Leadership and Motivation - Assignment Example

An Effective Leadership Motivates and Empowers The success of organizations usually depends on its leader and dedicated members. Effective organizations pride themselves of positive environments where camaraderie and unity prevail. Leaders and members join efforts to achieve shared organizational goals. This paper thoroughly discusses two integral factors key to organizational success: leadership and motivation. It shall discuss each concept in detail, perusing theories from prominent academicians and practitioners and real examples from organizations and successful leaders. I. Leadership A leader moves through a continuous process wherein he moves from accomplishing one goal to another keeping in mind the best interest of the group. Clark (2008) defines it as follows: “Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills” (Clark, 2008, para.3). Stogdil (1950) echoes the same definition noting leadership’s three dimensions. First, leadership is defined as a process that is interpersonal wherein the leader steps in to direct the behaviors of his members. Next, the leadership is put in a social setting wherein the members are the subordinates or the ones obeying the leader. Lastly, effective leaders achieve goals for the whole (Huczynski & Buchanan, D, 2005). Leadership has gained much attention that several researches have been devoted to it. Yukl (2006) presents a comprehensive collection of studies on leadership, identifying various approaches. He discussed the Trait approach, which is based on the belief that some are born to be leaders as they are endowed with certain traits not possessed by other people. The behavior approach studies the leader’s typical pattern of behaviors to manage and lead. . The power-influence approach takes on a more leader-centered perspective in that power is used not only to manage members of the group but also to convince peers, superiors or others who are not part of the organization to see the perspective of the leader. The situational approach sees leadership as affected by contextual factors such as the nature and disposition of the members, the nature of the work expected and performed, the kind of organisation and the kind of external environment. Finally, the integrative approach involves more than one type of leadership variable and incorporates other perspectives of leadership (Yukl, 2006). Harris (2003) delved into the difference between leadership and management in schools. He found followers’ perceptions as thus: “Leadership is giving the school direction, having an overview, setting standards and making tough decisions” while “management is concerned with setting up and managing systems” (Harris, 2003, p.4). “Leadership is about development, vision and growth. Management is about attending to the status quo and ensuring that systems work” (Harris, 2003, p.4). Huczynski & Buchanan (2005) collected comments of various people that distinguish leadership from management. Leaders are viewed as developing vision and driving new initiatives while managers concentrate on achieving stability. Leaders do the right thing while managers do things right. Also, “leaders are known as prophets, catalysts, mover-shakers and strategists while managers are known as technicians and problem-solvers concerned with the here and now of goal attainment” (Bryman, 1986, p. 6) Leithwood & Riehl (2003) posit that a good leader has a clear vision of where he is going and sets directions to others towards that vision. He collaborates with other people on ways and means to reach their goals and not focus the authority on himself. In doing so, he empowers them to be confident in their abilities and motivates them to welcome challenges and opportunities. Because of his positive influence, he gains the respect of everyone to follow his lead while pursuing a common mission for the growth and development of the organization. II. Leadership Models A. Five Leadership Practices by Kouzes and Posner (2007) According to Kouzes and Posner (2007), people seek several traits in a leader they can follow willingly. They have developed a model for effective leadership called Five Leadership Practices. Their research has yielded evidence that when effective leaders followed these five basic practices, they become successful in achieving the results they want from their followers. They leaders said they challenged, inspired, enabled, modeled and encouraged their followers. Leaders constantly challenge the established process and improve on the areas in the process that need it. They never cease in searching for opportunites which challenge them to change, grow and reach greater heights. Hence, they are willing to take risks and learn from whatever mistakes they fall upon (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). They are not afraid of change and are willing to get out of their comfort zones to choose the best options. Leaders inspire a shared vision with their followers. They communicate their vision well enough for their followers to understand clearly, and together, they see an uplifting and ennobling future (Kouzes and Posner, 2007) . Leaders enlist more people to share such a vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams (Five Practices of the Exemplary Leader, n.d.) Leaders are also enablers. They are good at encouraging people to act on their own by providing them with the tools and methods to solve their problems. Leaders foster collaboration and among their members (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). When the followers are trusted to fulfill tasks delegated to them, they feel confident and capable to do more for the team. Leaders have to be good models, most especially when the going gets tough. They should exhibit an attitude and behavior of positivism that their followers can emulate. Leaders set examples consistent with their own values. They are not afraid to stand for their beliefs. To encourage their followers, they create opportunities for their followers to