Leadership_-_Organizational_Communication_Concept

Running head: Organizational Communication Concept Leadership - Organizational Communication Concept Ashford University BUS600 Management Communications with Technology Tools Instructor:  Ken Edick May 7, 2012 Leadership - Organizational Communication Concept Many organizations are faced with a lack of leadership but have managers who focus on the day to day operation of the business. Looking at leadership from an organizational stand point one may draw the conclusion that leadership requires one to accept full responsibility and have the ability to make decisions not only for oneself but the business as a whole. “Leadership is the capacity to initiate a future distinct from the past. This is what distinguishes leadership from management -- the capacity to give order and structure in service of high performance” (Block, 2012 p.16). An interesting point the article brings out is that leaders are community builders. What is effective leadership and how does it differ from management in organizations' Influential CEO’s are concerned about the lack of leaders who have the ability to effectively manage and how it is effecting the business environment (Lucy, 2012 p. 346). Being in a management does not necessarily mean that it is a leadership position. One of the key points brought out in the paper is that education is critical in the sustainability of business (Lucy, 2012 p. 346). It is important that the difference between manager and leader roles are clearly defined which will help give a clearer perspective of why adequate leadership is vital to the success of an organization. What is the difference between management and leadership' It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1994 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences: – The manager administers; the leader innovates. – The manager is a copy; the leader is an original. – The manager maintains; the leader develops. – The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. – The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. – The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. – The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. – The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon. – The manager imitates; the leader originates. – The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. – The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person. – The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. Mr. Bennis goes on to say that “The first basic ingredient of leadership is a guiding vision. The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do -- professionally and personally -- and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failures (p. 39). Being a leader will bring about challenges especially when managing people. Leadership and management are two notions that are often used interchangeably. Leadership is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. Everyone is not a like and there will be diversity in the workplace that as an effective leader has to be recognized and managed. It will also call for a leader to recognize the imperfections of those in the organization. In emphasizing the difference between leaders and managers, Warren Bennis (1994) notes: “To survive in the twenty-first century, we are going to need a new generation of leaders—leaders, not managers. The distinction is an important one. Leaders conquer the context—the volatile, turbulent, ambiguous surroundings that sometimes seem to conspire against us and will surely suffocate us if we let them—while managers surrender to it” (p. 7). Fostering environmental champions: A process to build their capacity to drive change (Taylor, 2012, p.84) describes the process of building leaders for today organizations and the importance of effective leaders. One has to understand that leadership and management are both vital to the organization’s success but each has their own purpose in the business environment. The article written by Rebecca Vesely (2012, p.17) conveys that “success requires strong leadership combined with technical savvy and clear goals.” Striving to be an effective leader requires one to be themselves but willing to grow. In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow, John C. Maxwell wrote that you should focus 70 percent of your time on strengths, 25 percent on new things like growth and change, and 5 percent on your areas of weakness. Being you, however, does not mean that you shouldn’t take risks and continue to grow. As Maxwell wrote, when you are in a leadership position, “if you’re through growing, you’re through.” Implement goals and be committed to the vision. When in a leadership role, make a decision about how your team/group will accomplish the vision. If you want to learn how to be a good leader, you must display the ability to take your vision and mold it into something the entire group wants to work toward. The first line of action is to communicate your vision to the group. Then go one step further and tell people outside of the group, demonstrating your commitment to the vision. Know your team and create camaraderie. In addition to providing goals and vision, you will also be in charge of motivation, and you must know how to get what you need from each individual member of your team. In conjunction with this, you must remain available for advice and support. In order to show your willingness to help, keep the line of communication open. Communicate: Talk and Listen. It sounds simple and perhaps obvious, but in order to be an effective leader, you must communicate your ideas effectively and also listen to the opinions of your group. Learning how to be a leader is just like any other skill—the more practice you get, the more successful you will be. There are multiple roles of leadership that will allow for effective leadership as well as achieve meaningful and lasting results. The topic of leadership is never an easy topic to cover. Being a leader should not be taken lightly because the leader’s job is not to find a solution for the problem by themselves but to provide inspiration to those they are leading to come to a resolution about it. All in management are not effective leaders because they fail to recognize they don’t have all the answers and don’t seek training to sharpen their leadership skills. They miss the mark in communicating with their direct reports, soliciting feedback and knowing their team. Building effective leadership in an organization requires implementing practical leadership knowledge and tools for achieving the maximum in order to achieve a successful business. The solution for