The Importance of Choosing the Right Leadership Style - Research Paper Example

Introduction Leadership plays a very essential role in every organization. Leaders act as change agents within organizations. They motivate as well as build the trust and confidence of the people within the organization. This report aims at understanding the various approaches to leadership that have been developed, and critical analyses of these approaches have also been made. Also to gain a better understanding of the various theories, a critical examining of how these theories are used with the construction industry and how they impact the organizations and society will be discussed. The next section will deal with the above mentioned aspects of leadership. 1. Leadership Theories: Comparing and contrasting the thematic leadership approaches There have been a number of different theories and approaches that have been developed in the past by various authors and experts in the field. This section deals with the approaches of three well known authors. Daniel Goleman’s approach consists of six major styles of leadership. In his book Primal Leadership, he has highlighted that good leaders are effective because they create resonance. Based on this he explained resonance can be done in six ways, which in turn lead to the leadership styles. These styles included visionary leadership, coaching leadership, affiliative leadership, democratic leadership, pacesetting leadership and commanding leadership. According to Goleman, all leaders’ categories into these styles of leadership, and the most useful type of leadership among these the visionary leadership style. Here the leaders inspire the employees and believes in own vision, along with being empathetic and also highlights how the efforts from all contribute to the ‘dream’. This type of leadership style has proved to be the most beneficial for companies where change is required and a new vision is required. The other styles that he has discussed within his book are the coaching style, which falls in the second best style of leadership for companies. This method is where the leaders are listeners and helps people identify their strengths and weaknesses, and in a number of aspects act as counselors, encouragers and delegates. This has proved to be the second best method of leadership and is most effective to help competent and motivated employees to improve their performance. This is mainly done by building long – term capabilities. The other four styles as expressed by Goleman have not proved to be very useful t companies and these are mainly to help motivate employees during stressful times, build a support for employees, get higher results from employees like in the case of sales and finally in cases of severe crisis. Warren Bennis on the other hand is called the father of modern leadership in the Fortune Magazine. Bennis has created a strong image in the contemporary leadership styles and no study of leadership will be complete without his study as well (Crosby, 1997). According to him, leaders pull rather than push, and have the ability to empower and trust others to act. Also with a clear vision in their minds, they rightly communicate the vision to all the teams (Bennis, 1999). 2. Critical Evaluation of the Leadership development and its effects on the organization Leaders also work through teams and not based on hierarchies. Also it has been noted that leaders have stringer self confidence and self esteem, along with a positive attitude. It is also to be noted that leaders have a good grasp of self and they understand their strengths, develop their skills and also have a clear idea of how to use their talents. This also allows for a more positive attitude to be contributed to all within the organization. Bennis refers to this as an “An attitude of positive other regards”. He has also mentioned of four main qualities that are required and possessed by leaders, these are mainly, Vision, Trust, Communication and management of self. Bennis argues that these qualities must be instilled in everyone within the organization and thus every person in the organization should be a leader. He also argues that it is the duty of the leader to ensure that people enjoy what they do, and this is in a number of ways the major duty of a good leader. On the other hand James MacGregor Burns is an example of a classical leader. He has developed a number of different leadership theories and in his book Burns states “One of the most universal carvings of our time is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership” (Swanson, 2007). He has concentrated on another very essential aspect of motivation for the employees and a strong mode of leading people. He argues that leaders and subordinates are to be treated equal and that they are peers to one another, with the only difference of different roles for each person (Burns, 2004). Thus it is essential according to him to have a strong human touch by the leaders. This allows the followers to remain engaged and satisfied at higher need levels. Burns concentrated a lot on ensuring that employees receive better remunerations and that the employees of the company are well motivated with satisfied higher needs (Burns, 1982). This method of leadership is one which concentrates on transformation of the situation and is called transformational leadership (Evans, 2009). Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is a very essential part of the how leaders meet the significant challenges that are faced. Emotional intelligence is one of the most difficult leadership role and very few people have the ability and capability to fulfill it. It is also to be noted that the emotional intelligence to a great extent also is a competitive edge and people who have the ability to carry it off tend to be winners in the ‘talent war’, and turn out to be few of the best leaders. Each of the three theories that have been discussed above to some extent have a clear link to the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership however the only theory which has to a great extent kept this in account is the theory by Burns (Childs, 2004). Burns has highlighted the importance of including the human touch when it comes to leading a team of people. He has also highlighted to a great extent the need for the equality of the people within an organization (Evans, 2009). This method of leadership is considered to be the most useful in my industry. This helps to allow the employees and the management to have a better relationship and also increases the productivity to a great extent. It is essential to understand that the need for a leader who understands the needs of the employees and the troubles that employees go through while performing a task as more appreciated than in having leaders who do not know the needs of the employees and do not have any clue of the difficulties faced by the employees while performing the tasks (Goleman, 2006). This not only helps the organization improve performance however also allows for a better relationship of the employees and the management. Transformational Leadership: This type of leadership is a case where the one or more people together with the others within the team, help one another improve and reach higher levels of motivation and morality. Here the leaders mainly focus on transforming or helping a change to others and help cover the backs of the other team mates by encouraging, and working harmoniously to ensure the entire organization benefits from the changes (Burns, 1982). In 1878 Burns had introduced the transformational leadership and transactional leadership. This was mainly a treatment that he devised for the political leadership however this is now called an organizational psychology. Burns ideas and his views on leadership are considered to be most beneficial to all and this has also been noted within my organization (Burns, 1982). Having to work in a construction sector, the need for support and coordination among the leaders and the employees is a very essential aspect. The use of this theory and this style of leadership within the company allows for the leaders to provide all the support in terms of motivation and encouragement to the employees and also allows all the employees to work harmoniously and in sync with each other. This chows a better productivity from every worker and also highlights and produces better working relations and better end products from the teams. “Leadership brings about real change that leaders intend, under our definition” (Swanson, 2007). According to Burns, this type of leadership allows for the employees to be well trained and better inspired, along with a stimulation of the intellect. Also this style of leadership is very beneficial mainly from the practical point of view that it allows for the leaders to provide the employees with an individual consideration which in turn allows for better and more improved productivity of the employees (Burns, 2004). Also it is seen that transformational leaders often out do the short term goals and aim at focusing on the intrinsic needs of the workers. This in turn helps ensure the needs of the employer are also met and helps the people identify with the needs of the leaders. This proves to be extremely beneficial to the company as it allows each member of the team along with the team leaders to focus on one main goal keeping very clearly in mind the needs of every person within the team (Burns, 2004). This unified attempt to reach a set goal leads to the employees to work more coordinated and also ensures that the goals of the company are met, thereby making the work of the leader successful. Decision Making: Leadership and decision making are very closely related to one another and form a very essential aspect of the role of every leader. According to Burns style of leadership, there is a lot of importance given to the decision making process of leaders and his style clearly shows the need and importance of decision making in a leader’s role (Childs, 2004). Decision – making stages to the ultimate change in people’s lives, attitudes and behaviors and even institutions is a very big step and include another very important aspect, i.e. time (Burns, 2004). Through practical experience and having looked at the leaders who mainly fall under the category of transformational leaders, there is a clear note that each of the leaders who have been extremely successful is mainly because of the strong possibility of them to make decisions which are relevant as well as beneficial to all within the organization and within the respective teams. “Whatever the source of the leader’s ideas,’ David McClelland says, ‘he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they want. Of course, the more closely he meets their needs, the less’ persuasive’ he has to be; but in no case does it make sense to speak as if his role is to force submission. Rather it is to strengthen and uplift, to make people feel that they are the origins, not the pawns, of the socio-political system” (Swanson, 2007). 