Leaders Leadership example essay topic

Peter F. Drucker once said, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things" (Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations. com, n. d. ). Leading is a key function of management. Without leadership, valuable time spent on planning, organizing, and controlling can be lost with no productive end result. Because leadership is the core of management, a great deal of focus must be placed on its key components. "Leading means influencing other people to get the job done, maintaining morale, molding company structure and managing conflicts and communication" (Dressler, 2004, p. 3).

Effective leadership is the foundation for any business. Developing leaders, leading strategic planning, overcoming obstacles, and motivating and inspiring employees are major components of leadership. Many articles and publications have been devoted to these four components. In selecting the articles to be summarized, emphasis was placed on articles that discussed universal methods utilized by businesses, along with recommendations for promoting successful leadership. Developing Leaders From front-line employees to mid-level managers, expectations of employees in today's organizations have become more demanding.

"Today, employees are given leadership titles and expected to figure out how to handle their new roles, but aren't effectively trained" (Gale, 2002, p. 1). Companies benefit when they have leaders positioned throughout the organization. This positioning distributes knowledgeable and skilled employees to benefit all aspects of the organization. In the past, leadership development was limited to executive employees. This training process must change as companies strive to become more adaptive to the competitive world. With the downsizing of staff, additional work responsibility with less guidance is becoming the norm.

The need for leadership must evolve as the organization grows. A great manager may not be a great leader. Great leaders must be able to communicate as well as motivate employees. "The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager imitates; the leader initiates" (Benn is, 1994). Jon Katzenbach best described leadership "as a mind set of adaptive responsiveness" (Gale, 2002, p. 2).

Some will argue that leaders are born, while others will say leaders are trained. In either case, a qualified well-rounded leader must be found. Sourcing and recruiting, among other methods, can identify leaders. This may include new college graduates who have gained the knowledge and skill capabilities of becoming a great leader. On the downside, students may not have had the opportunity to use and strengthen the skills they have learned.

Lack of experience can hinder effectiveness. External recruiting for top talent from other companies can also be a valuable source for finding leaders. Recruits that already have been in the workforce may have hands-on experience in team building, problem solving skills, and an understanding of how to interact with employees. A second option would be to train internal personnel who demonstrate traits and skills consistent with becoming a strong leader. Several benefits could result from this option. The employee would be familiar with the inner workings and culture of the company, as well as how other employees respond to company needs.

The ability to move up within an organization can be used as a motivational factor. "Employees who are given the opportunity to develop leadership skills are more inclined to take responsibility and feel pride in their work" (Gale, 2002, p. 1). With downsizing or new openings companies would have in-house experience available immediately. There is no need to wait for a hiring or training process. Empowering employees offers economic benefits for businesses, as well as a more positive culture. One apparent disadvantage for the company can be lack of new ideas.

Thoughts and processes may become single-minded and outside ideas may be missed. Training Leaders Leadership training should be a critical part of business strategy. Effective leadership training should start with leaders already established in the organization as the trainers. "Every effective leadership development program must have the full endorsement of senior-level managers, who have to be good examples of whatever is being taught in the program" (Zenger, Ulrich, Smallwood, 2000, p. 10). Just as teachers must possess knowledge and skills before passing information onto their students, managers must understand the processes and programs being implemented by the organization in order to train and coach their employees. Below is a list of what the most effective leadership development programs should include: o Planning what participants need to do differently when returning to their job Create measurements that will be used when participants return to work Provide examples and stories from respected leaders inside the organization that explain how things are best accomplished inside the organization. o Use skill-building activities targeted specifically to the participants need so Create learning projects in which participants tackle important issues they face (Zenger, Ulrich, Smallwood, 2000, p. 8) The transformation into becoming a leader should not be an event or lectured activity; it should be a facilitated process that promotes the learning and retention of skills.

