Leadership and Management in My Work Organisation - Assignment Example

A Competency Based Critical Review Of Leadership And Management In My Work Organisation." What specifically have you observed and learnt from the experience focussing on one management competence? Leadership for me has been a concept which has been changing over time. Friends like Ross, Saki and Aziz whom I have encountered and shared a lot both in school projects and at personal levels have greatly influenced my understanding of what leadership entails. Hence, having witnessed my paradigm of leadership evolves gradually with time and experiences. At The University, my friend Ross who was the manager started a community program aimed at feeding the homeless on the streets. He selected me to be responsible for selecting the different areas where we were to visit and distribute food and to choose the appropriate meals we would share with the homeless on the streets. At that stage of my leadership career I was task oriented towards marketing task assigned to me (Komives & Wagner, 2012). Consulting with other team members proved useful as the whole process was thus full of interactions with different team members like Matt and Wabi as the success of the programme required all of us to work in collaboration. The programme was successful in different ways, a section of members in our team were tasked with the responsibility of seeking financial assistance from different organizations and businesses and this yielded positive fruits since we never lacked food resources to deliver to the homeless during weekends. Ross’s approach to leadership was different from mine. This is because he placed a lot of emphasis in building relationship among different team members with various stakeholders who were concerned in the programme like the sponsors and the homeless whom we were feeding. His success was immense because the all members who practiced his leadership strategy succeeded in different sectors they were tasked with (Polelle, 2008). A good example is that Aziz and Chris who were concerned with collecting financial assistance from businesses and organizations were quite successful as they ensured that their relationship with the different parties was strong hence they did not encounters difficulties from the sponsors when it came to requesting them for financial assistance. Ross’s type of leadership was therefore more effective than mine since its impacts were long lasting in the course of the programme. Therefore, I consider him as one the most influential individuals who contributed towards my leadership development. The time I spent with Aziz and Chris was extremely resourceful for me because I realized the importance of investing with people rather than investing on resources or data. They stressed the importance of leadership having mutual relationships with all stakeholders concerned since it demanded from them to be an encourager, convincing, builder and adviser to the different individuals with whom they interacted with (Kouzes & Posner, 2010). As a result of their contribution towards the programme, I was encouraged hence transformed my leadership strategy in several ways. I saw the impact their leadership strategy had on the success of the programme as it had left a lasting impact on my life. When it came to displaying emotions of leadership on the programme, I realised that emotional labour was really essential for the success of the project and for any business. Aziz who founded the project was always composed and never displayed negative emotions while on the course of duty with us (Channer, 2000). In spite of various challenging situations we encountered like for example I reflect on one situation where were prepared to go and share food to the homeless living on the streets and were mugged along the way with the same group of individuals we had dedicated our efforts to assisting. Aziz never took this negatively, he was composed and advised all of us not to despair or let the happenings change our minds on the project we had embarked on. Saki on the other hand was irritated and highly disappointed by this act, he boycotted the project for days, but later came to the realisation that the challenges we had encountered were normal things that we should have anticipated at the start of the project. On the other hand, Wabi’s attitude and emotions was described with the different situations we encountered (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt, 2012). At time she would display negative emotional labour when faced with challenging situations and when faced with positive things, she would display positive emotional behaviours. Matt who was in the financial department was persistent throughout the project as he tried very hard to hold his emotions at different situations in spite of the fact that some occasions made him ache inside (Komives & Wagner, 2012). Reflecting on this experience, I realised that emotional labour was essential for different work situations which one is involved in. This is because I realised that everyone at some point in life had someone who acted as boss to him or her. Therefore, when one assumed the servant position in any environment, such things like pressure to accomplish assigned task or meet the targeted objectives was bound to happen. However, I also realised that successful individuals in different leadership positions were described by how strong they were at displaying their emotional behaviour. In such situations which required one to work under intense pressure of tight supervision, individuals were bound to snap because of the pressure piled on them hence not accomplishing the task. Likewise, I realised the importance of positive emotional behaviour had towards the success of our team. Therefore, I have learned that in spite of the different personal or work problems I may be experiencing, I should not let my emotions get in my way of work because they prevent me from thinking and reasoning as rational leader thus limiting my potentials and capabilities towards my team or those who have been placed under my supervision (Northouse, 2013). 