experience small wins with the hopes of eventually gaining bigger ones (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Lastly, leaders should encourage their followers’ hearts by recognizing individual contributions and celebrating team accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Such positive response further motivates others to work even harder. B. Blake and Mouton Model (1985) Blake and Mouton (1985) have come up with a grid to analyze various kinds of leaders based on their positions on two axes: the “concern for people” axis and the “concern for task” axis. From this grid, four types of leaders were identified. The Authoritarian leader scores high on task but low on relationship with people. He is driven to accomplish tasks regardless of how it affects his subordinates and there is not much leeway for cooperation and collaboration. This type of leader is strict with schedule, expect people to blindly follow his orders, with no questions asked. When things do not go as he has planned, he has the tendency to find blame in others rather than focus on what went wrong and investigate its cause and prevention in the future. Just like the autocratic leader described previously, he is intolerant of dissent to his ideas that is why it is difficult for subordinates to contribute and express their own ideas to the group. The Team Leader scores high on task and high on relationships and is considered ideal as a leader. He leads by positive example. He works hard to create a team environment where all members can contribute to the success of the group while maximizing their own potentials both as team members and as people. Motivation is high in teams with such leaders and become very productive. The Country Club Leader scores low on task and high on relationships. He predominantly uses rewards in maintaining discipline and in pushing the team to achieve its goals. Since he can be too concerned in pleasing people, he would find it difficult to implement punitive measures on members who deserve it when they are inefficient in some tasks. This inability is due to a fear of jeopardizing relationships with such team members. The Impoverished Leader scores low on task and low on relationships. This is considered the worst type of leader because of his inefficiency. He uses a “delegate and disappear” management style. Parallel to the Laissez-faire leader, he allows the team to much freedom to do whatever it wants and does not show commitment to either task accomplishment nor maintenance of harmonious relationships within the group (Blake & Mouton, 1985). Blake and Mouton (1985) recognize that the Team Leader is the most successful type of leadership, however, they also justify the value of the other three types. There are certain situations which may need one of the other three. When the leader plays an impoverished role, the team is challenged to just rely on themselves. With an authoritarian leader, a sense of discipline is instilled especially in unmotivated members. A country club leader is great for members whose self-esteem suffers because of the “feel-good” strategies this leader employs. A good leader would know how to discern which type of leadership he will use in particular situations in order to achieve the best results. Implications of Blake and Mouton’s (1985) model dwell on the leadership styles suited to different situations. A certain leader may lean on one type more strongly than the other types, however, the model proposes other leadership styles that may optional according to the situation and the kind of members a leader may have. This may be a source of information for educational leaders in the process of change, as it is always beneficial to evaluate one’s leadership style in order to move forward (Osterman, 1990). C. Five Components of Change Leadership, (Fullan, 2004) Fullan (2004) proposed that to be an effective and successful leader, one should have moral purpose, an understanding of change, adeptness in building relationships, creation and sharing of knowledge, and ability to see coherence in complexity. These five components of leadership altogether ignite energy, hope and enthusiasm in the whole institution, and invite members of the organisation to pledge their commitment to the leaders’ purpose. In effect, more good things happen for the institution, and bad things are lessened if not prevented. A leader with moral purpose acts with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of the people around him and in society in general. This is the key element in the sustainability of organizations. Anyone who works for an organization that makes them feel that their potentials are expanded and their individual goals are achieved will be likely to stay on. Moral purpose infuses an organization with passion and purpose since workers become eager to know the enabling purpose of their work (Fullan, 2004). However, in a culture of change, even if one is motivated by moral purpose, a leader can still lose his way if he does not have an adequate understanding of change. “Moral purpose without an understanding of change will lead to moral martyrdom” (Fullan, 2004, p. 26) That is why a combination of a commitment to moral purpose and a healthy respect for the complexities of change would indeed help a leader to be more successful. Such would unearth even deeper moral purpose. Fullan’s third component of successful leadership is an ability to establish harmonious relationships with diverse people and groups, especially with those different from themselves. Clark (2008) discusses a study reported by Lamb and McKee (2004) that concludes that the most important keys to effective leadership are trust and confidence as well as effective communication. These employees are assured that they are in good hands and that there are safely on a journey aboard a tight ship run by an efficient captain. Such trust and confidence are won with effective communication prevalent in the organization. This is shown in three critical areas. One is in the area of