The Association between Leadership and Innovation - Coursework Example

Leadership and Innovation Name Class Unit Introduction The association between leadership and innovation has been under scrutiny by many writers (DuPont, 2002). There has been argument on whether the type of leadership can stimulate creativity in any situation (Sloane, 2006). Innovation refers to exploiting new ideas successfully. For innovation to happen in an industry, it has to be enabled. The organisation must have a well defined approach to innovation for it to happen (Scandura & Serapio, 1998). Innovation and creativity have been associated with unconscious thinking. It has been argued that most people in an organization are creative which can be fostered by having a favorable environment. Organisational culture and the level of innovation are associated (DuPont, 2002). Leaders are tasked with creating a productive environment in the workplace to enhance productivity. Both innovation and leadership are associated with change. For innovation to take place, leaders are expected to create strategies that enhance it (Randall, 2005). The way in which the leaders catalyses creativity and innovation also plays a part in determining its level. Different organizations have varying levels of creativity and different types of leadership (Yoder-Wise, & Kowalski, 2010). The variety of leadership styles in organizations lead to dilemma on the best type of leadership style that can enhance creativity and innovation. This essay will discuss whether there is leadership style which is most suited for innovative organisation. To achieve this, the essay will use examples and concepts which have been taught in the unit and utilize peer reviewed journals. Leadership theory has two views on leaders. The theory sees leaders as motivators and architects (Sloane, 2006). By the two definitions the main difference is on the emphasis put on motivation and administration. To come up with innovation, there are several environmental contexts and leadership styles that are involved. Leadership has to ensure that they create an environment where experimentation and communication is allowed. Transformational leadership has been associated with tolerating ambiguity and uncertainty which supports innovation. When the idea is at the structural level, there is need for leadership which allows creativity and tolerates uncertainty involved. Leaders are thus supposed to create organisation environment that is able to allow innovation. Leaders thus have the ability to impact innovation through motivation as well as being the architects (Sloane, 2006). As the architects in their organizations, they create an environment which is able to support innovation. Transformational leaders are associated with change in the organisation. When an organisation needs to make fundamental changes, transformational leaders are the most needed. In transformational leadership, both leaders and followers help each other to achieve high morale. The leader is thus very accountable to the followers. It has also been proved that the leadership style used helps a lot in creating the organisation culture (DuPont, 2002). Transformational leaders are required in an innovative environment. It has also been proved that leaders who advocate for innovation are more transformational as opposed to other leadership styles (DuPont, 2002). Thus most champions in organizations are transformational leaders who are identified through the innovative. The level of innovation in a leader has an impact on their leadership. The influence that a leader has is impacted by the level of innovation in an organisation they lead (Kennedy, 2008). An example of transformational leader is Steve Jobs who led Apple inc. to success. Jobs was a transformation leader who believed in innovation. He created an innovative environment at Apple which led to great innovations during his tenure making him a champion. Innovation and creativity are the main source of competitive advantage in modern organizations (DuPont, 2002). Leaders in the organizations are responsible for giving directions and are the main decision makers. The mandate to create the organisation environment helps the organisation to sustain innovation. The leader is responsible to encourage and inspire the follows to work and also support their ideas. It is therefore prudent that the organisation have to involve the right leader for them to have innovative environment. Having the wrong leadership can stifle innovation in an organisation. The objectives of the leaders are also important as they can help the organization to be innovative (Kennedy, 2008). Culture is the main cause of organisation success through innovation. A strong corporate culture has been attributed to the success of organizations (Mann & Atkins, 2005). Leaders are the one who develop the organisation culture in an organization. For example, innovation in IBM was led by its leader Lou Gerstner. Leaders have to play a great role in changing the organisation culture to enable innovativeness. Research shows that where the organisation is headed by weak leadership, downsizing and restructuring are more recurrent. In organizations where leaders are innovative and creative, they use other alternatives and rarely do they have to downsize or restructure. This shows that an innovative leader is able to run an organisation more effectively (Kennedy, 2008). Organisation success depends on its ability to recognize the part played by the leaders in enhancing creativity and innovation (John, 2006). Leaders come up with a friendly environment where employs can easily develop their creativity. Innovative leaders must not engage the employees like machines but human beings who can contribute to the organisation. Leaders can challenge the employees with problems which can help them boost their creativity. Leaders who enhance diversity in their organisation encourage innovation (Kennedy, 2008). Diversity helps an organisation