Kouzes-Posner Model of Leadership - Essay Example

Position Paper Kouzes-Posner Model of Leadership The Leadership Challenge GSL512 Dr. Deborah Campbell August 17, This paper uses Kouzes-Posner model of leadership concept in particular, to determine my stance in certain issues associated with female subjugation and some areas where governmental as well as entrepreneurial leadership has failed to ensure cohesion and justice. We will examine the leadership flaws found in some case studies and reports to assess if Kouzes-Posner model of leadership could have brought any difference with their outcomes. However, the research is not limited to the specific leadership model; but it will be compared with the findings of other scholars so that the outcome will be of high reliability. The examples and case studies used in this humble work indicate my genuine concern to the area of their focus. To be precise, the paper as a whole tends to demonstrate the best model of leadership- a Kouzes-Posner perspective-that is apt to the changing socio-economic, cultural environment. Introduction Successful completion of every venture depends on well assigned goals and effective coordination of human efforts. Certain organizational objectives require long term endurance and strategic approach as the proverb reminds, “Rome is not built in a day.” In contrast, immediate strategies and intensive actions are essential for short term projects. Regardless of the condition (no matter political or organizational) leaders assigned to integrate the whole HR have pivotal roles and responsibilities in aligning the citizens/workforce to accomplish the intended mission. In other words, “those who are granted power must be held accountable”. (Gardner 1993, p. 153). The factors that determine the significance of an achievement are the pain, relentless efforts, perseverance and long term training undergone by individuals and groups. At this juncture, how these various factors could be integrated in a highly fragmented, social environment is the major concern of present day leadership. To my hunch, Kouzes-Posner could be the best model to illustrate the essentials of leadership. The Leadership issue in ‘Stand and Deliver Revisited’ The theme lines of the story of the beautiful movie, ‘Stand and Deliver’ speak about the determining structure of any organization under the leadership of an effective manager. The story of the movie may be taken as a reflection of what actually happens in many organizational setups where raise and fall of a leader take very little time to happen (Jesness, 2002). From the light of the critical evaluation of the content covered in the article, the leadership issue hiding here is understood as ‘Strategic Leadership Failure’. According to the Kouzez-Posner (2007, p. 14) concept, to get extraordinary things done in an organization, leaders have to undertake certain practices that include offering themselves to be the best examples, inspiring others, challenging the process, letting others to act accordingly, and encouraging all to attain their assigned goals. A careful study of the issues of students with their percentile performance every year concerned shows the sudden boom in the demand for classes of Mr. Escalante, an enthusiastic math teacher and the sustainability problems he faces when the authorities suspect the results of students. In the movie, Mr. Escalante enters James A. Garfield High School with a determination to change the system of teaching prevalent there. He was successful at his mission but lacked a lot from the support of the organizational leadership. Interpersonal relationship, which according to Kouzes & Posner (2007, p. 24) is the most important element, lacked in the organization of Escalante. In addition, the negligence of the management and the intervention of the authorities came in the form of mass failure and evil reputation to the organization where the dream of a determined performer got buried. The story really indicates the fall of an organizational setup from an enviable status of claiming the best title people could choose. The movie thus represents the example of present day’s conditions in managerial affairs across the world. The story emphasizes the need for focus on strong leadership strategies which ‘let others to contribute’ (Kouzes & Posner 2007, p. 20) to the sustainable growth of any organization. The story with its inclusion of a strategic failure between the organization and the manger (Mr. Escalante may so be considered here), indicates that there was a need for revision of leadership policies. The organization should have arranged for a careful study of the development of issues and made policies for resolving best remedies for the track that showed signs of failure. When the same is concerned for the modern equivalent, the reason for an internal dispute may arise from difference in opinion among different groups and departments due to lack of proper understanding. The Applicability of Kouzes-Posner Theory Mr. Escalante failed ‘to change his possibility thinking into inspiring vision to share’ (Kouzes & Posner 2007, p. 106) with his organization and co-workers but put excessive pressure on himself for self actualization by getting more children score high. Therefore it can be seen that the effectiveness of leadership requires proper and prompt communication among the organization. As a common principle in any stream, it is essential that the leadership has a strong framework of strategic management that renders strength to the organization for a period of estimated time. In case of such failures, it is advisable that the management revises leadership policies and introduces new methods of controlling after due discussions and findings. Kouzes & Posner calls it as reviewing the past for recognizing the ‘recurring theme’ (p. 108). This is the primary duty of the leader to ensure the sustainability of the growth assessed in the organization. Therefore, a leader must be ready with remedies to fight such issues of strategic failures. This is possible with proper selection of employees, their training and placement; inter personnel relationship and effective organizational communication, and motivation. These are the essential