Innovative Leader And An Effective Manager example essay topic

Running Head: EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT The Innovative Leader: Skills for Effective Management Tiffany Anderson Submitted to Dr. Liz Lentz-Hee sIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for WED 398 Special Problems Southern Illinois University Kirtland AFB, New Mexico August 17, 2004 Abstract It is understood that management, which is defined as the act, manner, or practice of managing, handling, supervision, or control directly affects almost every aspect of the workplace (American Heritage, 2000). An incompetent or careless manager can have a devastating impact on an organization. This incompetent manger can cause and perpetuate decreased employee performance, dissatisfied customers, and poor production. An effective manager will avoid such effects through circumspect consideration and implementation of innovative management strategies. The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss such strategies and to provide a formula for exceptional leadership.

THE INNOVATIVE LEADER: SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT Introduction An innovative leader is an effective manager, and an effective manager is an innovative leader: an ingenious, inventive, and original leader, one who is not afraid to embrace new concepts or reconsider old practices. An innovative leader differs from other managers due to his or her extraordinary creativity, enthusiasm, confidence in subordinates, and innate respect and genuine goodwill for all co-workers. Other managers, who may be content to accept the status quo from the subordinates and organization for which he or she is responsible, become unacceptable to a business (Smith, 2003). These managers cannot compare to the innovative leader, who goes above and beyond to utilize the competencies of staff and to improve the organization. Are you an innovative leader?

Let's explore the skills of an effective manager, and find out. There are a plethora of skills that are necessary for effective management (Humphrey & Stokes, 2000), and there are just as many guidelines and principles that lend themselves to the advancement of admirable leadership. Many of these will be familiar, while others may be more obscure, but it is, arguably, the most valuable of the many management and leadership precepts that this composition will address. Communication, which is simply the practice of accurately imparting one's thoughts and ideas, is the most prevalent and relevant skill in any organization, and as such, must be established prior to any other managerial actions (American Heritage, 2000).

Findley and Amsler (2003) note that the vast majority of performance problems that supervisors experience can be prevented or eliminated by setting and communicating expectations appropriately. Indeed, communication skills are the most basic prerequisite for any manager's success. Another primary skill is that of directing personnel appropriately. Leaders must maintain a good rapport and actively listen to subordinates to ensure mutual trust and respect, and to ensure that no managerial shortcomings impede employees' willingness to promptly and accurately respond to direction. Employees' responsiveness to leaders' direction is closely associated with workplace morale, another important responsibility of the innovative leader.

Managers must ensure that the team or group for whom they are accountable maintain a positive and spirited approach to the "daily grind". As difficult as it may be, managers must avoid mistakes such as passing on their stress to their staff, and blaming external factors, such as upper management or the business climate, if morale is low (Gish, 2003). Finally, strategic solutions for common mistakes, such as the preceding, will be addressed, completing the overview of the skills and capabilities of innovative leaders. Method Data for this paper was compiled from various sources, including Southern Illinois University's Morris Library Web page and the Society for Human Resource Management web page, among other Internet sources, as well as Albuquerque, New Mexico public libraries.

Discussion The elements of success for a manager, as mentioned previously, include the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to direct people appropriately, the appreciation and maintenance of high morale in the workplace, and the awareness and prevention of common workplace problems and mistakes. The first of these, and the most fundamental, is communication. Communication Communication lies at the core of management curriculum, but, ironically, it is not always fully realized in terms of behavior. Through communication of expectations, rules, and regulations within your internal culture, staff members will be less frustrated and less likely to fail (Cunning, 2004). Listening. Communication does not just entail managerial discourse, but listening: earnest and consistent reception of employees' thoughts and feelings.

Improving and applying listening skills gives managers an "edge", as it helps them to learn more about what may or may not be working in daily operations (Reit man & Williams, 2001). Listening helps managers to make better decisions and it garners employee respect. Managers who recognize the value of listening should consider setting aside time in staff meetings for employees to voice their concerns and ideas, reinforcing that the manager cares what his or her employees are thinking (Humphrey & Stokes, 2000). Setting expectations. Another important aspect of communication involves the ability to set expectations and, as necessary, change or modify them. It must be understood that employees cannot logically meet or exceed standards unless there are standards in place.

According to Findley and Amsler (2003), job expectations prescribe the performance levels to be achieved by each employee in terms of what is to be done and how well it is to be completed to further the organization's goals and objectives. Clearly this is an important step in responsible management. For certain job positions, expectations may be very precise, listing each exact task that must be completed during the workday or workweek. For other positions, particularly higher level ones such as management, expectations may be more vague and encompass many broad areas. Goals must be clear, specific, and stated in terms of desired results: The employee must know how much work is to be performed, how much time is allotted for completion, and what milestones will measure progress (Findley & Amsler, 2003). A manager who communicates clear, fair, and quantifiable objectives is doing himself or herself a favor, and doing the employees a favor as well, as all involved will have a thorough understanding of what is expected and what standards they will be measured against (Hotler, 2002).