2. Evaluate how what you have learnt concerning best practice of the competence should inform and change the practice of the competence for the future. In terms of the recommendations for future best practice of the competency of leadership built upon the main learning outcomes of the experience, an aspiring manager will be to practice the different aspects they have acquired on being a good leader for the team project thay have conducted. The first thing I have learnt and which I will practice is that if one day, I am selected in any leadership position anywhere, I will be able to lead by being a good role model. This will assist in earning respect from the different individuals whom I will be ruling or supervising. This is because by being a good role model to them, I will show them I know what I am doing and that I am good at it. This I will achieve by discussing my different experiences with them without showing off to them. Telling them of what I have done that has enabled me sit in that leadership position. This will help them change their attitude and be focused on delivering value in the different task they are delegated through me, they will find someone to imitate and look up to. Likewise, I will also act professionally to them an aspect which I have developed in the course of taking my project with my team. In spite of being tasked with a leadership position, just like Ross, I will be cordial to all my employees through such things like dressing professionally, maintaining my time of coming to work and meetings and accomplishing different task which are assigned to me as a leader (Polelle, 2008). Secondly, in the programme I conducted with my team, I learnt on the importance of being clear on rules and expectations. Therefore, in the future when selected for any leadership position, I will be able to be clear on the rules and expectations which I give or have towards my employees (Northouse, 2013). To achieve this, if will have a code of conduct to govern and guide my employees hence they will be able to identify their different roles in an organization and the consequences applicable on them when they fail to follow the code of conduct laid down. Likewise, when handling different projects with my employees, my goals and expectations of the results will be made clear to them at the start to prevent them from being confused in the middle of the project. This will enable them to easily achieve different aspects of the project as they will know what each and every stage of the project is leading them into. Moreover, I will take note not to change my goals or instructions in the middle of the project to prevent my employees from taking seriously my expectations of the project or to frustrate them in the process of undertaking a project because it will force them into changing the strategies they have selected thus an increased in the workload to be completed by them (Sadler, 2003). Thirdly, while serving in any leadership position, I will leave room for considerations made by my employees. This will give a positive image amongst them as they will be seeing me as one of them instead of a dictator. This I will achieve through such things like asking for their feedback on the different projects I will be initiating in the course of conducting different projects. Likewise, I will also be able to ask for their opinions on a face to face situation. This will be critical as I will determine probable areas where I have short comings and make changes to make my projects or goals realistic for them hence encouraging them to deliver quality in the different task delegated to them within the work setup (Kouzes & Posner, 2010). Lastly, in the future when serving in a leadership position, I will ensure that I am liked by my employees. Being liked will ease my communication with them hence making them excited to work with me in different projects (Murray, 2012). This I will achieve by admitting my different mistakes as a leader to show them that I am not perfect therefore any lessons to be leaned in the course of accomplishing a given task should be taken seriously. Likewise, I will be consistent in my interactions with my employees as this will make me more friendly to them hence be able to correct them when they stray from delegated task without them taking me negatively. The results of being cordial with them is that their input and reactions to various instructions given will be positive thus allowing me to easily achieve the desired results or objectives in my area of management (Sadler, 2003). 3. Identify and explain whether the best practice of the competence discussed in question 2 could be transferred into an employment situation when operating in a work organisation in your own national culture. If you are a UK based student, consider the transfer of the competence into a work organisation with which you are familiar. The best leadership practice discussed in question two can be applicable in when working for Tesco PLC. Leaders selected for different leadership positions are expected to be liked by the different employees assigned under them. A good example is that a supervisor under a Tesco grocery store will achieve a lot when he is liked by employees as this will give him or her an easy process of delegating responsibilities and ensuring that they are accomplished as the employees will ensure that they do not disappoint the supervisor as they have positive attitude towards him. Secondly, Tesco PLC being a large organization, different leaders cannot always be correct in each they decisions they take. Therefore involving employees in different decisions will improve the effectiveness of the different projects they plan to undertake. A good example is that when it comes to marketing, an employee may propose a good strategy to go about this because of his interactions with the customer. Hence he knows the taste and preferences of different customers. Thirdly, Tesco PLC relies on the different strategies they use to succeed in different markets. Therefore, it is extremely important for the management of the company to be clear on their rules and expectations. When expectations are made clear for employees they know what is required from their part to achieve the expected expectations or rules. A good example is that the company had set rules which displays the different behaviours expected from employees and they abide by this to give the company the success it enjoys today. Likewise, when the management is clear on the level of quality they want for the products being offered at the market, the production department knows their expectations therefore taking various strategies and techniques to deliver products which are of high quality or characteristics (Channer, 2000). References CHANNER, P. (2000). Emotional Impact Passionate Leaders and Corporate Transformation. Basingstoke,PalgraveMacmillan. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=258253. IRELAND, R. D., HOSKISSON, R. E., & HITT, M. A. (2012). Understanding business strategy: concepts plus. Mason, OH., South-Western Cengage Learning. KOMIVES, S. R., & WAGNER, W. (2012). Leadership for a Better World Understanding the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=53439. KOUZES, J. M., & POSNER, B. (2010). The Leadership Challenge. New York, Wiley. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=589017. MURRAY, K. (2012). The language of leaders how top CEOs communicate to inspire, influence andachieveresults.London,KoganPage. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=44240. NORTHOUSE, P. G. (2013). Leadership: theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, SAGE. POLELLE, M. (2008). Leadership: fifty great leaders and the worlds they made. Westport, Conn, Greenwood Press. SADLER, P. (2003). Leadership. 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