Ethical Leadership and Decision Making - Research Paper Example

Ethical Leadership and Decision Making 1. INTRODUCTION Leadership is among one of the most discussed disciplines in management sciences. Practice of leaders and leadership is considered to be based on the philosophy of success providing visionary direction to the people directly under their charge. Leadership generally is defined as a process by which a person or leader influences the behavior of a group of people to achieve common goals (Northouse, 2007). This report, based upon assessment of the mentor leadership role, is aimed towards concluding that successful leaders are visionary people with the capability to leverage strength to the group of people to overcome their weaknesses and has full faith on its people. Moreover, based on the accepted fact that success is not the final outcome of every attempt, it is the leader who ensures rescuing people from de-motivation rising from failure that most stands apart from the rest. The report herein develops assessment of a leader that has served as a mentor to give meaning and understanding of effective leadership. 2. CONTEXT OF THE STUDY During work experience in the Army, Major General (Ret.) Charles McCartney’s the leadership style influenced me greatly. McCartney well understood the privilege of leadership being responsibility with visionary collaboration and team work to gain an overall level of success. Thereby, this report develops an assessment on Major General (Ret.) Charles McCartney’s various dimensions of leadership and will provide review of the fact that successful leadership assumes all capabilities to lead its people to success as a combined goal. 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Management science has undertaken considerable assessment of the leaders from various dimensions; for instance Behavioral factors, Transformational, Situational, Trait, Charisma along with the power and influence etc. Moreover, it is based on the early assumption that leaders are born and not made; however, contemporary theories assert that effective leader offer apart from direction to success also offer great learning opportunities (Browne & Keeley, 2012). These learning opportunities are presented as two types of leaders as mentioned below: (Northouse, 2007) Hence, leadership can be learned as well. In this, one can see that trait, skills and values from McCartney’s style offer the reader a great chance to learn. The distinctive formats of the transformational or transactional leadership complimented with the power available to a given leader all work to facilitate the outcome from the leader. Broadly, leaders that are ultimately effective in leadership have to account for an optimum mix of three main factors (Barton, Grant, & Horn, 2012): Decision making styles mix Day to day behavior Transformational and transactional leadership style It is worthy of mention, due to the fact that each dimension mentioned above has its own variation to offer and effective leaders formulate the mix of each dimension’s offering suiting to the need of the situation and in the overall best interest of follower; though this may not be suiting to the need of the certain people. Hence, the effective leadership is also one to constantly learn and evolve from the challenges with passion for success by adapting to the need to hour. 4. APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS For assessing Major General (Ret.) Charles McCartney with respect to his alignment with the leadership’s dimension, the below road map will offer an effective guide in understanding such nuances: (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012) 4.1. Decision Making Styles Leader’s decisions ultimately decide the fate of the follower. Moreover, the fact that makes the decision making more crucial for the leaders, especially in a critical situation where chances of loss equally exists, comes to even more prominence. The decision making styles include leader’s decision making formula of adopting of any of the following (Thach, 2012): Delegative Style Authoritative style Facilitative Style Consultative Style Effective leaders are more concerned with the combination of all four styles suiting to the need of the situation. It also varies based on the need to develop commitment as well as support to and from the followers. Styles ranging with the powers resting with both extreme parties (leaders and employees) such as in authoritative style where all power rests with leader differs substantially from a delegative style in which all power rests with employees and/or shareholders making their own decisions jointly. While on the other end, the facilitative decision making styles refer to decision making where power emphasis rests with both parties involved almost equally, other aspects of leadership are equally important (Woiceshyn, 2011). 4.1.1. Application and Assessment Major General (Ret.) Charles McCartney possessed skill of adopting the decision making style suiting to the needs of the decision making in overall best interest of organization. With belief in team work and participative management approach McCartney constantly involved employees in decision making by setting goals. This also required McCartney to adopt the directive or authoritative decision making in instances to reduce the unwanted resistance. In addition, McCartney also influenced employees with coaching especially to those employees who were aware of their weaknesses and eagerness to improve. To enforce values of the organization in overall conduct of employees directed towards vision, McCartney also practiced the coaching of employees and communicated the great deal of confidence on them in achieving results. The most influencing attribute that McCartney practiced to retain the high level of motivation among people was high tolerance to failure that ensured motivation level of employees was maintained. Hence, McCartney’s effective leadership had elementary trait of employing decision making style suiting to the need of people and situation. 