helping employees understand the organization’s overall strategies. Another is in helping employees understand how they can contribute in meeting the organizational goals and objectives. The last area where effective communication must take place is in sharing information with employees how their group is performing in relation to the organizational objectives. The component of creating and sharing knowledge inside and outside the organization should be a commitment true leaders uphold. This will be possible in an atmosphere where harmonious relationships exist since using information to gain knowledge is a socially motivated process. People will not voluntarily share knowledge unless they are obliged to do so, or feel some moral commitment to do so. Leaders become conduits of knowledge, as they generate and increase it inside and outside the organization. Also, turning information to knowledge entails the establishment of good relationships since it is a very social process. Finally, as a leader being in charge of possibly chaotic change processes, he must be able to stand being in unfamiliar grounds to keep the creative juices flowing in his organization. Eventually, they seek coherence in chaos. “All of this complexity keeps people at the edge of chaos. It is important to be at that edge because that is where creativity resides, but anarchy lurks there too” (Fullan, 2004, p.5). II. Motivation Huczynski & Buchanan (2005) enumerate three distinct but relate perspectives exploring motivations. One is goals. These are the main motives for behaviour – wealth, status and power. This perspective views motivation in terms of or desired outcomes or goals. Another perspective is decisions. These ask hard questions about one’s goals. This perspective views motivation from cognitive decision-making processes that influence one’s choice of goals. The last motivational perspective is influence. How is an individual motivated exert more effort at work? This perspective views motivation as a social influence process mostly addressed by job enrichment theories. Dawson (2009) posit that motivation comes from the enjoyment of work itself and the desire to achieve goals set. Each person sets different goals. Working longer hours or pushing more sales is rewarded by extra income. For other people, getting promoted to a higher rank is their motivation so they accept more responsibilities to prove they deserve a position of more power and authority. Employers need to understand the motivations of their employees so they can use this information to produce better outcomes for their organizations. When employers apply the knowledge they have of employee motivation, both parties enjoy a win-win situation as employees heighten their motivation to pursue shared organizational goals with their supervisors while the employers reap productivity in their organization. The initial goals of motivation research were to encourage people to provide better service in their jobs by exerting more effort and optimizing their talents at work (Handy, 1999). A well-motivated workforce equates to better work productivity and product sales. There are also lower cases of absenteeism and staff turnovers since employees are happy with their jobs. This also implies that additional training and recruitment costs are lowered, if not averted since work positions are always filled up (Dawson, 2009). IV. Motivation Theories A. Theory X and Theory Y In the sixties, Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Y earned much acclaim. It posited that an individual may fall under one of two categories of motivation. If he feels secured in being controlled, directed, coerced or threatened to get work done, then he belongs under Theory X. However, if he does not see work as tedious and grueling and is willing to commit to goals set in the organization, then he belongs under Theory Y. For him, the mere accomplishment of goals is reward in itself. It was found that the average individual stays in the middle ground, preferring mediocrity by wanting to be directed because he wants to avoid responsibility and accountability. However, when the alternative is to work on his own, he accepts responsibility and carries it out, knowing it was his duty in the first place. Employers seek workers who belong to the Theory Y category, those motivated enough to give their best efforts to the job. B. Satisfaction Theory, Incentive and Intrinsic Theories Apart from McGregor’s Theory X and Y, there were other motivation theories conceptualized such as the Satisfaction Theory, the Incentive Theory and the Intrinsic Theory. As the name implies for the Satisfaction Theory, when a worker is satisfied, he is motivated to work even harder to prove his worth and loyalty to the organization he belongs to by staying on. The Incentive Theory suggests that a worker will increase his efforts at work to obtain the incentive he has set his sights on such as compensation packages which includes salary increases or more company benefits. Finally, the Intrinsic theory has origins from Maslow’s theory of the Hierarchy of Needs. C. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow believes that people have a variety of needs that range from the most basic to the most advanced. The hierarchy goes from basic physiological needs that move on to safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs until a person reaches the need for self-actualization. For Maslow, such needs become an individual’s motivating factors (Handy, 1999). A person is motivated to work to be able to provide his family’s basic needs. With comfort and safety achieved, the person now ensures that his higher needs are also met. This implies that as he meets the needs of one level, he moves up to the next until most of his needs are satisfied. This leaves him to work towards self-actualization. To apply this theory at work, a worker also moves up the organizational ladder with hopes of reaching the highest possible rank he can achieve. When that happens and he is earning a lot already, his