to innovate since different ideas are able to be put together. This requires leaders who are able to create an environment where diversity thrives and everyone feels at home (Realin, 2003). Where leadership involves different individuals, they are able to transform the organisation. A leader in this context is involved in inspiring, empowering and creating influence in the organisation. These are the contemporary leaders who are ready to nurture and listen to others ideas. An organisation cannot be able to advance if all leadership is given to few people at the top of organisation (Černe & Škerlavaj, 2011). The organisation can only become innovative if it is able to benefit from all members’ creativity. This implies that all members in an organisation have to participate in the leadership. Most of the 21st century organisations are led by leaders who believe in sharing of the power. Sharing of power in leadership implies that everyone in the organisation has the opportunity of sharing the experience of leadership. For an organisation to be successful, it has to rely on different sources of leadership (Lindgren, 2012). Though effective leadership style is required in attaining organization goals, some of the organizations do not have it. Lack of creative leaders in an organisation means that there is no innovation and the level of technology is low (Amar, 2002). Not every type of leader can lead to innovation. It has been proved that only a certain type of leadership encourages innovation in an industry. A study done supported that autocratic and heroic leadership does not encourage innovation (Kennedy, 2008). Most of the successful organizations are led by leaders who are collaborative. Innovation is also high in organisation where leadership is less hierarchical and the employee is empowered (Askenas et al. 2002). In heroic and authoritarian leadership, the leader control everything and they are held responsible for any outcome. As several studies shows, organization leadership is the key to creativity and innovation. An organisation cannot innovate unless they have a leader who is able to create an innovative environment. The manner in which the leader inspires followers to become more creative helps in enhancing creativity (Mann & Atkins, 2005). The leader thus has the biggest responsibility for an organization to be innovative. Leadership style is thus essential in making sure there is innovation in a firm. Transactional leaders are less associated with innovation. The leadership leads to an organisation which is less enlightened. Transactional leadership leads to employees losing interest in the organization which makes innovation less and also to takes long to innovate (Waldman et al. 2001). In conclusion, the essay has proved that there is a specific type of leadership that is best suited for innovation. Most of the study shows that transformational leaders are more innovative. Most of the organizations lag in innovation due to the type of leadership being practiced. Where leaders are autocratic and heroic, less innovation takes place. Autocratic and heroic leaders in organizations take all responsibilities and rarely consult others. Leadership which is able to involve others in the organisation encourages innovation. Transactional leadership leads to poor or lack of innovation in an organisation. Inclusive leadership ensures that everyone in the organisation has an experience in leadership and are able to share their ideas. Organizations with leadership which is less hierarchical and with empowered employees ranks high in innovation. A leader must be able to inspire and motivate the employee’s in order to encourage them towards innovation. From the research, it is evident that not all types of leadership styles can encourage innovation. References Amar, A. D. (2002). Managing knowledge workers: Unleashing innovation and productivity. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books. Askenas, R., Ulrich, D., Jick, T., & Kerr, S. (2002). The boundaryless organization: Breaking the chains of organizational structure. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 1-3. Černe, M., & Škerlavaj, M. (2011). Authentic leadership, creativity, and innovation: A multilevel perspective. Olkc 2011 - Making Waves, p. 32-33. DuPont, B. D. (2002). Leadership–An organization’s biggest competitive advantage. University of Calgary Enbridge Inc. Waldman, D.A., Ramirez, G.G., House, R.J. & Puranam, P. (2001). Does Leadership Matter? CEO Leadership Attributes and Profitability under Conditions of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty. Academy of Management Journal, 44(1): 134. Realin, J. (2003). The leaderful organization: How to bring out leadership in everyone. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. John, R. (2006). Innovation and the transportation enterprise. Connected Transportation : Thought Leaders : Essays from Innovators, 120-126. Top of Form Kennedy, D. (2008). Putting our differences to work: The fastest way to innovation, leadership, and high performance. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Top of Form Lindgren, M. (2012). 21st century management: Leadership and innovation in the thought economy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Mann, L., & Atkins, L. (2005). Leadership, management, and innovation in R & D project teams. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Randall, R. (2005). Innovation. Bradford, England: Emerald Group Pub. Top of Form Scandura, T. A., & Serapio, M. G. (1998). Leadership and innovation in emerging markets. Stamford, Conn: JAI Press. Top of Form Sloane, P. (2006). The leader's guide to skills: Unlocking the creativity and innovation in you and your team. London: Kogan Page. Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Yoder-Wise, P. S., & Kowalski, K. (2010). Leadership. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders. Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More