REPLY
A minimum of 150 words each question and References Response (#1 – 6) KEEP RESPONSE WITH ANSWER
Make sure the Responses includes the Following: (a) an understanding of the weekly content as supported by a scholarly resource, (b) the provision of a probing question. (c) stay on topic
1. Power developed by influence and control. Even though your job can be labeled as a high position, it doesn't necessarily mean you have power or control in that position. Building power in an organization involves sharing power, information and rewards with employees to make decisions and to solve problems (Schermerhorn & Uhl-Bien 2014 pg 265). This type of engaging is called empowerment. Power bases are methods that managers or leaders use to influence their employees. When looking at the power of bases we can see that the authority must be considered. It’s important to see that the power behavior over the employee to be effective. Power and politics within an organization is made up of being noticed and liked by the right people. This power plays an important role in an organization, because the person in that role not only has to be liked to create that power but also has to show the authority and influence of others. All organizations have power and politics, without them an organization could not be an organization. There must be an authoritative figure with an expertise in whatever that organization is and must possess a reputation for their competence of the organization as well.
2. Power is ultimately the ability of one person to influence another. There are many ways that a person can influence others. Leaders of organizations also use various methods to establish their power. This is known as their power base. There are four power bases, which are position power, personal power, information power, and connection power (Schermerhorn & Uhl-Bien, 2014, p.276). Power bases, like anything require something to help build them. A person must establish a power base early on and not wait until it is needed. They can build power within an organization by showing their competence and value to the organization, as well as by networking and building relationships with others within the organization (p.273). Positional power is established by an organization hierarchy or chain of command. This could be something as simple as the chain from shift managers, to store manager, to store owner. There is a clear line of succession. Personal power is established through the building of relationships with others. Sharing knowledge and helping others within an organization builds trust. Information power is established by the need for information. If information is needed by others and only a few people have the information, then they have some power over those that need it. Connection power can be seen as calling in a favor from a friend. It is established by connections and networks built by an individual both inside and outside their organization (p.276). Power and politics are used in conjunction to maintain order within an organization.
3. In order to be a good leader, has to be a good follower, I think I am a good follower in my organization. I listen and take instruction well. I do what is expected of me and I always have a good outcome in my projects because I listen and follow all the instructions from management. following represents a process through which individuals choose how they will engage with leaders to co-produce leadership and its outcomes. The world has evolved with technology and the Oil company evolved from paper file to electronic filing. There are times when the electronic files have gone down, and everybody has to go back to paper files for the meantime or until the electronic files comes back up. I am part of a management team and I have a team of 11. While the electronic files are down, I assign a team to check files in and out. I can say that I am a good follower because I have people/mentors at the company, and I learn something new every day. What I learn from my mentors, I take to my team and hope that they earn from the information. The theory most applied to the dynamic of my role as a good follower is the proactive follower orientation. As a proactive follower orientation reflects to belief that followers should act in ways that they are helpful, useful and productive to leadership outcomes. (Uhl-Bien, Schermerhorn, Osborn. (2014) p. 190).
4. Following is the act of deciding how you will work with a leader to produce the expected outcome (Schermerhorn& Uhl-Bien, 2014). I feel I have been a good follower all of my life. This started with my first job when I was 15 and followed my throughout my career. I have always try to make sure I understand what is expected of me and make sure I have clear goals. It does not matter what position I am in I feel my responsibility to my supervisor and the company I work for. I have had so really good supervisors who have mentored me and I have also been a mentor for others. I have been both the follower and the leader. I would not say that I am better at one that the other because I feel you need to have a good balance of both. I feel the theory that best explains my relationship with my supervisors would be leader-member exchange theory (LMX). I have built relationships with them which has lead to trust, loyalty, and respect (Schermerhorn & Uhl-Bien, 2014). Building these relationships is important both as a follower and a leader. They are what brings the best outcome for an organization.
5. A visionary manager motivates and unites a worker behind the unique vision of the organization but often loses consideration in depth, according to the Mind Instruments web page, in creating a strong corporate structure and implementing corporate policies. The transition manager deals with the whole scenario and sometimes neglects the routine operational details.
Disguising Reality
The leader of transformation is mainly motivated. This helps workers to excel by persuading them to accept greater responsibility and to improve by learning and hard work. Yet, according to the website of Changing Minds, a transition manager can sometimes blur the line between fact and motivation. The transition manager must continue to inspire and reward workplace performance in order to produce the desired results. In fact, the worker is inexperienced in carrying out his duties and the leader of change gives only words of encouragement when learning is necessary.
Theory of progressive leadership is hypothetical and may not apply to people not wanting to succeed or being motivated to go beyond their status quo. In this case, transformative management theory cannot function in crises or circumstances in which activities are extremely complex and beyond the average group member's level of competence.
6. Transformational leadership is effective in an environment where change is occurring rapidly or needs to. Transformational leaders inspire others to change expectations, perceptions and enhance motivation where those involved work towards a common goal. Such leaders are needed to drive such required changes. Transformation leadership style used Disney as an example where passion, motivation and energy starts at the leadership level and is shared throughout where affirmative changes and positive attitudes help to generate revenue as well as help the industry flourish. Transformational leaders may not be appropriate in all situations. For example, where job details are clearly identified and spelled out may not benefit from this type of leadership. Fiedler’s Contingency Theory states that in a highly structured environment (e.g. manufacturing), a task-oriented leader may be more beneficial to the organization (Oke, 2011) than one who is more of a relational leader. Leadership style should fit the right situation.
Transformational leadership seek to build an environment where people can attain more than they anticipated though a practice of empowerment, leadership and a strong vision. A transformational leader represents a paradigm shift from the current management techniques and allows a firm to break out of its current mold and achieve new success. While the leadership style would be highly valued in most firms, there may be situations where the style may not be effective. Some old-line industries, such as paper manufacturing, may have too much capital and market position at stake to make bold and innovative steps to completely transform it business operations. In this situation, a transactional leader may be best suited to provide close oversight of the organization to ensure that production quotas are met and that quality levels are consistent from year-to-year.The argument is that almost any company should seek a transformational leader in order to ensure that the firm’s products and service offerings remain relevant as consumer appetites change rapidly and the global economy will quickly eliminate stagnant companies that fail to modernize with the times.