Blog 5 – My Vision of Leadership

Introduction

To be a good leader, you will have to be able to influence and inspire the people around you with your behavior, communication skills, and charisma. The main ingredient in leadership is to have a vision and manifesting that vision into reality.  Leadership also involves the use of a particular character to overcome a challenge, therefore, how a leader is able to influence and use that character depends on the effectiveness of the leader.  Effective leadership simplifies complicated situations and makes action compelling and successful (Nikooparvar and Shekari 2012). In an organizational context, employees would be highly motivated with effective leadership as they are able to achieve personal and career goals in addition to organizational goals (Naile and Selesho 2014).

 

My Vision of Leadership

Figure 1

Source: Google

In my opinion, a good and effective leader has to be able to demonstrate various leadership styles to suit a particular situation.  According to CMI (2013), there is no single way of leading as the best approach varies to circumstances and individual characteristics. I could not agree more with the above statement because situations and circumstances in an organization changes on a constant basis.  In that sense, I would like to be a situational leader. Situational leadership is perceived to be an adaptive leadership style due to its flexible nature (Spahr 2015). This style changes according to the employee’s knowledge, skills and commitment in a given task (MWAI 2011).  There are four stages in the situational leadership model are directing, coaching, supporting and delegating (Spahr 2015).  All of these four stages focus on developing the ability, confidence and willingness of employees to accomplish tasks (MWAI 2011). Additionally, leaders coach and guide the employees to be handling various issues in an organization, hence enabling them to be always ready to overcome challenges (MWAI 2011).  When employees are deemed to be delivering exceptional performance and collaborating well among themselves, a leader could empower his/her employees to act independently with the right resources to get the job done (MWAI 2011).

 

My Inspiration

Figure 2: Richard Branson

Source: Google

I admire the leadership style of Sir Richard Branson who’s the Chairman of Virgin Group. Virgin Group is one of the most successful conglomerates ranging from travel and leisure, financial services, music and entertainment and many more known in today’s rapidly changing world (Virgin n.d.). Branson is an inspiring leader to me because of the way he carries himself as a charismatic, confident and determined person. Despite his enormous wealth, he is down-to-earth person, a good listener and prioritizes his employees before himself (Niphadkar 2014). According to Branson, people are his greatest assets and he treats them with a lot of respect and care that they don’t want to leave the company although paid slightly lesser than the market value (Niphadkar 2014). Branson does not believe in his employees following blindly but gives them the liberty to think and freedom to be empowered (Niphadkar 2014).  He capitalizes on the entrepreneurial spirit of his employees while minimizing the bureaucracy of the systems (Niphadkar 2014). Branson is more motivated by the challenges he faces in the business world rather than the money he makes. Additionally, he creates a work culture which is fun and exciting which makes employees to deliver their best (Niphadkar 2014).

 

Team Reflection

Throughout the entire module, I am under the impression that I have worked with my peers in a democratic manner. I believe in inclusiveness and that everybody’s opinion matters before making a decision or presenting a case. Based on my peer’s feedback, I understand that I would need to improve on my time management skills and communicate my ideas in a more efficient manner. My peers also believe that I should be more persistent and keep inspiring others around me. These are constructive feedback which I would definitely work on to become a better person.  The leadership skill which I would want to develop as I progress through my MBA is on ways to inspire and convince people around me. Additionally, I would like to enhance my critical thinking skills and develop team-building skills which are a vital step towards becoming an effective leader.  I could achieve all the skills mentioned by continuous reading on various materials, attending progressive workshops and improving my personal traits by eliminating my weaknesses.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the leadership module has been very informative in terms of learning and identifying various leadership and management styles as well as theories. It has broadened my horizons of the leadership perspective as there is no one particular leadership style that works best.  I have exposed myself to many exemplary leaders from various industries and simultaneously identifying weaknesses of certain leaders who abused their authority for their personal or corporate gain which is morally unethical. This module has been very inspiring to me and without a doubt, I would leverage on these theories and leadership styles when I stand a chance to lead someday.

