Leadership & Vision - Essay Example

Leadership & Vision An organization can accomplish something only if the employees working in it have the real sense of ownership and everyone in the organization shares the common vision. That is they are so involved with the business and activities of the organization that they own its problems and issues. Leaders in the organizations help the vision penetrate at all levels."Practically speaking, a vision, in organizational settings, is a concrete idea that describes what needs to be achieved by the organization's members and how this should be done (Creemers, 1997).

Therefore, a vision that mainly reflects "vague dreams" or "thing(s) of imagination" may be detached from reality" (Bogler & Nir, 2001)."Leadership is reciprocal, occurring among people. Leadership is a people activity, distinct from administrative paper shuffling or problem solving activities. Leadership is dynamic and involves the use of power" (Daft, 1997)."Where there is no vision, people perish - PROVERBS 29:18" (David, 1991).In order to involve and motivate the employees and to instill a sense of ownership among employees, organizations carry out many activities.

Sharing the vision and goals of the company is one of the most practical and fruitful ways of instilling the sense of ownership among employees. This philosophy supported by a visionary leadership builds trust and trust further creates a sense of ownership. In the environment of trust and ownership, overall goals and objectives of the company are understood by the employees in a better way resulting in better performance not just by the employees individually but also collectively by the company or organization.

Employees must be empowered to take action based on the basis of their understanding of different situations and scenarios within the organization. This empowerment will develop their problem solving skill and they will become a part of the big picture. This empowerment would not be possible without sound leadership. Leadership is concentrated in individuals but empowerment & vision allow & encourage leadership role in every member of the organization.ReferencesDaft, R. (1997). Management, USA: The Dryden Press.

David, Fred R. (1991), Strategic Management. 3rd Ed. USA: McMillan.Bogler, Ronit & Nir, Adam E. (2001). Organizational Vision: The Other Side of the Coin. Journal of Leadership Studies. 8, 135+. Ethics & IdentityMoral issues face us each day & confront us in everyday life. Also, humans interact with each other and with different objects on the basis of their own judgments and personality. Some people consider an issue moral while some others would consider it immoral. Ethical issues and our personalities or peculiar identities are interrelated when it comes our every day dealings.

According to Elders: "Plato wants us to acquire a vision rather than propositional Knowledge. The idea of the good should not be accorded a special position" (Elders, 2005)."Rather than finding inconsistency and incoherence in personality a cause for alarm - possibly a reason to seek therapy - I championed its positive possibilities. Rather than admonishing people to seek a firm and fixed identity, I saw such identities as limiting and in many ways incapacitating. It seemed to me that people who demonstrated a protean elasticity were healthier and more fulfilled" (Gergen, 1992).

Many philosophers like Aristotle, Pluto, and Socrates have given their ideas on ethics and morality. Plato for example considered moral aspects of human nature very important. Our own personalities also affect the way we identify good or bad & right or wrong. There are diverse personality traits associated with each one of us. Some people are glib while some are calm. Some people may be very organized while others could be carefree. It is these different personality traits that land us in different situations and we make different decisions.

In order to judge our personality we can analyze our personal strengths and weaknesses. "If business is not based on ethical grounds, it is of no benefit to society, and will like all other unethical combinations, pass into oblivion - C Max Killan" (David, 1991).Ethics is a key concern in our lives whether it is business or our personal lives. Our personality is influenced by our upbringing, education and various other factors. We must strive to find our true selves so that we can make decisions in the light of ethics and morality.

"Ethics is the same in every sphere of life: business, politics, religion, community, family. It's what separates us from other species. Good ethics are easy when times are good and fortune smiles. Character is tested when times are tougher, pressures mount, uncertainty prevails, and in an age when people are increasingly disconnected. Caring about others is what motivates good ethics -- and caring is a responsibility of everyone" (Hunkin, 2002).ReferencesGergen, K. (1992). The Decline and Fall of Personality.

Psychology Today. 25(6): 58+.Hunkin, J. (2002). Ethics in Business and Everyday Life. Canadian Speeches. 16(4): 64+. Elders , L. (2005). Reale, Giovanni and Samuel Scolnicov, Editors. New Images of Plato: Dialogues on the Idea of the Good. The Review of Metaphysics. 58 (4) : 909+. David, Fred R. (1991), Strategic Management. 3rd Ed. USA: McMillan.