3. Leadership Theories and Product Alignments Based on all the above discussion, and based on the practical experience, it is essential to understand that the style of leadership plays a very essential role in the working of the industry in a number of different aspects and fields. These include the affects of the leadership styles on the perception, commitment, innovation, and even motivation of the employees. As it has been discussed above, the three scholars have built and provided a clear understanding of the various types of leadership styles that can be undertaken for people to become successful leaders (Childs, 2004). However based on a better understanding of the three main aspects i.e. transformational leadership, decision making, and emotional intelligence, it is very clear that Burns style of leadership is one of the most beneficial for my company. This is majorly because of the fact that employee performance and motivation is given due consideration and is also given complete importance. Also from Burns, 1982, “The relations of most leaders and followers are transactional—leaders approach followers with an eye to exchanging one thing for another: jobs for votes, or subsidies for campaign contributions. Such transactions comprise the bulk of the relationships among leaders and followers, especially in groups, legislatures, and parties. Transforming leadership, while more complex, is more potent. The transforming leader recognizes and exploits an existing need or demand of a potential follower. But, beyond that, the transforming leader looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower. The result of transforming leadership is a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may covert leaders into moral agents” (Swanson, 2007) (Burns, 1982). The below table provides a clearer view of leadership styles and the traits which help benefit the organisation and society in a number of aspects. This will allow for a better understanding of the real world scenario.   Revitalisers Creators and Builders Productivity managers Building and Growth Managers Shared values: Participation, cohesion, Change Creativity, innovation, rapid response Control , analysis Objectivity, facts, results     Team style: Sensitive to people, offer emotional support — have the ability to empower subordinates Move very quickly apparently haphazard — guided by shared vision Logical, ana;ytical , provide clear structure for their subordinates Drivers, set clear objectives for their subordinates     Individual Aptitudes Consensus building, good negotiation skills, good conceptual ability Individualism, vision, flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity Good Analytical Skills, Logical, Desire for stability High energy, clear focus on objectives, desire for clarity     Individual Knowledge Group dynamics, communications Technical Accounting, Production Marketing, Sales     Conditions: Stable, traditional, or about to change Turbulent, uncertain, rapidly changing Established, mature margins under pressure Settled Down , Highly Competitive     Strategy: Developing long term relations with customers, or about to change strategic direction Creation of a market, new product development Consolidation, fine tuning, improving profits, productivity Gaining Market Share, Customer Focus Figure 1: Leadership Styles and alignment (Chorn, N. H., 1991) It is seen that the affects of using Burns style has led to a number of benefits in the product and also positively affect the insight of the employees and allow the employees to gain a deeper analysis of themselves and their skills and strengths. Apart from this the employees also receive better and higher levels of motivation. The leaders in this case aim at ensuring that the employees are treated lawfully and are provided with benefits that will help further their motivation and thereby improve the end results in terms of the products. Also this in turn helps provide a better commitment in the employees and also leads the employees to be more innovative and more committed to their jobs (Burns, 1982). In short a transformational leader is one who allows the employees work, efforts and commitment to be duly recognised and thereby allows the employees to be highly motivated to their jobs. 4. Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: Relation to actual changes within the Organisation Emotional Intelligence as discussed earlier plays a very essential role in any business and is a mandatory requirement for all leaders (Goleman, 2006). Emotional intelligence has been given a lot of importance by almost every scholar however Goleman has set down four main domains of emotional intelligence, based on the works of a number of different authors and scholars in the past. In 1995, Goleman agreed with the authors like Salovey and Mayer who set down five main domains of emotional intelligence. He went on to convert the five major domains into four main domains of emotional intelligence, in his book in 2002 (Goleman, 2006). Goleman has also highlighted that the dimensions and qualities that will be discussed below are not normally inborn or innate, however can be learned and can be grasped in time. Burns however has highlighted a very important point in his book, he says, “The ultimate test of practical leadership is the realization of intended, real change that meets people’s enduring needs” (Swanson, 2007). The below mentioned four domains are shared by all the variations of the emotional intelligence theory and in some form move in sync with the views of Burns. These are: Self – Awareness: Self awareness is mainly referred to the emotional self awareness, the ability to accurately assessing self and self confidence. All these aspects play a very essential role in the style of leadership within a company and also affect the end results in terms of better results. While considering these for a company it is essential to understand and highlight the fact that these factors play a very essential role in the development of an innovative change in the construction industry (Goleman, 2006). If a construction company aims at implementing any product that is new and to some extent is