Change of Leadership in the Globalized Environment - Example

CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE GLOBALIZED ENVIRONMENT by Student’s Name Code + Name of Course Institution City/State Professor Date Change of Leadership in the Globalized Environment Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence people into achieving goals, which contribute to an important purpose (Hunt 2004, p.1). Recently, it is a requirement that effective leadership has to be brought up and sustained in the dynamic globalized world. The expected model for effective leadership should consider all the technological, social, environmental, and economic dimensions, which affect businesses (Hunt 2004, p.1). This approach entails values, visions, strategy, inspiration, motivation and empowerment. For proper and successful change of leadership in the modern world, there is need of proper plans, organization, direction and control in the leadership. Different models can be applied in the globalized leadership in the world (Hunt 2004, p.4). Leadership needs strategy, vision, and support to inspire other people. Currently, leadership has taken a rational and technical approach in ways that offer economic advantage to organizations. The traits required of leaders are Intelligence, integrity and honesty, ambition drive, self-confidence, and the desire to lead. To exercise leadership effectively in any organization, the culture of an organization should improve the performance of the organization (Kirkpatick & Edwin 1991, p.48). Today’s leaders currently face two major significant challenges. One is globalization. The globalization phenomenon has led to increase in information and knowledge in as far as business is concerned (Kouzes & Barry 2006, p.13). Globalisation started immediately races and individuals began moving over the landmasses. Worldwide trade grew from early expeditions, which linked participating nations. The process has been heightened because of unprecedented growth in technology, infrastructure and transportation followed by the invention of electronic media, optic fibre technology, and other affordable communications networks (Kouzes & Barry 2006, p.13). To make successful changes in any organization, there has to be effective leadership, followed by corporate values and communication. The globalization process has facilitated communication by leaders in organizations. Change is about leadership and management because it entails leaders leading in an organization or country from its current situation to a new desired state (Prahalad 1990, p.27). This also entails dealing with all the challenges that come up in the course of the journey. Current leadership entails using an individual’s power to gain the minds and hearts of people into working together towards attaining a certain goal (Prahalad 1990, p.28). Leaders have initiated many changes in different ways. In the modern times, leadership is vision driven, and it designs strategies that ensure transformation of plans into reality. In moving towards the desired goals, leaders should ensure that everyone within an organization takes part in directing their energies towards common goals (Kouzes & Barry 2006, p.18). Because of globalization, a number of challenges have been experienced by leaders in keeping up with the demands for increased communication, faster transportation, access to infrastructure, and working across different time zones. The major challenge faced by leaders in the current times is ensuring that people within an organization adapt to globalization changes and the leaders being able to envisage the situation of an organization within the market as well as where the organization is expected to be in the future (Shocker, Rajendra & Robert 1994, p.149). Most organizations need to adapt to rapid changes in response to threats and opportunities from outside. In aligning the workers, a leader should ensure that the workers display a common orientation, shared priorities, shared understanding and common values. In the changing skills of leadership, leaders usually find themselves in a situation whereby they need to direct leadership basing on adaptability of their organizations. This means that as the leadership carries on, there ought to be sensitivity to the environment, willingness to experiment, learning from the future, and tolerating differing views (Shocker, Rajendra & Robert 1994, p.150). In the modern times, in as far as leadership is concerned, leaders will have to adapt to the individual needs of their followers instead of expecting the individual to be adaptable to the organization’s needs. This is partly due to the technological drive in effecting changes in the way that economies and trade are manifested. Currently, leadership has been advanced by rising of flexible forms of organizations that can participate in trading activities around the clock (Barker & Coy 2005, p.11). There has been increased need for giving significance to knowledge. Through this, leaders have been able to create sustainable and successful work places that are profitable within the global arena. The highly globalized environment requires that the leaders practice Corporate Social Responsibility and they should yearn to create a balanced life, which unites the mind, heart, spirit, and body (Barker & Coy 2005, p.19). Through the IT power, leaders are able to process information and communicate in seconds. They are also capable of working seeking the purpose and meaning of their work. On finding these two, they usually integrate into the mission of the company, and therefore, commit to fulfill it. Thus, current leadership does not only aim at making money alone, but also making meaning. The global environment requires that leader develop behavioral skills in using and reacting to emotions. The leaders should use communication through listening, speaking, through