How Effective Leadership Framework Is Essential for Work Relationships and Duties - Essay Example

Leadership Name Institution Professor Course Date Introduction It is important to place exceptionally knowledgeable and talented leaders in positions of prominence in modern firms to ensure optimum success. As the idea of exemplary leadership is developed, the challenge is to teach persons how to be effective leaders in the modern competitive business environment. My leadership ideal framework comprises of several competencies that include group/relationship development, self-management/self-awareness, self-reflection, task management, creative visioning, effective communication, active listening ethical decision-making, time management, and community engagement/social awareness. The Great –Man theory maintains that a leader is born while transformational leadership theory maintains that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation. Although the above leadership theories among others are applicable in modern organisations, I strongly believe that leaders are product of their actions and times, and result of their social conditions. Additionally, leadership is not the same in all contexts. Effectiveness of leadership is contingent on two factors that include motivational structures of leaders and the extent to which the context or situation offer influence and control to the leader. Anybody can be a leader because leadership depends on the demand of a situation. Effective leaders place their followers in situations that match their skills. This essay argues that not all leaders are born because some are developed based on their experiences and situations. The essays define what leadership is; highlights key leadership theories that demonstrate that leaders are a product of their actions, time, experience and social conditions. The essay also highlights implementation skills, Emotional Intelligence and interpersonal skills as skills essential for effective leadership. The essay finally demonstrates how effective leadership framework is essential for work relationships and duties. Definition of Leadership People define leadership in many different ways. According to Gallos (2008), leadership is an intricate social process that is rooted in the skills, knowledge, values and ways of thinking of both the followers and leaders. The author claims that leadership involves adaptive changes besides helping people to understand their current reality and forge for a brighter future from it. Parker and Begnaud (2004) define leadership as a way of getting people to do what they do not want to do and like it. The authors further stress that leadership is the energetic process of getting other people to willingly and fully commit to a course of action for the purpose of attaining commonly agreed objectives. While different people have different conceptions of leadership, I believe that leadership entails gaining voluntary engagement from others. Drawing from the lessons learnt in week one, leadership is different from management. While management entails formal power to direct organisational resources through planning, organising, controlling, commanding and coordinating, leadership is an informal interpersonal influence to facilitate organisational objectives. Leadership is voluntary and founded on honesty, respect and trust. These aspects of leadership help in creating greater engagement with organisational objectives. Leadership also involves changing a firm and creating a vision through inspiring the followers. Leadership is essential in any form of organisation. This is because a leader besides influencing followers to attain organisational goals also innovates, develops, focuses on people, inspires trust and has a long-range perspective (Avolio, Walumbwa & Weber 2009). Leaders can be formal or informal and often created with the success of their organisations. Although leaders may mislead people or lead them off track, they are known for their role for to influence. I believe that leaders are not born. Leaders gain their skills through diverse ways, which include formal education, from role models, from coaching and mentoring, taking up roles, reflection and sometime from struggling with challenges. The skills, experience and knowledge they gain help them to steer their followers towards attainment of organisational goals. Evidently, leadership includes the work of directing change, working with resistance and mobilising followers while developing self-reliance and competence in others (Mintzberg, 2004) . It is apparent that leadership has got nothing to do with a person’s position or seniority in an organisation. Leadership does not occur when a person is in a certain position in a firm or has attained a given pay grade. More so, leadership has got nothing to do with titles or personal attitudes. Apparently, anybody at any level in an organisational can be a leader as long as he has the ability to influence others. That is why leadership is different from management. Leaders are those with the ability to convert vision into reality and empower others (Dubrin & Dalglish, 2003). Leadership is not coercive but rather involves voluntary engagement from the followers. People learn leadership in different ways but good leadership entails personal development that includes taking novel challenges. Effective leadership is paramount for organisational growth as it gives a firm an essential advantage over management Leadership Theories Multiple interpretations of leadership exist where each interpretation offer an insight of what leadership is. Despite the numerous definitions of leadership by different authors, a complete and adequate