampered. The firm is able to manage sustainable development only if all the employees are dedicated towards its success and work honestly. While employees must aid each other and not put other employees’ legs, they should also refrain from hiding each others’ mistakes; this is a very essential part of work ethics. If employees will hide each others’ mistakes, that would help the wrong doers do bigger mistakes in future and this would eventually break down the firm. The employees should help other employees only if that is in the best interest of the firm. If the employees are plotting against the firm, the leaders must know so that prompt action may be taken, and the repute of the firm is restored. Also, work ethics include helping the new employees understand their part of the job. Often, new recruits are a little baffled, that is because they are set into a completely new environment with new people, new work and a new setting. It is very important for existing employees to help the new ones so that they get familiar with their tasks and also the working of the firm. When the new employees will be comfortable working, they would definitely be more productive. Conclusion The world today needs productive firms with sky rising goals and such firms need determined leaders. The leaders in an organization are its pillars, holding the building firmly. The organization needs to value its leaders and give them an environment in which they can grow and help the firm prosper. Equally important, is maintaining a working environment that stimulates progress and development in each of the employees associated with the firm. Work ethics should be followed to ensure that the employees are not deprived of basic rights that they deserve as being respectable citizens and more importantly an integral part of the organization. The employers need to keep a check on the smooth running of the organization as without an upper hand, corruption is inevitable. References Books Gronfeldt, S. & Strother, J. (2005). Service Leadership: The Quest for Competitive Advantage. Sage Publications. Sims, R. Veres, J. Jackson, K. & Facteau, C. (2000).The Challenge of Front-Line Management: Flattened Organizations in the New Economy. Quorum Books. Stallard, M. (2006).What Managers Say, What Employees Hear: Connecting with Your Front Line. Praeger. Molesworth, H. (2003). Work Ethic. Pennsylvania State University Press. Gardner, H. & Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Damon, W. (2002). Good Work: When excellence and ethics meet. Basic Books. Winget, L. (2006).It's Called Work for a Reason!: Your Success Is Your Own Damn Fault. Gotham. Journals Abdalla, I. & Al-Homoud, M. (2001). Exploring the Implicit Leadership Theory in the Arabian Gulf States. Yulk, G. (1999). An evaluation of Conceptual Weaknesses in Transformation and Charismatic Leadership Theories. Elsevier Science. Judge, T. & Piccolo, R. Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A meta-analytic test of their relative validity. Bass, B. & Stiedlmeier, P. (1999)Ethics, Character and Authentic Transformational Leadership. Elsevier Science. Dorfmann, P. & Abdalla, I. (1999). Culture specific and cross culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/ transformational leadership universally endorsed? Elsevier Science. Currie, G. & Lockett, A. Human Relations. Elsevier Science. Read More