Delivering instruction. A third aspect of leadership involves the ability to deliver instruction effectively. While this concept may seem somewhat elementary, it is essential in ensuring that employees trust the manager and willingly comply with direction. A manager who is condescending, patronizing, or unnecessarily blunt or harsh is accomplishing little more than encouraging the workforce to despise and ridicule him or her. The old adage that one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar has never been truer than it is this context. A manager must realize that he or she is part of a team, and that maintaining a team atmosphere among subordinates requires that he or she deliver instruction in such a way as to show appreciation for each individual; for their experience, their insight, and their personal integrity.

This segues easily into a final consideration of communication: persuasion. Persuasion. What exactly is persuasion? Persuasion is a management philosophy that may be employed primarily by those most innovative of leaders. Persuasion, as Ken Fracaro (2002) defines it, is the artful technique of inducing, rather than forcing, employees to comply with requirements. A manager may seek to utilize persuasion through first developing personal (or "people") skills, then forming relationships with subordinates, creating a detailed plan of action, and finally, meeting with key personnel to present the plan.

Persuasion centers around the concept that people who know and like a manager will be willing, even eager, to accept instruction and act on it with positive results. This concept ties into every other aspect of communication. Managers who listen thoroughly, set expectations clearly, and, especially, instruct judiciously, may be assured of an enviable workforce. Directing People The responsibility of directing people can be overwhelming. If a manager is accountable for a large division or section of a business, the task may seem impossible. How is it possible to direct, micro-manage, and sometimes even baby-sit scores of people while still maintaining sanity and getting results in the workplace?

The innovative leader's plan for effectively directing people is simple, but may seem ludicrous at first due to its almost polar opposition to the way many managers are accustomed to doing business. There are four main principles to directing people. Tell your personnel what to do-not how to do it, maintain a mistake-friendly atmosphere, motivate your people, and invite outspokenness. The next few paragraphs detail how to establish these principles in the workplace.

Tell them what to do, not how to do it. Managers at most organizations prefer to spell out exactly how they want an employee to accomplish a task, because not doing so carries the sometimes considerable risk that the employee will carry it out in an inefficient or even disastrous fashion (Freedman, 2000, p. 99). This is a risk that the innovative leader should learn to deal with. Properly trained and responsible employees should be told what to do, not how to do it. They should be trusted to make many decisions on their own. They should even be trusted to run the workplace in the managers' absence.

If a manager must look over the shoulder of each employee every day, the manager is to blame in some way: either for not training his employees to the extent that they may be trusted, or for not having faith in his or her own team. This is a deplorable condition in a workplace. An innovative leader will make sure that his or her personnel have the tools, the information, and the training to conduct a given task, and will then step back. This is essential in the modern workplace, because, as Freedman (2000) notes, in an atmosphere or workplace where events take place rapidly and without notice, a particular means to an end may suddenly become impractical or impossible, but if the end is understood, then other means may be employed to achieve the goal. Quite simply, employees should be given instruction, then left to accomplish the task through what means he or she knows are appropriate. This eliminates hesitancy and guesswork in the workplace, and causes employees to feel not only trusted, but also fulfilled, because they know that their actions will be supported and appreciated rather than picked apart and belittled by a micro-managing manager.

Maintain a mistake-friendly atmosphere. In order to accomplish this freeing of subordinates, a manager must incorporate a mistake-friendly atmosphere into his area of responsibility. It is better for the entire workplace if employees are accomplishing their objectives without being goaded and guided through every step, but what happens if someone makes a mistake? What happens if someone fails substantially? Freedman (2000) explains that for the U.S. Marine Corps, that paragon of discipline and precision, failure is not considered the worst thing that can happen. A Marine who never fails may actually be denounced as one who is not "pushing the envelope" enough, because failure is the best possible learning process.

When a person makes a mistake and sees the consequences, sees that a given decision was inadequate or ineffective, he or she will remember it much more clearly than he or she would remember the nagging of a manager to do something or not do it. The innovative manager expects his or her employees to dredge up success in any conceivable situation, but if an honest mistake is made, the innovative manager knows that the best policy is to value the experience for its learning potential, and move on. So you " re an innovative leader. Now you " ve given your employees all the planning, training, information, and resources possible. Now all you have to do is admire, praise, and observe the results, right? Sometimes it doesn't work like that.