Leadership training should not simply be a day or week-long seminar. Leadership should be built and explored with each participant. Leadership training should become a process which allows growth over an entire career. Where to Begin The development of future leaders needs to be a priority for businesses now. Through high school, students have access to student-to-work programs and business curriculum. This gives them the starting tools to embark on a business leadership career.

Employee leadership training programs can become valuable assets to companies that understand how important strong leadership is. Teaching new employees and also prepping existing employees to prepare for the future will allow companies to survive and grow. With the never-ending competition of business, developing tomorrow's leaders today is just smart business. Leading Strategic Planning and Goal Setting " The function of strategic planning is to align all the efforts of an organization to customer satisfaction, quality and operational performance goals".

The planning process helps coordinate activities within the organization and to drive the whole improvement process. The ultimate goal is to have all employees match their tasks to specific company objectives (George & Weimerskirch, 1994, p. 49). Once companies identify strategies that work, they can implement the strategies into their policies and practices. Managers face two main challenges in developing and implementing competitive strategies. The first challenge is ensuring the strategies are not a reflection of the biases of the management team. These biases may have formed from strategies implemented during the company's past.

The second challenge is ensuring the company outlines a strategy that can distribute resources in a way that accurately reflects and compliments the strategy. It is critical to use available resources to their fullest extent to preserve economic health for businesses (Christensen, 2000). The first stage of leading strategic planning is defining the fundamental issues the company's strategy must address. The second stage is to develop the strategy itself. The third stage is to create a plan for managing the many projects through which the strategy will be implemented.

This third stage may be led by an outside party (Christensen, 2000). In any problem solving process it is important to identify the driving forces. The driving forces are the economic, demographic, technological, or competitive factors that pose threats or create opportunities for the company. When the management team identifies the driving forces, it is much easier to make a clear strategic plan. To define a company's driving forces, the management team must generate hypotheses through the process of brainstorming. To brainstorm effectively, a team of top senior executives needs to be pulled together to represent each area of the company.

There should be a representative from customer service, sales, marketing, human resources, and finance. Ideally the representative would be a core leader in their department. These leaders may provide information on regulations that are not known by other departments from within the company. When brainstorming it is important not to reject any ideas and to give each member the opportunity to explain the aspects of the idea. Brainstorming also aids in putting ideas in order of importance. After all ideas are discussed, the members are encouraged to divide into smaller groups and each group will be given a cluster of ideas.

The executives write a statement, which summarizes all of the ideas in the cluster. Those summary statements are used as the hypotheses. Then the executives must figure out how the hypotheses will affect the company. Another technique executives may use to develop a deeper understanding about the hypotheses is called mapping. Mapping is a visual tool used to discover the root of the problem that is affecting the company. The smaller teams each draw a chart of the data they deemed to be problematic.

When the mapping process is complete, the strategic action needed can be visually obvious to the entire team. Additional maps may also be needed to be created to show how each group in the organization will contribute to the strategic plan (Christensen, 2000). Finally, a plan should be created to implement the projects for carrying out the strategy. A plan must be developed that specifically shows how much money and manpower must be spent, and over what time frame, to implement the strategy. Leaders need to make the system work by setting challenging goals, developing the action plan to pursue them, and training people to achieve those goals. It is also important for the managers to communicate expectations to employees throughout the day.

Asking for updates to see how the employees are progressing in achieving goals is beneficial. A good practice to adopt would be to have quarterly meetings outlining the progress being made and highlighting the areas that need to be worked on. Strong company organization promotes a healthy work culture. Employees will feel confident in their leaders knowing the future has been anticipated and planned for (Christensen, 2000).

On occasion a strategic plan may fail. This can be due to the company not giving the highest priority to the correct areas in terms of funding, or because conflicts arise between short-term and long-term goals. It could also fail if the employees don't know their part in the planning. Leaders can make all the difference. Some companies will reward their employees for their participation. Some companies will award a percentage of profits in a certain area of the company.

