leadership theory
Discussion
week 1
A manager is a professional that is trained to build his competencies and control the processes that are used for performing work in an organization through efforts that allow him or her to balance the authority and powers that exist with the system. This characterization of a manager creates a psyche that results in the perception that his or her primary duty is to establish processes that ensure stability, identify and resolve problems immediately as they occur. In contrast, a leader is an individual that has a vision for the group, organization or society and inspires people to pursue the goals and objectives that would make this a reality.
He or she is passionate about the value of the vision to the advancement of the lives of the people or growth of the company and is blessed with the ability to communicate the processes and activities to accomplish the vision (Smith, 2014).
A leader is characterized by high tolerance for chaos and lack of organization due to the information such situations provide and their value in redefining and reshaping the vision. The lack of these attributes in a person given leadership responsibility is one of the reasons why that he or she is a bad leader. They favor favoritism rather than promote a culture that recognizes the merits of the contribution of each member of the group. Bad leaders are incapable of communicating the vision they have for their organization to the extent that it would inspire the team to success (Skakon, Nielsen, Borg, & Guzman, 2010).
The information derived from the definition and characteristics of a leader would contribute to my development and growth both as a follower and leader regarding the requirements for providing effective leadership.
week 2
To begin with, employees’ happiness has great effect on the loyalty, productivity and bottom line of your business. It is important for the organization’s management to be conscious of ensuring satisfied workers. The leaders who motivate, challenge and appreciate their employees tend to have positive results (George, 2016).
Inspiration – good leaders inspire their staff by helping them to achieve their career goals.
Motivation – effective leaders help to motivate their employees and hence help them to be best in their occupations (George, 2016). Good leaders use motivation techniques to provide creative outlets and build effective teams.
Stability – a feeling of security in workplace is important for the employees to realize job satisfaction. Higher- level managers instill stability in their employees. The managers who invest in profit-sharing programs demonstrate their investment in their employees and hence retain their staff members.
Energy level – energy level of employees can make a difference between an organization struggling striving to survive and one that thrive to succeed.
How bad leader negatively affect workplace morale
Essentially, organizations depend on the efforts of the employees to succeed and focus on achieve continual growth (Wong, 2010). However, when low morale and negativity seeps into the organization’s fabric, consequences can be dire. Low morale and negativity can have far-reaching impact on the employees productive.
Negativity and low morale in workplace stem from myriad of factors. Supervisors and managers can create negative working environment with poor leadership decisions. This can stem from establishing unappreciative, demanding and non-supportive atmosphere. In addition, the leaders who are poor communicators can instill confusion in their employees. Some leaders are always hurry and do not bother with giving clear instructions to their employees. If the employees have to guess what they should do they can be wrong, and thus resulting to poor work performance. A poor and incompetent leader will blame the employees for confusion (Wong, 2010). This can cause anger and resentment in the workplace. An angry and resentful employee cannot put all of their energy in the job. Bad leader can cause stress on their employees. Stress caused by unskilled management can be debilitating. The employees who work for bad employers have found not be energetic when performing their jobs.
Can it ever happen that inverse is true?
No, a good leader cannot have negative effect on the workplace morale.
week3
Particularly, having influence implies that an individual takes charge and comprehends the role that positional power, expertise, nonverbal signals and emotion play in inspiring and having power over others. Therefore, influence does not mean that one does all the talking or utilizes silence in dominating a situation (Northouse, 2015).
The components of influence include; taking positional power. When an individual possesses positional power, having influence can be termed as a just simple proposition. Those individuals who possess power over things usually make more interruptions in a conversation and talk more. Emotion is also an important component of influence. Using emotion can counteract positional power. It can aid in dominating a conversation (Northouse, 2015).
Expertise is also a component of influence. Expertise must be used along with passion which is also a component of influence. So it can be said that expertise without passion is not efficient. Nonetheless, when used appropriately, it can make an individual to be heard (Northouse, 2015).
The final component is the mastery of human interaction which is nonverbal signals. This is the reason in-person encounters are more satisfying than phone conversations. One can influence through the use of non-verbal signals. Therefore, from these components, influence can be said to be the measure of how much skin the participants have in the game. Most of the influencers are usually unconscious of the expertise that is required to influence a crowd.
Particularly, using influence does not include pressure. It does not mean using leverage in pushing people around. Pressuring others to perform a task can strain relationships thus influence does not include pressure (Bass & Bass, 2009).
There are differences between assertive and aggressive tactics. Individuals that use assertive tactics speak openly, utilizes a conversational tone, depicts expressions that match the message, and participates in groups. On the other hand, individuals that use aggressive tactics usually interrupt others in conversations, speak loudly, stares at others rather than making a good eye contact and invades the personal space of others (Bass & Bass, 2009).
Notably, managers that use aggressive tactics are not leaders. A leader must influence the one he leads through inspiring them, helping them to reach goals rather than coercing people to have things done.
Assignments
Week 1
Strengths
Confidence when handling different roles
Motivating employees in the organization
Responsible in all my activities
Areas to improve
Trusting people
Being positive towards all people
Delegating roles to people
Plan to make improvements
Based on the above assessment, there are some ways through which I can make improvements to best suit the leadership style. The plan will have to take care of the needs of the people that I lead (Bolman, & Deal, 2017).
On the other hand, making improvements will give me an opportunity to be the best leader in my organization. The plan for making improvements will have the following organization;
Areas to improve
The first area that I will make improvements will be on having positivity towards people. I have a problem of feeling that not every person can deliver the best in different situations. In this case, I tend to look deeply into the weaknesses that people have and the ways through which they can fail when carrying out their duties and roles allocated to them. I also tend to see some people as having weaknesses that make them unable to play their roles in their different workplaces. Through this challenge, I do not have the ability to trust all people as there are some that I feel that I cannot delegate activities to them (Carter, Ro, Alcott & Lattuca, 2016).
As a result, I have failed to give people a chance to make changes in their workplaces since I deny them the opportunity of utilizing their skills and abilities in the company. The failure to remain positive about all the employees has led to the development of other challenges including failing to trust people and I do not also feel comfortable delegating roles to employees who I feel do not have the ability to handle challenges.
Every person deserves an opportunity to make use of their skills and knowledge in making improvements on their different roles. However, as a leader, denying people a chance only makes it worse since they will not deliver the best in their positions. Leaders are expected to give the employees an opportunity to give their best when working within an organization (Bowman, West, Berman & Van Wart, 2016).
However, at times it becomes hard for the leaders to determine the roles and authority that should be given to the employees. On the other hand, some leaders feel that they are only the right people who can make the best decisions. In my case, I always feel that I should be consulted by my employees when making decisions. I also fail to recognize the unique skills that employees have when making decisions. As a result, I tend not to identify the abilities that employees have which can make my leadership success in the long run.
Making the improvements would require a time period of three months. I will have to go through a self-evaluation process as well as a training program that will make me identify my weaknesses and make plans on ways through which I can make improvements. In this case, the training program will give me an opportunity to identify the various ways through which I can change my views on different employees (Bolman, & Deal, 2017). Also, taking time would be effective in ensuring that I have developed the right skills and abilities to appreciate the differences of the employees and other people in the society. Through the training program, I would get equipped with the right skills and have adequate knowledge on how to handle people regardless of their differences. A period of three months will adequately allow me to have an opportunity of exploring and changing my mindset about the people that I lead.
Implementing the plan would take place between 1st November 2017 and 31st January 2018. Within the period, I will have an opportunity to develop a way of handling the differences of people and make me have a chance of giving them an opportunity to utilize their knowledge and skills within the organization. However, through the training program, I will have to make adjustments on the way of handling people within the organization (Carter, Ro, Alcott & Lattuca, 2016). The training program will take place outside the organization so that I can have adequate time to restructure my way of seeing others. A convention would be a good way of undergoing the training program since I would only concentrate on having the best leadership skills that will make the organization's employees feel appreciated regardless of their differences.
In conclusion, being a leader calls for dedication and willingness to adapt to changes taking place in the organization. As a leader, I have many things that I have to adjust to so as to be the best leaders in the organization. On the other hand, the leadership activity in an organization has a vital role to play in making the company successful (Bowman, West, Berman & Van Wart, 2016). Through making improvements, it would be possible to have an organization that has a respectful way of treating employees and making them feel that their efforts count. The best way of making employees feel that they are in the right place, they have to get a leader who appreciates their role and gives them an opportunity to be the best in their roles.
Week 2
1: Networking
For anyone to have an impressive growth in career, he or she should make full use of networking the main importance that networking possesses is its ability to bring about long-term relations and a good reputation over time. Networking is always a two-way drive. This is because it involves meeting people who you assist or those who can assist you in the development of their or your career respectively. This this is a give and take the relationship a lot of priorities have to be avoided or sacrificed. For instance, one can decide to volunteer his or her services in an organization so that he may link up with experienced individuals. In here one sacrifice to work for free but in return he or she get to know people I the organization who can be an avenue of opportunity at a later time. What is important to note here is that the opportunity can arise either inside or outside the organization.
An instant where I accepted a job or task that will get me noticed was when I decide to become a class representative at college. Such a position made me have constant contact with the lecturers. At the time when I was supposed to attend my internship, one lecturer who we were great friends just called a friend of him who worked in a bank. That is how I simply got the opportunity to work in the bank as an intern. I decided to become a class representative not because I was forced but because I had overheard the benefits of becoming close to the lecturers.
2: Reputation
A saying usually goes that reputation can take years to build but can be destroyed in a day. Most individuals do anything to keep their reputation all right in the society. sometimes one has to do a task so that you can be known among the people in your surroundings. I once was given an opportunity to unearth a misery about the loss of petty cash in the office. I saw this as the best opportunity to be known by my workmates as a person who always was serious and discipline. The opposite occurred three months later when the staff members organized to go for a strike. Since I knew I was a well-respected person in the organization, I had no guts to participate in the demonstration since I definitely knew that it would ruin my good relationship with the top management. I have always wanted to have a good reputation with the organization leaders and would also like to have juniors who are concerned about their reputation once I become a leader.
3: Stretched too thin
There is time at my place of work of work that I was supposed to work over the Christmas holiday. There were because two of the workers who were supposed to work in that period were all held up in other important duties. Marque this was the only period in that period that I had decided to take a leave. However, this situation had to force to forego the leave. The boss wanted someone to remain in the office and the only free person was me. The problem came when I started taking the jobs. These jobs were meant for two guys hence it became too much. I had initially thought that the tasks would be light since people were in the celebration hence most did not do official business. Other than the need to serve our loyal customers throughout the year there was not any other motive for doing the extra job.
Week 3
This paper will discuss several aspects employed in leadership by individuals and or companies in carrying out objectives and goals ultimately. In particular, three aspects in question are the influence, power and politics and how best they work together in making a person be a leader in every aspect. For any management to smoothly operate in its structure, it is critical that the most and vibrant leaders be selected depending on the situation, event and also particular set of situation. Additionally, leaders are often not chosen through either behavior and or traits regarded as essential but through how best they sell their politics, utilize their power but most importantly, the mass they influence at large. Power is referred to as the potential influence a leader has over the mass of followers they have and usually, it is mostly employed in pushing other individuals to do what they probably would not do themselves. Politics, on the other hand, refers to the process through which one gains and use powers they acquired. Through politics, an individual may ultimately increase their power and also their influence over the people. Lastly, it is the influencing capability. Influencing entails the process through which an individual affects attitudes of individuals around them and subjecting them to behave in a certain manner which favors their objectives in the long run.
Influencing tactic I am best at would probably be my rational persuasion in that I would greatly convince others that my perspective is the best alternative there is not only through provided data and facts but also through logical arguments. Pressure is one tactic that I fare least in as it is not, in my opinion, to push someone into doing something they are inept in but rather let it be in their own accord. Moreover, I would greatly like to improve my inspirational appeal. For instance, beliefs, emotions and also values presented would significantly influence those around me
especially when they are more enthusiastic as well as authentic and also well thought plus also they be as personal.
I am hopeful of becoming a Senate in the near future. Incorporation of my rational appeal plus also inspirational appeal would significantly push my agenda further and achieve my set goals as the society, in my opinion, would greatly be in-sync with me. Stating my ideas and convincing others how well they will improve their lives on long term unlike the many ideas utilized today that is of short term. My inspirational appeal will guarantee my winning as people when they go over my records and background will be more certain of my ambitions and ultimately place their trust in me which in turn will guarantee my winning.
Power
Coercive power is indeed an aspect that I would like to be improved significantly as it helps to push goals and objectives in the long run. Punishing individuals who are not in tune with set goals and objectives would guarantee compliance from others as they would not want to be punished as their predecessors. Additionally, it improves discipline and also enforces set rules. Furthermore, it is important to be persistent, ensure that set deadlines are met and lastly, the progress be checked often to ensure no process is left unattended. It is also important not to be making hasty and reckless threats that are not subjected but rather make decisions that best suit your objectives as well as coincide to a certain limit with those around you. This type of power would greatly help in the management of companies in a bid to push the company to profit limits and ensure there is the smooth operation of company processes. It is important that people understand that your points of view are not subjective but rather are for the good of every involved individuals’ benefit and the company at large.
Politics
Using your existing position of power and politics without abusing your powers would significantly improve your leadership skills. Thus it is important to understand what is entailed in politics and power as they do go hand in hand. Moreover, it is important to understand that politics is one of the best media of exchange from either ideas to plans and so forth. Hence it is vital not to abuse one’s political powers so as not to breed negative connotation of which politics is so fond of often. Through reciprocity, objectives and set goals can be achieved well over the set periods as the alliances created plus the new set objectives by the new alliances made will greatly benefit both parties significantly. Moreover, these new coalitions will also help in achieving many goals ultimately as each party will gain significantly from completion of all of the set objectives.
For instance, in order for a company to achieve and gain international market share, it is important to corporate all these tactics of politicking so that one achieves greatly. Through learning the organizational cultures and the power players in the industry, you can easily learn to understand where exactly you may place yourself and use your influence to grow and ultimately push out those you can through your powers that you would have gained. Additionally, it is also vital that one does develop good working relationships, be loyal and honest as these will greatly help in one’s gaining of recognition and eventually reach their set objectives without many hurdles as those around you will want to help you stand. Through finding ways to let the power players that you mean well and your job is outstanding will help significantly in gaining recognition.
In summary, gaining influence is not an easy fete and it requires time and well thought out plans. Any mistake in the processes employed may lead you to the opposite direction. Thus it is best to approach every step with not only a clear understanding of what you are getting yourself into but also armored with the right tools in order to reach the set objectives.