Sometimes the employees are sluggish or indifferent toward their jobs, despite all the trust you place in them and the responsibilities that you enthusiastically provide. These employees are unmotivated, and you, as the manager, must correct the problem. Motivate people. Managers must first ensure that lower level employees are connected in a meaningful way to the driving factors of the organization. One way of doing this is to encourage co-mingling of higher-level employees with subordinates. This is a broadly effective solution to a number of workplace problems, but it is particularly appropriate if employees are distanced from the vision of a given business.

Managers should glorify the workers who occupy even the most insignificant positions in the workplace. Make it clear that their efforts have a profound daily impact on the organization's operation. Challenge and inspire your people to do their best, by impressing upon them the intrinsic value of their participation in the company's progression. Motivated employees are sharp, dedicated, and enthusiastic. One motivated employee is of more worth to a workplace than five or six who have no interest in their jobs.

Managers, take note. The choice to motivate your subordinates is left to you. Invite outspokenness. A final recommendation on the subject of directing people is to invite outspokenness. This goes beyond the previously addressed topic of listening, which, though extremely important, hardly breaks the surface of this topic.

Managers who invite outspokenness employ direct acceptance and welcoming of employees' input. Employees should never be expected to remain silent when they feel that something is being done wrong (Freedman, 2000). An employee who feels that his or her input is ignored or squelched, cannot help but become unmotivated, and management may miss out on input which may very well have been useful to the organization. If employees are adamantly rejecting a plan or idea or change, perhaps the manager should re-think how he or she is presenting it, or even re-think the whole idea. A trained and trusted employee should never just be considered a worker, but should be treated as an indispensable member of a team, and not just invited, but expected to share his or her reactions to situations in the workplace. A manager can direct personnel most effectively by telling them what to do, not how to do it, maintaining a mistake-friendly atmosphere, motivating people, and inviting outspokenness.

The innovative leader will reap the benefits in the form of an organized, efficient, and positive place of business. Workplace Morale Any business, no matter how smoothly it may seem to run, cannot be considered exemplary unless there is a high level of morale. This is a concept that is clearly understood by the military. Team spirit, enthusiasm, and support for team members can turn an acceptable workplace into an outstanding one, and make even the worst toil and drudgery, not only bearable, but actually pleasant.

The innovative leader knows that high morale is essential to boosting enthusiasm for even the most mundane of tasks and for keeping rates of turnover low. Here are some tips for achieving and maintaining workplace morale. Hire carefully. Before you can begin efforts to increase morale, you, as a manager, must take responsibility for your team's morale. Don't play the blame game or ignore a shortage of morale. Next you can start cautiously examining people as you hire them (Gish, 2003).

Ask yourself, "Is this the type of person that fits with the team environment that I'm trying to cultivate?" A potential employee who exhibits, however inconspicuously, qualities that are contrary to those of your ideal workplace, may be someone you should not consider hiring. While it is true that everyone has some undesirable qualities, an employee who turns out to be consistently lazy, selfish, obnoxious, or incompetent creates an extraordinary drain on morale, especially when the manager realizes that the entire issue might have been avoided by more judicious hiring. Celebrate accomplishments. Once you have the best possible team working for you, the steps to increasing morale become a little less complicated. A manager should establish a recognition program, not just to acknowledge accomplishments, but also to celebrate and reward them. Rewards need not be large or expensive-small awards such as a special cake or a group lunch will be meaningful and appreciated, if subordinates can see that their manager's intentions are sincere.

Gish (2003) advises that a manager consistently show his or her appreciation for hard work, even if the result was not exactly the work he had hoped for. Individual recognition programs can provide personnel with a special incentive to accomplish great things, and group recognition programs are an effective way to boost team spirit and unit cohesion. Stand behind your people. Another way to boost (or maintain) morale is to back your people. There are many methods for providing support to employees. Stand behind them when they " re doing the right things, and support them if they make a mistake.

"Take one for the team" if necessary (Badaracco, 2002). Obtain the resources and tools that they need. Appeal to Human Resources on their behalf if you feel that they may not be receiving the wages that are due them. If and when downsizing becomes necessary in your organization, don't just pass out "pink slips"; think about how devastating this may be for them.

Gish (2003) describes an instance in which she picked up the phone herself and began making calls to find potential positions for the individuals whom she was forced to lay off. Actions such as these reinforce your commitment to your staff and to your company, and cause employees to respect and trust you even more than they might otherwise have done. Be available. A final aspect of maintaining workplace morale is also related to the trust and respect that subordinates have for you.

You, as a manager, must make yourself available to your people. This is a simple measure to secure your place as an innovative leader, and it is a measure that many managers may already have in place, but the concept bears repeating. Maintain an "open-door" policy, and make it clear that employees need not fear reprisal for coming to you with their concerns (Giuliani, 2002). Make sure that everyone on your staff knows where you are and how to reach you, and who is in charge in your absence (Gish, 2003).