Some companies will give public recognition. These rewards will keep the employees involved in completing the plan successfully (George & Weimerskirch, 1994, p. 74). In a perfect world, "The most effective strategic plan would be so well implemented that every task performed by every employee would support one or more corporate objectives" (George & Weimerskirch, 1994, p. 109). Overcoming Obstacles Managing obstacles can be challenging for most leaders. In times of crisis stress levels are raised and taking the proper actions can be critical. Many leaders, when faced with a challenge, revert to learned behaviors.

Because leaders tend to follow conditioned behaviors, it is extremely important to train and prepare managers for obstacles. Unfortunately, "most leadership and management training programs do not teach how to recognize, plan for, or weather crises" (Post, 2001, para. 2). Lack of proper preparation to deal with obstacles can have a negative economic impact on businesses. Managers that cannot solve problems will lose customers and money. Even with an awareness of proper actions to solve problems, some leaders will be affected by factors that interfere with the implementation of those actions.

Cultural beliefs and automatic conditioning can have an affect on how managers deal with obstacles. When training leaders these factors need to be addressed in addition to skill training. Experience also plays a large role in successfully overcoming obstacles. Veteran leaders have encountered and rectified problems repeatedly and benefit from that experience (Post, 2001). Obstacles and breakdowns are inevitable. How leaders manage problems determines the level of success for the organization.

Obstacles cannot be ignored without also risking failure (Post, 2001). Some general rules of thumb to manage obstacles are outlined below: 1. All projects and practices contain obstacles. 2. There is an elephant on the kitchen table.

Pretending that obstacles don't exist or ignoring possible consequences will lead to dire outcomes. 3. Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes. Your organization itself may serve as a roadblock to innovation, or your own belief system can derail a project. Roadblocks can be internal or external. 4.

Roadblocks are part of the game. Roadblocks are neither good nor bad -- they just have to be jumped. Ask any hurdler. 5. Learn what your roadblocks are. Identify your obstacles to learning and growth before you step onto the field of play.

6. Learn how to roll with the punches. Outline some safety measures or actions you can take before or during breakdowns that will help you get back on your feet quickly so you can complete the project. 7. Two heads are better than one. Ask for help before, during and after you engage in a project or practice from those who know more than you about the field on which you are playing (Post, 2001, para.

8). Leaders must possess special skills and traits to be effective. Many successful leaders have high energy. They demonstrate determination, enthusiasm, and resilience. Most are generally optimistic they will succeed. Successful leaders understand obstacles are better viewed as stepping stones than stumbling blocks; there is also not only one way to solve a problem.

Leaders also must be critical and find fault with their own plans as a means of preparing for potential obstacles. Alternative solutions can be used as a back-up system to the original plan. Focusing on the future, while using lessons learned from mistakes in the past helps leaders to plan and deal with potential obstacles (Team Management Systems, n. d. ). Leaders must also be able to handle stress and take calculated risks to be successful. Below is a list with some helpful advice: Action to Take on Perceived Risk There are several ways to increase your level of comfort and manage the perceived risk associated with meeting one of your goals: 1.

Specify the risk you associate with the particular goal under consideration. Identify how large that risk really is. If the potential impact is low, then rational thought suggests that the risk is minimal. 2. Determine the probability of that risk occurring. Is it very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely to occur?

Unless the probability of occurrence is fairly high, your energy and time are better spent addressing higher-risk issues. 3. Identify the benefits that accrue from taking the risk and succeeding. After you determine the probability and degree of the risk, you may decide that the anticipated benefits outweigh the potential disadvantages. 4. Once you identify the probability and impact of the risk, and the benefits from pursuing the goal, there may be added advantage of seeking input from a friend or advisor.

