Leadership in a Changing Environment: Kirstys Leadership - Coursework Example

Introduction: The case identifies the leadership by Kirsty in her medium sized company, The Sandwich Factory, which deals with supplying foodstuff tovarious offices in the areas of Canary Wharf and City of London. With the changes in the business world and the wide changes in the competitive attitude of businesses in recent times, there is also a need for more modern styles of leadership. Leadership is a broad concept and the term is quite complex. Post the World War I there has been a clear change and emphasis on leadership theories and these have become relatively more theory based (McFadden, Eakin, Frazier, & McGlone, 2005). This paper aims at discussing two main topics, i.e. Kirsty’s leadership and how her leadership can relate to modern leadership theories and approaches. Here the paper will touch upon a few of the modern leadership styles and theories and a discussion of how Kirsty’s leadership relates to the same will be discussed. Following this the next main aim of this paper is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Kirsty’s leadership keeping in mind the company, its current position and the continued success of the company. This will help not only access if the style adopted by Kirsty is effective but will also provide Kirsty with a chance to improvise on the leadership to a great extent. The next chapter will deal with Kirsty’s leadership and the link it has to the modern leadership. Kirsty’s Leadership: The case clearly shows Kristy has very different style of leading the company and although a lot of her behaviour can be classified into the modern leadership. The case clearly identifies that Kirsty is to a great extent has been the idea developer for the Sandwich Factory and has been backed financially by the other investors. It is essential to note in the current times with the high levels of competition and the high levels of expansions, improvements and modernizing there is also a high need for changes in the styles of leaderships. In the current times there is a need for changes in the styles of interactions between the co-workers, supervisors and also the subordinates and this can be both either in person or virtually. Over the years there have been a number of different leadership theories, techniques and styles that have been explained and recognised. With the changes in the style of working and the changing needs of communicating styles among the employees and superiors, it is essential to be able to adapt to the new styles of leadership and build strong and effective leadership within the organisations. Over the past years, it is essential to note that famous theorists like Daniel Goleman have expressed that there are six major styles of leadership. Here the author explains that every good leader can be considered to be good due to the resonance that they create. Goleman identifies that there are six different styles of leadership that exists with resonance. These he explains are, Affiiliative, democratic, visionary, coaching, commanding and pacesetting leadership (S.A., J.C., & Baum, 2002). These are simple styles of leadership which has been set down by Goleman and has been recognized to be a few techniques used by people across the world. The traditional leadership styles involved three main types, i.e. autocratic, participative and laissez – faire. However in the modern leadership involves being more complex and more intrinsic in nature. Although the traditional leadership styles are still relevant and are still used within a number of different organizations there is a high need for more influential leaders and also involves a higher level of efforts to direct the company towards the mission. However in the recent times, the most effective leadership style in the current times includes being charismatic, offering hard evidence, transformational, visionary, leading by example and transactional. Taking the case of Kirsty, it is evident that she has a touch of being transformational and also leads by example. Kirsty explains that she tries to be available to the staff to assist them with any issues and is also open to ideas and vision which are clearly practical. Kirsty also states, “Challenge but in a constructive way is my mantra. I have managed to let go more recently of the operational end I am officially no longer a control freak” (Case Study Week 5, 2010). It is evident that Kirsty focuses on changing her style of management and also focuses a great deal on making sure that her vision and personality helps in inspiring the followers (Taylor, 2007). This concept has been developed by James McGregor Burns. The author explains that transformational leaders inspire people and help followers develop change more effectively. Also, these leaders are able to build and develop perceptions and motivation and help in working towards the common goals. This has been further developed by Bernard M Bass which developed the Transformational Leadership Theory (Bass & Riggio, 2005). Transformational Leaders consists of four main components. These are clearly evident in the behaviour of Kirsty as well: a) Intellectual Stimulation: As seen in the case of Kirsty as well, encourages her follower and helps build creativity among followers rather than only challenging the status quo. She focuses on exploring newer ways of doing things and also newer opportunities to learn. b) Individual Consideration: These leaders tend to focus on individuals and also provide complete support and encouragement to the individual followers. In the case of Kirsty, it has been noted that she provides a support and attention in her relationships. It is also clear that she leaves communication as open as possible to help followers communicate to the best extent and to also offer recognition for the unique contribution of each individual (Hacker & Roberts, 2003). c) Idealized Influence: This is one of the most important features of Kirsty and she has shown intense potential as a role model for her followers. The followers here tend to immaculate the leader and the ideals of the leader are internalized. Kirsty has clearly shown this quality and has been able to effectively provide the followers with a clear idol. d) Inspirational Motivation: It is also essential to note that although not in a direct manner, Kristy has been able to effectively provide the employees and fellow partners with high levels of inspiration and motivation. These leaders also ensure that the followers have the same levels of passion and motivation and word towards the goals effectively (Hacker & Roberts, 2003). Burns has explained this form of leadership to be, one which induces the followers to act in a certain manner to work towards the goals and also to highlight the motivations, aspiration and also expectations of leaders as well as followers alike (Homrig, 2001). He explains that leaders are not simply welding powers but also involves providing appealing values to the followers. As explained by Burns, leaders have a major impact on the people led and here in the case of Kirsty, the same has clearly been noted “We all got on well with our previous employer but really weren`t prepared for the cut and thrust of day to day