Leadership and Ethics for Managers - Research Paper Example

In the work environment of the 21st century companies depend on the leadership of its executive management team to guide organizations towards success. A way for managers to lower their burden and workload is through empowerment. The use of empowerment allows individuals and groups to make decisions that affect their workplace (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). Along with empowerment other HR practices that can enhance the productivity and efficiency of a workforce are teamwork and cooperation. A CEO is responsible for the work performance of the entire staff of workers. These executives must adapt to the changes in the marketplace to stay ahead of the competition. Often organizations go through processes that redefine the way a company operates. The CEO of the company has the vision and the strategic plan to transform the organization. Companies in the 21st century do not longer seek individualism in the actions of its employees. Teamwork and cooperation have become a hot trend in the business world. The current approach and strategy of the CEO of the organization is to move to a team environment and to push many of the decisions to the lowest possible levels in order to achieve a team based empowered organization. The most valuable resource of any organization is its people because of the ability of humans to think, communicate and use judgment (Feinberg, 2012). The CEO is facing some resistance to change from the rest of the managerial staff of the organization. It is the duty of the leader to find a resolution to the problem. The first step towards finding an alternative solution to the dilemma is to open the lines of communication between the workers and the managers of the firm. The new plan that the CEO of the company wants to implement should be assessed by the entire organization. The managers should listen to the input of the workers about the proposed plan. Two concepts that many people visualize as similar, but in reality differ a lot are leading and managing. One of the purposes and visions of leaders is to inspire groups of people in organizations to aspire to achieve common goals (Entrepreneur, 2002). Leading involves motivating others to achieve a higher level of performance. Leadership can come from any person in an organization which implies that leadership abilities are not limited or exclusive of a managerial position. Sometimes companies gain the benefit of having strong leaders among the floor employees. Good leaders have excellent communication skills and are active listeners. Being an active listener can help an employee enhance his productivity and it improves a person’s ability to influence, persuade, and negotiate (Mindtools, 2012). One of the key differences between leading and managing is that managing entails complying with the basic managerial functions. Some of the basic managerial functions are planning, staffing, organizing, and controlling. Another difference between the two concepts is that managers are responsible for the actions of their subordinates. The CEO is trying to manage instead of leading this change initiative. Evidence that the CEO is using a managing approach is that the leader created a plan and provided a layout of the work structure that he expects the employees to follow. The managerial mandate of the CEO is to implement a team based work structure. One of the mistakes made is relying too much on managing instead of leading change. To lead change the corporate executive must convince others of the benefits of the change instead of imposing his will and vision on others and making unilateral decisions. The managers of the organization at first glance did not like the plan of the CEO. It is highly possible that the managers felt threatened by the change management initiative because they felt their power and control would be diminished by the move. The CEO of the firm has to start a direct dialogue and negotiation process with the managerial staff. The use of formal meetings is a method that can be used to interchange ideas and opinions with the rest of the staff. The CEO has to bring to the table irrefutable evidence that a problem exists and that change is needed to fix the situation. Once consensus about the existence of the problem is established the job of the CEO is to justify why the proposed solution is the best alternative solution to solve the situation. The chief executive officer can take several measures to influence the behavior of the managers and help change their style. One of the first options the CEO has at his disposal is to utilize training and development as a tool to educate the managers on the benefits of implementing a team based approach. A second solution that can be used by the top executives of the company is to hire a consulting firm to intervene and act as a mediator between the CEO and the managers. One of the specializations the consultants must possess is in human resource strategy. The implications of the actions and decisions of the CEO are that he wants to alter the corporate culture of the company and empower the employees so that they can become more independent. The use of empowerment can benefit a company because its use motivates employees by increasing their responsibilities. Employees that feel good about themselves want to share their enthusiasm by helping the organization succeed (Referenceforbusiness, 2012). The use of empowerment can help raise the employee morale by creating a more dynamic work environment in which collaboration and teamwork become guiding principles of success. The approach of the CEO so far has been too narrow because it has not involved others in the decision making process. The managers of the firm have major concerns about the effectiveness of the plan. It is important for the chief executive officer to recognize that harmony in the workplace is achieved when people agree on the best solution. Currently the managers are displaying resistance to change because their voices are not being heard by their leader. The CEO has to improve communications with his staff. During the next week weeks the CEO should meet with the entire managerial team twice a week to discuss the benefits and cons of his plan. It is important for the leader to keep an open mind and evaluate the feedback he will receive from his managers. Another way the CEO can convince the staff about the merits of his plan is by preparing a report on the subject to demonstrate to the managers that the plan can work. Generic benchmarking can help the firm identify others companies that have used similar solutions successfully in other industries. The long term success of the business depends on the ability of the leaders of the company to work together as a cohesive unit. References Entrepreneur.com (2002). The Difference Between Managing and Leading. Retrieved April 27, 2012 from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/57304 Feinberg, T. (2002). Team Based Organizations. Retrieved April 26, 2012 from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Team_Based_Organizations.html Mindtools.com (2012). Active Listening. Retrieved April 26, 2012 from http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm Referenceforbusiness.com (2012). Empowerment. Retrieved April 27, 2012 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Eco-Ent/Empowerment.html Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior (8th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More