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References

Maxwell, J. (n.d.) Situational Leadership Quotes. Quotesgram [online] available from <http://quotesgram.com/img/situational-leadership-quotes/2575908/&gt; [26 March 2017]

MWAI, E. (2011) “CREATING EFFECTIVE LEADERS THROUGH SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP APPROACH”. JAMK University of Applied Sciences [online] available from https://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/33027/Mwai_Esther.pdf

Naile, I. and Selesho, J. (2014) The Role Of Leadership In Employee Motivation [online] available from <http://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/viewFile/2131/2118&gt; [26 March 2017]

Nikooparvar, M. and Shekari, H. (2012) Promoting Leadership Effectiveness In Organizations: A Case Study On The Involved Factors Of Servant Leadership [online] available from <http://sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/ijba/article/viewFile/698/335&gt; [26 March 2017]

Niphadkar, C. (2014) Richard Branson’S Style Of Leadership [online] available from <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140615050729-230514046-richard-branson-s-style-of-leadership&gt; [26 March 2017]

Spahr, P. (2015) What Is Situational Leadership? How Flexibility Leads To Success [online] available from <http://online.stu.edu/situational-leadership/&gt; [26 March 2017]

Virgin, (n.d.) About Us [online] available from <https://www.virgin.com/virgingroup/content/about-us&gt; [26 March 2017]

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Blog 4 – Leadership and Change

Managing Change

Figure 1: Change Management

Source: Google

Change is a form of transition to be different and it’s an inevitable element which takes place on a daily basis. Like it or not, every day there appear to be something which is constantly changing, be it social or organizational life and we are all subject to change of one form or another (Mullins et al 2013).  Management change is the systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools, and resources to enable an organization to be more efficient in terms of productivity and performance.  These changes have to be realistic, achievable, measurable and most importantly sustainable (Metre 2009).

“It is all down to the personality of the individual and there is little management can do about resistance to change”

I would disagree with the above statement as the management of an organization can come up with alternative methods to resist change.

According to Mullins, selected individuals actively thrive on new challenges and constant change while some would resist these changes to remain in their comfort zone. In my opinion, the need for change is imperative to remain competitive and to keep up with rapid globalization as well as hastened technological innovation. As quoted by George Bernard Shaw, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”.  Therefore, organizations and individuals must always adapt to change to enhance organizational and personal growth.

On the other hand, people resist structural and cultural changes due to selective perceptions, breaking routines (Brown n.d.), loss of status (Brown n.d.) and fear of uncertainty which takes place in an organization when certain changes are implemented (Mullins et al 2013).  For example, an individual may resist taking up a promotion because of uncertainty over changes in roles, responsibilities, and methods of working (Mullins et al 2013). These are the kind of people who are contented with their current position in a particular organization. Additionally, some have developed a stereotype view of a management, for example, biasedness and therefore oppose any management change because, in their minds, any decision taken is going to be biased to a selective bunch (Mullins et al 2013).

I believe that both changes and resistance can bring a positive or a negative impact to an individual or an organization depending on how it is perceived. The leader and the management of an organization are responsible for making the right changes, hence creating a positive impact for the organization. According to Ford, Ford and d’Amelio (2008) and Ford and Ford (2009), resistance could also increase the quality of management and decisions in a change process as a certain form of resistance should be understood as an important source of employee feedback if appropriate methods of communication are provided (Bringselius 2010).