innovative, it is essential for the leaders to have a clear understanding of what they require from the employees and the need for self confidence is essential in such a case. Imagine a leader who is not confident and is unsure of what is required from an employee. If the leaders have this issue then it is very much possible that the employees will be de motivated and will also be reluctant to take up any responsibilities (Goleman, et.al., 2004). Thus the need for the employer and leaders to be self confident and self aware of the situations that might be affected within the company with any change to be introduced within the company is extremely high. This is essential as the leaders in most of the cases act as a guide to the employees to work and come to a solution. Also for a leader to be able to assess others on a particular process, it is essential that the leaders are able to self assess themselves as well (Goleman, et.al., 2004). This is another very important aspect of the business and this is an important element in times for a change. Saying for instance, the construction company aims at completing a building within fifteen days, and the processes involved are extremely important, then it is essential that the leaders are able to self assess themselves before trying to access their subordinates. Self – Management The self management domain includes a number of different aspects like the transparency, trustworthiness, adaptability, achievement orientation, initiatives, optimism, emotional self control and conscientiousness. According to Goleman, it is essential that managers and leaders have and understand the importance of self management. When a change is desired within a company, the leaders play a very essential role in the change irrespective of whether it is too big or too small (Goleman, et.al., 2004). In considering a change in the construction sector, it is essential for the leaders to be transparent. Also leaders’ who are trustworthy and have a clear idea of what they require from the people within the teams is one who proves to be very successful (Goleman & Cherniss, 2001). Apart for the need of the leaders to be trustworthy and transparent there is a strong need for them to be positive, have a strong emotional self control, this is mainly because these aspects act as strengths of the leaders and allow the leaders to steer the teams in a better and help assist the change. These qualities allow the leaders to easily get the entire team and the company through any change process and make sure that every one within the company or the team are aware of all the changes. In the construction industry, any change requires a clear, crisp and detailed precision to every detail of the change. This will allow a smoother transition for all within the company (Goleman & Cherniss, 2001). Social – Awareness This is one of the most essential aspects and one of the most needed dimensions for every person in an organisation let alone the leaders. These are empathy, organisational awareness and service orientation. Understanding and working compassionately is one of the biggest need for any company during a change process (Goleman & Cherniss, 2001). Taking for example a situation where the company plans to change the working hours, the change that the employees will go through is a very drastic one. It is important that the leaders and managers to a great extent keep in mind the working conditions of the employees and also understand the needs and limitations that employees have, before taking any strong decision. Relationship management This include different traits like inspirational leadership, influence, change catalyst, conflict management, building bonds, teamwork and collaborations, communication and developing others (Northouse, 2006). These are other important traits that are required to be acquired by leaders to ensure complete and strong management. Being a part of the ICT of a construction company this is one of the most essential parts of my job. I have to work with a variety of cultures and this requires me to be able to rightly communicate with the people in different companies (Maxwell, 2002). It is also essential for me to be extremely careful while communicating with people from different cultures to ensure I do not cross my limits and do not offend them in any manner. Hence while communicating with new people and clients, I need to ensure that I work strongly on the team building, conflict management, collaborations and in times when a member of the team requires a change or development of any manner, I need to ensure I help with the development without offending or hurting them in any manner. 5. Personal Notion of Leadership Based on all the knowledge and my personal experience, I personally prefer to use the leadership style which includes a personal touch, along with having a strong control over my team. This is mainly because the team I work with is a multi cultured team i.e. from various backgrounds. Hence a lot of care needs to taken while dealing with them individually as well as a team as a whole. I personally believe that a leader is one who can understand and associate with each of their team members and have a friendly relationship with the members, yet have a strong distance with the members. This is extremely essential as it would be impossible to rightly guide and allot work to team members if the relationship is too friendly. This will allow the team to still confide in the leader and share their views, opinions, issues etc. However when it comes to the work, they will still respect and follow the rules and regulations and instructions set down by the leaders. Also I need to prove myself and provide a clearer and stronger image of myself, as I work in