Overview of Self-Leadership, Goal Setting and Mission Statement - Coursework Example

Self- Leadership The changing work environments requires that the workforce be an empowered team in terms of behavior and intellectual abilities since it will yield firm effectiveness. One way that organizations can transform to an empowered workforce is through self-leadership. Self-leadership is described as a process of influencing an individual to develop self-motivation and vital self-direction. Today, effective self- leadership practices by employees can result in a number of benefits, which include self-efficacy, mental performance, and job satisfaction. The concept of self- leadership involves guiding oneself using mental and behavior methods. Behavior self-leadership methods involve self-observation and goal setting, control of antecedents to behavior for instance cues, revision of consequents to behavior for instance self-reinforcement and self-punishment, and in task performed, finding natural rewards. Mental self-leadership methods involve evaluation and modification of self-dialogue, opinions and theories, mental metaphors, and an individual’s thinking pattern. It is worth to note that effective self-leadership involves coordinated efforts of an entire organization and its employees. As a result, effective self–leadership entails attaining a balance between emphasizing the cohesiveness organization and emphasizing the worth and character of every employee. With no doubts, in this 21st century self-led employees may offer the best blueprint for attaining employees and firm’s success (Manz & Neck, 2008). This paper provides an overview of self-leadership; an analysis of the practices that may impact self-leadership positively or negatively and why an organization may regard or disregard as well as examples of self-leadership effects for individuals and organization. An Overview of Self-leadership Self-leadership defines a process of self-influence by which employees attain the self-motivation and self-direction required to carry out their work and tasks (D’Intino, Goldsby, Houghton, & Neck, 2007). The theoretical concept of self-leadership is founded on social cognitive and learning theory. The theory of social learning describes the ways people can impact their self-motivation, behavior, and cognition. On the other hand, the theory of social learning explains that individuals and their environment relate repetitively, and the consequences of their behaviors serve as a genesis of motivation and information (Norris, 2008). Self-leadership describes the thinking pattern of self-leaders and how they act in regard to behavior motivational and cognitive. According to Ricketts, Carter, Place and McCoy (2012), self-leadership strategies can be categorized into three classes, which are natural reward, constructive thoughts and behavior-focused strategies. Natural reward strategies assist individuals in forming features that are enjoyable and entertaining into their work such that the work itself become rewarding naturally. Primarily, natural reward boosts the feeling of competence, inherent motivation, and self-determination. Constructive thought strategy helps in developing an optimistic pattern of thinking, and it replaces negative, spiteful self-talk with positive self-talk. Primarily, the strategy can alter the mode of thinking and influence outcome anticipation positively.Behavior- focused strategies are shaped to increase self-awareness that result in personal behavior management via techniques such as self-reward, self-cueing, self -goal setting self-punishment and self-observation. In essence, the application of self-leadership strategies enables control of perception and accountability, which influence performance outcome positively (Ricketts, Carter, Place & McCoy, 2012). A discussion and Analysis of the practices that may influence Self-leadership to flourish or Lose Favor Undoubtedly, not everyone is a self-leader. Individual are not always born with the attributes necessary to became self-leaders. Nevertheless, these qualities can be learned under the right condition and guidance. Leaders and organizations must offer their subordinates the chances to learn and practices those qualities that are necessary for self-leadership. The effectiveness of self-leadership relies on the management behavior. Typically, individuals are cognizant of their actions and are regularly able to control their behavior and action. To start with, a leader must be empowered in order to have the ability to empower their employees. A leader with low self-esteem cannot motivate other to achieve their goals. On the other hand, companies must encourage self –leadership as it allows the feeling of empowerment in every employee. Self- leadership contributes to the achievement of excellence. Nonetheless, this excellence requires encouragement and support as well as enabling an environment that that encourage self- excellence (Latouche, 2013). The practices that leaders should adopt to encourage self-leadership include: Goal Setting and Mission Statement Self-leadership begin with knowing what one needs. A self-mission statement assists in learning about oneself and knowing the actions or steps to be taken. Encouraging the employee to set specific and achievable career goal, long-term goal, and short- term goal will offer maximum impacts. An employee equipped with a mission statement and a set goal can enter the realms of self-fulfillment and self- management (Latouche, 2013). By doing so, they are encouraging their followers to challenge their status quo. When they invite them to challenge their status, they create a room for