Becoming a Better Leader of People and Organisations - Coursework Example

Becoming a Better Leader of People and Organisations Student’s Name Course Tutor’s Name Date: Becoming a better leader of people and organisations Effective leadership does not just happen; rather, it takes knowledge, expertise, and to some extent, one’s innate personal qualities and knowing how to optimise the same for good results. One of the most important things that leaders must be aware of is that leadership involves the effective use of power to, as Pfeffer (2010, p. 91) indicates, mete resources, shape behaviour, make progress on multiple fronts, take initiative, work with antagonists, remove rivals, and make relationships that are important work among other things. A leader also has the responsibility to make the organisation’s vision compelling to the followers. Other important qualities of a leader include his/her ability to use personal touch, and persistence (Pfeffer 2010, p. 91). The best analysis of how effective leadership is obtained is perhaps offered by Snowden and Boone (2007, p. 76) who observe that “business schools and organisations equip leaders to operate in ordered domains... but most leaders usually must rely on their natural capabilities when operating in unordered contexts”. In other words, Snowden and Boone (2007) are stating that in addition to the knowledge and skills obtained through education and/or on-the-job training, leaders mostly need to use their natural instinct especially for purposes of understanding context, embracing complexity and even resolving paradoxes. The aforementioned notwithstanding, George, Sims, McLean and Mayer (2007 p. 129) observe that while everybody has the capacity to empower and inspire others just like leaders are supposed to, only those who want to succeed in leadership must be willing to devote themselves to “personal growth and development ”. From George et al.’s (2009) observations, one can therefore infer that at the very basic, a leader must have the abilities to inspire and empower others. However, striving for personal growth and development is also an effective aspect of leadership, especially if one understands that leaders and followers are not very distinct. In fact, Zust (2003, p. 1) observes that the best leaders are indeed the best followers. The trick according to Zust (2003, p.1) however lies in knowing “how and when to follow”. Goleman and Boyatzis (2008) support such line of thinking by stating that beyond emotional intelligence, leaders need to develop social intelligence. Social intelligence is a concept that refers to a person’s ability to build interpersonal competencies, which inspire other people to be effective (Goleman & Boyatzis 2008, p. 81). A person with social intelligence is more able to encourage people within an organisation to bond hence building a more cohesive internal work environment. However, and is indicated by Drucker (2005, p.100), “success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves – their strengths, their values and how they best perform”. Knowing oneself comes after self-reflection and evaluation, which apparently, each leader must be willing to take up. A good leader also possesses what is now referred to as positive psychological capital (PPC). As illustrated in the figure below, PPC has four dimensions namely: efficacy/confidence, optimism, hope, and resiliency. Figure 1: The four dimensions of PPC Source: Luthans and Youssef (2004, p. 152). Although PPC is still is a concept under development, Luthans and Youssef (2004, p. 152) observe that it provides a link between positive psychologies in a leader to organisational performance. Ideally, all four dimensions indicated in the PPC model above inspire similar positive psychologies in followers. Followers are more likely to be resilient, optimistic, hopeful and/or confident if leaders ‘lead from the front’ and exhibit corresponding traits. Peterson et al. (2008) observe that leaders with high levels of PPC are likely to grow and thrive even when faced with difficulties and setbacks, and by so doing, they are able to not only perform better than they had previously, but also to inspire increased trust, hope and confidence amongst followers. By so doing, both the leader and the followers find value and meaning in the organisational processes (Peterson et al. 2008). Learning effective leadership While it is still debatable whether leaders are indeed born (natured) or made (nurtured), some scholars are adamant that people can learn and develop effective leadership competencies. Gibson (2008, p. 532) is one such scholar who posits that effective leaders possess wisdom, which is attained through a dynamic blend of perception, character and experience, which he refers to as the “conjoint enablers of practical wisdom”. Gibson (2008) further notes that through repetitive techniques, leaders can engage in self-education where they can learn what is unique about self, and also know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Although there is nothing in literature that specifically spells out what effective leadership is made of, it is largely agreed that good and effective leaders need a vision, strategic direction, energy and drive to handle their responsibilities, and authority. One of the types of leadership that has been touted as being an effective kind is inspirational