writing, and physical communication. However, globalization has changed the communication processes for leaders intending to disseminate information instantly to their workers using the possible means available. For example, use of Skype can facilitate physical communication between workers and their seniors (Held 2007, p.21). Leaders progressively establish human societies by fostering closer contacts. Through e-mail, cheap telephone services, computers, instant capital flows, leaders have been able to be interdependent than it has ever been. Many business leaders can reach out to different consumers in different parts of the world (Held 2007, p.27). Integrity in leadership is greatly emphasized due to the global transactions, which happen online in trading goods and exchanging money. Technology, raw materials, and money are exchanged more rapidly than it used to be before. This usually happens across borders. Economies, laws, and social movements formed at the international level increasingly affect leaders. Different leaders, such as politicians and journalists consider these developments as inevitable (Hunt 2004, p.42). For many of them, globalization drives businesses by doing away with the threatening cultures, livelihoods, and old manners of life. Leaders need to embrace the movement of global social justice as a globalization product that proposes alternative paths that are responsive to the needs of the public. Globalization has also led to intense political disputes in seeking future directions. Leaders of transnational companies are determined to think globally, and act locally. The financial capital flow is determined from outside the nation’s framework. This develops leadership challenge for the government in the countries where the operations of such organizations occur. The country’s policies usually bring about different demands for the investors (Shocker, Rajendra & Robert 1994, p.150). Owing to globalization, leaders need to ask themselves questions about the changes happening as well as the trends that impact on workplaces and societies. These trends entail the technological, social/demographic, political, economic, and the physical environment. Globalization has affected the above factors and these have a direct bearing on leadership. With increased information and knowledge, leaders are now able to survive through the application of strategies that ensure the circulation, sharing and application of wisdom. Leadership is currently exercised from an information point, and this ensures greater clarity, excellent processes, planning capacity, and market responsive capacity (Prahalad 1990, p.29). The trends in leadership are changing to build up individual’s capabilities within the organizations. Thus, leadership has changed to ensure proper management and leadership with wisdom making them influence different platforms around the globalized world (Kouzes & Barry 2006, p.18). There have been differing leadership perspectives, which are based on the worldviews of the leaders. Due to globalization, there has risen the need to emphasize communication in making collaborations that ensure information and knowledge are well disseminated. An Admirable Leader Ban Ki Moon the present UN’s secretary-general entered diplomatic service in New Delhi, India before serving at his current capacity at the UN. His leadership trait was a reputation established on competence and modesty (Alridge 2009, p.6). He was a strategic leader who initiated various ways of dealing with different crises at the time of his entry. He pursues his ventures in using a non-confrontational approach in dealing with issues of international importance (Alridge 2009, p.6). Moon is viewed differently from Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general who was considered charismatic. Moon displayed great integrity in leadership starting from his campaign to become the secretary general of the UN. He is a leader who makes things to happen. The communication style of Ban Ki Moon considers that the organization he leads consists of individual’s from around the world coming from different backgrounds (UN News Centre 2013, n.pag). The communication style employed by the leader respects the traditions, culture, and style of leadership of every leader. Different situations demand different styles of leadership as well as the charisma. The U.N. leader always communicates using strong private and public messages to countries directly in matters that concern global issues. The communication style used by Mr Ban Ki is assertive in the sense that his communication is of high esteem considering his position as the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN News Centre 2013, n.pag) This style of communication is very effective because he addresses important global issues affecting different individuals and countries without being too passive or very aggressive. By being assertive, Moon communicates without resorting to manipulation, and under the limits of the authority bestowed upon him (Alridge 2009, p.12). Therefore, this means that he cannot be pushed beyond his limits apart from a situation where he had to marshal troops to forcefully remove Laurent Gbagbo, a former Ivorian Coast president who had refused to cede power (Alridge 2009, p.22). Ban Ki has particularly been assertive in communicating issues like global climate and violence against women. The role of the Secretary General comes with little authority but high visibility. The Secretary General is not able to order interventions, or force national governments to undertake policies. Furthermore, the secretary general cannot impose or threaten sanctions in case his recommendations are not heeded (UN News Centre 2013, n.pag) Moon is a strategic leader. He had a vision, which enables him to access, and comprehend a rapidly dynamic, and changing global