4.2. Optimal Mix of Day To Day Behavior Leaders are not only intended to take revolutionary changes and decision only. Moreover, the fact remains that taking revolutionary steps sometimes become easier when assessed on the basis of frequency of occurrence that provide leaders greater time to measure and evaluate the outcomes. In contrast to this, leaders have to face greater challenge in address the day to day behavior of the employees with every day resulting on revolution (Lamb and McKee, 2004). Day to day behavior of employees have two broad dimensions. These two dimensions in day to day behaviors are initialing structure and consideration. The former refers to self defining roles of employees; providing employees set goals and targets and informing them about the result expectations. While contrary to this, the other consideration refers to the developing mutual job relationship among employees with greater collaboration and giving high priority to employees’ perspective in setting goals. Both aspects forming extremes are to be employed in combination in order to achieve the optimal results (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012). 4.2.1. Application and Assessment The McCartney on this element of effective leadership also employed the mix of the day to day behaviors with respect to initiation and consideration. Personally it appeared that McCartney was more towards initiation and giving employees set of goal to be achieved and alongside inspiring them to achieve these goals. In addition to this, for developing mix of the both extremes suiting to the need McCartney encouraged employees to self-improve their ideas in order to successfully achieving the goals set. Encouragement for this led employees to develop improvement in their performance despite the case of idea failure. However, for the project McCartney adopted diversion towards other extreme of consideration and endowed with more freedom to employees in achieving strategic goal provided it remains aligned with organizational vision. McCartney achieved success with increasing focus on value oriented and value driven leadership. For instance, when provided greater emphasis on the consideration McCartney asserted greater emphasis on the role model behavior and informing staff for the high level of expectation. This format also revealed greater success as a result and within two years of time the organization managed to achieve the leading position of sales and business group of the state. Unlike my personal understanding of the fact that leader’s direction are necessary on more detailed level. Moreover, I held view that employees must be given the comprehensive plan of action for achieving set goals though decided upon the participative manner but must be underpinned at point in time of decision making and shall be then followed according. McCartney visionary attempt supported me to change my view of guided methodology to attain success with variation that goes well with the need of the situation. The rationale for switching or mediating between the two extremes is decided on the basis of readiness as well as capability of employee to perform as reflected in model given below: (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012) 4.3. Transformational and Transactional Leadership Style The most effective constituent of the effective leadership remains within the stage of leadership that leader has manager to reached. Broadly, two categories of leaders are defined as transformational and transactional leaders. Transactional leaders are one have greater capacity than general employees to solve matter. Transactional leaders are more concerned with solving the current issues pertaining to the organization and solution to be achieved within the given organizational standards and culture. Moreover, such leaders develop and assert the connection of rewards for every effort. Hence, the overall paradigm of transactional leaders revolves around the cost and benefit assessment of the employee and organization (Avolio, Bass, & Jung, 1999). In contrast, the transformational leaders are more concerned with achieving the emotional success of integrity, more relationship oriented than cost and benefit analysis and intend to solve problems proactively while retaining the capacity and to shift the entire paradigm. Moreover, as the image one depicts that leader nurtures through the stages of transactional leadership and achieve the optimal destination of transformation capacity (Bass, 1990). 4.3.1. Application and Assessment McCartney can be well regarded as the leader with transformational capabilities and reflection of this trait formed a great deal of impression on his employees as well as on me. Overall working relationship with McCartney made many impressions. For instance, for a project of merging two competitive organizations that were totally divided McCartney conducted unification of employees by giving greater power to employees for achieving success in accomplishing vision. At this stage it appeared that McCartney would have given employees set goals in order to bring all employees on same frequency and upon achieving success, more freedom oriented approach shall have been adopted. However, the resulting success from McCartney strategy within two years’ time asserted the transformational leader’s capability of having greater vision oriented strategy. With providing greater freedom to perform in respective ways to achieve the strategic success, McCartney achieved greater unification among employees by proving more stressed chance to self define goals. Hence, I realized that transformational leaders’ thinking ahead of cost and benefit analysis is the result of phase of transition from transactional leadership phase to transformational leaderships. 