business. It is a tough old world out there. I thought you only got `spin` in politics. We all nearly packed it in and I found myself playing protector, motivator and visionary all at the same time. It was tough” (Case Study Week 5, 2010). In conclusion, it is evident that Kirsty has adopted the new form of leadership and has identified the need for being more than simply one who manages people. She has proved her modern leadership traits by being transformational and a transitional leader (Vurnum, 2010). Strengths and Weaknesses of Kirsty’s Leadership: Kirsty’s leadership although has proved to be very impactful and effective in the current times, this form of leadership has a number of pros and cons. The Sandwich Company has a high chance of growth and development and also has a major scope in the business as a whole. Considering the fact that Kirsty and her partners are new in the industry and have been recognised by the Young Entrepreneur, and also considering the scope of the markets for the company, it can clearly be noted that there is immense scope for growth for the company. Before moving into the benefits of the benefits of Kirsty’s leadership style it is essential to note the drawbacks. In the current times there is a major focus on content and character (Bass & Riggio, 2005). With the growing availability of information and being an information age, there is major focus on evidence based decision making. Hence if a person shows transformational leadership, then there is a clear need for citing of hard evidences. In the case of Kirsty, there is clearly lack of evidence and to some extent there is a lack of solid back up for all the inspiring manners. The main drawback of this form of leadership is that people who do not have a clear content and backing can prove to be dangerous as transformational leaders (Riggio, 2009). It is also essential that people with participative leadership and transformational leaders need to ensure that their employees and co-workers are included in the decision making processes. The transformational leaders however focus their inspirational speeches however the skills of some of these leaders are not known and it can be possible that these leaders are more of sales people than through leaders. The main aim of these leaders is to ensure higher levels of engagement and motivation. Another major issue of transformational leadership is that it becomes more focused on leadership however the transactional leadership is linked to management. As explained well by McCrimmon, there is a freedom in defining the leadership and management styles and the styles can completely be open questions. He also explains that inspirational leaders can move the followers and change the direction however inspirational managers tend to motivate the employees to work harder (McCrimmon, 2008). On the other hand considering the positives of transformational leadership, and based on the performance by Kirsty, it is clear that there are a number of aspects which are extremely beneficial. These are as discussed below. Firstly this form of leadership is very motivating and is very stimulating to think differently. This method also focuses on the attention of the needs of the employees and the attention that the leaders provide. If a transformational leader has clear and strong content and also includes a great deal of integrity and truthfulness, this form of leadership has a positive and very beneficial impact on the company as a whole (Burns, 2004). Considering the case of Kristy, it is essential to note that she has a personal interest in the company and there is a positive and focused attention on the needs of the employees to help develop a stronger and more beneficial company. Hence here with her enthusiasm and the ability to inspire people, Kirsty has a high chance of providing excellent leadership and inspiration to the employees. It can also be noted that being an inspirational leader can be very helpful in situations where there is no need for evidences and the facts are unclear. An excellent example as explained by McCrimmon, is that of Martin Luther King. He explains that the basic facts would not have been sufficient for the outlaw segregation on the buses (McCrimmon, 2008). Having understood the positives and negatives of this form of leadership, it is evident that this form of leadership provides an enthusiastic work atmosphere and also helps drive the organisation with high levels of innovations (Riggio, 2009). As seen Kirsty’s efforts and leadership has lead to similar effects within the organisation and has also helped in a positive attitude towards the business as a whole. The case explains, ““Change never stops” Kirsty comments with a wry smile” (Case Study Week 5, 2010). This clearly indicates that Kirsty has worked on the changes within the organisation and has developed ways to be a true protector, motivator and also a visionary for the company. There has clearly been more positives to this form of leadership than the negatives as Kirsty has been able to effectively and efficiently pull all the people with her and has been able to bring success to the company as a whole. The self motivation clearly has led to higher output and efficiency of not only Kristy alone but also her co-workers and employees as well. Kristy has proved her efficiency and has also developed a trust among the employees which in turn has also led for people to work for the leader even if the monetary benefits are not high. The people tend to be more inspired by the vision of the individual. It is evident that with her great vision for the company and the positive attitude of building the company towards a greater good Kirsty’s leadership is clearly one which is inspirational and can have a major impact on the working of the individuals to a great extent. The Sandwich Company can expect to have great success as long as the leadership of the company is held with people with a positive and focused success of the company (Hacker & Roberts, 2003). Conclusions: In conclusion it can be clearly noted that the modern leadership has proved to be very effective in the 21st century. Burns is a major contributor to the new genre of leadership theories and has been able to provide a wide range of views and approaches that have helped develop a strong base. Also as seen in the case as well as explained by Burns, leaders tend to have high levels of self belief and this in some manners can lead to a sense of infallible which in turn can lead the followers to be abyss (Lewin, 2009). The ideas and views that have been presented by Burns and as have been portrayed by Kirsty, it is clear that the modern leadership is very practical and takes into account the needs of the employees. Also, this method allows the individuals to contribute to the development of a strong relationship (House & Baetz, 1979). Kristy’s performance and leadership clearly is a strong example of modern leadership and it provides an excellent overview and learning experience of the new techniques of leadership. Although in simple words, the leadership portrayed by Kirsty also provides a chance to understand the negative aspects of the individuals and to change the characteristics to be improved leaders and better managers. Read More