Power Base and Leadership

Power Base and Leadership

British historian of late 19th century, (Acton, 1887) said that "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely," suggesting that a person's sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases. Do you agree? Considering this idea, is it ethical for leaders to try to increase their power? Is all power the same or are there different power bases and different corresponding influence techniques? How does the use of power impact the leader-follower relationship?

Choose any organization and describe the power base(s) in that organization. What types of techniques do leaders in use to influence team behavior in that organization? How does the leaders' approach affect team relationships? As a leader, how would you use power in your relationships with team members and why?

Reference:

Acton, L. (1887). Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton. Retrieved January 1, 2011, from             http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/27321.html

To support your work and demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes, be sure to incorporate the key relevant material from your reading as well as outside academically credible resources. All sources should be credited using APA which includes both reference and applicable in-text citations. Also, it must have APA level headings. An example of headings from a previous assignment are:

Introduction (Name of paper)

Write the introduction

Emotional Intelligence Analysis  In this area...Write about the first area in the rubric which is ... Analyzed and outlined how the leader handled his or her emotions, how did the team deal with emotions and justified how leaders enhance team EI along with specific examples.  Leader Communication Style  In this area ..Write about the first area in the rubric which is.... Analyzed and described the leaders' communication style as whether persuasive, manipulative, or coercive.  Team Communication Style  In this area...Write about the first area in the rubric which is ... Analyzed and identified the most dominant communication style within the team. Analyzed and inferred how the leaders' communication style affects the team.  Philosophy, Style, and Action Steps  In this area..Write about the first area in the rubric which is ... Analyzed and identified the type of philosophy held by leaders and other members of the team, the type of leadership style being presented and the action steps which would help enhance the leadership style in the team.  Conclusion  Wrap up your paper reviewing the key aspects of your paper 

Some reading from this week and thinks to research:

Describe a leader's power bases and how these are used to influence others.  Some Research Direction:  Be sure to review your reading to understand the concept of leadership power bases. One of the more popular works in this area was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959. They identified five bases of power: 

Enjoy Learning about Types of Leadership Power. This week we talk about leadership power and influence.  One key concepts this week is types of power used by leaders. There are 4 types your reading discusses. Consider learning about these types and then test yourself with this short video (It's fun and a bit quirkey - Try it!)  What Type of Power did he use?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRDjFQ2Zvrg 

OR  watch this video on the Types of Leadership Power and Learn how student earns a new car!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_6DuoiuzwA 

Strategic Planning and Its Fundamentals

Strategic planning is a "methodical, step by step approach to determine who you are (mission), what you are not willing to compromise (values), where you are going (vision), and how you are going to get there (planning)" (Strong, 2005). Developing an effective strategic plan is critical to an organization's success. It is important to note that strategic planning differs from classic business planning, in that it involves thinking outside the box in order to develop the mission and vision statements.

In essence, a strategy can be defined as the game plan that the company will use to fulfill its mission and vision (Pearce & Robinson, 2004). It is a high-level plan that sets the framework for executive-level decision making. According to Pearce and Robinson (2004), a strategic plan is made up by following nine required tasks:

1. Develop the company's mission, values, goals, and philosophy.

2. Analyze the company's internal capabilities and conditions.

3. Assess the competition and the external environment.

4. Align resources with the company's external environment.

5. Identify and evaluate available options.

6. Develop long-term objectives and overall strategies.

7. Based upon the long-term objectives and strategies, create annual and short-term objectives.

8. Implement the selected strategies.

9. Evaluate company's success.

This is an iterative process that will adjust over time, which is why it is so important for leaders to be flexible when developing the plan.

Reference:

South University Online. (2014). MGT3102: leadership: Week 4: strategic planning and its

fundamentals. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com

Vision Statement vs. Mission Statement

To face the challenges of globalization and other changes in the organization, leaders need to have a clear vision to move forward and achieve their goals. A vision statement paints a picture of what is possible or of what could be. It inspires hope for a better tomorrow and helps people look ahead and visualize goals. A vision statement is generally a short and memorable phrase or sentence that captures the essence of a leader's/organization's vision for the future.

