The Role of Leadership and Main Leadership Attributes - Assignment Example

Management Student name Course name Institution Date of submission Student Number 1. The role of leadership and main leadership attributes (i)The role of leadership Leadership is mainly concerned with getting results for the followers and an organisation’s shareholders. A leader has to create a strategic direction for a group of individuals as well as motivate commitment and the desire to attain outcomes from the same group of individuals. The leader interprets the environment where the organisation operates for the organisation and its members. A leader also visualises the future and perceives what is coming ahead, anticipates opportunities and threats for the organisation and sets strategic action before they happen. In which case, leaders must have limitless vision (Abbas & Ashgar 2010). The leader creates winning strategies for the organisation. Since a leader is mainly concerned with getting results, his role is therefore to come up with the right strategies that can help attain the expected results. At this rate, the leader does not view strategies to be mere intentions. Rather, he describes the strategic objectives of the organization. The leader executes an organisation’s strategic objectives. He has to understand that strategies only have value when they are effectively executed. Again, executing any defined plan only has value when the strategy is valid. For instance, when it comes to performance management, the leader makes sure that the right individuals becomes recruited, given the right training, developed accordingly, and ultimately directed and motivated to attain the organisational vision, mission, and objectives in agreement with an organization’s values (Abbas & Ashgar 2010). A leader also monitors the organisational results before implementing strategic adjustments. He has to identify the likely imperfections of a set of plans and make sure that he monitors the outcomes methodically to ensure that the organisational strategy is in line with the organisational vision, mission, values, and objectives. A leader also builds an organization’s capabilities. The leader has to act for the short-ter, and the long-term organisational goals. In which case, a leader surveys the organisational environment, develops winning strategies, and finally executes them strategically, before monitoring them methodically. However, the leader has to also invest time, money, and effort in creating the core competencies of the organization and its members (Abbas & Ashgar 2010). (ii)Leadership attributes A leader should have social intelligence or social appraisal skills. Social intelligence consists of the capacity to understand personal and other individuals, thoughts, feelings and behaviours as well as motivations, and to ultimately act based on that understanding. A leader with social intelligence attributes has social acumen, social awareness, response enactment, and response selection capacities (Zaccaro et al 2003). The capacities describes how a leader’ is capable of gaining an insight into people’s thoughts, feelings, aspirations and behaviours within a social domain as well as the responses he selects that can suitably fit the dynamics and contingencies of that domain (Tsai 2011). A leader should also have problem-solving expertise and skills. Indeed, leadership represents a structure of social problem-solving. In which case, social problem-solving skills are vital leader attributes that can predict a leader’s performance. The vital skills in constructing problems and generating solutions can as well predict a leader’s career achievement (Zaccaro et al 2003). The leader should as well have requisite personality traits. Some studies concentrated on leadership and dimensions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and leadership and the Big Five model (Zaccaro et al 2003). Several other studies have also concentrated on attributes like, adaptability, locus of control, and optimism (Bachiochi et al 2000). Some studies on leadership personality have also categorised leadership traits into five key titles: openness to experience, agreeableness, extroversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability. A leader should have cognitive abilities like creativity in reasoning and in solving problems. Several common themes are apparent across these studies. Leaders also need to have vision, or the capacity to see into the future. A leader need to maintain a clear idea of what the organisation needs to achieve and where the organisation is going or seeks to attain. This attribute can transform a transactional leader into a transformational one (Bachiochi et al 2000). 