leadership, which according to Goffee and Jones (2000, p. 64), reflects the following qualities in people who practice it: Selective show of a leader’s weakness: By so doing, the leader exposes some of his/her vulnerability. The likely consequence of showing a leader’s weaknesses (albeit selectively) is that followers see the humane and approachable side of their leader. Relying on intuition: By so doing, a leader gauges his/her actions, thus making him/her a better decision-maker in matters related to how and when to act Managing followers with tough empathy: This means that such leaders not only understand and care about what their followers do, but are also able to show their empathy towards their subjects Revealing differences: Differences make people unique; however, inspirational leaders have been proven not only as being unique, but also authentically unique (Goffee & Jones 2000) Arguably, self-knowledge and awareness are necessary traits in all leaders because it is only through understanding oneself that a leader can know his/her weaknesses, his/her differences, and master his/her intuitive abilities in a manner that would enable him/her to reflect the qualities identified above by Goffee and Jones (2000, p. 64). In addition to self-knowledge and awareness, leaders need to possess authenticity, and must also want to be leaders. As Goffee and Jones (2000, p. 65) observes, “Many talented employees are not interested in shouldering that responsibility”. As indicated elsewhere in this paper, authority comes with leadership. However, such authority is only possible if a leader has power. Power is on the other hand a product of one having control over resources that are important to others (Pfeffer 2010, p. 86). For example, money and information are some of the resources that give leaders powers. Personality profile According to the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator as indicated by Michael (2003), I am an extroverted, perceiving, intuitive and feeling. Generally, my personality traits include self-confidence, emotional stability, assertiveness and sense of humour. In task-related matters, I possess emotional intelligence, in addition to having tenacity and drive. Cognitively, I have insight into people and situations in addition to possessing business knowledge and creativity. My leadership characteristics are honesty, integrity, and a forward looking nature. Although my personality type has several strengths, I am also aware that it exposes me to several weaknesses as a leader. For example, my assertiveness combined with my extroverted nature could sometimes be perceived as arrogance by others. Additionally, my insight into people and situations makes me less open to differing suggestions, especially when I think that am right about something. I also realise that I am not a very active listener, and if Zust’s (2003, pp. 1-2) sentiments that a leader needs to be a good listener and follower is anything to go by, I might have to deliberately make a decision to sit back and listen to other people’s ideas and opinions. Among the key areas that I might need to work on include listening to advice offered to me and asking for the same when I need it. Oftentimes, I fear asking for advice because I have the impression that people would perceive me as indecisive or even weak. However, as Zust (2003, p.1) observes, “The best leaders are those who welcome advice and who admit they don’t have all the answers”. Zust further argues that the most effective leaders secure valuable input from the teams they surround themselves with. One advantage that comes with being an intuitive person is that I am often able to follow my instincts even when something does not make business sense. Oftentimes, my decisions are right. I however recognise that following my instincts may present me with several challenges in future leadership positions. For example, following one’s intuition is not rational or quantifiable; it therefore means that people in a team may not understand the rationale behind some decisions. Based on the aforementioned points, I realise that I might need to advance my communication skills, if only to make the people I may lead in future understand the reasons for some of my decisions. After all, a leader does not have to explain his/her decisions to the people he/she leads, but may need to do so in order to advance the team spirit, trust and cohesion among the followers. As Zenouzi and Dehghan (2012, p. 49) aptly observes, “interaction [between leaders and followers] is important and interaction means inseparability” [emphasis added]. Additionally, scholars like Goleman and Boyatzis (2008, p. 77) have reiterated the important role played by social intelligence, where they observe that a socially intelligent leader is likely to enhance bonding among his/her followers, thus creating more effective teams. Goleman and Boyatzis (2008, p. 77) also note that a good sociable mood in a leader “helps people take in information effectively and respond nimbly and creatively”. This means that in addition to explaining some of the decisions, a leader will also need to interact and create the mood that would work best in the organisation. Action plan: My action plan will be based on the factors identified in the section above. Specifically, the plan will seek to enable me to overcome some of the shortcomings