need for belongingness and recognition are likewise met. He is still motivated to leave a legacy behind as a reflection of his need for self-actualization. V. Motivation in Practice To illustrate Maslow’s motivation theory of the Hierarchy of Needs, the international do-it-yourself company, IKEA is a perfect example. This company has the reputation of being the biggest worldwide supplier of furniture, having branches in several countries. The branch in Denmark did a phenomenal act of bestowing all the checkout staff 25% increase in salary. Since these people made up majority of their workforce, it translated to a huge increase in the company’s total monthly overhead expenses. It was indeed a big risk that delighted the beneficiaries. Happily, they gave back by producing positive outcomes for the company such as lower employee turnover (Kjerulf, n.d.). This meant tremendous savings of time and money in recruiting replacement staff. Also, since the workers stay on longer, they become more experienced with time and develop more identification and loyalty to the company. The company prides itself with highly experienced and loyal people who provide the best service to their customers. Being so, satisfied customers spread the word of the great service they get from IKEA, bringing in more customers and sales, hence more profit for the company. The drastic business decision of giving a 25% raise paid off. Within six months, the company recovered from the humongous expense. The raise rewarded the employees with an improvement in their quality of life. Since the check out staff were the least paid employees in the company, getting 25% more made a big difference for them. It also represented recognition of their hard work. It was made known to them that their company, IKEA valued them as the most important group of employees being at the forefront since they have contact with customers and leave the first and last impression of IKEA with them. Receiving a reward may make them feel important and trusted as members of the organization. Finally, the value of fairness was communicated to the workers since the raise made it possible for them to be paid as well as the other employees in other departments and even higher than their counterparts in other companies (Kjerulf, n.d.) The salary increase did not only motivate the employees, but it gave them much in terms of self-esteem and the feeling of being valued as people. Albert Martens, one of IKEA’s HR heads agrees, claiming that it was not merely the giving of financial incentive that motivated their workers but the return of customers to their service. Their workers were customer-focused in the first place and they valued the customers more than money. It is a symbiotic relationship, as customers feel important due to the great service provided by the IKEA staff, they come back not only for the quality of the products but also for the quality of service they receive. In turn, the staff feels good about doing well in their jobs, enough to have returning customers. This becomes their intrinsic motivation (Whitehead, 2006). Psychological contracts are unspoken agreements expected by workers from their employers. More than material compensation and benefits, they still seek other things either consciously or unconsciously. Obviously, economical needs have to be met so as to fulfill their basic needs, however, other needs such a sense of belongingness and self-esteem have to be likewise met. This means a balance between extrinsic as well as intrinsic motivation need to be set in place. Kohn (1999) posited that external rewards such as money, job promotions and titles, better offices, etc. does not actually increase motivation. He further goes on to say that every time an individual is rewarded extrinsically for something good he has done, it reduces his intrinsic motivation. That is why employers should remember that intrinsic motivation spurs individuals to shine in their job performance. A person’s own volition is a powerful tool to engage commitment in performing tasks to the highest standards (Kjerulf, n.d), Meaningful work, and the recognition and credit for such, as well as creative freedom and opportunities for personal growth are sought by employees. Hence, employers must realize the importance of psychological contracts. They need to establish and maintain open and honest communication. Encouragement and boosting of employees’ self-esteem should always be prevalent. The contrary, lack of communication, implies to employees that their employer may be prone to breaches in their psychological contracts. When employers take the time and effort to establish and sustain healthy, friendly relations with their employees, it motivates the latter. At the same time, employers get to know more about the personal and professional growth of their workers. Motivation of workers can be very challenging. However, everything becomes worth it at the end especially when the motivation bears fruits for the whole organisation. VI. Leadership in Practice Effective leadership maintains organizations that have motivated people who contribute much to the productivity of the company. Such organizations may be considered “authentizotic”, as conceptualized by Kets de Vries (2001). Frost (2003) explains that “authenizotic” comes from Greek words “authentekos” and “zooteekos”, which, when translated refers to an organization is trustful and reliant, and vital to life, respectively. Authentizotic organizations should aim to be a source of meaning and growth instead of a source of psychological suffering and feeling of isolation. Rego & Cunha (2008) investigated authentizotic organizations and suggested rubrics for well-adjustment factor that include: a spirit of camaraderie; trust/credibility of the leader; open and frank communication with the leader; opportunities for learning and personal development,; fairness and work-family conciliation. These factors can determine turnover, intentions, commitment and self-reported individual performance. Being