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Leadership and Management

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Introduction

For organizations to run and operate smoothly, the individual abilities and inputs into the organization in terms of work responsibilities, effectiveness and teamwork are very important in meeting and working toward the achievement of the organization's visions and objectives. However, since not everyone is always visionary and motivated towards the goals of the organization, leaders or persons from within or without the organization take up the role and responsibilities of ensuring that all people within the organization understand the direction or vision of the organization and work toward it. In other words, leadership is the ability of an individual to develop an organization's visions and goals and direct or influence others into adopting the vision for the benefit of the organization.

With the understanding of the role of a leader in identifying with the vision of the organization and the need to influence others towards the same vision comes another important aspect, which requires that persons holding or entrusted with leadership positions in the organization make the teamwork towards the achievement of the organization's vision and objectives. This provides the management concept, which involves influencing others to work together as a team towards achieving the set objectives of the organizations. Management of people is not an easy task, as it involves influencing people with different personal attributes, attitudes, ambitions and skills to work together towards a common goal, and, therefore, requires prudence/skills in recruitment, planning, organizing, motivating, delegation of duties and overall supervision to ensure that the organization has the right persons with the right skills and properly facilitated.

In addition, for one to perform optimally and efficiently as leaders, they require important qualities and skill sets to not only identify the right persons to work with but to also be able to direct and influence them to work together towards the vision and objectives of the organization. Because of the importance that is attached to effective leadership, numerous studies on the topic have been produced. The purpose of this paper and consequently its hypothesis is to study the qualities necessary and important in leadership while giving importance and consideration to Saint Leo Core values of respect and the CSHSE standards on the analysis of understanding.

Saint Leo Core Values

The objective of Saint Leo is to ensure balanced growth to all its members not only in mind but also in body and spirit. To achieve its objective, Saint Leo is rooted in 6 core principles. First, respect. The Saint Leo community is comprised of different people with different demographics such as age, ethnicity, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and even different religions. To promote harmony among the different people living in the community, Saint Leo relies on respect for all persons irrespective of their demographics. Further, through respect, members of the Saint Leo community are able to embrace their diversity and thus exchange ideas freely, learn and live together in unity harmoniously (History and Core Values).

The second core value is the community. At Saint Leo, persons from all walks of life are welcome to come and develop. In order to ensure that everyone is comfortable at Saint Leo, a sense of belonging is created as every member of the community is treated with respect and honor regardless of their differences such as gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion, among other differences. By creating such a hospitable environment for all persons, Saint Leo allows for each individual to freely interact with other members and therefore gain as much knowledge and skills as possible.

Integrity is the third core value of Saint Leo. For the goal/mission of Saint Leo to be achieved, all members of the community are required to be honest and just. This is especially so since the community includes different people with different demographics and there is the need for cohesion among the members for effective learning. Further, all members of the community, students, staff and faculty, are required to consistently match their words and actions. In so doing, each member will act towards the good of the entire community while working on their own growth and development in Saint Leo.

Personal development comes in as the fourth core value that the Saint Leo community focuses on. As noted earlier, the objective of Saint Leo is to ensure balanced development for all its members. In other words, Saint Leo focuses on ensuring that the individuals in the community have a balanced life by enabling them to experience an all-round development in terms of their body, mind and spirit (History and Core Values). To achieve this, all members should be committed to their own personal development and portray such commitment in both their words and actions.

As Saint Leo, responsible stewardship plays a major role as one of the core values. Saint Leo has a number of educational resources at its disposal that are vital in the balanced development of its members. With such resources at hand, Saint Leo University avails the resources to members of the community to enable them to achieve their personal development. Further, the resources are availed in an optimized manner to ensure that all resources are utilized and none is left idle, misused or over-utilized.