2. Leadership behaviour as a role model impact organisational development and change organisational culture The leadership roles are crucial for the organisational development and management of change within an organization as they create the appropriate atmosphere needed in the organization to anticipate and implement change. The leader sets the appropriate organizational culture, which also plays a vital role in developing changes within an organization. At the same time, the leader brings about needed strategies for the development or management of culture. At this rate, the senior management may come up with the strategies needed for interconnecting individual who work in organizations alongside its processes (Bachiochi et al 2000). The set organizational culture may vary from its values and beliefs as well as lead organization from being a conservative one into an innovative one. At this juncture, the leader’s role may be consultative, supportive, and instructive. The leader may as well undertake the role of managing technologies. The two leadership dimensions needed for managing technology are transactional and transformational leadership. Here, the transactional leadership centres on ensuring technological changes as well as acquiring technical skills despite providing limited focus to people and problem-solving. Conversely, transformational leadership centres on the necessity to ensure technological change as well as to consider the human relation aspects (Tsai 2011). The leader also plays a significant role in planning and implementing his vision. His vision impacts organisational development and change organisational culture. Since organizational changes require that an organization undergoes transformation, it needs careful planning. Indeed, organizational change consists of a set of actions leading to a shift in the direction and processes affecting the manner in which an organization operates. Planning the changes requires that the leader puts up a deliberate strategy to realise the anticipated changes. As a consequence, the organisation would require systematic approach and strong commitment to ensure that planned changes rooted in the leader’s vision of and stated objectives are attained (Tsai 2011). 3. Tuckman's theory of group development Tuckman suggested a team development model, called a four-stage model. It starts with forming and progresses through storming, norming and lastly performing. Forming is the first stage. This stage is highly dependent on a leader’s for assistance and direction. At the same time, the team has limited agreement or congruence and seek personal aims other then group aims, or aims put forth by the leader. The roles and duties of the individual members also remain unclear. At this stage, the leader should be ready to answer many questions regarding the objectives, purpose, and external relationships of the team. The work processes also remain unclear, and when they exist is usually disregarded. The team members tend to test tolerance of the leader. Storming is the second stage. At this stage, decision-making within the group is still a problem and effective decisions do not come easily. The members of the team also strive to attain positions as they seek to associate with the leader and other members of the team. During this stage, the team members may have clarity of purpose although a lot of uncertainties may still exist. The group members may tend to form factions or cliques and factions, leading to politicking and power struggles. Still, the leader needs to ensure that the team stays focused on attaining its goals as this will avoid the looming distractions by the relationships issues. To ensure team progress, compromises may be needed. The norming is the third stage. At this stage, the team members begin to reach consensuses or to agree on some issues. The team members also respond suitably to leader’s facilitation. Each member and the leader’s roles and duties are also clearly and generally acknowledged across the team. Decision-making is largely made by group, while minor decision may be delegate to certain members of the team. Overall, the members are united and show commitment to the team. In some instances, the team may take part in social and fan activities. At other times, they get to discuss and create working style and working procedures. The leader is generally respected. Leadership may as well be shared by the team. The performing is the last stage in Tuckman’s team development model. The members of the team are strategically aware what needs to be done and how to do it. The members share the vision of the team and can stand on own feet with limited intervention of the leader. The team members are also focused on attaining goals, even as they make majority of the decisions based on the criteria settled on with the leader. In general, the team enjoys a high level of autonomy and does not need the leader’s assistance, instruction or direction, despite the fact they it may request for some assistance from the leader. While disagreements may happen time and again, they become resolved within the team positively. The team also makes the necessary changes to team functions, work structures and procedures. The team can work towards attaining the team goal, look after each other, and delegate tasks accordingly. Overall, my group is currently at the norming stage. This is since together with the members of the group, we often arrive at a consensus in decision-making. This also means that most of the decisions are made by the group. Indeed, there is minimal disagreement on issues of discussion, despite the fact that we still need a leader to provide use with a sense of direction. There is often positive response to the leader’s facilitation, even as we generally understand each of our roles in the group. Clearly, the characteristics show that my group is still at the norming stage. Management Assessment sheet Mgt style Description of style Theoretical style using Blake and Mouton’s grid Advantages