Importance of Leadership Skills - Coursework Example

Leadership Styles Name Course Tutor Date Executive Summary Over the years the developments of leadership qualities and styles and the development of leadership styles have helped in equipping managers with good managerial skills. Many scholars have based their research on leadership qualities and how leadership affects performance of an organization. The essay herein discusses how leadership skills effectively played and executed, can be of great benefit to any organization. It postulates that the underlying fundamentals to the overall success of any institution is based on a firmly founded attempt to incorporate modern times approach to leadership rather the incompetent, anciently known conventional methods that were broadly characterized by monopolistic forms. It stems from the fact that the success of any institution is approached on a multi-sectorial paradigm. This is to mean that the efficiency of any organization depends on individual departmental efforts integrated together to display a common purpose. Introduction Leadership can be defined as the ability to lead, direct, guide, give direction and all that appertains to being in a position to influence. It is an attribute that displays such qualities as outlined above. To understand this ability, there are several paradigms upon which the essay must be based; but in specifications to case studies of organizations, corporations and institutional correspondences. These include theorization of the concept of leadership. This is quite fundamental because leadership in any concept cannot be understood unless there is a full incorporation of such ideas as behaviorist theoretical paradigms, theories of contingency, leadership based on transformation, just to mention but a few (Wang, Law, Hackett, Wang, & Chen, 2005). Leadership theories For the affectivity of an efficient system of management in their leadership, they should be able to establish the basic postulates upon which effective leadership is founded on. This can be conceptualized in view of the following. Theories of the trait: In this case the subject postulates that a leader is described based on the traits one processes. These traits are moreover a bank of attributes which are dispensed continually without ever being exhausted. They are described based on the attributes that can be accorded to man, some of which include charisma, zest, among others (Lussier & Achua, 2004). Moreover, Holland identifies six personalities’ types and proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover. The six traits include realistic, investigative, social, conventional, artistic and enterprising (Hood, 2003). Theories of Great Man: This asserts that leadership is attributed to an inborn character so that leaders are born. This innate quality makes the great man concept of leadership (Lussier, R. N. & Achua, 2004). Hofstede deals with organizational behavior in relation to the national culture (Hofstede, 2001). The above stated examples obey the dimension of individualism vs. collectivism according to Hofstede. Behaviorist Theory: In this case, a leader is judged based on their achievements as concerns the extrinsic attributes. It is viewed with regards to what the person is able and capable of doing. Many practicing management personnel can conceptualize this theory especially by checking into the differing types of behaviors; thereby being able to categorize them as styles for leadership (Lussier, R. N. & Achua, C. F., 2004). This type of leadership style captures the use of power in leadership. However, this power is not shared equally. For example, McDonald Company makes efficient use of masculine vs. feminist. The company employs 12% of teenagers in the US of which females form the highest percentage. Leadership based on the situation: This view of leadership suggests that it can be looked at as regards the situation at hand. It all depends on the circumstances that present themselves as of the immediate setting, place and time. This may be a factor that most managers have most often than not been gauged on, especially by observing the manner in which they handle circumstances that present themselves before them. For instance, how will they be able to control a given civil unrest among the employees within their organizations? (Lussier & Achua, 2004) Contingency Theory: In this leadership conception, the view is more or less the same as that of the leadership based on the situation. It however takes a more refined approach in that it finds out the specific circumstance that defines a given leadership quality in detail. Unlike the situational case, it goes ahead to critically make deductions that may yield a given circumstance of an occurrence. The manager can therefore be in a position to predict the most appropriate leadership methods that can befit the given situation (Krige & Sen, 2005). Transactional Conceptualization Theory: In this case, the manager can be able to understand leadership on the approach of a transaction that can be undertaken by any organ. For instance, it is exemplified as a form of trade, whereupon the leader in question is gauged in his value with reference to the reverence his followers accord him. It is about the observation resulting from a mutual benefit a leader is seen to trade in exchange from his equivalent worth among his subordinates (Lussier & Achua, 2004). Theory of transformational conception: In this case the point in consideration is change. Here, company leadership is subject to the various transformation modules it is able to attain. In general, it is an attempt to show the relevance of an organizational achieved set goal in defining a significant leadership skills inhibited to the same. The questions that may arise include’ are the company’s management heeding to self-appraisal amongst their employees such as capacity building? And if it so does then it is respecting the criteria that is recommended, thus a good leadership management team for the company (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2003). Development