High-Level Managers - Assignment Example

The success of any organization during the contemporary period mainly depends on leadership styles adopted by the leaders or managers (Robbins, 1993). Research has shown that one “recent survey of high-level managers found that 91% of them agreed with the statement “teams are central to organizational success” (Martin & Bal, 2006 as cited in Morgeson, DeRue & Karam, 2010, p. 6). However, leadership is not an end in itself since its success also depends on the collective efforts of the members of the organization towards the attainment of the desired goals and objectives in the organization. This is popularly known as teamwork. As such, this paper seeks to evaluate the measures that can be taken by a newly appointed person in the organization towards building a cohesive team. The paper starts by explaining the meaning of leadership and teams. The main part of the paper will discuss the theoretical framework of various components of leadership and teams and how they can be effectively implemented in order to improve the overall performance of the organization as a whole. Leadership is often confused as management but a closer analysis of the two shows that they are somehow different. Basically, leadership is about “Envisioning change, that is “articulating a compelling vision, mission and strategy”, which “connects employees, shareholders, suppliers and customers” (Kets de Vries, Vrignaud, & Florent-Treacy, 2004, p. 479 as cited in Ekmekci, 2009, p. 42). On the other hand, it can be observed that management is mainly concerned with solving problems as well as monitoring progress in the organization (Almos et al. 2007). Focus is on leadership in this paper since management is also a component of leadership. The leaders in the organization drive change and they should articulate this change to their followers so that their efforts can be directed towards the same direction in the firm. This entails that teamwork is necessary in order for the new leader of the organization to achieve this feat. On the other hand, a team is described as “a collection of individuals who are dependent on their tasks, who share responsibility of outcomes…who manage their relationships across organizational boundaries,” (Cohen & Baily, 1997, p. 241). Essentially, the main idea behind teamwork is synergy of individual efforts towards the attainment of the desired goals in the organization. Thus, effective leaders in the organization should foster team building and development since these help to improve the overall performance of the organization. There are high chances that the goals of the organization can be achieved if the members work as a team. Of notable concern in this case is the aspect that the leaders should familiarise themselves with different elements involved in team building. According to Businessballs (2013), Dr Bruce Tuckman proposed the Forming Storming Norming Performing theory in the 1970s and is viewed as a helpful explanation of team development and behaviour. He later added the fifth step called adjourning. During the forming stage, members strongly depend on their leader for guidance since their responsibilities are not yet clear. In the storming stage, conflicts are often witnessed as members jostle for different positions. The third stage, norming is characterised by consensus and agreement as roles are assigned to different people. The fourth stage, performing is characterised by awareness and all the members are aware of their role expectations in the team. Lastly, the adjourning stage is reached when the task has been accomplished. The leader ought to be aware of these team building stages since they are very important in as far as achievement of teamwork in the organization is concerned. Thus, it can be observed that there is a correlation between leadership and team building in the organization since the leader should be involved at each stage of the process. During the contemporary period, it can be noted that many organizations face an array of problems that mainly emanate from leadership and management styles utilised by the leaders. For a person who has assumed a leadership role in the organization, cooperation and transformation to a new style of management referred to as profound knowledge are essential (Demming, 1993). According to Demming (1993), it is essential for the leaders to “Manage the company as a system focused on the future. Encourage communication and continual learning.” He goes on to state that the leader must draw a flow diagram that shows how each “component depends on others in the system so that people can see the process and improve.” As aptly put by Ekmekci (2009, p. 41) “leadership is a process of becoming rather than a process of acquiring.” Thus, leadership is a process rather than an event since it is supposed to be responsive to a particular situation. Various theories of leadership exist but with reference to the scenario of a new leader in the organization, the transformational theory may be ideal. Chou (2013) suggests that people are likely to follow an inspirational leader which in turn fosters cognitive trust among them. A leader who is passionate about injecting energy in the operations of the others is better positioned to influence their behaviour towards the desired goals. a transformational leader constantly scans the environment and is in a position to initiate change in order to keep pace