The impact and influence a leader's vision has on the organization's eventual success and future is highly significant. For example, Bill Gates maintains the vision of Microsoft, which he founded in 1975, to be "A computer on every desk and in every home." Microsoft remains committed to the vision of Bill Gates—this singular focus revolutionized the computer industry.

A mission statement defines the purpose of an organization. For example, Starbucks' mission statement is, "To inspire and nurture the human spirit–one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time." Mission statements can sometimes be quite long, and they often address such areas as expected markets, customers, technology, and leadership philosophy.

A great example of leadership vision and mission is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc. Under Jobs' visionary leadership, Apple revolutionized the computing and telecommunications industries with the development of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The development of these products in addition to the Apples iTune Store, an online marketplace helped bring Apple from the brink of demise (Isaacson, 2011).

Alignment

As vision and mission statements (along with goals and values) are developed in an organization, one of the most critical tasks accomplished by leaders is to align followers to the vision, mission, goals, and values. Alignment often relates to followers' motivation to embrace the organizational vision. If followers have a vision, goals, or values that are contrary to or compete with the leader's vision and goals or the organization's vision and goals, it will be difficult for the leader/organization to achieve its vision or to achieve it with excellence. Ivancevich, Konopaske, and Matteson (2011) states, the "real challenge is not so much increasing motivation per se but of creating an environment wherein employee motivation is channeled in the right direction at an appropriate level of intensity and continues over time." (p. 121)

How do leaders align followers? Many of the topics that are covered in this class are part of the answer, including such ideas as leaders use emotional intelligence to build resonance in their followers, teams, and organizations. Leaders also use the art of persuasion as we have defined it in this course to align followers, helping them to understand the vision (or mission or goals or values) and why it should be embraced. Consider the viewpoints of these leadership experts:

· Ivancevich, Konopaske, and Matteson (2011) stated that "Through communication ability, the visionary . . . leader links followers' needs and goals to the job or organizational goals." (p. 459)

· Bennis (1999) stated that "Effective leaders put words to the formless longing and deeply felt needs of others. They create communities out of words." (p. 24)

· Burns (1978) stated that:

Transforming leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Their purposes, which might have started out as separate but related . . . become fused. Power bases are linked not as counterweights but as mutual support for common purpose. Various names are used for such leadership . . . elevating, mobilizing, inspiring, exalting, uplifting, preaching, exhorting, evangelizing. (p. 20)

· Kouzes and Posner (2007) stated that:

Leaders breathe life into the hopes and dreams of others and enable them to see the exciting possibilities that the future holds. Leaders forge a unity of purpose by showing constituents how the dream is for the common good. Leaders stir the fire of passion in others by expressing enthusiasm for the compelling vision of the group. Leaders communicate their passion through vivid language and an expressive style. (p. 18)

Reference:

South University Online. (2014). MGT3102: leadership: Week 4: vision statement vs. mission

statement. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com

Shifting Paradigms

A paradigm is a set of values, beliefs, assumptions, and practices that one holds about the nature of different aspects of our lives. Paradigms are made up of what we assume we know about the world that we live in. However, because we are fallible beings, there are times when our paradigms or beliefs are wrong.

What leaders believe to be true influences are what they believe about their employees (such as theory X or theory Y) and the level of confidence they have in their employees. If a leader has doubts or preconceived notions, they will likely fail to stimulate their employees, expect less of them, and treat them with less confidence, consequently affecting employees' potential and abilities.

Paradigms also influence the way leaders treat their employees. For example, if you consider a person as being lazy you may be overly critical or dismiss their requests for help. If you perceive a person as driven and accomplished, you may provide him or her with more advanced projects and dismiss errors as just honest mistakes.

Effective leadership starts with breaking away from old ways of thinking or outdated paradigms that limit you from greater potential. We need to ask ourselves, "What are my expectations of others? Do my expectations, viewpoints, and paradigms affect the outcomes of people? Are these outcomes positive or negative? What can I do about it?" Perhaps you have studied some information in this course that is beginning to shift your paradigm about leadership.

Reference:

South University Online. (2014). MGT3102: leadership: Week 4: shifting paradigms.

Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com

Chapter 6: Creating a Vision from https://reader.brytewave.com/app/#/book/MjA4NzQw/MQ==