self-leadership to flourish. On the contrarily, if they emphasize on maintaining their status quo, they make the concept of self-leadership loose flavor hence hindering innovation and participation (Neck, 2006). Managed Environments The environment that surrounds employees influences their actions. Being aware of their environment and making use of daily cues can help them manage their behaviors. Since they can identify the things that spur or irritate them, an organization can keep the things they desire and eliminate the undesired ones (Latouche, 2013). As a result, employee are allowed to use and share information with the organization that eventually will ensure continuous learning process. This will help in nurturing self-leaders. Self-punishment and Self-reward Typically, employees are well aware of their failures, success, and when their behaviors are desirable and undesirable. A feedback system offers a better way of behavior tracking. In addition, it is vital to support good behavior with reward and punish bad ones. In self-leadership environment, employees can administer both punishment and rewards. Self-reward is a motivational tool that is used to promote desired action. Moreover, it assists in encouraging and maintaining effort and self-improvement. Self-punishment is an integral part of the process and is in the form of cognitive and mental nature. Nevertheless, punishment must be employed in a systematic manner as it can cause depression or demoralize self-improvement and motivation. A feedback system can offer a directive on the occurrence and outcome of the action (Latouche, 2013). Employee’s Independence Leaders or managers have a responsibility to offer their employees with the ability to change from management dependence to independence. The significant of self-leadership is to assist employees be more accountable for their behavior and themselves. The leader's responsibility is to apply guidance and support to enable smooth flow of the self-management processes. One primary goal of self-leadership is to attain excellent outcomes whereas employees gain work satisfaction. Nonetheless, individual differences make some employee to adopt self-leadership fast than others; therefore, it is the role of the leaders to categorize them. Those who can manage themselves are given the opportunity to do so while others are guided and coached on mechanisms of self-management. As a result, leaders and managers should retain different styles and employ them according to the maturity of employees being supervised. In today`s changing environment, one of the desired qualities of a leader is being able to coach. Coaching is recognizing when to control or leave others to control. Successful outcomes rely on excellence, which is achieved through self-development. Allowing employees take the risk of leadership facilitates the growth of self-leadership since no one can develop without making mistakes. Ensuring that mistakes are corrected, and they provide a room for improvement, will enable employee strive for accountability and independence (Latouche, 2013). Designing Tasks Self-leadership entails a sense of satisfaction and a meaning to an individual’s job. Giving employees the ability to redesign their job to attain self-improvement will nurture self-leadership since they will take more responsibility in incremental stages. However, they should be advised that they should redesign in small phases as trying one large phase may cause confusion chaos and as well make self-leadership lose favor. If employees are given a chance to make their job more pleasing, they automatically become responsible while pursuing job satisfaction (Latouche, 2013). Reasons why an organization may encourage of Discourage Self-Leadership Culture Organizational culture can influence self-leadership positively or negatively since it is a powerful tool that directs the affair of employees. Even though self-leadership demands management to loosen controls, it is important that the management play a role in its adoption. Therefore, culture becomes an important tool that guides expected behavior in order to attain successful implementation of the concept. Appropriate culture ensures development of self-leadership. For instance, the Four Seasons Hotels and Resort have empowered employees to make a decision that satisfy customers there and then. In an effective self-leadership environment, culture is involved in several ways. The hotel offers employees an atmosphere that facilitates their motivation without many rigid controls. Although many believe that by enabling the concept of self-leadership the need for managers will be no more, it is not so because there will be a need for management of relationships and tasks. Therefore, the need for managers will be there but as a facilitator not a controller (Latouche, 2013). On the other hand, the lack of communication or clear guidance and support influence self-leadership negatively since the art require collaboration. Moreover, self-leadership requires letting go of some powers and allows participation in an open environment, which promote the exchange of ideas. Due to the high competition in the global market, there is an increased need for organizations to remain at the competitive edge. Organization competitiveness relies on its capacity to implement new changes, product development, and innovativeness. Substantial evidence shows that employees’ innovations play a major role in effectiveness and survival of the firm. Consequently, the organization needs to develop a culture that will foster employee creative thinking and generation of ideas (Politis, 2005). According to Latouche (2013), self-leadership