Leadership

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

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LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

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The influence of leadership on organizational effectiveness

Michelle Freeman

Purdue University Global

January 1, 2021

Introduction

Organizational effectiveness is shaped by situational factors which are not within the leader’s control (DuBrin, 2015). These situations determine the behavior of leaders and influence the consequences of those behaviors. Leaders are most effective when their behavior is contingent on the characteristics of group members. According to Fiedler’s contingency theory, the work situation often determines the best leadership style. Ultimately it is an organization’s ability to produce the desired results while managing cost and resources.

I am not in a leadership position with my current employer however the university provides innovative education for working adults. This is being accomplished by providing student with access to an affordable and high-quality education online. The university was previously known a leader in online education and was acquired in 2017 by Purdue, which created a new public institution now know as Purdue Global.

Currently I am part of the admissions team, working with student wanting to complete their higher education degree. The role is consistent of targeting, recruiting, and retaining potential student for the undergraduate programs. This role requires collaboration with other departments such as academic support and financial aid to ensure that the appropriate options are offered to keep the students engaged. The organizational effectiveness goal I would like to achieve through creativity and innovation is creating profit through student retention. This type of goal is often referring to market maximization where it is necessary to meet students’ needs and wants. To achieve this an organization must have innovative leadership able to motivate employees to avoid a negative turn over. Actions taken by leaders to help their team become better while attaining growth are called leadership practices which enhances creativity and innovation.

Leadership Practices and Creativity

According to a Forbes article written by members of their coaching counsel, creativity is organic (Council, 2017). Leaders can enhance their team’s creativity by removing limits, providing the necessary tools, and allowing them to take chances and test things within reason. Another practice is for leaders to have an open mine and not micromanage. These leadership practices are partly responsible for stunting growth and creativity by causing a loss of desire to create and innovate. Rather leaders should empower and promote experimentation and support failure. By fostering this type of environment leaders inspire discussion and the right mindset for their team to learn and succeed in the future. Building diverse teams also encourage creativity because each team member offers different skills and strengths which fosters healthy debate for providing better solutions. Focusing less on implementation tends to increase individual contribution and considering all ideas fosters creativity as well. Remember that leaders should not be the ones facilitating their teams brainstorming but delegating the responsibility. This will create a friendlier environment for open minded discussion where all ideas can be considered. Leaders need to provide specific objectives and adequate direction as it is the leader’s job to support the team toward success and provide goals for the most effective teams.

Leadership Practices and Innovation

Innovation is crucial to the continued success of any organization. It is tied to creativity through the utilization of new thoughts and clear intuition. The company’s advancement is relative to the application of innovation in conjunction with the organization’s vision and strategy

References Council, F. C. (2017, December 21). 15 Ways Leaders Can Promote Creativity In The Workplace. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/12/21/15-ways-leaders-can-promote-creativity-in-the-workplace/?sh=42f7c6b58ef9 DuBrin, A. J. (2015). Bundle: Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills, 8th + MindTap Management, 1 term (6 months) Printed Access Card (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

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