Non-management Perspective, How to Be an Effective Leader - Essay Example

Research and Reflection Paper- Non-Management Perspective Introduction Anyone aspiring to be a good manager and an effective leader should have some unique characteristics that can be emulated by the employees. Some of these qualities include being a team player, problem solver, transparency and accountability, ability to listen and work with people. This paper aims at gaining some insights into what makes a good manager from the employee perspective. It also aims at getting information from the employee concerning the roles played by managerial roles goals and objectives on the job or regular basis. The paper ends by providing the characteristics of an exemplary citizen. A favorite manager According to the interview, the respondent agreed that he has had a favorite manager in the past who acted as a role model. He regards him as an ideal manager because of his commitment to his work, ability to motivate and inspire others to do their best and his ways of handling conflict within the organization. Qualities of a strong manager According the respondent, the following are some of the qualities of a strong manager: for instance, he/she has to be a team player who can mobilize the groups and consolidate their efforts towards the achievement of organizational objectives. He has to be focused where he see beyond today and conceptualizes new ideas on how to improve the organization. A strong manager has to be a problem solver, person who can solve problems amicably without favor or gain and ensures that both conflicting parties reach a compromising solution. (Wang, 2011). In addition, one has to be rresult oriented one who is motivated by achieving results regardless of the prevailing conditions within the organization. An effective manager has to be flexible to change, someone who is receptive to change and embraces new ideas. He is not rigid to changes especially to new ideas and new technology. Always goes with time and does not conform to status quo. Transparency and accountability are some of the important qualities of a strong manager. One has to be transparent i.e. open in what he does and free to expose everything he does without withholding any information regarding his duties and finance entrusted to him. He also has to be accountable and be responsible for everything he has been entrusted and can be able to provide information in detail pertaining to his line of duty. Aspiration to be a manager Following the motivation from his immediate manager, the respondent was looking forward to being becoming a manager in future. He could also like to see those who work under him to work enthusiastically the way he does now. He could wish to bring change into the organization in future by coming up with innovative ideas that can enhance the achievement of the objectives of the organization (Carlos & Velsor, 2003). How to be an effective leader The respondent believed that for one to be an effective leader, he should committed and be willing to do what is required to get things done. In involves putting in an extra effort at the time where others are quitting. It involves having a vision of what is needed and also being passionate in achieving it and putting extra effort towards its attainment. In addition, one has to recognize the contribution of others and offer the team an opportunity to be innovative and also lead them into a more resilient future. It also involves being able to take responsibility of one’s mistakes. Concerning character, one has to start with integrity and stand for something he believes to be noble. It also involves being ethical and being honest with all the people. Effective leader has to listen, work with people and give them time by paying attention to what they are saying. In addition, the interviewee believes that being an effective leader requires one to avoid making personal criticism, understand that someone does not make mistakes intentionally and avoid embarrassing, belittling, and sarcasm and focus on solution Communication. He should listen to people, communicating the vision with understanding and patience. From these behaviors and experiences, employees can determine whether their leaders are effective or not (Iqbal, 2013). Roles of managerial goals, objectives, decision-making, and communication on the job on a regular basis The respondent believed that managerial goal was aimed at achieving high morale among the positions. Employee motivation has to top the list when it comes to the company’s goals if one wants to achieve success. A manager has to set goals both for the employees to achieve them and for him/her to accomplish as the manager to ensure a conducive working environment. As far as managerial objectives are concerned, managers will have better control and coordination towards the achievement of some goals. This can be achieved by (a) having subordinates who are most likely to coordinate and control their own actions since they know what will benefit and what will prevent them from achieving their goal, and (b) having a clearer picture of who is to do what and how all the parts fit together, (c) being able to see which employees regularly produce and which does not Managerial communication plays a crucial role in sharing of knowledge within the organization. Managers have to communicate with their juniors and share whatever information they know. A noble idea is useless if not shared. Managers require a medium that aids them in interacting with their close team members and vice a verse. Managers must communicate with their team members so as to make them clear as to what is needed for them. Managerial communication assists managers in extracting the best out of their team members. Employees have to be informed about their key areas of responsibility (Mclove, 2006). How