Healthy Church and the Goal of Discipleship - Assignment Example

Healthy Church and the Goal of Discipleship Introduction In every day-to-day running of the organization, trust and ethics are of great importance. They have a close association and are closely intertwined, in which it is almost impossible for one to exist without the other. An ethical leader is considered as one that adheres to the set of principles that the trustees and stakeholders find acceptable. In addition, such leaders resonate well with the definition of integrity in the sense of acting in accordance with generally accepted moral values and norms. Fisher and Francis posit that trust is often regarded as an outcome of integrity or exhibition of the ethical behavior.1 A leader who makes ethical decisions is one that demonstrates normatively appropriate conduct through his actions and interpersonal relations with other members of the organization. They make decisions that aim to cater for the greater good of all organizational members. They conduct the decision-making process through two-way communication and reinforcement. Effective leaders normally conduct the decision making process through social interactions with their followers. According to Fisher and Francis, an ethical leader bears the characteristics of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. This also extends to the moral nature of a leader’s conduct.2 An ethical leader has a relatively larger potential to exert a positive influence on the moral behavior of followers. In fact, unethical leaders may have a counterproductive effect on the organization as a whole. This may be due to the fact such leadership entails establishing a good relationship between the organization and its followers. By so doing, they get to foster the moral attitudes of their followers by setting of clear moral standards, as well as expectations. For clients, trust encourages brand loyalty to an organization. Moreover, they are also capable of establishing the appropriate ground rules for the subordinates. Johnson asserts that the notion of moral managers is set up on role modelling through taking visible actions and the use of discipline and rewards to strengthen values and ethics in the operation of the organization.3 On the other hand, trust is deemed as an important component of successful working relationships between the organization team members. It breeds cooperation, in addition to helping the management to manage the differences that exist among employees. A leader that successfully manages to inculcate trust is at a good position for encouraging sharing of vital information pertaining to the organization. Furthermore, trust is a crucial component of establishing mutual acceptance by increasing openness among the workers and the management. Trust is achieved and encouraged through competence of the leader in the quest to accomplish what is expected of him by the organization as a whole. Similarly, trust is achieved through benevolence, which pertains to the degree to which the leader is able is perceived too well to his followers aside from the organization motive of making a profit in their operation. According to Johnson, trust in leadership entails having positive expectations that the followers will perform their mandated actions and delegated duties to the satisfaction of the organization, which is coupled with a willingness to accept certain vulnerabilities that may arise from the actions of the followers.4 Making ethical, critical decisions is important for leaders within an organization. They are key in buildi9ng the level of trust critical for project leaders with limited means to motivate the followers towards achieving project success. This implies that there is a strong link between strong connection between ethical decision-making and the success in a leadership project. Question 2 Demonstrating effective communication in organization leadership is critical in the daily running of the organization. According to Conway, the primary responsibility of communication in an organization usually lies in the hands of the leaders.5 The leaders are responsible for showing the appropriate cues to their followers on to make interpersonal communication among themselves and those in the leadership position. In this regard, the communication behavior of leaders has a significant influence on the performance and morale of the employees. Exercising open communication is a form of communicating the willingness to establish a working environment that displays the sense of worth and respect for the subordinates. The open communication is also deemed as a means for improving communication and understanding that encourages the expression of disagreements or contrary opinions in an organization.6 Subsequently, the perception of similarity that exists between organizational and personal goals that serves to promote increased productivity. In addition, the increased productivity is also critical in promoting intrinsic motivation, as well as a greater sense of responsibility. An effective leader also encourages two-way communication channel. A two-way communication channel entails giving feedback, as well as encouraging the subordinates to give their own feedback regarding the day-to-day running of the organization. Such a communication exchange system is providing an avenue for positive reinforcement. As a leader, making oneself understood as intended is a critical component of the communication process. Miner, Dawson, and Sterland offer that managers should not presume that all communication exchanges are meaningful; instead, they ought to understand that communication is only completed when the information and understanding have passed between the sender and the receiver of the information.7 Feedback entails any information that one individual receives concerning their behavior or particular action. The information may also pertain to the productivity or the performance of the various employee groups within an organization. For managers, feedback is critical for