explanation of leadership lacks. Many of these interpretations do not rhyme and fail to reflect reality. However, to fill the leadership vacuum, several theories of leadership have been developed and they help in ascertaining how leaders influence their followers. The leadership theories also help in ascertaining whether leaders are developed or born besides affirming if leadership is similar in all contexts. The most widespread theories that better define leadership include the transformational theory, the Great-man theory and the contingency theory to mention but a few. All these leadership theories tend to underscore a single factor of leadership that touches the leader, the followers and the situation. These theories have advantages and disadvantages. Notably, leadership theories are categorised through consideration of the aspect that is deemed to define a leader. The Great Man Theory is one of the most widespread leadership theories. According to this theory, leaders are born and not made because leadership traits are intrinsic. The Great Man Theory considers great leaders as biologically superior individuals. This theory implies that a leader’s personality is determined by what he/she inherits from his/her parents. According to Waite (2008), the Great Man theory was one of the first endeavours to explain leadership. The author further asserts that the secret behind good leaders is being born great. However, I do not believe that leaders are born. Instead, leaders are product of their actions and times and result of their social status. With respect to contingency or situational leadership theory, a leader’s effectiveness is determined by the situation. The situational factors include’ ones personality and the temperament of the task. The environment or social conditions are key determinants of good leadership. Leadership depends on the situation at hand as well as how situational factors affect leadership failure or success. According to Bruce and Marni (2017), contingency theory is based on the premise that leadership depends on the suitability of the leader’s style to the task. The contingency underscores three factors that determine a leader’s influence. These factors include the relationship between the group and leader, the structure of the task and the power of the leader (Cutler, 2014). Effectiveness of a group depends on the leadership style and the extent to which the group’s situation is favourable to offering the leader the influence of his followers. With respect to transformational leadership, leaders and followers raise each other to improved levels of motivation and morality. This form of leadership allows people to attain extraordinary things. When enacted in its genuine form, transformational leadership promotes the growth of leaders and their followers. According to Lang (2011), transformational leadership helps leaders to prepare themselves and their followers for the future. The transformational leadership theory maintains that leadership takes place during daily activities when one person helps another through approaching issues with regard to the needs of others and for purpose of self-development. In this regard, anybody can be a leader depending on his/her situation. More so, productive leadership is dependent on multitude of conditions and there is no predestined, right way to behave as a leader. In fact, leadership blueprint depends on the correct diagnosis of the reality of the situation that embeds a leader. A good lead first assesses a situation and then employs the most suitable leadership pattern. A good leader must understand that people are different and the see reality through their own lenses, hence the need for self-awareness and responsiveness of the followers. Relevant Leadership Skills Self-awareness is an essential aspect in management. According to Boyatzis, McKee and Johnston (2011), self-awareness entails demonstrating deep comprehension of one’s emotions, strengths, limitations, values and motives. People who demonstrate self-awareness are realistic and honest with themselves. Self-aware leaders understand their dreams, goals and values: they know where they are headed and are able to make decisions acceptable decisions. Self-awareness entails understanding and recognising how one’s emotions affect their interactions with others and the effect of their interactions on other people’s emotions. I believe that self-awareness is an essential aspect in leadership. This is because one’s emotions can affect other people and their productivity. It is important to note that self-awareness includes reflection and emotional intelligence where reflection allows a leader to question his/her actions and assumptions. Reflection enhances innovation and creativity in an organisation because it allows leaders to see above, beneath and beyond the obvious (Mintzberg, 2004). Through reflection leaders are able to question assumptions, suspend beliefs and find alternative ideas (Bianco-Mathis, Nabors & Roman, 2002). However, reflection is fruitful when a leader shares his/her ideas and experiences with others. In this view, reflection can be proactive or active. Besides reflection, emotions are essential in leadership. The two guide leadership. Given that emotion is information, people should never try to ignore them. Apparently, effective management decisions must incorporate emotions. As a result, emotional intelligence that entails the ability to perceive, express and comprehend is paramount for leaders and managers. It is evident that emotional intelligence is a skill that is crucial for leadership, particularly to the top leadership and management (Goleman, Boyatzis &McKee, 2001). Emotional intelligence