Kim Woods (681 draft)

Leadership Effectiveness Application Paper

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Introduction

Organizational change is a continuous factor in the business environment and plays a significant role in organizational leadership. Companies are challenged daily to improve the performance of their business and take on new projects to increase the effectiveness of the organizations. This paper looks at the four significant insights gained into the dynamics of organizations. It also discusses the importance of the organizational theories and concepts to the effectiveness of leadership. It then assesses the effectiveness of the student as a leader. Finally, it discusses how the application of the four insights gained from organizational dynamics can improve leadership practice as well as presents a creative action plan for leadership effectiveness.

Four important insights gained into organizational dynamics

Effective Leadership Communication

Basing on the conceptual framework of Ford and Ford, effective leadership communication should be used to reinforce organizational change management process. Effective communication between the leaders and the employees should be used as an instrument for managing the change and influencing other stakeholders of the firm to accept new ideas and take action towards the change initiative (Dinh, 2014). With the organizational structure, leaders at different levels can influence and persuade the employees into adapting to the change management process in the firm. The ability to persuade and influence outcome can lead to organizational success and effectiveness in the change management process.

Communication is enormously significant in the essence of the effectiveness of leadership (Landis, 2017). The communication between the leaders and the employees can positively influence and enable the accomplishment of the organizational goals and objectives. Effective communication can also provide greater levels of structural association and advance the organizational dynamics. In this light, communication serves as a facilitator for organizational change management efforts. The ability of the leader to communicate effectively is the fundamental process of realizing success in organizational change management.

Organizational Leadership

Organizational leadership involves using the management and leadership concepts and theories. Organizational leadership offers the leaders the opportunity to utilize these concepts through the analysis of the case and improve on their personal skills acquisition through the practices of self-assessment (Acosta, 2014). Organizational leadership identifies the leaders and their leadership styles on the contemporary perspectives on networking, ethics, coaching, and diversity, organizational culture, learning organizations and crisis leadership as well as strategic leadership. The processes of work have brought great insights to managers (McCleskey, 2016). It gives a significant framework for addressing organizational concerns such as fragmentation and lack of integration between different cultures in the firm. Most aspects of modern organizations challenge the process of cultural integration

Managerial behavior

Another significant insight into organizational dynamics is the managerial behavior. Most studies develop upfront discussions of the allocation of time, activity streams, and roles with a few efforts to assimilate processes in a coherent whole (Landis, 2017). Similarly, most previous research has emphasized on the scrappy quality of managers jobs instead of looking at their jobs. A processing method instead highlights the connection between the activities demonstrating that the unrelated job roles are a significant part and a consequence of the behaviors of managers. From this perspective, work becomes far much orderly and rational.

Cultural Competence

This insight can help managers to establish cultural competency in decision-making techniques to solve problems and expedite appropriate and effective cultural competency (Dinh, 2014). It also enables the managers to acquire the skills and knowledge in human resource management roles such as team building, staffing, performance motivations, organizational learning strategies, inter-organizational collaboration, cultural competence and effectively managing the employees from diverse cultures. Also, cultural competence enables managers and leaders to learn the aspects of strategic management and planning, program planning and strategies for advancing change management process within the organization.

The importance of the theories and concepts of leadership effectiveness

Trait Theories

The trait theory contends that effective leaders have common personality. Initially, the trait theories stated that the process of leadership is an inborn and natural quality developed by an individual (Karsdal, 2015). However, this assertion has changed over time, and managers are today learning about what they can do to develop the leadership qualities within themselves. The trait theory helps in identifying the qualities and the traits that are helpful for leaders when leading others. However, none of these characteristics can guarantee the success of a leader. Traits are external habits that develop from the things that go on in the minds of the leaders. It is the subjective belief, and the dedication to leading that makes one an effective leader.

Behavioral Theories

Behavioral theories emphasize the behaviors of leaders and managers. For instance, it assesses how leaders dictate the things that should be done in the organization (McCleskey, 2016). It also evaluates whether leaders involve the employees in the decision-making process to endorse support and acceptance. The behavior of leaders evidently affects their performance. Researchers have noticed that most of the behaviors of leaders are suitable at different times. The most effective leaders are the ones that can incorporate different behavioral styles and use the most appropriate method for every situation.

Contingency Theories

The understanding that there is no precise kind of leader resulted in the development of the theory that suggests that the best leadership style significantly depends on the situation (Landis, 2017). The contingency theories attempt to predict the most appropriate leadership style in different circumstances. For example, in case of the need to make immediate decisions, the contingency theories enable the manager to choose the most appropriate leadership style to use to make the organizational decision. The contingency theories can also enable the leader to address different questions related to the management process.

