Management and the Decision-Making Process: the Qualities of Leadership - Essay Example

Leadership refers to the capacity to listen, observe and dialogue so as to bring transparency in decision making processes and reduce imposition. It involves setting goals, identifying problems and bringing about change in structures. Leaders can be managerial, visionary or strategic. Strategic leadership takes on a vision on what a firm is to be such that strategies or decisions made are consistent with the vision Strategic leadership is the ability to influence day to day decisions that sustain the financial position of as well as that promotes the long term viability firms (Whetten & Cameron 428). Strategic leadership involves the effective intervention, development of new and creative visions, timing and direction of desired change, filtering of information and forming relevant actions for goal attainment. As a manager and a parent, this has been a challenge and requires that a person treads on carefully. Management has to be well conducted and involves decision making, working capital analysis, control of costs and investment management. Various levels of management are put in place with the lower reporting to the succeeding upper level so as to ensure efficiency and easy management of organizations. As a parent, I have to ensure that family is led, well provided, protected and the children are brought up in a morally upright manners. These duties interlock and therefore require good leadership qualities which provide examples to those being led. These leadership qualities include; analytical problem solving, motivating others and time management. Motivating others is a key concept if production both in the family and at work is to be achieved effectively. It involves encouraging other and increasing their morale of work performance and can be achieved through remuneration, incentives and provision of total rewards to employees (Forssell 75). Improving working conditions, reducing working hours, providing paid leaves, formulating plans and insurance schemes and ensuring on time payments are some of the ways of motivating employees in the organizations. This also includes the actual salary payments that are consistent with the working hours. In the family unit, motivation to children is essential and may be achieved through congratulating the children by word of mouth, giving out presents for good work done, providing outings and leisure as well as encouraging them. Analytical problem solving- this is a socio-psychological analysis where a problem is identified, paramount sources of conflict are analyzed and approaches are developed that meet the needs of all parties to solve the conflict. Analytical skills are needed so as to be able to look into a problem from a logical and systematic way which includes problem finding and problem shaping (Whetten & Cameron 459). In organizations, problems both external and internal arise and it becomes the role of management to settle such disputes to prevent crises. In the family unit, problems arise among the kids and also between the partners and these may be solved by involving a third party or within the unit. Resolving problems requires techniques and methodologies based on the characteristics portrayed by such difficult problems. Managing time- time is one of the basic factors in production. It has been continuously quoted that time wasted is never recovered. Idle time in organizations leads to less output and a decrease in revenue. As a parent, I have to show a good example to the kids by managing time properly and ensuring that work is achieved punctually. In the organizational sector, work has to be achieved at the stipulated time and distribution of output has to be achieved punctually so as to prevent delays and eventual consumer dissatisfaction. Time management involves setting adequate and appropriate time to carry out specific activities. It involved being at the right place, at the right time and doing the right thing. It ensures that the available time is allocated and used effectively and productively. It may also involve setting up penalties and punishment such as grounding or lack of pay for failure to manage time. The quality of leadership in my case is exercised in both roles. This is because in the various spheres of life, time has to be managed, people have to be motivated and problems have to arise that require settlement (Forssell 93). Besides this, my duties as manager and a parent ensure that I have to maintain a balance of the two roles though the approach is different. Since the interaction is with people in both cases, then a more human approach has to be used. In an organization as a manager, an air of command is assumed whereby i direct the shots and have to be in charge. That means, more or less coercion has to be used to dictate the command and the subordinates have to obey. The employees follow instructions and code of work as it is dictates the levels of leadership and helps achieve goals with ease. However, the qualities of leadership are not executed in the same way across the two roles. A family setting cannot be equated to a work setting. Activities, approaches, work and relations differ in both cases and thus the qualities of leadership have also to be approached differently. Firstly, the kids are young and tender than the aged people I have to deal with in the office. Secondly, addressing a group of grown- ups is different than an approach to two children. Thirdly, children will be more receptive as they look forward to listen and learn from parents and depend more from me to bring them up, while at work the employees are less receptive and view me as a superior who just happens to head them at work. In this case, they may also be parents at their own homes and will not stand being dictated even if that person is their leader at work. Management involves decision making process which is also a role that i accomplish at home as a parent. Problems experienced among the children are easier to solve like if one is disturbing the other all i have to do is to say stop or discontinue the fight. In employment it is different as one has to listen to the case, analyze it and solve without favoring one party over the other. In this case the qualities of leadership are more easily executed in one role which is as a parent than in the other which is as a manager. Involvement in my children life and the ease that comes with executing the qualities of leadership has helped me gain experience in various fields. For instance i have learnt to be patient and tolerant since they will not automatically respond to everything said to them. This means that I may not always expect things to go my way and to run easily all the time and therefore, have to be tolerant especially in times of production decreases at work. Success as a parent has also equipped me with skills to ensure more production by motivating my staff as well as improved my relations with others internally and externally. Carrying out these roles has its own share of challenges and successes. For instance in when motivating the employees to perform, they may not adopt the methods available of feels dissatisfied with the use of an approach leading to riots and idle time or turnover rates. However, the methods and incentives used at time have proper results and work is achieved normally. At home the case is different. The children respond in kind especially to a situation that is in their favor. In the firm, problem solving is difficult, tiresome and even demanding which is contrary to the situation at home where problem solving is easy which is contributed by the number of people involved (Whetten & Cameron 518). These roles in all have had tremendous effects in my personal growth and regenerated proper traits for leadership such as patience, concern, professionalism, ethics, commitment and passion for work. Works Cited Forssell, Dag. Management and Leadership: Insight for Effective Practice. California: Living Control Systems Publications, 2008. Whetten, David & Cameron, Kim. Developing management skills. New York: Prentice Hall, 2007. Read More