areas where a leader can out perform problems and come out with better results. This could be possible only if the leaders ponder over the past failures in order to attend the present and further to design appropriate strategies for future (Kouzes & Posner 2007, pp. 108-109). Handling an issue related to strategic leadership failure is a difficult task which requires detailed study and devoted effort. If a successful employee like Mr. Escalante leaves an organization that he nurtured and developed, it is absolutely the failure of the leadership to guarantee the working atmosphere to employees in the organization. In my evaluation, the problem lies with the interference of the colleague in his activities related to grading students separately for easy teaching. There are two things concerned in it; one, the teacher is deprived of his original working style, the other is that he lacks confidence in the management as it permits the chances of conflict among employees. This must be the best context to explain the two types of future orientation that Kouzes and Posner find on leadership; tactical leadership and strategic leadership. Among these, tactical leadership mostly addresses current affairs and allots comparatively less time to future planning; whereas, strategic leadership usually looks out to ten or twenty years and design long term plans (Kouzes & Posner 2007, p. 111). Hence it can be easily said that the strategy of the best leadership must be aiming at promotion of leaders from among the employees within the organization, particularly among the people work for their esteem needs. Leadership failure in social welfare Women the fair sex, being more vulnerable to sexual assault and rape are deprived of of their rights owing to the default they commit as going for an immediate medical attention before approaching the police to report the incident which victimizes them of the most heinous acts. There are cases when insurance companies deny the immediate compensation and long term coverage of a woman if she undergoes medical treatment or preventive medications for AIDS (Huffington Post, cited in Rodriguez 2009). In most cases they consider the case of a woman’s grievance and mental disorder after the victimization of a rape or sexual assault as post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) or as simple as ‘mere response to fear’. Strategy of the government or the insurance authorities to cut down expenditure can be justified only if that step is not taken at the expense of sexual assault victims. Though the crime against women is more in America, a great portion of which is not reported for the fear the victims have of the legal proceedings. There must be a law separately to settle the problems of victims of sexual assaults. If the country is at a stage where common justice is denied, that is the failure of the leadership in making a strategic reform of the conditions. As Kouzes and Posner rightly put it, “Leaders want to do something significant, to accomplish something that no one else has yet achieved”. (Kouzes & Posner 2007, p.115). The victim in such cases is the client to both the government and the insurance company. I would suggest that sexually assaulted women must have the claim on compensation and life time coverage of insurance irrespective of the norms laid in the policy; because the cause for breach of the terms is not intentional and in all the cases, it is something that happens as part of their struggle for surviving life with the only form of defense women can make. As Gardner (1993, p. 147) states, political leaders should promote and maintain relationship to their constituency in order to empower group members to achieve intended goals; and he also says that the leader must not ‘wait for something nice to happen’; instead, they must think about affiliating with other groups for achieving the common interest. A reconstruction of the leadership strategy is much awaited in all such cases of justice to sex violence victims. If leaders heed their genuine concern to such issues, they are to spend comparatively more time thinking about the future welfare of the weaker segments. Conclusion Considering the values discussed in the movie ‘Stand and Deliver’, it is easily understood that if you take it serious, a note of leadership ethic can be drawn from the theme. The story of ‘Stand and Deliver’ and the case studies on sexual abuse used in this paper leave a great deal of issues related to fluctuations of organized conditions within the organization and political setup. A critical evaluation of the cases leads to identifiable flaws in the American educational system and healthcare. As Kouzes and Posner advise, a leader would not set about a venture before analyzing the whole scenario. Certain factors should come to his active consideration as he/she is the expected individual to foresee the strategies accordingly. However, a good plan does not necessarily produce definite result all by itself unless it is implemented effectively. A true leader would strictly adhere to the principles of the group while being flexible enough to motivate other individuals helping them perform their responsibilities in a viable manner. As Edgar H. Schein wrote, “leadership is best thought of as a function within the organization…..it can be distributed among the members of a group” (cited in Gardner 1993, p. 149). I would suggest this style of leadership because merely aiming some short term goals does not mean leadership to me. In short, the active and whole hearted participation of the entire group should be the primary motive of leadership which indeed is fitting to the modern world. References Gardner, J. W. (1993). On Leadership. The Free Press. Jesness, J. (July 2002). Stand and Deliver Revisited: The untold story behind the famous rise… and shameful f all…of Jaime Escalante, America’s master math teacher. Become a Leader of Tomorrow. Reason Magazine.p.1 Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge. Ed, 4. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Rodriquez L. (Nov 23, 2009). Women Denied Health Insurance because of Sexual- Attacks. Mustang Daily- News for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, pp.2-6. Read More