Change Management Models

Figure 2: Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model

Source: Google

Kotter’s 8- Step model would be one of the change management models which I would recommend to managers. Kotter began by listing common errors that leaders make in an attempt to initiate change (Lunenberg 2010).This model is directed at the strategic level of the change management process which focuses primarily on the establishing a sense of urgency to kick-start the efforts taken for a change to take place in an organization (Lunenberg 2010). A vision is then developed and communicated, followed by eliminating barriers to change and to encourage risk-taking and creative problem-solving. Moving forward, short-term improvements are then planned for which would lead to more change which involves more people and policies (Lunenberg 2010). These changes are reinforced by clarifying connections between new behaviors as well as processes and organizational success (Lunenberg 2010).  Leadership development and succession are vital during the final stage (Lunenberg 2010). Limitations of this model include a lengthy process which consumes time and could also lead to frustrations among employees if their needs are not taken into consideration.

Lewin’s Model

Kurt Lewin’s 3 step change model involves three stages which are to unfreeze, change and refreeze. The goal of unfreezing is to create awareness of the current status which has caused a crisis in an organization (Lunenberg 2010). The status quo is considered the equilibrium state (Kritsonis 2005). Symptoms for changes are identified in this stage. Unfreezing is necessary to overcome individual resistance and group conformity (Kritsonis 2005). In the second stage, driving forces and restraining forces for change are identified and more driving forces would move the current status to a new equilibrium level. Changes are then implemented to develop new values and behaviours (Lunenberg 2010). The final step is to refreeze whereby changes are stabilized and new patterns are reinforced in an organization in terms of organizational culture, policies and staff norms (Lunenberg 2010).

An organization which embraced change to create a positive impact

Figure 3: Pearson

Source: Google

Pearson is known to be one of the established book publishing companies. John Fallon, the current CEO announced a company-wide transformation known as the Global Education Strategy (GES) in 2013 and implemented a massive reorganization that clustered the workforce into six business units (Wang 2014). The focus of this company was shifted to the proposed strategy which intended to strengthen the company’s position as the world’s largest education company. The GES is the most substantial restructure the organization had undergone in its 150-year history and Pearson took home the 2014 Work Better Together Jive Award (Pankonien 2015). Fallon also demonstrated transparency through his employee collaboration solutions via regular blog posts and feedback which was an efficient way to communicate about the company’s restructuring (Pankonien 2015). Additionally, Pearson demonstrated a culture whereby leaders are open, transparent and practice effective communication (Pankonien 2015). It’s believed that employees will respond to change more quickly if they feel consulted and informed (Wang 2014).

An example of resistance to change

Figure 4: Taxis and Uber

Source: Google

The traditional taxi industry is now facing an issue trying to make a living due to the recent trend of ride-sharing services such as Uber. The taxi industry’s resistance to the introduction of Uber is a pointless attempt to impede innovation (Bouquet et al. 2014). Taxi drivers complain about Uber’s “illegal” activities, stating that they do not own official permits and can’t charge by the kilometre since they do not have meters (Bouquet et al. 2014). Most people opt to take Uber because it’s cheaper, more reliable, transparent and safer as compared to traditional taxi rides. Uber ‘s success primarily falls back to its response to customer needs as it offers a unique and innovative experience as compared to taxis (Bouquet et al. 2014). Taxi companies being pioneers in the transportation spectrum are still in denial thinking that they could succeed with their current business strategies (Bouquet et al. 2014). If they refuse to innovate, they would probably be left behind.

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References

Bouquet, C. and Renault, C. (2014) Taxis Vs Uber: A Perfect Example Of Resistance To Change [online] available from <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/taxis-vs-uber-perfect-example-resistance-change-1463787&gt; [16 March 2017]

Bringselius, L. (2010) Resistance To Change: Four Interpretations [online] available from <http://www.lri.lu.se/media/lri/workingpapers/2010-1-resistance-to-change-louise-d.-bringselius.pdf&gt; [16 March 2017]

Brown, G. (n.d.) Resistance To Change In An Organization’s Structure & Culture [online] available from <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/resistance-change-organizations-structure-culture-16622.html&gt; [16 March 2017]

Lunenburg, F. (2010) Approaches To Managing Organizational Change [online] available from <http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C%20Approaches%20to%20Managing%20Organizational%20Change%20IJSAID%20v12%20n1%202010.pdf&gt; [16 March 2017]