with the changes taking place in the environment in which the organization is operating. It is a fact that organizations operate in dynamic environments and they can only be effective if they also adapt change. Theoretically, the new leader should always look for changes in the environment so that he may be in a position to implement measures that can help transform the performance of the organization. Change in an organization is inevitable and it is the role of the leader to anticipate it and design strategies that can be implemented in order to deal with it. There are different types of leadership styles but in this particular scenario, it is imperative for the leader to adopt the high production/high people style. According to Blake Mouton model, this is rated as the best leadership style in the organization. This view is supported by Molloy (1998, p.3) who claims that “when leaders rated high on both dimensions, high effectiveness and high satisfaction would occur without the grievance and absenteeism.” This leadership style stresses the needs of the organization with regards to production as well as the needs of the people in the organization. When the employees are aware of the production needs of the company, they tend to put optimum performance in their operations. However, this can only be possible if there is a fine balance between the production needs of the company and their personal needs. Employees are motivated to put optimum performance in their operations if they are aware that their needs and grievances are addressed by the leadership. Thus, the leader in this particular scenario should adopt this leadership style since it is designed to fulfil the needs of both the company and the employees who form its foundation. There are many advantages that can be derived from teamwork. According to Cohen & Baily (1997), work group participation and autonomy are encouraged in the organization. Individuals who share the same vision of the organization can interact freely and this helps them to exchange ideas which in turn generate knowledge that can be used to improve the operations of the firm. It can also be observed that motivation is enhanced where teamwork in the organization is effective. Motivated employees are productive and they have a sense of belonging to the organization. Problems can be identified and they can also be collectively solved since all members of the organization share the same vision of the company. It also becomes easy for the leaders to manage conflicts that may be encountered in the organization given that there is mutual understanding among all members. As such, it is recommended for the new leader to make sure that measures are put in place in order to promote team building and maintenance. Over and above, it can be concluded that leadership in teams is very crucial for the success of the organization in its operations. As noted by Morgeson, DeRue & Karam (2010), there is general agreement among leaders that teams are central to organizational success. It has also been observed that there are various components that characterise team building and effective leaders should be wary of them. As discussed in this paper, it is imperative for the leader who has been appointed to leadership position to take into consideration the significance of teamwork in the operations of the company. In this case, the leader should adopt a high production/high people leadership style in order to be effective. This style is oriented towards the needs of both the organization and the employees. References Almos, H et al. 2007, Organizational behaviour, JUTA: CT. Businessballs.com, 2013, “Bruce Tuckmans 1965 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development model,” Viewed 28 June 2014, from: . Chou, H et al. 2013, “Transformational Leadership and Team Performance: The Mediating Roles of Cognitive Trust and Collective Efficacy.” Sage Journals. Viewed 28 June 2013, from: . Cohen & Baily, 1997, “What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shop floor to the executive suite,” Journal of management, Vol. 23, No. 3, 239-290. Viewed June 28, 2014, from: . Deming, W. E. 1993. The New Economics For Industry, Government & Education. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Advanced Engineering Study. Viewed June 28, 2014, from: http://maaw.info/ArticleSummaries/ArtSumDeming93.htm>. Ekmekci, O, 2009, “What Would I Do Differently? Using First Person Voice to Develop Leadership Identity for Health Care Professionals,” Journal of Leadership Education, Volume 8, Issue 2 – Fall 2009. Viewed 28 June, 2014, from: . Frederick P. Morgeson, FP, DeRue, S & Karam, EP 2010, “Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership Structures and Processes” Journal of Management, Vol. 36 No. 1, 2010 5-39, Viewed 28 June, 2014, from: . Molloy, PL, 1998, “A Review of the Managerial Grid Model of Leadership and its Role as a Model of Leadership Culture,” Acquarius consulting, Viewed 28 June 2014, from: . Robbins, SP, 1993, Organizational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, Engelhoods: NJ. Bibliography Bandura, A. 1977. Social learning theory, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall: NJ. Cohen, S. G., Chang, L., & Ledford, G. E. 1997. A hierarchical construct of self-management leadership and its relationship to quality of work life and perceived work group effectiveness. Personnel Psychology, 50: 275-308. Read More