to handle change in an organization The following are some of the ways of handling change proposed by the respondent Provide plans for bringing change to employees clearly and early. Changes are most likely to be well received if employees are given time to meditate and ask questions. Break them down into small steps can be easily understood. Resistance to change is as a result of misinterpretation, confusion, and concern over present roles. Continuous communication between management and employees is critical when executing change. Plan regular updates on ongoing developments or upcoming and communicate to your personnel as a group. Email weekly breaking news or newsletters as required, and if possible set up a timeline poster for a graphical representation of the impending changes or project. Plan for individual meetings to address issues or questions that employees may decide to keep private. Identify the personal coping strategy of employees since some perceive change as a positive challenge and respond by controlling their role in the project. Others may react by escaping or avoiding the situation, and will need more personal attention. They may depict physical signs of stress such as fatigue, anxiety, headaches, depression and high blood pressure and begin to take more sick days, leading to lower productivity for the organization. Assist the employees to deal with stress. Highlight personal strengths and how they will be useful in the new environment. Encourage collaboration and teamwork as a necessity for success within the organization and acknowledge their contribution to the organization. Ask employees about their worries and answer concerns quickly and honestly. Reassure the employees that you are confident in their ability to meet the challenges. Highlight opportunities for learning new skills, cross-training, mastering technology or developing creative solutions (Iqbal, 2013). Other ways of handling change in an organization include: Maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace, Managing your fears, anxieties, and sadness and Setting goals that bring positive results Challenges encountered in implementing change Resistance to change No matter how small change might be, one is expected to encounter some resistance within the organization. Resistance is a usual reaction from those who have become comfortable with status quo. Of course, certain situations or tactics can increase change resistance. Some of the main reasons why others tend to resist change within the organization include: inertia, timing, or the ability of people to comfortable with the status quo; surprise, radical change, peer pressure which makes a group to resist due to anti-management feelings even if every member does not resist the change as when change efforts are presented (Mclove, 2006). Experience with internship, volunteering, and professional certifications When asked to comment on experience with an internship, volunteering, and professional certifications, the respondent said that he has ever worked as an intern in one of the organization. Through an internship, he gained the invaluable professional experience, where he might otherwise have none, his self-esteem and self-confidence grew. The internship program was also a good time to identify his strengths and weaknesses so as become stronger. Finally, his internship became a professional experience in his resume. As far as volunteering is concerned, it allowed him to get acquainted with new things and academic skills, develop technical and social that otherwise could not have been learned in a classroom setup. Whether in helping out at a local library or teaching underprivileged kids, volunteering made him gain vast experience in different environments and situations (Wang, 2011). How to become a good manager When asked to advise someone who is aspiring to be a manager, the respondent provided that one has to be flexible i.e. someone who is receptive to change and embraces new ideas. In order to be an effective manager, one should not be rigid to change especially to new ideas and new technology always plan ahead of others. One has to be focused, visionary and conceptualize new ideas on how to improve the organization. Team building is very important in daily running of an organization therefore one has to be a team player. An effective manager is a team player who can mobilize the groups and consolidate their efforts towards the attainment of organizational objectives. Conflicts are very common in most organizations especially where people from different cultures, beliefs and perceptions me. An effective manager must be a problem solver, a person who can amicably solve problems without any gain or favor and ensures that the conflicting parties reach a common ground. Transparency and accountability are some of the important qualities of a strong manager. One has to be transparent i.e. open in what he does and free to expose everything he does without withholding any information regarding his duties and finance entrusted to him. He also has to be accountable and be responsible for everything he has been entrusted and can be able to provide information in detail pertaining to his line of duty to him. Reflection The following are some of the Precepts of leadership I learned from the interview Leadership is a Behavior, Not Position Leaders are those that are responsible for decision-making, empowering people and bringing change in organizations but it is not all about an executive position. If one intends to be a leader, he has to act like one and shape a better reality. A good way of influencing others is to lead by example A good leader does not only tell others what to do, but also lead by example. Effective leaders practice what they preach especially during hard times. Leadership involves chasing of a vision, not necessarily