Finally, Saint Leo is committed to excellence. As a university, Saint Leo's success is based on the quality of students that are produced by the university. Therefore, Saint Leo focuses on ensuring that the students learn and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, and develop their characters to become leaders of integrity (History and Core Values). It is important to note that all the foregoing core values bear the same weight and Saint Leo University focuses on the values equally to achieve its mission, which is to ensure that all members of the community have a balanced life by enabling them to develop in all aspects; mind, body and spirit.

Council for Standards in Human Service Education

For most professions, there exist defined sets of standards or requirements that need to be adhered to by all stakeholders to enable them to perform their duties or roles effectively. The profession of human services education is no different as it governed by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE). The purpose of CSHSE is to guide human service education and training as well as that of mental training (Thomas, 2018). Further, the objective of CSHSE is to include the best practices in Human Service Education with the aim of improving its relevance, consistency and quality. The set standards under CSHSE are based on extensive research and are continuously updated as new education programs on human services emerge. The CSHSE standards are divided into two categories with the first part being standards on the general program characteristics and the second one being standards of the curriculum. In addition, under each standard, a context or rationale, the standard itself and compliance evaluation criteria are given.

One of the roles of CSHSE is to accredit the programs under human service education. For an education program to be accredited by the CSHSE, the program should possess a number of factors or qualities. First, the program should possess academic quality, that is, the program should add academic value to the students in its level of application e.g. degree program, associate level (Thomas, 2018). Secondly, the program should be stable in terms of its policies and procedures and organization. Thirdly, the program should be flexible in that it can be altered whenever necessary to cope with the dynamic needs that are usually present in human services. Finally, there should be adequate resources to provide support for the program to enable the development of competent professionals.

In all its functions such as membership, accreditation, research, update or review of a standard among others, CSHSE has stipulated guidelines for the appropriate steps that need to be followed. Such clear guidelines enable all members and non-members of CSHSE to plan and acquire the necessary resources to adhere to the set standards (Thomas, 2018). Further, the procedures aid in conflict resolution or clarifications whenever the need arises.

Leadership theories

What does it take to become an effective leader, what defines a good leader, or on what basis is one considered a good leader? To answer such questions, a number of theories based on different perspectives have been developed. Such theories include behavioral theory (based on teaching and adopting leadership behavior), contingency theories (based on the fact that no single leadership style is effective), transformational theories (view leaders as elements of change) and trait theory. The focus of this segment will be on trait theory in terms of what the theory entails its strengths and weaknesses.

Trait theory:

The trait theory of leadership is based and borne from the school of thought that some people are born or possess several characteristics that make them both suitable for leadership positions and able to perform/execute the roles and responsibilities of a leader. In addition, the theory is premised on the beliefs that, traits produce behavior patterns that are continuously consistent even in different situations and therefore, leadership come because of possessing the traits through inheritance (Mumford, Todd, Higgs & McIntosh, 2017). Further, according to the theory, an organization cannot perform optimally or efficiently unless the people who possess the traits are present or identified to take up the leadership roles within the organization.

According to the theory, a leader is defined by their characteristics, which include:

· Intelligence: According to the theory, for one to be a leader, one needs to poses high levels of intelligence in terms of critical resonance, high verbal and perceptual ability. This implies that a leader should be able to perceive opportunities before other people do and anticipate risks to the organization early enough. In addition, the trait approach or school of thought posits that a leader should also be able to understand and perform the tasks of their subordinates with little differences if any.

· Self-confidence: Self-confidence in oneself according to this theory is important because it enables a person to influence and direct others. This is brought about by the fact that the person holding a leadership position is well aware of their strengths, competencies and abilities and has absolute trust in themselves to solve a problem or pioneer a change.

· Determination: Determination is a trait that involves complete desire towards the attainment or achievement of a goal or target. According to the theory, people who possess this trait are more proactive in that they take initiative even when nobody else does and are not discouraged by their challenges when it comes to achieving their set goals or targets (Dugan, 2017). In other words, their drive motivates and makes them persistent even in the face of challenges

· Integrity: For one to be a good leader according to this theory they must possess the trait of integrity in that they are both honest, truthful and loyal to other persons they work with. In addition, they should be brave enough to accept their mistakes and responsibilities for their actions. The integrity trait is very important in leadership as it develops the trust of others towards the leaders hence making it easy for them to direct and influence the actions of their subordinates.