happy at work leads to one’s psychological well-being. Rego & Cunha (n.d.) claim that happier employees turn out to be more creative, resilient, socially connected, physically and mentally healthy, and more productive. A. Virgin Group, Richard Branson Richard Branson is the owner of a chain of companies under the Virgin label. His lines of businesses run to Australia, Britain and Ireland, continental Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, North America, and South Korea. He owns hotels, communications businesses (video games, book publishing, radio and television production), and an airline. Virgin Atlantic Airways. His pride and joy is Virgin Music which he reluctantly sold to Thorn EMI in 1992. He even ventured into refreshments and even financial services When asked for the success factors of his businesses are, Branson answers that it is how he motivates his people and use their creative potential. He keeps his people happy that they enjoy their work and perform well in it. Of course, this greatly pleases customers too. One thing that Branson freely gives his employees is his trust. He believes in their potentials and gives them wings to fly. He practices devolvement with his employees by delegating tasks and making them responsible for the outcome of those tasks. One example he gave, in the expansion of his now divested record company is the job promotions of deputy officers to top officers in newer branches (De Vries, 1998). Branson believes that another factor for their success is doing away with time-consuming analysis and prolonged decision-making. He believes in speed and expediency in getting things done. When someone has an idea, he can go directly to Branson and he can make the decision right there and then. He agrees that his company philosophy is not conventional in the sense that they do not spend too much time analyzing things and they do not have too many rules and regulations to live by because these can be stifling for them to act upon their creative ideas (De Vries, 1998). B. ABB (ASEA Brown Boveri), Percy Barnevik Percy Barnevik made business history by merging ASEA, a Swedish engineering. Group and Brown Boveri, a Swiss competitor in a short period of time. He went on to add 70 more companies in Europe and the US, thus creating a $30 billion giant with a portfolio that includes global markets for electric power generation and transmission equipment, high speed trains, automation and robotics, and environmental control systems. The whole power industry has been restructured, which was about time since it was characterized by fragmentation and over-capacity. Since Barnevik sealed the merger, ABB has not stopped acquisitions and joint ventures. The ever-growing company has become not only the principal supplier to the world’s electricity industry but also the world leader in robotics, process automation systems, locomotives, and air pollution control equipment. Barnevik’s leadership has transformed two dormant engineering firms into one of the world’s top engineering giants (De Vries, 1998). How does he manage as a leader of such a huge global empire? Barnevik believes in “multidomesticity” meaning ABB was a transnational company meaning it operated locally in several countries but it was clear that its deep roots were based on the mother countries. ABB’s global network included business area managers around the world making decisions on product strategy and performance without regard to national boundaries. In other words, he has created an organisation built on internal contradictions: it is multinational without having a national identity, simultaneously global and local, large and small, centralized and decentralized (De Vries, 1998). Barnevik designed decentralized organizations which were very flat, not having more than five people between the CEO and the laborers. To the designated leaders, he has imbued much authority. In smaller and companies with less hierarchal levels it means bigger spans of control and fewer jobs to which one can be promoted, however, the advantage is communication and feedback is easier and quicker. Barnevik is a firm believer of “walking the talk”. As a leader, it is important for him to live out the values he wants his company to embody. He admits that apart from the fulfillment he gets from competing for big projects and breaking into a new industry for the first time, he feels fulfilled when he sees young people he has mentored and promoted succeed in their respective (De Vries, 1998) . Although his presence can be intimidating to his staff, Barnevick admits to being open to disagreements and feedback, and encourages people to speak their minds. This is essential to the business especially because there are many cultures involved, and there needs to be clear communication among them. However, when a decision has been made and no one opposed it beforehand, he expects everyone to respect it. VII. Conclusion Being a leader means having the power to influence people. One must take advantage of this position to bring out the best in others through motivation and empowerment. The vast research done on leadership and motivation has unearthed theories worth considering as guide to leading one’s team to success. A leader must know how to use an individual’s motives and goals to influence him to make decisions that benefit the organization. More than external rewards, people derive more fulfillment from intrinsic motivation – feeling valued as a person, feeling good about one’s achievements and being able to contribute to the organization are just some examples. This means that for most people, being able to connect as one person to another, motivates one to strive towards the achievement of shared goals. References Blake, R. R. and Mouton, J. S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Clark, D. 2008. Concepts of Leadership in Hutter, A.D. (1982) Poetry in psychoanalysis: Hopkins, Rosetti, Winnicott. International Review of Psycho-Analysis 9, 303-16. 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