Dynamics and Social Architect of Leadership - Example

Thematic Review Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0Introduction 3 2.0 Context 3 2.1 Broadness of Context 3 2.2 Cultural Differences 4 2.3 Core Skills 4 2.4 Systems Thinking 5 2.5 Change Management 5 3.0 Dynamics of Leadership 6 3.1 Change/ Dynamics 6 3.2 Decision making 6 3.3 Change Management and Leadership 7 3.4 Ethics 7 4.0 Social Architect 7 4.1 Progressive Stability 8 4.2 Entrusting Others 8 4.3 Consideration for Other People 9 4.4 Strategic Thinking 9 5.0 Conclusion 10 References 10 Thematic Review 1.0 Introduction Scholars and professionals have often regarded leadership and its importance to an organization highly. Ideally, a good leadership structure in an organization often translates to a higher success rate. This explains the reason as to why organizations which are associated with great leaders are often more successful than other organizations for instance Apple and Steve Jobs and Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Sir Richard Branson. The context of leadership is a broad one. As long as man has tried to explain leadership, he has progressively come with new contexts of leadership all of which are appropriate to the leadership subject as per the specific perspective taken. The varying definitions and contexts are in line with the dynamic nature of leadership. In the wake of market changes which have in turn translated to the need for organizational change, dynamism has been demanded of in leadership. On this point, it can be acknowledged that there is an utmost need for organizational leadership to align itself with the market demands. This ensures that an organization stays relevant to the current situations in the market. Key to the leadership dynamics is the ability of the leader to be the social architect; one who is able to influence the demographics towards a specific line of thought. A leader should be a good social architect; one who is able to create a good social environment in an organization. The following report gives an in depth insight into the context, dynamics and social architect of leadership. 2.0 Context Leadership is generally defined as the ability of a leader to influence the direction of an organization towards a specific direction. The context of leadership is prone to various approaches depending on the perspective taken by an individual on a specific issue. The broadness of the context, cultural differences, core skills, systems thinking and change management are some of the various approaches which can be used to analyze the context of leadership. The following section will discuss the above elements in the context of leadership. 2.1 Broadness of Context There is no definite definition of leadership. According to Avramopoulos & Thomas, there is no clear consensus as to what really constitutes leadership; the range is so broad and ever changing (Avramopoulos & Thomas 2007, p.51). Avramopoulos gives an insight into the broadness of leadership by giving an allusion to an odyssey; which is a journey aimed at searching for the truth wisdom and knowledge. The definition of leadership can be formulated within four main elements. The first element is the guiding principle which outlines the objectives of a specific leadership framework; which differs from situation to situation. The second element is purpose of leadership, the third is processes and the last is outcomes. Key to the definition of leadership is the acknowledgement that it is dynamic in nature; hence the inability to single out a specific description of leadership (Avramopoulos & Thomas 2007, p. 55). 2.2 Cultural Differences Another context in which leadership can be discussed is with respect to culture. On this point, it can be appreciated that a specific leadership strategy or style cannot be appropriate for diverse cultures (Pillai, Scandura & Williams, 1999, p. 763). One of the key elements of leadership which is influenced greatly by the type of culture is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is based on the ability of a leader to influence an organization or his/ her subordinates towards a specific direction by using his or her personal abilities. On this point, it can be appreciated that the way of influencing people from diverse cultures is different hence the effect of culture on leadership. The other key elements of leadership which are affected by culture are organizational justice and procedural justice. These two elements influence the success rate in which an organization is able to effect its strategies and also the employee retention and satisfaction degrees (Pillai, Scandura & Williams, 1999, p. 766). From the above, it can be acknowledged that cultures have a major role to play in the leadership context. 2.3 Core Skills Leadership is also dependent on the core skills of a leader. As identified earlier, key elements of leadership such as transformational leadership are highly influenced by the personal abilities of a leader (Pillai, Scandura & Williams, 1999, p. 765). According to Rod McDonald from the Ithaca Group, there are five stages of performance (McDonald n.d, p.7). The stages are stages 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 which are associated with a novice performer, advanced beginner, capable performer, proficient performer and expert performer respectively. The ability of alder to be the best performer is bestowed in three basic skills. One of the skills is his or her ability to manage his or he way through his work. This is influenced by his or her ability to manage work life and career in addition to working with rights, roles and protocols. The second skill is his or her ability to interact with others which is influenced by communication abilities, connection and teamwork and recognition and utilization of diverse approaches. Lastly, the skill to get work done influences the success of a leader (McDonald n.d., p.10). 