All of the preceding strategies can have a tremendous positive effect on your office or duty section, but the most important thing to remember about workplace morale is to keep your own morale high. You can hardly expect to keep morale high at your workplace if you are frustrated and overstressed. As Hotler (2002) says, every now and then, you need to get yourself a nice cup of coffee, pick up a good book, and leave your work at the office. Solutions to Common Problems Despite the best efforts of an innovative leader, there are things that can and will go wrong. The following is a crib sheet to guide you through some of the most common problems that may arise in the workplace. Utilize employees' abilities.

Every individual that comes to your workplace has a set of abilities and competencies that have been influenced by many different factors, including culture, family and experience, throughout his or her life. While there is always something at which an employee may not excel, there is also a task or ability at which he or she may be exceptional. Many managers make the mistake of focusing mainly or only on subordinates' weaknesses and failures. You, as an innovative leader, know that your employees deserve better than this.

While it is certainly part of your responsibility to coach, mentor, and guide employees to overcome their weaknesses, you must also consider the vastly unpleasant effects of focusing only on the negative. Highlight your employees's trengths. Don't be afraid to tailor subordinates' duties to suit their individual abilities. Cunning (2004), describes an instance in which a nurse at a hospital is excessively talkative and struggles with numbers and calculations. Rather than berating this individual for her shortcomings, the manager notes the individual's potential and assigns her to lonely and depressed patients, with whom her chattiness will be appreciated. The manager also advises the nurse to double-check her calculations with fellow nurses.

This manager provides an outstanding example for innovative leaders to follow. Never ruthlessly focus on your employees' faults; instead, make use of their talents. Be personable. This concept primarily reiterates many of the principles that have already been alluded to. As a manager, you must maintain a good attitude.

You must look for the good in your employees. You must make it clear that employees are free to come to you with their problems. An unwise manager may make the mistake of being (or seeming) too busy, harsh, critical, aloof, or unapproachable. This is a massive indiscretion on the part of a manager. How can you expect your employees to maintain good attitudes and good working relationships with each other, if you behave as though you are exempt from the rules?

Treat others the way you would want to be treated, and smile as much as possible. Praise liberally. The final consideration on the topic of avoiding common problems is to praise your employees liberally. If you don't praise their dedication, accomplishments, and achievements, who will? Appreciate, value, and recognize the contributions of your employees. Even small "every-day" actions and behaviors are worth praising.

As one expert puts it, the key to developing people is to catch them doing something right (Cunning, 2004). As a manager, you expect your people to do the right thing, and you must remember to thank them when they do. The innovative leader may avoid workplace pitfalls by adhering to these three basic rules: Utilize your employees' abilities, be personable, and praise liberally. Once a manager creates a staff that is happy, empowered, and working well together, it shouldn't require constant managing.

The manager can step back and enjoy the results. Conclusion The principles that one should apply to become an innovative leader and an effective manager are not particularly complex or time-consuming. They require some additional thought and planning, but the benefits will trump the preparation involved. Your employees will be happier and more productive, you will be more relaxed and more fulfilled, and your workplace will triumph as a prototype of excellence for others to emulate. As a manager, you have the responsibility to take action! Recommendations Smith (2003), said it well when he stated:" The traditional manager who maintains status quo, leaving what he found, will not be effective in today's environment.

Today's business challenges revolve around change, innovation, passion, and creativity" (p. 1). Leaders must not be afraid to challenge themselves to try new things. They must consider themselves to be on a mission to constantly improve their workplace, to make it a better place to work and a better place to manage. Following the preceding guidelines will undoubtedly place a manager on the path to excellence and will ensure success in the business world.

Bibliography

American heritage dictionary of the English language (4th ed. ). (2003).
Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin. Badaracco, J. (2002).
Leading quietly: An unorthodox guide to doing the right thing. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Cunning, S.M. (2004).
Avoid common management pitfalls. Nursing Management, 35 (2), 18. Fracaro, K. (2002).
Persuasion: A modern management technique. Supervision, 63 (6), 3- 5. Freedman, D. (2000).
Corps business: The 30 management principles of the U.S. Marine Corps. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Findley, H.M., & Amsler, G. (2003).
Setting performance expectations: Return to the basics. Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved Jul 09, 2004, from: web J.
2003).
Managing a professional workforce. Supervision, 64 (7), 8. Giuliani, R. (2002).
Leadership. New York: Hyperion. Hotler, D. (2002).
21st century management and the quest for excellence: is there anything new under the sun? Supervision, 63 (10), 3-7. Humphrey, B., & Stokes, J. (2000).
Nine essential skills for frontline leaders. Retrieved Jul 09, 2004, from: web G.
P. (2003) Innovative Leadership Assessment.
Value Vision Associates. Retrieved July 12, 2004 from: web A.
Williams, C. (2001).