environment. This allows him to consider his strategic journey. He conducts his operations within the whole context (UN News Centre 2013, n.pag) This means that he carries on with his businesses as well as the impacts of his undertakings globally. His leadership provides inspiration and direction which helps in developing and sustaining the whole globe. This includes countries, operations, and projects within globalized environments. He is an outstanding strategic leader who always looks for means, and ways of creating jobs and growth within the United Nations and hence making a positive impact (The United Nations 2012, n.pag). Ban Ki acts and thinks assertively. The United Secretary job is very demanding and it requires cognitive activity of the highest level in order to make relevant changes in positive ways around the globe. Furthermore, Moon is a transformational leader. Through his work, he has been able to make transformations in the UN organization as a whole and its team through a series of procedures and processes by changing the status quo (Alridge 2009, p.24).As a transformational leader, he has a firm grasp of new methods, and practices in the organization. However, he has been criticized by a few critics that he lacks charisma, which is expected of his position. Thus, he has defended his position by posting that he has his own unique leadership style and a vision for the future, which is refined and consistent with current values and trends (The United Nations 2012, n.pag). His superlative communication skills have enabled to have the capacity, of reframing the future. This is because his global leadership skills aims should consider impacts upon performance and culture. Mr Moon has particularly been able to plan change, efforts which diagnose the challenges that are of international importance by addressing focus on action. This means that Moon develops strategies specifies the steps of action. The secretary-general has for a long time preferred quiet diplomacy of naming and shaming (Alridge 2009, Pg. 29). However, over the recent few years, Moon has grown into his roles as the United Nations Secretary General. This position requires that he absorbs and have solid facts including sensible information, which influence the organization he heads. Through his analysis of what is to be done and by who makes him bring on board national leaders and then leading them into achieving global goals for example the millennium development goals. Being a transformational leader, he can listen across different communications channels, comprehend issues as well as differences of opinion in different countries. By anticipating the future consequences of human actions on the continent, the secretary general is proactive through dictating where the organization requires to be heading as opposed to just responding to issues only. On the issues which Moon has chosen to individually champion, maternal health and climate change are a few of the most urgent problems that face the international community (UN News Centre 2013, n.pag). In conclusion, leadership has been transformed making it assume a rational and technical approach in ways that offer economic advantage to organizations. These changes have largely been attributed to globalization that has increased information and knowledge in carrying out business ventures. Through globalization, there is fast and ease of movement over landmasses and thus managing processes by leaders has been made more convenient. Worldwide trade grew from early expeditions, which linked participating nations. Globalization has led to unprecedented growth in technology, infrastructure, and transportation followed by the invention of electronic media, optic fibre technology, and other communications networks. However, there are also several challenges brought about by globalization. This includes leaders finding it hard to keep up with the demands for increased communication, faster transportation, and access to infrastructure, and working across different time zones. Ban Ki Moon is an admirable leader who also happens to be the present UN secretary-general. He is a leader of high esteem and great integrity. The communication style used by Mr Ban Ki is assertive in the sense that, he can point at issues of global importance, but cannot order interventions or force national governments to undertake policies. The United Secretary job is very demanding and requires cognitive activity of the highest level in making relevant changes in positive ways around the globe. Moon has changed different aspects of the UN organization by considering future impacts over the world because he is a transformational leader. He is very diplomatic in this approach of issues. He can bring on board different leaders from different countries to deliberate on the current state of affairs affecting them. Reference List Aldridge, R 2009. Ban Ki-Moon. Infobase Publishing. Barker, C & Coy, R 2005. Understanding Influence for Leaders at all Levels. McGraw Hill: North Ryde, NSW. Held, D 2007. Globalization/anti-globalization: Beyond the great divide. Polity. USA. Hunt, J 2004. What is leadership? Sage Publications, Inc. Kirkpatick, SA & Edwin, F 1991. ‘Leadership: do traits matter?’ The Executive Vol. 5, no. 2, 48-60. Kouzes, JM & Barry, ZP 2006. The leadership challenge. Vol. 3. Wiley. Com. Prahalad, CK 1990. ‘Globalization: The intellectual and managerial challenges.’ Human Resource Management 29, no. 1, 27-37. Shocker, AD, Rajendra, KS & Robert, WR 1994. ‘Challenges and opportunities facing brand management: an introduction to the special issue.’ Journal of Marketing Research vol. 31, no. 2, 149-158. The United Nations (2012). The Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Available at: [Accessed 27 Sept. 2013]. UN News Centre (2013). Ban Ki-Moon Speeches. Available at: [Accessed 27 Sept. 2013]. Read More