2.4 Systems Thinking The leadership context can also be analyzed from the systems thinking framework. The systems thinking model stipulates that the all the functions and departments in an organization are interrelated (Anonymous n.d., p.1). For this reason, an occurrence in one of the functions causes a reaction in all the other functions of an organization. Linking this with leadership, it can be acknowledged that the effective leader is one who recognizes the behavior of an organization to a certain input. By so doing, he or she would be able to influence an organization by making specific changes to specific functions of an organization. On this context, a leader is supposed to use the behavior patterns in an organization to make specific decisions related to leadership challenges in an organization (Anonymous n.d., p.4). 2.5 Change Management Lastly, leadership can be discussed with respect to change management. On this point, it is important to note that organizational change is inevitable for any organization wishing to stay afloat in the market (Dawson 2008, p.1). Generally, every organization has a specific set of goals and objectives which it wants to achieve within a given period of time. The achievement of these goals is based on the ability of the organization to adapt to changes required of it; it is based on the ability of the leadership to lead the organization through the change. It is the role of the leader to ensure that the resistance to change is at a minimum low by communicating the need for change to the organization and leading from the ground; hence showing a good example to the subordinates (Dawson 2008, p.3). The above five sections give an insight into the various contexts under which leadership can be analyzed. The context of leadership is limitless and is only based on the perspective of the individual reflecting on it (Avramopoulos & Thomas 2007, p.51). 3.0 Dynamics of Leadership Leadership is dynamic in nature. The type of leadership upheld in an organization is dependent on the prevailing internal and external business environments in addition to the goals and objectives of an organization; leadership is due to undergo sharp changes so as to align an organization to the needs necessitated by the change. Key to this point is the fact that leadership has an important influence n the success of an organization or team (Smith 2012, p.2).The following section discusses the dynamics theme. 3.1 Change/ Dynamics In the modern business world, the market is more dynamic than ever (Roberto 2003, p.1). The globalization of the market has exposed organization to far many external business environmental factors which in turn have substantial effects in the operation of an organization. This has led to the need for organizational leadership to plan for change. Ideally, research on organizational change and its management has increased substantially in the recent years; giving an insight into its relevance to the modern business world. Owing to varying demands of change, organizational leadership has to undergo appropriate change so as to support the organizational change; hence resulting to the establishment of the dynamic nature of change. 3.2 Decision making Effective decision making is a key element associated with dynamics of leadership. Ideally, No organization has a plan for unforeseeable events in the future. However, the dynamic nature of the business world normally plunges organizations in unprecedented situations, leading to the need for urgent decision making. On this point, it is worth noting that leaders have to make urgent decisions so as save the course of an organization. Failure to make a decision means that an organization has already made a decision not to adapt to the change. Although the decisions are made under urgent situations which are surrounded by deep ambiguity, there is a need for efficient decision making (Roberto 2003, p.1). There are usually many things which occur behind the public eye which organizational leaders must take full consideration of; taking note of the interconnectivity between various functions of an organization as per the systems theory (Thomas & Walker 2010, p.187). For this reason, leaders should be fully aware of leadership dynamics hence being able to make the most appropriate decisions under turbulent times. 3.3 Change Management and Leadership Since change is due to happen, it is important that organizational leaders come up with appropriate leadership strategies to lead an organization through change. In line with this is the need for its management so as to ensure that it has minimal negative effects on an organization. Just as it is with other practices, it is important for leaders to take note of the systems theory so as to ensure that their actions have a net positive impact on an organization (Reason 2000, p.769). Owing to that fact that errors are due to happen during change, it is important for leaders to have a good error management strategy. Leaders should use their leadership abilities to influence the organization towards a specific direction in line with a specific plan aimed at enabling the organization reach a specific set of objectives. 