(Wilson, 1994-2004, para. 6). Motivating and Inspiring Employees Motivating and inspiring employees has become more difficult than ever. The complex workforce is compiled of different generational mixes that each has their own individual motivating factors. Good leaders motivate their followers (employees) to accomplish things the followers may never have imagined possible. Good leaders are visionaries that have mastered the art of illustrating their vision in a way that motivates employees to want to play a part in achieving that vision.

Leaders never tire of re-illustrating this vision over and over, as needed by their employees, to keep the energy level high and inspiration flowing (Maccoby, 2004). The Value of a Good Leader Good leaders are the most valuable asset a company has. They are a measure of competitive advantage that can mean the difference between success and failure. Leaders are the driving force behind change, and challenge an organization to produce results that may seem unachievable. As their plan unfolds, the results provide leaders with loyalty from the followers. Employees enjoy the pride that comes from the success of their achievements (Maccoby, 2004).

Leaders are different from managers. "Management is about coping with complexity. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change" (Kotter, 1990). This difference may be subtle, but coping with change requires additional energy, motivation and inspiration that only a leader can provide. Leaders that have these good qualities can also instill them in their followers. This concept is well illustrated by the military.

It is said that during peaceful times, the military can run simply on management alone. However, during war time, leaders are needed throughout the ranks for the military to overcome the challenges and adversity of battle (Kotter, 1990). How Do Leaders Motivate? Most people aspire to belong to something bigger than themselves. Good leaders give their employees a sense of ownership and belonging.

This sense of belonging increases the quality of work and productivity the employees put forth. In return, good work provides recognition, which leads to a positive self-esteem and a feeling of control over ones life; perhaps control over one's own destiny. These feelings touch individuals on a very personal level and are much more powerful than monetary rewards. Loyal followers can easily be created by promoting a sense of belonging (Kotter, 1990). Leaders articulate the company's vision in a way that stresses the importance of the values that drives the vision (Kotter, 1990).

Leaders motivate employees in a variety of ways. Not all employees respond to motivators in the same ways. By implementing many methods, leaders can be assured that one method will resonate with each of their employees. "Leadership is generally exercised on three different levels.

At the individual level, leaders mentor, coach and motivate; at the group level, they build teams and resolve conflicts; at the organizational level, leaders build culture" (Mintz berg, 1999). Involving the employees in developing the vision and allowing them to assist in setting a plan to achieve the vision is one of the best ways to inspire employees. Leaders coach their employees and provide constructive feedback. They are role models to their employees. Good leaders never play the role of commander.

They allow the employee to learn from their mistakes and be part of the solution to any problem (Kotter, 1990). Encouraging this level of involvement allows for a sense of accomplishment and provides natural professional development that could not be simulated in a classroom setting. Leaders take time to recognize successes and the individuals who contributed to the goals being met. They work hard but celebrate with equal enthusiasm. All of these methods create a positive environment for employees. Employees will have a sense that their organization supports them and depends on them to be successful (Kotter, 1990).

Ongoing Benefits of Good Leadership Although not immediately obvious, there are many benefits to facilitating good leadership in any organization. Good leaders mentor and develop the next generation of leaders. Good leaders allow employees to practice leadership skills in a safe learning environment. Employees follow the example a good leader provides and tend to lead in smaller, more informal ways throughout the company.

This natural progression allows them to gain the experience they need to become future leaders (Kotter, 1990). Conclusion There are a myriad of publications available to assist with leadership issues. Most consistently refer to the specialized skills and traits needed to be an effective leader. Choosing a leader with these specialized skills is only part of the challenge facing organizations today.

Providing effective training for new and existing leaders is becoming increasingly important. Such training should include recommendations on how to plan for and address real-world scenarios as well as examples of situations that may occur in order to strengthen comprehension. Leadership training should be viewed as a process, not a one-time event. Training leaders on how to plan and deal with obstacles, as well as how to motivate and inspire employees is critical to organizational success. Leadership should be a focus at all levels of the company whether it would be individual, departmental, or organizational.

The key to successful leadership is to create a sense of belonging by getting all parties involved.