Metre, C. (2009) Deriving Value From Change Management [online] available from <http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=od_theses_msod&gt; [16 March 2017]

Mullins, L. and Christy, G. (2013) Management & Organisational Behaviour. 10th edn. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited

Pankonien, L. (2015) Pearson’s New Workstyle Is Transforming How Leaders Lead [online] available from <https://community.jivesoftware.com/community/jivetalks/blog/2015/02/26/pearsons-new-workstyle-is-transforming-how-leaders-lead&gt; [16 March 2017]

Shaw, G. (n.d.) George Bernard Shaw Quotes [online] available from <https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgebern386923.html&gt; [16 March 2017]

Wang, D. (2014) Successful Organizational Change Examples You Need To Copy [online] available from <https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/sk-successful-organizational-change-examples&gt; [16 March 2017]

Blog 3 – Most Effective Leadership & Management Styles & Approaches

Leadership vs. Management

Figure 1: Leadership vs Management

Source: Google

‘There is no single ideal, as the best approach may vary according to circumstances and individual characteristics.’ – CMI (2013).

In response to the above statement, I would strongly agree that the command and control method which is practiced in the past still exist in selected organizations. However, leaders and managers are encouraged to have a more approachable method to overcome varying situations.

Leadership and Management overlap in the sense of sharing similar duties which consist of working with people and influencing others to achieve goals, however, are two different functions. Leadership focuses on developing a vision, setting a direction, advocating change and encouraging new functions towards meeting long-term goals (Bohoris et al. n.d.). The leadership process aligns people with the vision which was developed through effective communication and motivates them through empowerment and basic need fulfillment (Lunenburg 2011).

On the other hand, management focuses on deciding what should be done and getting other people to do it (Mullins et al. 2013).  The management process involves planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, controlling and monitoring activities as well as problem-solving to achieve organizational goals (Lunenburg 2011). Additionally, a good management makes use of its resources efficiently as well as pays attention to the development of its people.

Leaders and managers are distinct with regards to their values and personalities. Leaders value innovation, adaptation, and flexibility (Yuki 2013). They are concerned about the people working for them and the economic outcome as they look into the long-term effect of their objectives and strategies (Yuki 2013). Leaders care about what things mean to people and try to influence these people to a consensus about the most vital things to be done (Yuki 2013).  Managers value stability, order, and efficiency (Yuki 2013). Additionally, are risk-averse when it comes to problem-solving, focused on short-term results and they provide expected results consistently to meet stakeholder demands and leadership needs (Bohoris et al. n.d.).

Leadership Styles

Figure 2: Leadership Styles

Source: Google

There are many dimensions to leadership and various leadership styles which exist in an organization. The vision, culture, and goals of an organization could determine what style of leadership suits best. The different leadership styles comprise of the authoritarian, democratic and the laissez-faire (genuine) style (Mullins et al. 2013).   All of these leadership styles have their own way of determining policies and implementation of new systems and procedures.

The authoritarian style gives managers the power to decide and solely make decisions without the employees having an option of voicing out their opinions and suggestions (Mullins et al. 2013). The democratic style encourages the participation of the entire group as a whole in decision-making which leads to greater interaction among the group members (Mullins et al. 2013).

The laissez-faire style provides freedom to the employees to act in their best interest and not interfere unless help is needed (Mullins et al. 2013).

In my opinion, I believe that the most effective approach to managing the work of subordinates is the democratic (participative) style. This approach gives the employees a sense of belonging and allows them to participate in decision-making whereby new ideas are proposed and discussed. A diversified workforce would be an added advantage to this type of leadership approach as individual talents, creativity and experiences would enhance the pool of ideas leading to good decisions being made. Although the final decision belongs to the top management of the organization, employees would rather feel appreciated for being part of the organization’s development.