effective leadership include creating unified team of leaders at the top, empowering leaders to motivate employees to drive the business to perform and produce; implement authentic leadership communication skills and provide coaching on an ongoing basis to leaders to drive effectiveness of leaders. Leadership is vital to the success of any organization and without an effective leader who can navigate change, deliver results and have a vision for the future; the organization is on a path of failure. As a leader you are responsible for creating an exciting, energetic and rewarding environment for your group, inspiring them to work toward common goals. You must be able to identify and recognize the various talents, interests, strengths and weaknesses of your team members and use them all to the group’s advantage. You’ve probably heard that “there’s no ‘I’ in team.” Yes, you are the leader, but an effective leader understands that they are also part of the team and never loses the concept of working together to achieve common objectives. In driving for effective leadership, leaders have to be prepared to implement change. Most of an organization’s issues can be solved routinely. The ones that cannot have the greatest impact on the business and require a leader that can implement change or be innovated. An effective leader will focus on solutions not on the problem. There are three spheres of action in leadership that potential leaders will have to implement in its business practices to ensure all employees have a personal commitment to being leaders in the business.. The three spheres include within, among and ahead. Organizations will need to promote that all employees regardless of their position in leadership develop characteristics that produce credibility for effective leadership. These qualities include but not limited to integrity (faithfulness to moral and ethical principles), initiative (willingness and follow-through to take initial steps), and servant hood (mindset of placing the needs of others before your own self interests). In order to be successful, it will be crucial for the employees of the business to develop the power of influence in their relationships by having insight (capacity to discern the hidden nature of things and generating solutions), inspiration (ability to stimulate the minds and emotions of others), and community (attitude that views others in a spirit of sharing, participation and fellowship) characteristics. There has to be credibility built among the employees and implemented to provide clearer direction and influence those involved in the business. For this to be effective, there are three factors that are needed. Position (responsibility not a privilege), purpose (desired outcome for business) and path (course of action, conduct that leader takes). Overall an organization will have a high impacting leadership program when all three spheres are implemented and the elements of vision, action, mobilization and change are evident in the workplace. You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you “set the example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees. There are three distinctive types of leadership styles, authoritarian or autocratic, participative or democratic and delegative or free reign. Based on the nature of the business, determines which style would be utilized. The authoritarian style would be used with employees that are being provided direction to what has to be accomplished and provide direction on how to accomplish it without any feedback from employees. However the style of leadership to be used in the daily operations of the business would be participative style which other members of the leadership team would be involved in the decision making processing which strengthens the team and business. The delegative style of leadership would also be implemented due to the expertise that each person brings to the table and their ability to make decisions by analyzing situations. Economic turmoil, global competition, shrinking markets and margin, layoffs, increasing cynicism and mistrust call for exceptional leadership in organizations. It can be said that traditional management skills and business competence deliver promotion within the workplace however exceptional leaders are set apart by being trustworthy, displaying empathy and creating meaning. These leaders also modify their behavior to respond to the needs of their followers and the circumstances they encounter. Organizations give their managers authority to lead but there is no guarantee that they will lead effectively. There is a need in organizations for strong leadership and strong management for optimal effectiveness. There is a continuing controversy about the difference between leadership and management. Not all managers exercise leadership. Often it is assumed that anyone in a management position is a leader. What is effective leadership and how does it differ from management in organizations' Effective leaders challenge the status quo while inspiring and persuading members of the business. Managers assist in creating and maintaining a smoothly function workplace. Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982). References Bennis, W (1994) On Becoming a Leader , Perseus Publishing; Cambridge, MA. Publication Block, P.. (2011, October). Reforming Leadership. Leadership Excellence, 28(10), 16-17.  Retrieved April 10, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2511755961 Jago, A. G. (1982). Leadership: Perspectives in theory and research. Management Science, 28(3), 315-336. Maxwell, J (2007) The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow; Nelson Incorporated, Thomas O’Rourke, J. S. (Management Communication): A Case-Analysis Approach. (4th Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Learning Solutions Peter Lacy, Arnaud Haines, & Rob Hayward. (2012). Developing strategies and leaders to succeed in a new era of sustainability: Findings and insights from the United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study. The Journal of Management Development, 31(4), 346-357.  Retrieved April 10, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2622859181). Rebecca Vesely.  (2011, April). Keys to success :Effective ACOs depend on management: studies. Modern Healthcare, 41(16), 17.  Retrieved April 10, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2326567621). Taylor, A., Cocklin, C., & Brown, R.. (2012). Fostering environmental champions: A process to build their capacity to drive change. Journal of Environmental Management, 98(1), 84.  Retrieved April 10, 2012, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2565314971).