is the culture that yields achievement of excellence and higher performances. Politis (2005) adds by stating that employees are more creative when they are given a high level of autonomy. Therefore, self-leadership is essential in influencing employee's creative behavior because it emphasizes on particular systems that support them in developing greater autonomy, self-motivation, and shared commitment. Therefore, organization can focus on self-management leadership as a determinant of creating a culture of innovation. On the other hand, an organization can discourage such concept on the ground that creativity is not learned but is an inborn mystical power possessed by a few. However, this argument is outdated because even if an individual is creative and the environment is poor, he or he cannot deliver (Klem, 2014). Additionally, an organization may discourage self-management on the ground that it enhances unethical business practices. For instance, the fall of Enron, the biggest certified accounting organization in 2002. Even though a large number of businesses in the U.S have fallen due to poor business models and misjudging the market, Enron fell due to ethical failure. Self-management leadership allows some norms to be acceptable in an organization. In the case of Enron, some employees tried to expose the wrong doings but because they are empowered, they took that opportunity to employ unethical practices that led to the firm’s downfall (Thomas, Schermerhorn, & Dienhart, 2004). Self-leadership outcomes for Organizations and Individuals As highlighted all through the discussion, there are several predictable outcomes that an organization or individual may gain from the self-leadership concept. They include independence, innovation, commitment, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, trust and potency, positive affects, and psychological empowerment (Neck, 2006). For example, research conducted on the employees of the America West Airlines reveals that there is a connection between employees enthusiasm and job satisfaction with intervention training on self-leadership. In addition, even in individual life, self-discipline, self-improvement, self-analysis, and goal setting are significant in achieving success and happiness. Finally, optimism, positive affects and attitudes are integral part of self-leadership is a helpful approach to leadership. Conclusion It clear that the effective self-leadership concept is a major element since it offers the best blueprint for attaining employees’ success, and organization continue to remain at the competitive edge. Self-leadership refers to a process of influencing employees to develop self-motivation and self-direction required to achieve in their tasks. Theoretically, the concept of self-leadership is founded on social cognitive theory and social learning theory. The theory of social learning shows how people can impact their self-motivation, behavior, and cognition. While the theory of social learning defines how employees relate to the organization and how the impacts of their actions serve as an origin of information and inspiration. Self-leadership strategies are categorized as natural reward, constructive thoughts, and behavior-focused strategies. Leaders and organizations must provide employees with the chances to learn and practices those qualities that are necessary for self-leadership through practices such as 1) Encouraging them to challenge their status quo and set their goal. 2) Offering continuous learning process by managing the environment and encouraging sharing of information. 3) Encouraging them to take a risk and giving them room for improvement and finally through rewards and punishment. Organizations may encourage self-leadership because it forms the genesis of innovative thinking. Nevertheless, it can be discouraged on the ground that it can be the source unethical conducts. Finally, it is evident that self-leadership has a number of expected outcomes both to an individual and to an organization which includes, job satisfaction, firms improvements due to innovations and self-efficacy. References . Carter, H. S., Ricketts, K. G., & Place, N. T. (2012). A look inside: Self-Leadership perceptions of extension educators. Journal of extension, 20(5), 1. Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2012october/a3.php DIntino, R. S., Goldsby, M. G., Houghton, J. D., & Neck, C. P. (2007). Self-Leadership: A Process for Entrepreneurial Success. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 13(4), 1-17. doi:10.1177/10717919070130040101 Klem. (2014). Leadership: Creativity and innovation, from AU-24. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/au24-401.htm Latouche, M. (2000). Leader shift: Collaboration in the 21st Century. Calgary: MLG Associates. Neck, C. (2006). Self-leadership. Bradford: Emerald Group Pub. Neck, C., & Manz, C. (2008). Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence. Princeton: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Norris, S. E. (2008). An examination of self-leadership. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 1(2), 43-61. Politis, J. D. (2005). The impact of self-management leadership on organisational creativity. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.warwick.ac.uk%2Ffac%2Fsoc%2Fwbs%2Fconf%2Folkc%2Farchive%2Foklc5%2Fpapers%2Fh-1_politis.pdf&ei=eNU4Vb72MdLSoASKwYBg&usg=AFQjCNHfIsx2CAgixNnr_OAY9D3xRyg-BQ&sig2=Gq3cGZxfwLWLzobOJQq5Pg&bvm=bv.91427555,d.d2s Thomas, T., Schermerhorn, J. R., & Dienhart, J. W. (2004). Strategic leadership of ethical behavior in business.Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), 58-62 Read More