3.4 Ethics Lastly, leaders should always adhere to professional ethics during change. Generally, many leaders opt to engage in unethical practice so as to save themselves and their organizations from the challenges presented by change (Thomas & Walker 2010, p.186). Key to leadership is the need for the leaders to embrace sustainability, with ethics being a major part of sustainability plans. Upholding ethics ensures that leaders are able to keep off from the dark side of leadership; hence being able to steer an organization towards the right direction (Thomas n.d., p.3) 4.0 Social Architect Successful leadership is based on the ability of a leader to be the ideal social architect. A leader should acknowledge the fact that he/she and the entire organization are part of a society which upholds a specific set of values, beliefs and practices. For this reason, the leader should act as a social architect, coming up with appropriate plans on how the organization will coexist in harmony with the society and also how the leader himself will relate with his / her subordinates. The following section will discuss key elements of a leader with respect to his being a social architect. 4.1 Progressive Stability Progressive stability is focused on the ability of an organization to maintain a good performance in the market (Sturdy & Grey 2003, p. 651). The input of a leader in progressive stability cannot be underrated. The leader establishes the vision for an organization and steers the organization towards achieving it. As outlined in the discussions earlier in this report, the ability of an organization to adapt to changes in the market influences its ability to stay successful in the market. The leader’s role in enabling organizations manage through change is indispensible. With the markets volatile and the business environment exhibiting dynamism of the highest order, leaders need to make plans on how their organization will be able to coexist in the dynamic society; a factor which results to the progressive stability of an organization (Staber & Sydow 2002, p. 408) 4.2 Entrusting Others Social relationships are normally based on mutual trust between the parties involved. This is the same case with the relationships between leaders and their subordinates. Normally, organizations where mutual trust between the leaders and the subordinates exist are associated with high success rates as compared to other organizations which do not have such a relationship. A leader should build this relationship in an organization by entrusting his subordinates with specific roles (Taormima &Selvarajah 2005, p. 299). This in turn shows that the leader beliefs in his subordinates, who in turn undertake their duties willingly, hence leading to a favorable social environment in an organization. By so doing, a leader acts as a social architect. 4.3 Consideration for Other People In order for a leader to be a good social architect, he/she must consider other people in the organization. Normally, self-centered leaders send a bad picture of themselves hence do not earn the respect and admiration deserved by them from their subordinates. By failing to give ample consideration to other people, leaders often end up excluding their subordinates from key decisions in an organization. This in turn means that the goals and objectives of the organization are not shared amongst the stakeholders involved, hence lowers the chances of achieving them. According to Toursh & Vatcha, organizational leadership should not be based on a cult or a charismatic leader since it places too much glory on one individual and fails to acknowledge the input of other stakeholders in the organization (Toursh & Vatcha 2005, p.457).By the action of considering other people in an organization, a leader is able to emerge to be a good social architect. 4.4 Strategic Thinking Strategic thinking is the establishment of ideas which are focused on future goals after an evaluation of the current situation of an organization. Generally, people like to be associated with an organization which is sure of its future. For this reason, there exists a good social environment in an organization which is associated with a definite future. For an organization to have a strategic plan in place, it must have a leader who embraces strategic thinking. Key to strategy is the need to communicate it to the stakeholders involved (Kaplan & Norton 2001, p.65). This ensures that they are able to realize with the strategic thoughts of the leader; hence leading to a sense of assurance of the future. From the above discussion, it can be acknowledged that strategic thinking leads to the development of a good social environment in an organization hence the need for it to be part of a leader. 