Power and Influence Theories

Power and influence leadership theories take a different method depending on the variety of strategies that leaders utilize to influence employees to get things done (McCleskey, 2016). The theories assess the leadership styles that develop as an outcome. This model emphasizes on three kinds of power particularly, reward, legitimate and coercive powers. The theory suggests that using power to solve organizational problems is a better alternative that leaders should reinforce.

Transactional leadership theory

This leadership concept assumes that the employees work for reward and no other factors (Karsdal, 2015). As such, it focuses on designing the reward structures and the tasks. However, this may not be the most effective leadership strategy for building organizational relationships and motivating the employees. Still, it works for some leaders.

Assessment of my current effectiveness as a leader

I commit myself to understanding my industry and contribute to its and development through my work. I am sincerely interested in the work at hand and effectively communicate the vision and the strategies of the company to help employees the significance of these visions in achieving the goals and the objectives of the firm. I also demonstrate the executive presence, and I'm comfortable to work at any level in the organization. Similarly, I believe that I have confidence and poise to be effective in all the circumstances.

I am an exceptional builder of trust within the organization. I have great integrity, and all the employees and the stakeholders can count on me whenever they need me and whichever the situation (Acosta, 2014). I motivate the employees and can build a strong team around me as I can introduce new strategies of working and doing things within the firm. I am always pushing the employee as well as myself to be better. I am an outstanding communicator and skilled at both messaging and listening to the needs of the employees. Similarly, I provide regular feedback to the employees and coach them on the areas they need to improve.

I focus on rewarding the most outstanding performance in the organization, and I know exactly which employees to reward. I can easily recognize talents within the employees in the company basing on their capabilities and efforts and not on favoritism. I can easily elucidate various organizational concepts and teach them to the employees. In this light, I believe that I am a transformational leader as I can create an inspiring vision for the future of the firm and motivate the employees to follow and achieve this vision altogether.

Application of the insights gained to improve your leadership practice

The insights gained through the dynamics of organization can help me develop critical thinking skills. The insights gained from the organizational dynamics can enable a leader to be able to project the potential problems that are likely to influence the business (Dinh, 2014). Afterward, the leaders can always establish the strategies of preventing these problems from occurring. Effective leaders are also aware of the possible opportunities that could help the organization and take advantage of these opportunities to improve the business processes.

Secondly, the insights can also enable the managers to listen effectively. Effective listening is one of the fundamental qualities that any leader or managers should have. Leaders need to maintain eye contact and respond appropriately to listen effectively. Third, the insights enable leaders to motivate the employees and positively influence people (Karsdal, 2015). For instance, if a worker loses motivation is he thinks that the managers do not recognize his or her efforts into the organization; an effective leader will talk to the employee in question and reward him or her accordingly. People tend to lose focus as a result of challenges, problems or tired of doing the same tasks every day. As an effective leader, it is essential to keep motivating the employees not to lose focus and encourage them in case of problems and difficulties.

Fourth, the insights gained can also help the leaders to constantly learn new skills and strategies for dealing with organizational change. Learning and leadership are indispensable to each other (Acosta, 2014). The insights also enable the leaders to know how to delegate and handle organizational conflicts. Effective leaders need to know how to handle different kinds of corporate conflicts. For instance, if an employee does not work hard to achieve the roles and duties assigned to him or her, the leaders should step up and approach the employees in private. They have to be straightforward and honest. It is not an easy task firing an employee (McCleskey, 2016). As such, an active leader should understand the employee's side of the story before making the final decision. Finally, the insights enable the leaders to be followers by recognizing the value of team building.

A creative action plan that improves the leadership effectiveness

References

Acosta, A.S. (2014). A diversity perspective on organizational learning and a learning perspective on organizational diversity. Paper presented to the Academy of Management Conference, New Orleans, 6–11 August

Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., & Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 36-62.

Karsdal, M. A., Manon-Jensen, T., Genovese, F., Kristensen, J. H., Nielsen, M. J., Sand, J. M. B., ... & Blanchard, A. (2015). Novel insights into the function and dynamics of extracellular matrix in liver fibrosis. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 308(10), G807-G830.

Landis, E. A., Hill, D., & Harvey, M. R. (2017). A synthesis of leadership theories and styles. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 15(2), 97.

McCleskey, J. A. (2016). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117.