· Sociability: Given the fact that leadership involves working with others and influencing their actions, the trait theory posits that one needs to be sociable in order to become an effective leader (Dugan, 2017). This implies that one should be able to develop good relationships with their subordinates and other persons by being approachable, understanding, helpful and empathetic to their problems.

The theory provides important insights on the characteristics that would make a person a good leader as has been backed by numerous evidence of instances where persons possessing the traits actually took up leadership roles and succeeded in performing them. Furthermore, by identifying the important traits required for leadership, the theory enriches the discourse on management and leadership whilst giving guidance to aspiring leaders on the traits that can push them to leadership positions.

However, the theory falls short in a number of ways. First, since the theory is only focused on leaders while ignoring the roles and responsibilities of other persons or employees within the same organization, it misses a very important aspect of leadership and management which involves directing and working with others towards a common organizational goal or objective (Dugan, 2017). Secondly. The theory ignores the situational context upon which leaders or persons with leadership positions operate. This is a major miss from the theory since the situations in which leaders or persons find themselves influence their decisions and consequently actions, therefore, affecting the outcome of their leadership performance.

Thirdly, the theory does not explain the reasons why some people who possess the identified traits according to the theory do not become leaders or why some people with the same skills fail as leaders in performing their roles (Mumford, Todd, Higgs & McIntosh, 2017). Finally, the theory does not take into consideration the role and impact of training and personal development in shaping or altering the traits/ values deemed inherent to an individual and the overall implication this has on leadership.

What Leadership requires

From the definition of leadership, a leader should be visionary and possess the ability and understanding of the right direction and persons with whom to work in order to achieve the vision. Based on this a good leader should be able therefore, to manage, organize, direct and inspire others by example in order to direct and influence others towards their vision. For this to happen, a good leader must possess a number of attributes essential to their performance in guiding, directing and influencing their subordinates (Lussier & Achua, 2015). From the literature review, some of the most important leadership characteristics for a good leader are:

a) Honesty and integrity: A leader should be able to earn the trust of their subordinates by practicing truthfulness and honesty in all their interactions. In addition, honesty and integrity require that leaders be not only loyal to their subordinates but also exercise a readiness within them to accept responsibilities for their actions why dealing with others or in the course of executing their mandates.

b) Ability to inspire: Motivation of employees plays a critical and important role in the success of any organization or enterprise since it shapes the attitudes and will of the employees to work towards the vision/set objectives while also working for the leaders. A good leader should, therefore, be able to motivate and inspire their subordinates in order to obtain the best out of their skills. Some of the commonly used and effective motivation practices include performance-based rewards schemes, selection and promotion criteria based on competence and performance as well as job rotation.

c) Effective communication: One important role and responsibility of a leader is making the vision and direction of the organization clear and understandable to all the stakeholders of the organization or enterprise (Lussier & Achua, 2015). To achieve this, a person holding leadership or management positions within an organization need to be effective at communication either verbally and in practice to set an example of how they want things to be done.

d) People skills: Leaders do not work alone or in a vacuum and for one to be a good leader requires that one develops or possess important people skills to aid in their interactions with others. Some of the important personal skills required for one to become a good leader include empathy, good listening skills, understanding and helpfulness.

e) Confidence: Confidence from a leader inspires others to aim for similar standards as the leader. For a leader to be confident, it means that they have absolute trust in their abilities and competencies required to perform the roles associated with being a leader. In addition, leaders should be able to understand and to perform the tasks of their subordinate or at the very least have an understanding of what their subordinates do and the challenges they face in the course of performing their duties (Lussier & Achua, 2015). Further confidence enables leaders to delegate responsibilities as well as multitask and therefore develop more leaders from the experiences gained.