a team where I have nothing much in common, and also being a woman in the construction industry it forms to be quite a challenge. Hence my personal style of leadership within this team is one which is very similar to Burns advocacy. This allows me to prove my ability, and also helps me gain the support of my team and a positive working environment for the entire team. 6. World with Complexity vs. leadership in Organisation In a number of cases I have noted that companies tend to become victims of their own success. In the real world scenario, the companies and leaders face a strong challenge as they tend to be so focused on elements that work for them, thereby forgetting to understand that the world around them is constantly changing. From personal experience I have learned that there a few major elements which require to be kept in mind at all times which will allow for a better performance of the leaders. It is essential that the leaders keep in mind the basic strategies of the company before taking any decision. Also leaders need to understand the need of the employees as well as the company. Following this the strategies should be made with a strong reference to the two needs. This allows for the leaders to be most successful. 7. Options and Justifications for future Strategies After considering my own leadership style, along with a strong and through understanding of the various possible leadership styles, I have come to an analysis. In the case of future projects and strategies, the leadership style that will be considered and incorporated will be a good combination of the styles of Goleman, Bennis, and Burns. This would be in context to the opinion of Goleman who believes that there is no one right or best style of leadership. This is mainly because most of managers make the mistake of assuming that leadership is a function of their personality than a strategic choice. Thus leaders end up choosing one style which suits their temperaments and not the ones which is demanded in the particular situation. Being in the ICT position it is essential that I include emotional intelligence competencies including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. Hence for future processes and projects my leadership style will be a combined effort of being authoritative, empathetic, coach setting and coercive. This is majorly because being authoritative will allow for the employees to understand and work according to the needs set down by me along with the empathetic will allow for me to be understanding and not seem like a person with no understanding of human feelings. Also being a coach will allow the team members to understand that I aware of what I expect out of them and will also allow for increasing the productivity of the team as a whole. Conclusions Based on the research and a better understanding of the subject, the importance of choosing the right leadership style has been clearly understood. Leadership styles as been expressed by most authors and scholars, is one of the biggest and most essential part of any change process (Northouse, 2006). This research has allowed for a clearer and better understanding of how it works practically. Also being a part of the information and communication technology department of the construction industry and dealing with a number of different countries and cultures, I have been able to put in use the theories that have been devised over the years. However being a woman and with the need to handle a diverse set of people in the team, this proves to be a very big challenge. I have been able to understand the needs of the employees and also handle the team in a way where all the needs of every person is met and no effort from anyone within the team goes unseen. Also the need to prove myself always comes up and this requires me to show the people that I have the potential and a good understanding of managing teams and also a thorough knowledge of the literature that has been developed over the years. Bibliography Bennis, W., 1999, ‘Managing people is like Herding Cats: Warren Bennis on Leadership’, 25 May 1999, Executive Excellence Publishing Burns, J. M., 2004, ‘Transforming leadership’, 30 January 2004, Grove press Burns, J.M., 1982, ‘Leaderhip’,9 November 1982, 1st edition, Harper Perennial Childs, R., 2004, ‘Emotional Intelligence and leadership’, Accessed on 20 February 2009, Retrieved from http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/emotional-intelligence.html Chorn, N. H., 1991, ‘The Alignment Theory, Creating a strategic Fit’, Management Decision, Vol 29., No. 1 , pp 20 – 4. MCB University Press Limited Crosby, P.B., 1997, ‘The Absolutes of Leadership (Warren Bennis Executive Briefing)’, 15 July 1997, Jossey – Bass Evans, M.H., 2009, ‘Leadership’, Accessed on 20 February 2009, Retrieved from http://www.exinfm.com/training/pdfiles/course18.pdf Goleman, D., 2006, ‘Emotional intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition: Why it can matter more than IQ’, 26 September 2006, 10 Anv edition, Bantam Goleman, D., Boyatziz, R.E., McKee, A., 2004, ‘Primal Leadership: Learning to lead with emotional Intelligence’, March 2004, Harvard business School Press Goleman, D., Cherniss, C., 2001, ‘The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace’, 18 June 2001, 1st edition, Jossey – Bass Maxwell, J.C., 2002, ‘Leadership 101: What every leader needs to know’, 10 September 2002, 1st edition, Thomas Nelson Northouse, P.G, 2006, ‘Leadership: Theory and Practice’, 26 October 2006, 4th edition, Sage Publications Inc. Swanson, E., 2007, ‘Leadership by James MacGregor Burns’, 1 February 2007, Accessed on 20 February 2009, Retrieved from http://ericswanson.blogspot.com/2007/02/leadership-by-james-macgregor-burns.html Read More