5.0 Conclusion Concluding, this report has been able to give a good insight into three themes of leadership namely leadership context, dynamism of leadership and social architects. It was identified from this report that the context of leadership is broad and its definition is limited to the perception of an individual. Cultural differences, core skills, systems thinking and change management was identified to be key elements influencing leadership. It was also seen that leadership is dynamic in nature. This is due to the always changing organizations owing to changes in the internal and external business environments. Key to dynamics in leadership is the need for good decision making mechanisms, ethics and appropriate change management/ leadership. Lastly, the report gave an insight into a leader as a social architect. On this point, it was identified that a leader should strive to ensure that he/she and the organization should have in place appropriate measures so as to develop a good social environment in the organization. From this report, it is appropriate to conclude that leadership is an important element in the success of an organization; hence the need for organizational leaders to come up with the most appropriate leadership strategies. References Avramopoulos ,S., & Thomas, K., 2007. The Leadership Odyssey, The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture & Change Management, Vol.6, No. 9. pp.51- 61 Anonymous n.d. Ch. 1. System Behavior and Causal Loop Diagrams, pp. 1-14 Dawson, P., 2008. People and Process: Making Sense of Change Management, ICOMS Asset Management Conference, Fremantle, 30 May 2008. pp.1-14 Kaplan, R., & Norton, D., 2001.Leading Change with the Balanced Score card, Financial Executive, pp. 64- 67 McDonald, R., n.d. Core Skills for Work – A Framework. Ithaca Group, pp. 1-13 Pillai, R., Scandura, T., & Williams, E., 1999. Leadership and Organizational Justice: Similarities and Differences Across Cultures, Journal of International Business Studies, Vo. 30, No. 4, pp. 763 -779 Reason, J, 2000. Human Error: Models and Management, BMJ, vol. 320, pp. 768 – 789 Roberto, M., 2003. Making Difficult Decisions in Turbulent Times, Ivey Business Journal, pp. 1-8 Smith, W., 2012. That Sinking Feeling, The Australian, pp. 1-7, Staber, U., & Sydow.,J., 2002. Organizational Adaptive Capacity: A Structuration Perspective, Journal of Management Inquiry; vol.11, no.4, pp. 408 -426 Sturdy, A., & Grey, C., 2003. Beneath and Beyond Organizational Change Management: Exploring Alternatives, Organizational Change Management, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 651-662 Taormima, R., & Selvarajah, C., 2005. Perceptions of Leadership Excellence in ASEAN Nations, Leadership, vol. 1, no.3, pp. 299-322 Thomas, K., n.d. The Dark Side of Leadership Revisited, pp. 1-26 Thomas, K., & Walker, A., 2010. The Sharp End: Real Life Challenges In A Complex Activity Space, Journal of Public Affairs,Vol. 10. pp. 186 -199 Toursh, D., & Vatcha, N., 2005. Charismatic Leadership and Corporate Cultism at Enron: The Elimination of Dissent, the Promotion of Conformity and Organizational Collapse, Leadership, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 455 -480 a. Personal Leadership Theory The leadership abilities of an individual are as a result of the specific conditions which the leader has dealt with over time. Under this, it can be argued with that a leader is able to develop his or her leadership skills over time. This theory is in line with the popular argument that leaders are made nor born. However, every leader is unique in his or her own leadership style. Even though two leaders may be occupying the same position and regarded to as having similar achievements; their leadership abilities are totally different. The difference is enshrined in their perception of the context of leadership, their approach to dynamics in leadership and their ability to be social architects. b. Action Plan The following section outlines my action plan in ‘doing leadership’. Observing cultural differences I desire to be a global leader; one who is able to lead multinational organizations in addition to providing solutions to global problems. For this reason, I will start developing my intercultural leadership abilities. I acknowledged that no leadership strategy will work for all regions in the worked. Each of the regions will need a specific leadership approach which should be in line with the specific cultures practices in the specific regions. For this reason, I will put a lot of effort in improving my intercultural leadership abilities. Leadership Dynamics From the thematic review, I acknowledged that leadership is dynamic in nature which is as a result of the ever changing markets. As a result of this, I have appreciated the fact that what I uphold as right today may be relevant tomorrow, this calls for a need for me t embrace flexibility in my leadership abilities and approach so as to accommodate the changes which result from the meet changes. Therefore, I will devote some substantial amount of time in working towards ensuring that I improve my leadership flexibility. Social architecture From the thematic review, I have identified that social architecture is important n enabling a leader to achieve his or her objectives. I appreciated that organizations or any other entities are part of a larger society hence must fit in the social fabric so as to be held relevant in the society on which it depends for survival. On this point, I will devote a lot of time in working towards improving my social architect skills. This will enable me improve my interpersonal skills and ultimately be assimilated into my character. Transformational leadership I have a high regard for transformational leadership. I believe that a leader is supposed to influence an organization towards a specific direction. Deep is my belief that an organization is a mirror image of its leaders. For this reason, I will work towards ensuring that I develop key transformational leadership skills which will empowered me to be able to influence organizations towards my line of thought. On this key point, I hold special respect to Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple for his excellent transformational leadership style which enabled influence Apple towards its glory. Read More