Disadvantages Scenario example Justification Strategic Concerned with formulating and implementing important goals and initiatives that the company's top management undertakes in line with the company’s resources and internal and external environments. Country club leader An organisation is given a sense of direction as its objectives are specified Emphasis on the roles of top managers makes the subordinates to feel neglected A leader sets the strategic goals to ensure an organisation becomes competitive and improves employee’s competence The manager shows high interest in employee needs to ensure they are in line with organisational needs Functional The organization becomes segmented in areas of speciality within various functional areas such as marketing, supplies, finance, which are assigned to individuals based on their speciality. Team leader It increases organisational competence as people as managers are assigned duties based on their competence - Since each worker is assigned a single manager, it simplifies the chain of command It leads to the silo effect, where managers only concentrate on their specific areas of management A manager with competence in marketing leads the marketing department Employees work within teams to ensure all their needs and those or organisations are met Observed Managing employees by observing that that are present physically at the place of work during the work hours and that they do their work accordingly Impoverished Leader It curtails time wastage by employees at the workplace Leads to low employee dissatisfaction. Employees also confused regarding their work find little delight in reporting to work. A manager has no clear plan to ensure employee satisfaction and only observes them and directs them as they work The manager is less concerned about employees and production Using Blake and Mouton's Management Grid, I can identify my leadership style to be that of Country Club Leader. I tend to be highly concerned about how my group members feel. At times, I often cover for members who are late or absent. This sometimes leads to low work output. I also feel reluctant to overwork my group members. I have often assumed that happy members are productive members. However, I will need to assume the middle-of-the-road leadership to ensure I have a balanced concern for both production and the group members. Video documentary 1) Amazon's warehouse managers approach Amazon uses the transactional leadership approach, as the supervisors tend to ensure compliance of with rules and standards of perfection in the warehouse. They seem to only focus on maintaining a steady flow of operations. Attention is therefore given to work and productivity rather than building relationships. Indeed, the use or robots also indicates that Amazon is preoccupied with perfection and greater productivity, rather than employee satisfaction. The leadership ensures that focus is placed on increased efficiency of created routines and work processes and that the employees aim to comply with the existing rules instead of making changes to the structure of the warehouse. 2. Top down and bottom up management model Amazon uses a top-down approach, as the rules, standards, specific objectives and how the warehouse should operate is determined by the top management, before trickling down to the employees or rank and file workers who have to comply with the set standards and rules of the warehouse. Again, the top management appears to acquire minimal input as regards the goals from the rank and file workers. Indeed, the management seems to only focus on maintaining a steady flow of operations. They also concentrate on work and productivity rather than building relationships. 3. McGregor's Theory XY McGregor's Theory X applies to the case of Amazon Warehouse. The theory contends that workers should be persistently instructed, watched and provided with standards of operation, others employees will avoid work. This appears to be what takes place at Amazon, as the employee at the warehouse has to work under set standards and rules, although under minimal supervision. It appears therefore that without these rules and procedures, employees may avoid work. However, McGregor's Theory Y also applies. The theory contends that employees are self-disciplined and can work under minimum supervision, as the case at Amazon warehouse. 4. Managerial grid The above grid indicates a score of 3 in the people section and a score of 7 in the productivity section. The intersection line indicates that the leadership style is authoritarian. This indicates that Amazon Warehouse is mostly task-oriented, as there is low relationship and high task. As evident from the video, there is low emphasis on relationships and greater emphasis on achieving tasks. Amazon tends to concentrate on schedules and expect the employees to work like robots without questions. Reference List Abbas, W & Ashgar, I 2010, The Role Of Leadership In Organizational Change, viewed 30 Dec 2015, Bachiochi, P, Rogelberg, S, O'Connor, M & Elder, A 2000, "The Qualities of an Effective Team Leader," Organization Development Journal vol 1 no 1, pp.11-28 Tsai, Y 2011, "Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behavior and Job Satisfaction," BMC Health Serv Res. vol 11 no 98 Zaccaro, S, Kemp, C & Bader, P 2003, Leader Traits and Attributes, viewed 30 Dec 2015, Read More