identified at a personal level. Additionally, the plan is made in recognition that effective leadership can be learnt. Since learning is a continuous process, it is possible that some of the detailed actions hereunder will just mark the commencement of a leadership learning process that will continue for years to come as I seek and take up different leadership roles. The action plan is not framed within a time-context, mainly because some most of the documented actions will take continuous effort both during and beyond the duration of the MBA program. Based on the personality profile, I have identified admirable character/professional traits that I am convinced would help me become an effective leader as: Becoming an active listener/follower Becoming a more amiable/approachable leader Becoming a better communicator Becoming a more socially intelligent leader These traits are expounded in the table below. Action Desirable character/professional traits Framing Application Deliberately seek to listen to others more and talk only and when it is totally necessary. I will allow other people in the group I lead to assume some leadership roles in order to help them hone their leadership skills too. I will receive and seek advice from my group members. I will rely on learn to use my instincts more Active Listener/follower I will examine instances where I talk too much, and by so doing deny other people the chance to contribute into an activity. I will deliberately choose to perceive others as people with valuable ideas that can benefit the organisation. Repetitive actions (listening more and talking only when it is necessary), and by so doing, establish habits that will hold in the long run. Seek information in both formal (e.g. in meetings), or informal (e.g. over lunch) means. Create a casual environment with the intention of encouraging people to share their beliefs, values and assumptions with me and the entire workgroup. I will work on my assertiveness and reserve it for use only when it is really necessary. I will always remember that my extroverted personality can appear too domineering over others, and as such, I will deliberately work towards accepting the probability that I too can be wrong in some instances. In other words, I’ll work towards being more accommodating towards other people. An amiable and approachable leader I will work towards becoming self-aware through self evaluation. As such, I will identify instances when I might need to behave with increased decorum towards people. I will review the roles and responsibilities of a leader in different contexts and hence identify when I can positively use my assertive nature. I will seek wisdom (from literature and leadership coaches) regarding how to be assertive without being perceived as arrogant. Conducting self-evaluation exercises as suggested by Drucker (2005). I will keep reminders that a leader is only as good as the people he/she leads, and this will probably help me perceive the people I work with as my colleagues rather than my subjects. I will make it a habit to seek leadership wisdom from different sources, and this will probably sustain my awareness that good leaders are also good followers. I will seek to be perceived as an approachable leader who is not arrogant. I will provide explanations for decisions taken on behalf of the group. In cases where I might disagree with suggestions made by my followers, I will strive to always give reasons for my decisions in order to avoid discouraging such people from contributing ideas to the workgroup in future. Better communicator Open formal and informal communication is one strategy through which communication can flow through the organisation (or workgroups). Speaking to individual workers about general things will probably make them more open to the idea of communicating openly about work-related issues. Repetitively encouraging every person to communicate their feelings and opinions regarding specific issues will create an open environment. Discouraging bureaucracies in the workplace. Seek advice and wisdom from communication literature and/or experts. Explaining different concepts as indicated by Hamm (2006). I will be more emphatic towards the people I work with. I will use my humorous nature to set the mood for my colleagues at work. As a leader, I will strive to be more understanding of the concerns, needs and work preferences of the people I will be leading. Improved social intelligence A socially intelligent leader enables bonding among people working under him, and also enhances their chances of taking “information effectively” and responding “nimbly and creatively” (Goleman & Boyatzis 2008, p. 77). I will seek mentorship and coaching from other leaders (my superiors or my peers), whose style of leadership reflects social intelligence. I will deliberately gauge how people respond to different types of moods as exhibited through my leadership. For example, I can gauge how non-verbal cues such as an apparent sense of boredom on my part affects how other people react or respond to my instruction. I will use the self-leadership questionnaire developed by Neck and Houghton (2006), to test my leadership effectiveness at least twice annually. Discussion Scholars like Zenouszi and Dehghan (2012, p. 52) hold the opinion that “the effectiveness of a leader is dependent mostly on the intrinsic characteristic of leader/patterns of transformational leadership to enhance productivity of organisation...”