Organizational Behaviour

Leadership skills

Answer:

In the organizational context a manager is not just a superior for his team of subordinates but is also their leader. This implies that as a manager he/she has to make sure that the subordinates are working cohesively as a unit to achieve department or function goals, and if a problem arises the manager has to step up and take the responsibility as a leader. Sometimes, the contribution from each member is not equal, some are working and some are not, which often leads to imbalances and negativities in the team and work environment.

It is the leadership style practiced by the manager which to quite an extent is responsible for such a situation to arise. Every team has people who have different level of competence and commitment towards the work they do, some are pro-active and others need to be pushed. In either case, the role of the manager as a leader becomes all the more important where he/she needs to be flexible with the kind of leadership style they can practice with each subordinates.

There are four situational leadership styles identified. They are:

       Telling

       Selling

       Participating

       Delegating

The following diagram depicts the development level of the followers based on their competence and commitment towards their work.

A political leader has to partner in the developmental journey of his/her subordinate. For a subordinate who is at a level D1, where he has low competence but high motivation, the leadership style could be Participative where the leader involves the subordinate and further motivates him to build on his competence to increase his/her effectiveness at tasks.

For a subordinate, who stands at a level D2 where he has some competence but lacks or shows inconsistent commitment, the political leader can resort to the Telling style. In this case, the subordinate cannot be relied upon to complete the task without instructions and guidance. For the subordinates who fall into the category of D3 or high competence but variable commitment, the leadership style could be selling as the leader would have to create a buy in from these subordinates to secure their commitment towards the task. Since they have the necessary competence to do the task, instructions are not required but such subordinates wish to see the value of the work they are doing to get committed to it.

And lastly, if the subordinate fall into the category of D4 where they have both high commitment and high motivation, the leadership style best suited could be Delegating, where the political leaders need to understand, acknowledge and appreciate the competence and commitment of the subordinates towards election process and entrust them with responsibilities.

Leaders have to be aware of their surroundings and sensitized to the abilities and motivations of their followers/subordinates in order to be able to take effective decisions.

Being a political leader one should target at three kinds of party men:

1. Those ‘true believers’ who can be persuaded to train as potential members

2. Those who can be formed into a kind of ‘supporters’ who believe in the aims of the organization and will participate through voting or attending annual meetings or social events

3. Those who believe vaguely in the ethos of the organization, will not participate, but want to be kept informed and to have their views canvassed occasionally.

Individualistic Approach:

The individualistic approach is developed from social exchange theory. It assumes that people are motivated by individual rewards and provides a set of generalizations about how they interact.  

It interprets human behavior very differently, assuming that participation can be motivated by three variables:

1.  Shared goals: people express mutual needs that translate into common goals

2. Shared values: people feel a sense of duty to participate as an expression of common values

3.  Sense of community: people identify with and care about other people who either live in the same area or are like them in some respect   

Communicating Daily with Party men:

Communication is a powerful tool that leadership can use to create an environment that brings forth employee motivation. Communication provides information, makes employees feel important and recognized, and provides the glue that binds a workforce with their leadership and their organization. Communicating with transparency, authenticity, and clarity. Making it a priority to make time to talk to each and every member of the team on a regular basis.

Transferring Leadership’s Optimism:

“As a leader, most important weapon against pessimism (prevalent in recent years) is to transfer optimism and vision to others. This inspires others to think and act in ways that drive results.

Leadership is a transfer of belief – and great leaders inspire their teams to believe they can succeed. As a leader and manager, you are not just leading and managing people, but you are also leading and managing their beliefs. Political leader must utilize every opportunity available to transfer your optimism.

Coaching and Development:

Developing others is an important role for a leader. Encouraging others to expand their capabilities and take on additional assignments is part of the leader’s responsibility. Leaders who feel threatened by the capabilities of others are challenged in this area. Coaching and development are essential skills all leaders must cultivate.