money Everything becomes meaningless without a vision. Therefore, one has to devote his time and effort in order to make his vision a reality. Vision drives people to take action and move forward. A leader has to realize his unique vision and organize all his activities in attaining it. Actions Speak Louder Than Words The effectiveness of leadership is all about doing much and talking less. More often, people are more affected by what they see than what they hear. Therefore, one has to choose actions and stop wasting people’s precious time on cheap talks about his intentions and plans Leadership is all about people One cannot lead in a vacuum. Leadership is all about influencing, communicating and engaging. The basis of effective leadership is communication skills. Therefore, it is imperative to communicate with people as this will yield amazing results. Impacts of personality traits of various staff on the performance at the workplace According to Mclove, (2006), personality has an effect on all aspects of an employee performance. Not every personality is fit for every position; thus it is advisable to recognize various personality traits and group employees according to what theyre capable of doing best. This results in job satisfaction, motivation and increased productivity, thus helping the organization to work more effectively and achieve its goals and objectives. Tenets of motivation theory From this interview, I have learned that there are two types of motivation (a) Extrinsic Motivators – these motivators originate from an external environment, and they tend to control individual behavior. Nobody is born with these factors; for instance, yearning for money, prices, and praise and good grades. (b) Intrinsic Motivators- these are motivators that originate from within without any external influence e.g. hunger and sleep. Nobody creates these motivations since you already have them and forms part and parcel of the human being (Wang, 2011). Effective motivation theories There are two types of motivation (i) Intrinsic Motivators. These are motivators that originate from within without any external influence e.g. hunger and sleep. Nobody creates these motivations since you already have them and forms part and parcel of the human being. (ii) Extrinsic Motivators - these motivators originate from an external environment, and they tend to control individual behavior. Nobody is born with these factors; for instance, yearning for money, prices, and praise and good grades How to be an effective employee Being an effective employee requires one to have some outstanding characteristics. For instance, he has to behave professionally and having fun to work and avoid fooling around. He must distinguish between jokes and serious business. He should also learn to take criticism gracefully by calming/ cooling down before answering a criticism raised upon him. When it comes to doing an assigned task, he should learn to do his job, and does it well even if he doesn’t know how to do something, he should try to find out and avoid making excuses. One has to develop good relationships with the all the people in the organization. This can be achieved by treating all co-workers with respect, courtesy, and kindness and avoiding hanging out with those who disrespect, mistreat, or talk down to others. As far service delivery is concerned, one has to keep a clean job performance record by doing a decent job, showing up on time, keeping a good attendance history. He must always be on time by arriving early least 15 minutes early every day (Carlos & Velsor, 2003). What it takes to be an effective manager In order for one to qualify as a successful manager, he/she has to be consistent in what he/she does i.e. must be reliable with people, even when it’s not the right thing to do. He/she have to avoid belittling others, sarcasm embarrassing, and focus on solution Communication. A good manager has to understand that people do not make mistakes intentionally, avoid making personal criticism and has to take much time in listening to people, communicating the vision with patience and understanding. Exemplary citizen of society An exemplary citizen is the one who, follows rules and regulations, honest and trustworthy, compassionate with what he does and respects the property of others. In addition, one is an active volunteer in the community, a good neighbor, protects the environment and responsible for his actions Conclusion From the interview, it can be learned that for one to be an effective manager, he/she should not be rigid to change especially to new ideas and new technology and should be someone who always plan ahead of others. One has to be focused, visionary and conceptualize new ideas on how to improve the organization. A good manager should understand that people do not make mistakes intentionally, avoid making personal criticism and has to take much time in listening to people, communicating the vision with patience and understanding. To be a good employee, one has to develop good relationships with all the people in the organization. This can be achieved by treating all co-workers with respect, courtesy, and kindness and avoiding hanging out with those who disrespect, mistreat, or talk down to others. A good citizen is the one who, follows rules and regulations, honest and trustworthy, compassionate with what he does and respects the property of others. References Carlos, M. & Velsor, V., 2003. The center for creative leadership handbook of leadership development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Iqbal, T., 2013. The Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational performance. NY: Cengage Learning. Mclove, C., 2006. Leadership. London: DIANE Publishing. Wang, C., 2011. Managerial Decision Making Leadership: The Essential Pocket Strategy Book. s.l.:John Wiley & Sons. Read More