.While such an opinion is arguably partly true, I prefer to subscribe to a different opinion that indicates that leadership qualities can be acquired as long as one is interested in leadership. As Goffee and Jones (2000) observe, the assumption that everyone can be a leader is a myth, specifically because most people do not possess the authenticity and self-knowledge that is necessary for leadership. Further, even some of those people who possess the self-knowledge and authenticity qualities do not always want to shoulder the responsibilities of leadership. In my case, I have the drive to be a leader, but I now know that I need to possess self-knowledge and authenticity as prerequisites to becoming an effective leader. Fortunately, I now know that both self-knowledge and authenticity can be acquired. If Gibson’s (2008, p. 532) advice is anything to go by, leaders can engage in self-education where they can learn what is unique about self, and also know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Additionally, they can perfect their skills through repetitive practice. Similarly, and having an acute sense of knowledge, I am aware that my priorities during and after my MBA will be to perfect the skills identified in the action plan through an active search of knowledge and repetitive practice as recommended by Gibson (2008). In conclusion, I also acknowledge that I can benefit from lessons about wielding power effectively, and as Pfeffer (2010, p. 87) indicates, “A valuable network, access to information” are some of the vital necessities of wielding power (and leading) effectively. Notably, by being a better listener/follower and enhancing communication as indicated in the action plan above, I am confident that I can access information and establish valuable networks with my colleagues and the people I will be leading. Communicating effectively also appears to be a prerequisite to effective leadership not only because it makes information sharing and creating networks possible, but also because as indicated by Hamm (2006, p. 116), leaders often assume that “everyone shares the same definitions of broad terms like vision, loyalty, accountability, customer relationships, teamwork, focus, priority, culture, frugality, decision-making, results and so on...”. When this happens, Hamm (2006) notes that clear communication is absent and as a result, people interpret the leader’s communication differently. The resulting scenario includes “sloppy behaviour and misalignment...precious time is wasted, rumours abound, talented people lose their focus, [and] big projects fail” all because a leader’s communication was not clearly understood by all (Hamm 2006, p. 116). Fortunately for me, I am learning the essence of effective communication while still pursuing my MBA. The challenge however remains in internalising the knowledge being acquired now and translating it into action when I assume leadership positions in future. As indicated in the introductory part of the action plan above however, learning is a continuous process, and as stipulated in the action plan, I will persist in seeking knowledge from mentors, coaches and even from literature sources. References Drucker, PF 2005, ‘Managing oneself’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 83, no. 1, pp. 100-109. George, B, Sims, P, Mclean, AN & Mayer, D 2007, ‘Discovering your authentic leadership’, Harvard Business Review, February, pp. 129-138. Gibson, P S 2008, ‘Developing practical management wisdom’, Journal of Management Development, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 528-536. Goffee, R & Jones, G 2000, ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’ Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 63-70. Goleman, R & Boyatzis, R 2008, ‘Social intelligence and the biology of leadership’, Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 74-81. Hamm, J 2006, ‘The five messages a leader must manage’, Harvard Business Review, May, pp. 115-123. Luthans, F & Youssef, C M 2004, ‘Human Social and now positive psychological capital management: investing in people for competitive advantage’, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 33, no. 2. Michael, J 2003, ‘Using the Myers-Briggs type indicator as a tool for leadership development? Apply with caution’, Journal of Leadership and Organisational Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 68-81. Neck, C & Houghton, J 2006, ‘Two decades of self-leadership theory and research’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 270-295. Peterson, S, Balthazard, P, Waldman, D & Thatcher, R 2008, ‘Are the brains of optimistic, hopeful, confident and resilient leaders different?’ Organizational Dynamics, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 342-352. Pfeffer, J 2010, ‘Power play- Spotlight on the effective organization’, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp. 84-93. Snowden, D J & Boone, M E 2007, ‘A leader’s framework for decision making’, Harvard Business Review, November, pp. 69-80. Zenousi, B N & Dehghan, A 2012, ‘Complexity theory and general model of leadership’, Global Journal of Management and Business Research, vol. 12, no. 21, pp. 46-60. Zust, C 2003, ‘The best leaders know when to follow’, Zust + Co., viewed 18 February 2013, Read More