Leadership Shares the Vision:

Sharing the vision. It's not enough to just be optimistic. One must give their team to be optimistic about. Talk about where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. Share your plan for a brighter and better future, talk about the actions you must take, and constantly reiterate the reasons why you will be successful. Create a vision statement that inspires and rallies your team and organization.

Leadership Builds Relationships:

Relationships build real motivation. It's much easier to motivate someone by knowing them and making them know you. Relationships are the foundation upon which winning teams and organizations are built.

Leadership Creates Purpose-Driven Goals:

When it comes down to it, the real force behind motivation has nothing to do with money or number-driven goals. Real motivation is driven by purpose and a desire to make a difference. In fact, people are most energized when they are using their strengths for a purpose beyond themselves. When party men feel as though the work they do is playing an integral role in the overall success of the company and the world, they are motivated to work harder.

Similarly, when they feel as though they are working for something more than just the bottom line, they feel good about the work they are doing. So as a leader, one should motivate their team by focusing less on number goals and more on purpose-driven goals. It's not the numbers that drive people but people and purpose that drive the numbers. Give them a sense of purpose that will fuel their fire towards taking action.

Balances confidence with caution:

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” ~ Winston Churchill

A great leader can balance confidence in his abilities & that of his team with the fuzzy information available to him. He can take good decisions in a timely manner, adapting his decisions according to the level of information (High/Low) available and the confidence level (High / Low).

With High Confidence and High certainty, the leader says “Our plan is on target. I have every confidence that we are on the right track” and decide to accept the task. With High Confidence and Low certainty the leader says “We have never done this before, but together we can get through it”, estimates the margins for error and decides to accept the task.

With Low confidence and High certainty, the leader says “I know what to do. But they will find it difficult to execute it. This will not work” and decides to drop the task. With Low confidence and Low certainty the leader says “This is hopeless. No one knows what they’re doing” and drops the task.

“A leader or a man of action in a crisis almost always acts subconsciously and then thinks of the reasons for his action.” ~ Jawaharlal Nehru “The ability to find meaning and strength in adversity distinguishes leaders from non-leaders. When terrible things happen, less able people feel singled out and powerless. Leaders find purpose and resolve.” ~ Warren Bennis

The needs of War & adverse business situations requires a management style very different from that required during times of peace & prosperity.

During adversity, the leader should feel the pulse more often, make and break decisions frequently; manage the resultant change and turmoil; take a more active part in operations; remain optimistic and resilient; combine the capability to adapt to change with the ability to size up situations and people in ways that help them make good choices and avoid pitfalls.

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

In a stable environment, a great leader should (a) have all the answers yet be willing to empower people (b) be in charge yet delegate effectively (c) set clear directions and guidelines and then get out of the way – allow subordinates and peers to manage the operations (d) develop strategic plans that remain valid over a longer period of time.

Leadership Nourishes the Team:

These may seem like strange words to apply to the workplace. He says, “The main question that every employee in every organization wants to know is, ‘Do you care about me; can I trust you?’ If your answer is yes, they will be more likely to stay on the bus and work with you. Employees who feel cared for, honored, and nourished are more engaged in what they're doing and will work at their highest potential.”

Employees who think their managers care about them are more loyal and productive than those who do not think so. People love to achieve more than they thought they were capable of. Going through this process of over-reaching himself (while in the presence of his leader) just once in his lifetime is very often sufficient to ensure that the staff member acquires the habit of driving himself to greater heights.

This leads to self-motivation, removes the dependence on the leader and feeds back into the cycle of excellent performance.

Belief plus action equals results. Important formula for a winning team is “If you don't believe that something can happen, then you won't take the actions necessary to create it. If you believe that your team can do big things, they will believe it, too. And that belief will fuel the fires of action and provide you with the results you're looking for."

Conclusion:

The world of politics is not the place for people who can`t be good leaders. For a politician it is the earnest of success to be a great leader. Moreover, they ought to be respected leaders since electorate must not only follow their leader; they should have a profound respect for him or her. There exist multiple key points which a respectful political leader should develop so as to gain respect from people.