Effects of good leadership

As discussed in earlier sections, it takes a lot of effort and determination to become an effective leader towards achieving the success, goals or mission of any business or organization. Being an effective leader or exercising good leadership has its own effects and benefits with the first one being the trickle-down effect. How? A good leader has an influence on their employees, which means that the employees look up to their leaders e.g. for guidance. When such a leader possesses and portrays good leadership skills to their employees, the employees tend to emulate such skills and apply them in their areas of work (Chan, Chernyshenko, Ho & Sam, 2015). The transfer of the positive skills or attributes such as integrity, hard work, fairness, decisiveness, confidence among others from the leaders to their employees is termed as the trickle-down effect, which is important in ensuring that all employees are on the same page.

Secondly, the employees' morale is greatly improved as another effect of good leadership. In an organization characterized by good leadership, practices such as the involvement of employees in decision-making processes are prevalent. Such practices give the employees a sense of value and belonging to the organization. Such improved morale gives the management an easy time in managing the employees since the employees are determined and motivated to effectively perform their duties. In addition, as a motivation strategy, good leadership ensures that its employees work in an appropriate and enabling environment. For instance, the leadership ensures that all employees are provided with the necessary resources to effectively perform their duties. Further, the inclusion of various technologies in the organization aids in improving the employees' motivation and hence their performance.

Thirdly, good leadership fosters trust between the employees and the leadership. For instance, good leadership entails full disclosure by the management to their employees on the various business aspects such as contracts, deals, terms and conditions, and payroll issues. In addition, any person issues raised by an employee should be dealt with discretely to build trust and confidence in the management. Such trust breeds confidence and security within the employees in terms of both their jobs and the leaders they are working with.

Finally, good leadership fosters better and effective communication in the organization. Communication plays a vital role in the operations of any organization or business. In other words, since an organization or business involves a number of employees working together to achieve a common goal, communication is the medium used to ensure that all employees are on the same page doing what is required of them (Chan, Chernyshenko, Ho & Sam, 2015). In addition, communication allows the exchange of ideas, airing of views or complains, and reporting observations or decisions. All the foregoing functions are key to the progress and success of the organization and therefore, an effective communication strategy is required. Further, a communication strategy that incorporates all employees and involves them in decision-making serves as a basis for employee motivation. Moreover, good leadership ensures that appropriate communication technologies that are efficient in the various aspects such as privacy, integrity and security are incorporated in the organization.

Conclusion

As seen from the discussion, the success or failure of an enterprise or organization is largely dependent and influenced by the effectiveness of the performance of a leader as well as the leadership philosophy that one chooses to adopt. This is very crucial because a leader is responsible for identifying and directing others towards the vision of the organization, selecting the team to work with, planning and organizing activities and the roles of each employee of the organization. In addition, the paper discusses various characteristics such as honesty and integrity, people skills, effective communication, ability to inspire among others that are necessary for one to be a good leader.

Finally, the paper identifies the core values for Saint Leo University such as excellence, integrity, respect, personal development and community that aid in achieving its mission. Further, the CSHSE standards have been captured in the discussion as well as their objectives.

References

Chan, K. Y., Uy, M. A., Chernyshenko, O. S., Ho, M. H. R., & Sam, Y. L. (2015). Personality and entrepreneurial, professional and leadership motivations. Personality and individual differences, 77, 161-166.

Dugan, J. P. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.

History and Core Values – Saint Leo University. Retrieved from https://www.saintleo.edu/history-values-catholic-roots

Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development. Nelson Education.

Mumford, M. D., Todd, E. M., Higgs, C., & McIntosh, T. (2017). Cognitive skills and leadership performance: The nine critical skills. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(1), 24-39.

Thomas, N. (2018). An analysis of program evaluation course content in CSHSE–accredited human services baccalaureate programs. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 59, 187-194.