The democratic style would not work so well if team members lack adequate skills needed to provide solutions to specific problems or are prohibited from finding out classified information that can’t be shared with the team in order to make a decision (Murdock 2014).

Examples of Leaders Using the Democratic Approach

James F. Parker

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Figure 3: James F. Parker

Source: The Buffalo News

James F. Parker was the CEO of Southwest Airlines in 2001 and has portrayed great leadership throughout one of the ultimate crisis the U.S. airline industry had ever faced (Glynn 2014).  The 9/11 terrorist attacks caused airlines to be grounded and Parker decided to provide a refund to the customers in which if customers demand for refunds, the airlines would exhaust all its money to stay in business. The outcome turned out to be positive for Parker as some loyal customers sent money back to the airline with the intention of helping the company (Glynn 2014).  Southwest airlines did not retrench its employees or cut their pay during this crisis but instead went all out to resolve this crisis with great team work (Glynn 2014).

In addition, the company also made a planned contribution of $179millon to an employee profit-sharing plan (Glynn 2014).  Despite challenging times, the company still made money in the final quarter of 2001. Parker strongly believes that the success of Southwest airlines partially lies in the hands of its employees due to their team work towards achieving the goal of serving customers instead of focusing strictly on doing their own jobs (Glynn 2014).   Parker also believes that an effective leader would create an atmosphere whereby employees are proud of their jobs, understand the mission of the company and want to do the right thing (Glynn 2014).

Jack Stahl

Figure 4: Jack Stahl

Source: Google

Jack Stahl was the former CEO of Coca-Cola and Revlon. Stahl learned that working with others is the best way to work as he knows how to delegate work to their employees to get a job done but at the same time take a step back when it’s necessary. Given the fact that Stahl simultaneously gives importance to his employees’ views and used his knowledge hands on propelled these two companies to greater heights (Nayab et al. 2011).

Conclusion

A well-balanced organization should have a mix of leaders and managers to be successful as both leadership and management play a vital role towards achieving organizational goals and are complementary to one another (Algahtani 2014).  A strong leadership and management would enable an organization to reach its optimal effectiveness (Algahtani 2014).

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References

Algahtani, D. (2014) Are Leadership And Management Different? A Review [online] 2nd edn. American Research Institute for Policy Development. available from <http://jmppnet.com/journals/jmpp/Vol_2_No_3_September_2014/4.pdf&gt; [2 March 2017]

Bohoris, G. and Vorria, E. (n.d.) Leadership Vs Management A Business Excellence / Performance Management View [online] 1st edn. LUND University. available from <http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/026/076/ecp0726076.pdf&gt; [2 March 2017]

CMI (2013) Understanding Management Style Checklist 236, Chartered Management Institute: London

Glynn, M. (2014) Ex-Southwest Airlines CEO Offers Lessons In Leadership From Post-9/11 Crisis – The Buffalo News [online] available from <http://buffalonews.com/2014/05/19/ex-southwest-airlines-ceo-offers-lessons-in-leadership-from-post-911-crisis/&gt; [2 March 2017]

Lunenburg, F. (2011) Leadership Versus Management: A Key Distinction—At Least In Theory [online] 14th edn. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, AND ADMINISTRATION. available from <https://cs.anu.edu.au/courses/comp3120/local_docs/readings/Lunenburg_LeadershipVersusManagement.pdf&gt; [2 March 2017]

Mullins, L. and Christy, G. (2013) Management & Organisational Behaviour. 10th edn. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited

MURDOCK, K. (2014) Participative Leadership: What It Is And When It Works Best [online] available from <https://blog.udemy.com/participative-leadership/&gt; [2 March 2017]

Nayab, N. and Edwards, G. (2011) Analyzing 5 Real-World Leadership Scenarios [online] available from <http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/120498-five-real-world-examples-of-successful-leadership/&gt; [2 March 2017]

Yuki, G. (2013) Leadership In Organizations. 8th edn. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited