Effective Leadership in an Organization - Research Paper Example

? Effective Leadership in an Organization The most recurring question about leadership is about how people become effective leaders. Are leadership skills acquired over the years or is it simply that people are born with such traits? Definitive answers for these questions have been provided by experts in the field. Leadership is defined as the influence exerted by particular individuals upon the goal achievement of others within an organization (Nader, n.d). However, it should be borne in mind that leadership is not only concerned with encouraging people to perform preferred tasks within a group, and that leadership skills can be learned and exercised by any individual within a group in order to complete the desired tasks. Therefore, leadership is not only about leading people but should also inspire and motivate others to become leaders themselves. Thus leadership and motivation are strongly linked as leadership is also about providing the right direction and motivation to people in a group or organization in order to achieve the set target or goal successfully. In order to motivate their staff a leader may choose to follow a particular behavior to get the work done from their co-workers or subordinates. They may follow a directive behavior by which they schedule the work and maintain performance standards for their team members. Some leaders may have a supportive behavior by maintaining a pleasant and friendly relationship with their team and motivate them to achieve the set goals. In another form of participative leadership, leaders may involve their team and consider their opinions prior to any decision making. In the achievement-oriented behavior, leaders tend to motivate their staff to strive and achieve higher standards in their work by showing trust and confidence in their work (Nader, n.d). All the above forms of leader behavior have a motivational effect on the team and will encourage them to perform better in their job. Thus any type of leadership which provides constant motivation to the team does have a positive impact on the behavior of the workers and will help in bringing out their best abilities. An effective leader can bring about all the right and desired changes within an organization and in course enable it to achieve its vision, mission and also inspire to set newer goals in future. Recent studies have analyzed the important role of an effective leader to an organization for bringing about a transformational change within the same. Leaders who are capable of bringing about a transformation within the organization should inspire and motivate their team to work towards achieving the set goals without any consideration for the pay or position that they may stand to gain from the job. Through such an effort leaders affect the performance of an organization and contribute to its survival in a highly competitive environment. Major problems within organizations are sorted by bringing about a change in the leadership with the hope that the new leader would bring effective strategies to change these problems. In addition to individuals possessing the right leadership qualities, the presence of talented personal and management, effective strategies that would help in staying ahead of competitors and monitoring systems that would help keep track of all the above would contribute to making an effective organization (Ali, 2012). There are several qualities that make for a successful and effective leader. Leaders can earn their positions through their hard work, expertise and ability to influence people within an organization or in some cases may be assigned with leadership responsibilities through a formal appointment. In either case leaders need to possess certain desired qualities or traits that would help them to be successful and also gain the support and trust of their subordinates and co-workers. Leaders should be able to provide intellectual stimulation to their fellow workers which would enable them to come up with new ideas and handle situations and problems in different ways. Leaders also need to possess strong perseverance in order to ensure that a given task is completed by their team. Leaders should set the right example to their team and also boost their self-confidence levels and ability to perform a given task irrespective of the challenges that it may pose. Leaders should also be assertive in their views and must handle situations honestly without any self-doubt and in an unbiased manner. In order to be successful leaders should also exhibit dominance when the situation demands as well as know when to involve their team. They should also be clear in what they want from their subordinates and should motivate them appropriately in order to get the desired results. Working with honesty and integrity will earn the trust and support of the team. Being charismatic also adds to their strengths as it tends to have an influential effect over their co-workers. Charismatic leaders more often inspire their team to be committed and dedicated to their work in addition to being loyal and trustworthy (Nader, n.d). There could be some demotivating or unsatisfactory factors in every organization. However, a successful leader will use those motivating and employee-friendly aspects within the job to encourage their staff to perform better. Their primary motive should be focused to achieve a high quality work output with the help of supportive a dedicated staff (Nader, n.d). A true leader should be able to constantly evaluate themselves and seek ways of self-improvement, proficient technically and in people management, ensure the welfare of the employees, maintain cordial and effective communication with the subordinates, set an example by exhibiting good behavior and the right attitude, make sure that every order is understood by the employees, plan and supervise the execution of the task until its completion, encourage teamwork and instill a sense of responsibility among the team members and take the right decisions at the right time. The activities of the group members need to be controlled from time to time as it is vital to check any laidback attitude of any member as it may affect the performance of the group. Additionally evaluating the performance of the group members at regular intervals is also vital as it will enable the employees to know where they stand in the group and also serve as a source of further motivation. The leader should also be a good teacher and counselor in order to help the employees understand issues and to support them. And finally a leader must be able to represent the group and explain things from their point of view to higher authorities (Leadership Skills, n.d). Providing the right motivation to staff has become imperative in today’s business scenario. Motivation used as a tool to inspire people to work with dedication and commitment either alone or as a team in order to conduct businesses effectively. Each employee have their own specific motivating factors which needs to be tapped by their leaders and use these forces to enable their workers to produce a better work output. While finding these factors and using them to encourage the staff can be a daunting task they are more likely to positively affect the growth of the company as well as that of the individual. It is widely accepted that people bring out their best in an environment that values their work and would only be willing to work harder. While monetary benefits or rewards accorded to individuals for their exemplary work can motivate them to work harder, in many cases, non-monetary rewards through words and actions can also go a long way in providing the right motivation for the employees. Simple courtesies extended to the employee such as commending them for a job well done or exchanges such as thank you can boost the morale of the employee and make them feel recognized. However, different motivational strategies will have to be followed for each employee depending on their age and experience within the organization. While monetary incentives would be attractive for a new worker, those who have some years of experience might be motivated if presented with opportunities for professional growth. In case of workers with many years of association with the organization being involved in policy making and other strategies would function as motivational factors. Also leaders cannot use the same motivational strategies for an individual at all times as it tends to change with age and experience of the worker. Based on the employee performance motivational strategies need to be changed with time. Providing the right motivation at the right time to the employees can contribute hugely to the success of all business ventures (Bessell, Dicks, Wysocki, & Kepner, n.d). The presence of certain attributes or traits in leaders can help to separate a good leader from those who exhibit the opposite type of leadership. Among the many positive qualities or characters that they tend to possess good leaders will listen to their employees concerns, suggestions or complaints, work towards finding an amicable resolution, encourage workers to raise their standard, gaining their trust and confidence, provide the right directions as and when required, establish effective communication with their subordinates and provide the right motivation to each employee and help them give their best output. However, in case of bad leadership, leaders make the employees deliver the requirements through harsh and controlling means. Bad leaders would mostly dictate rules and orders and fail to pay heed to the issues or problems faced by the employees. They would tend to use harsh words or actions that would lower the self-esteem of their workers and discourage them from delivering their best. They would also refuse to provide the necessary support and in many cases will shut down any creativity or innovative ideas out forth by the employee in order to uphold their superior position within the organization. Bad leadership cannot bring the desired results for the organization in the long-run (Good Leadership vs Bad Leadership, n.d). Thus leadership is an integral part of every business venture and it should always serve to meet the vision of the organization by providing the right motivation to the employees and make them contribute their best towards the growth of the company. Reference Ali, A. (2012). The Crucial Role of Leadership in Organizations: A Review of Literature. International Journal of Independent Research and Studies, 1 (4): 153-161. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://aiars.org/ijirs/journals/ijirsvol1no4october2012/PA_IJIRS_20120194.pdf Bessell, I., Dicks, B., Wysocki, A., & Kepner, K. (n.d). Understanding Motivation: An Effective Tool for Managers. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HR/HR01700.pdf Good Leadership vs Bad Leadership. (n.d). Leadership Science with Ben Simonton. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.bensimonton.com/good-or-bad-leadership.html#.UqLh5iekNGM Leadership Skills. (n.d). Learning for Life. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.learningforlife.org/exploring-resources/99-720/x10.pdf Nader, R. (n.d). Leadership and motivation. Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.ibrd.gov.nl.ca/regionaldev/lm.pdf Read More