determining the staff acceptance and appreciation of his newly proposed policies. From the feedbacks, both positive and negative, the organization can make the necessary adjustments In relation to the transmitted in the information. As such, a lack of feedback perhaps as a result of ignoring the information may result in the spontaneous occurrence of feedback that tends to take a negative form. Miner, Dawson, and Sterland also posits incorporating feedback in any communication process may take a number of ways.8 These may include descriptive, evaluative and prescriptive feedback. Descriptive feedback in communication provides a description of the employees’ actions or behaviors in relation to productivity. This form of feedback provides are usually done at a meeting and may provide a framework for employees to improve their performance. On the other hand, evaluative feedback provides an assessment of the workers actions. This feedback mainly examines the workers interactions and their productivity. Similarly, leaders can apply prescriptive feedback to advice the workers on how they should conduct themselves or carry out their duties with the aim of improving productivity, as well as improving their well-being at the organization. Miner, Dawson, and Sterland also suggests that feedback can also focus on a group working with specific tasks. This gives rise to four main levels of feedback.9 When dealing with groups, leaders can assess the groups by providing a procedural or task feedback mainly concerned with giving feedback on the effectiveness and appropriateness of the group. The information serves as a motivation that sensitizes the employees on how to improve their output Question 3 According to Robert, power and leadership are closely interconnected.10 An individual may exert power without necessarily being a leader, but one cannot be a leader without exerting power. As such, power implies having the potential to influence people. In organizations, exerting power is vital for leaders who want to achieve individual, team and organizational goals. Good leaders should have the ability to exert power to achieve individual and organizational goals, and subsequently influence their followers to achieve greater performance goals. Effective leadership begins with an understanding of power and often depends on responsible use of power and influence with followers and other stakeholders within an organization. Power entails having the ability to get an individual to do something that one wants or making things happen as desired. Leaders obtain power through five major sources such legitimate power, reward power coercive power, referent power and expert power. Organizational leaders can use these power sources to influence their followers by appealing to their various needs. Effective leadership, therefore, depends on the acceptance of influence by the followers just as on the leaders providing the leadership and exerting the power. Reward power is of particular importance to leaders in an organizational setting, especially since gives the leaders control to the allocation of merit pay rises within a department or the whole organization. Such leaders are at a good position of directing their followers towards improving productivity for the best interest of both the workers and the organization as a whole. Exercising coercive power is also important for leaders. Leaders with coercive power are capable of putting in place the appropriate mechanisms for averting unproductive behavior within the firm. Such leaders are aware of the appropriate means of to punish undesirable work assignments by making closer supervision, or enforcing tighter work rules or suspension. Leaders possessing this power do not necessarily encourage desirable behavior, but they may reduce or even stop the undesirable behaviors or unproductive practices.11 Coercive power may also be important for managers in demotion and dismissal of subordinates for poor performance and unacceptable behavior such as workplace violence or gender-based violence. Organizational leaders can also exert power by developing respectable, likable and admirable traits. Such leaders are deemed to have referent power, which is commonly associated with individuals possessing charisma or good reputation. Referent power is important in mobilizing for a certain good course of the workers and or the organization. Reward power among leaders in an organization is also an important source of power. Leaders, particularly mid-level managers exerting this power are capable of giving merit pay raise or more desirable work schedule. Praise from highly respected senior colleagues are a valuable reward for workers and are capable of highly motivating employees. Good organizational leaders also possess and subsequently exert expert power. Such leaders have well known to be experts within the technical areas of the organization. Leaders exerting expert power become effective in getting things done in the right manner. Such leaders are powerful other people will seek their advice and assistance pertaining to certain organizational tasks. References Conway, M.. After McDonaldization – Mission, Ministry, and Christian Discipleship in an Age of Uncertainty. Mission Studies, 26, (2009): 286–287. Fisher J.W.a Francis, L.J. Assessing spiritual health via four domains of spiritual wellbeing: The SH4DI. Pastoral Psychology, 49, (2000): 133–145. Johnson, S. `How is the Body of Christ a Meaningful Symbol for the Contemporary Christian Community?’. Feminist Theology, 17, (2009): 210–228. McFarland, I., The Body of Christ: Rethinking a Classic Ecclesiological Model. International Journal of Systematic Theology, 7, (2005): 225–245. Miner, M.H., Dowson, M. & Sterland, S. Ministry orientation and ministry outcomes: Evaluation of a new multidimensional model of clergy burnout and job satisfaction. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83, (2010): 167–188. ROBERT, P. The Cost of Discipleship. Questions Liturgiques/Studies in Liturgy, 86, (2005): 150–169.  Read More