as a skill is known to improve employee productivity and the overall business performance. The best leadership style that reflects the importance of emotional intelligence as a leadership skill is affiliative leadership. This type of leadership creates harmony and develops emotional bonds besides upholding empathy and establishing relationships amid followers and leaders. Besides emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills are absolutely essential to effective leadership. It is worth noting that interpersonal skills form the foundation of authentic relationships. According to Riggio and Tan (2010), interpersonal skills entail goal-directed conducts that include communication and relationship-building competencies. The authors further state that interpersonal skills are employed in interpersonal interaction episodes that are characterised by intricate cognitive and perceptual processes, vibrant non-verbal and verbal interactive exchanges. Interpersonal skills are tied to leadership. These skills include active listening, empathic communication, coaching and developing trust (Fritz, Brown, Lunde &Banset, 2005). With respect to active listening, a good leader must be a good listener. Active listening is essential as it facilitates development of trust and authentic communication. Developing trust promotes the integrity of a leader (Rogers & Roethlisberger, 1991). Trust is developed by sharing one’s personal feelings, opinions, learning and experiences. Another major aspect of interpersonal skills is empathic communication. Empathy allows leaders to understand other people’s feelings and worries by trying to fit in their shoes. Empathy helps people to get personal and understand others (Seibert.& Daudelin,1999). Modern organisations require people with the capacity to develop effective strategies and demonstrate skills to implement the crafted strategies. According to Fritz, Brown, Lunde and Banset (2005), implementation is the act of performing and executing something. As a result, implementation must be in line with preliminary thinking so as for something to take place. Implementation skills encompass goal setting, where SMART goals should be set, time management and stress management. Effective implementation skills allow leaders to become effective time and energy users. These skills are relevant in leadership as they allow leaders to seek novel ways of organising, balancing and enjoying their work and strategies. Implementation skills allow leaders to overcome obstacles that may hinder their success. Leaders are able to face and deal with conflicts, tensions and disappointments that may hinder their success I would wish to develop emotional intelligence as an essential leadership skill. According to Goleman (2000), Emotional intelligence encompasses self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and social awareness. I will develop this through recognising and managing my emotions. Recognising my emotions will entail understanding myself better and learning to manage my emotions. I will need to be agreeable and open-minded, enhance my empathy skills, read people’s emotions and reactions and assess the effect of my emotions on others. I would also wish to develop interpersonal skills, as they are paramount for effective leadership. I will develop interpersonal skills by engaging in active listening, sharing my opinions and experiences with others, accepting other people the way they are and by being understanding to people. I would also want to develop implementation skills. I will develop these skills through effective goal setting, time and stress management as well as engaging in constructive discussion with other people. Personal Identity and Leadership My framework that is more closely linked to the contingency theory has helped me to understand that influencing behaviour is not a mere occurrence but a process. The framework that demonstrates key competencies that are essential for effective leadership. In addition, the framework shows that am an assertive, enthusiastic, confidence, empathic, trustworthy , flexible/adaptive and emotionally intelligent person. All these qualities define me and will surely guide in my leadership endeavours. In the analysis of the skills essential for effective leadership, it is evident that interpersonal skills, self-awareness and emotional intelligence are major skills necessary for effective leaderships. Conclusion Leadership has always been viewed as one of the most essential components in the success of organisations. The need for organisations to prosper and survive in today’s competitive business world is a higher level of leadership. Evidently, when organisations experience change, it is important that their leadership is effective to meet the challenge. Application of leadership has evolved gradually throughout history with establishment of several leadership theories. Every leadership theory has its own advantages and limitations. However, most theories emphasize good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence that help in addressing the psychological needs of both leaders and followers. Because leaders require influencing others and gaining voluntary cooperation, active listening, empathic communication and trust development are essential for effective leadership. References Avolio, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O, & Weber, T. J. (2009).Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 421-449. Bianco-Mathis, V. E., Nabors, L. K. & Roman, C. H. (2002).Leading from the inside out. Thousand Oaks: Sage. (pp. 1-13) Bianco-Mathis, V. E., Nabors, L. K. & Roman, C. H. 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