4.4. Power and Influence Tactics and Politics Leader’s role remains to influence the people or employee to particular direction or directing employees to achieve the organizational vision. For the purpose above discussions referred to the elements of effective leadership. For practicing the mentioned role, a leader requires to assert influence that is achieved with influencing tactics and organizational power (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012). Leader to influence employees uses the given below set of power: (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012) These powers enable leaders to exert influence on employees using various influencing tactics to change their behavior and attitudes. The influencing tactics vary from pressure exerting tactics to consultation and inspirational appeal for certain behavior etc. It is important to mention , higher power and influencing tactic result in less effectiveness whereas more of the collaborative approach results in the greater change in behavior and attitude. Hence, positively exerted power results with greater commitment of employees to organization as well as job performance. Leaders can also take benefit of organizational politics but the resulting outcomes are usually negative results (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2012). 4.4.1. Application and Assessment Among the powers defined, it can be stated that McCartney utilized two powers including legitimate power, power that McCartney enjoyed for his leading position in the organization, and expert power, power that rests with McCartney based on his expertise on the organizational development and management. Overall employment relationship with McCartney offered me opportunity to experience and develops learning of power impact. McCartney remained closely in contact with employees, facilitating employee development and knowledge acquisition/retention with an environment that presented employees an opportunity to achieve set targets with faith in themselves. Additionally, with his legitimate power he allowed employees to plan their day to day behavior with new ideas and not fearing failure. While the expert power allowed McCartney to give employees new projects and further organization in achieving the success despite all employees being divided, the successful achievement of employees did not require McCartney to use organizational politics for personal benefit forcefully. 5. CONCLUSIONS AND REFLECTIONS For the assessment of leadership practices in practical life, the report herein developed the analysis of various leadership aspects of the mentor McCartney and impact on my personal understanding and learning of the effective leadership. It can definitively be said that McCartney has been an effective leader as he managed to gain success on every front. Leadership of McCartney attained consistent score with respect to trait theory and process theory. From the analysis, I developed a greater understanding of the multi-dimensional personality trait that an effective leader possesses and more importantly the variation in the conduct with respect to the need of the situation. In addition to this, the perspective that leaders must have contact with employee was also well witnessed in the leadership of McCartney especially in decision making styles. McCartney’s leadership well reflected the two traits that have been considered most important traits of leader from employee perspective. These traits include trust and confidence of employees on leadership and second being the effective communication in respect of conveying the business vision. These two factors results in incremental employee commitment to organization and the job performance. Overall McCartney’s leadership had shown these two traits whenever and however required. Such as facilitating employees in achieving organizational goal with effective communication of organization’s firm believe on the employees etc. Hence, it can be confidently stated that McCartney has been an effective and visionary leader. He has provided great opportunity to learn and explore the varying dimensions of leadership along with adapting to the styles and traits suiting to the need of situation. References Avolio, B. J., Bass, B. M., & Jung, D. I. (1999). Re-examining the components of transformational and transactional leadership using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72, 441–462. Barton, D., Grant, A., & Horn, M. (2012). Leading in the 21st century. Mckinsey Quarterly, 3, 30-47. Bass, B. (1990). From Transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18, 19-31. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from http://numerons.in/files/documents/II-5-a.-From-Transactional-to-Transformational-Leadership.pdf Browne, M. N. & Keeley, S. M. (2012). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Colquitt, J., Lepine, J., & Wesson, M. (2012). Organizational behavior: essentials for improving performance and commitment in the workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill Lamb, L. F., McKee, K. B. (2004). Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management. 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