of Leadership and Management in an Organization When the above theoretical paradigms are properly understood and effectively beheld by the management team then a multi approach dimension to leadership will be achieved. This approach will carry an integrated set of postulates that will be able to define an organization’s leadership competences. In as much as the organization shall have understood the fundamentals upon which the leadership modules are founded on, it would be most critical to be able to understand various models that can be employed to get the best out of any organization (DuBrin, 2004). This will be able to assist the managers in the event of executing their duties and also in duty delegation. In specific, the models observed constitute: The AstraZeneca Capabilities of leadership: This model has been used often in the management based on performance. Moreover, managers use it in developmental and management planning. This is because they are viewed as key concerns of any leadership developmental programs (Mark & Andrew, 2002). Therefore, to fully arrive at a sound understanding of this model, the organization observes the following criteria, and thus: should clarify about a definite direction of strategy; be committed to the set tasks, base their concerns on delivery, establish proper relationships, forerun capacity building through the development of personnel, show a clear demonstration of individualized conviction and articulate through action based strategy, the building of self awareness (Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. & Dennison, P., 2003). Performance based leadership: This is a model that an organization uses to be able to enhance business performance through set ideals and behaviors that relate. On this fact, the organization can be able to use the related behavior sets to recognize peer, pinpointing of developmental opportunities and establishing a survey based on the opinions of the employees. The core competences involved here include; achievement of top performances, a customer-based focus, capacity building, continual progressive build-up of individuals and integrated approach of executing duty (Arvonen & Ekvall, 1999). Attributes for Leadership and Management: In this framework, the direction given is suggestive as to what is expected of managers and the other departmental leaders towards the formulation of requisite knowledge and skills in the event that the organization has to move forth to be able to strategically set forth framework for departments. Its principle revolves around affectivity as well as non-affectivity of a given behavior. This is based on the following postulates; attributes interpersonal in nature, that gives one direction, attributes of delivery, which are founded on a strategic way of thought and concerns with delivery, and attributes of improvement, which simply implies that the best can be obtained from the people; especially when they are subjected to learning conditions, a practice broadly termed as improvement (Blackler & Kennedy, 2003). The model for the business excellence: This is an internationally quality assured model that presupposes its putting on business processes based on leadership. The dimensions covered within this module include; leaders should be conscious of their role as role models. This originates from their institutional capacities to be able to set values, vision and mission of the organizations in question, the leaders should therefore make a personal commitment to be fully involved in the well-being of their organizations so that they are developed after proper implementation, whereupon they are later improved (Crawford & Srohkirch, 2002). . The leadership should also concern with the persons involved with their organizations like society representatives and customers. Much more, they should also ensure that they continually motivate the personnel within the organization (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Conclusion In conclusion I will not rely on one method of leadership and chose it as the best leadership style since leadership styles also depend on the type of staff within the organization. Over the years the developments of leadership qualities and styles and the development of leadership styles have helped in equipping managers with good managerial skills. Bibliography Arvonen, J. & Ekvall, G. (1999). Effective Leadership Style: Both Universal and Contingent? . Creativity and Innovation Management , 242-250. Blackler, F. & Kennedy, A. (2003). The Design of a Development Programme for Experienced Top Managers from the Public Sector. Lancaster University: Working Paper. Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. & Dennison, P. (2003). A REVIEW OF LEADERSHIP THEORY AND COMPETENCY FRAMEWORKS. Dunford Hill: Centre for Leadership Studies. Crawford, B. & Srohkirch, C. (2002). Leadership Education for Knowledge Organizations: A Primer. Journal of Leadership Education , 18-33. DuBrin, A. J. (2004). Leadership: Research findings, Practice, and Skills (Fourth ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin. Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Hood, J. N. (2003). The relationship of leadership style and CEO values to ethical practices in organizations. Journal of Business Ethics , 263-273. Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior; Key concepts, skills & best practices. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kriger, M. & Seng, Y. (2005). Leadership with inner meaning: a contingency theory of leadership based on the world views of five religions. The Leadership Quarterly , 771 806. Lussier, R. N. & Achua, C. F. (2004). Leadership; Theory, Application, Skill Development (2th ed.). Eagen. Minnesota: Thomson South-Western. Mark, L. & Andrew, A. (2002). Executive Coaching: In Search of a Model. Journal of Leadership Education , 3-17. Wang, H., Law, K. S., Hackett, R. D., Wang, D., & Chen, Z. X. (2005). Leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Academy of Management Journal , 420-432. Read More