LEADERSHIP IN NEW ERA

Mini-MBA CourseCh.2

Prepared by:

Amr Abdel-Aziz

Computer science, Helwan University

. .Amr abdulaziz@outlook com

INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIPThe concept of leadership is as popular as fast food around the world. From a definition perspective, an endless sea of opinions exist. Especially when considering the global business environment, what leadership means in one culture may be very different in another. It is also often confused with management, which deals with the everyday mechanics and administration of business.  In general, leadership deals with how people inspires, guides, communicates with, and transforms others.  The specific actions that achieves the desired outcomes vary depending on many factors like the people involved, the organizational context “ التنظيمى and the ”الس<<<<ياقdesired outcomes.

DEFINING MANAGEMENT Management is organizing resources which

includes employees, products, services and capital, so your company can accomplish its mission and its goals effectively. A management leader, therefore, is an effective communicator who involves their employees in planning and organizing activities toward a goal which reflects the company’s mission.  The efficient leader guides these activities and empowers their employees, so their company can be successful. 

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY In recent years, management has been defined as having

tasks done the right way by the manager controlling the actions of other people.  But, is there only one “right way?”  Consider General Administrative Theory:  The approach suggests managerial functions- planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling; it‘s based on authoritative or bureaucratic relationships.  This identifies the authoritative manager, as defined by an insistence on discipline and order; unity of command, orders given to every worker come from one supervisor; a prevailing of the company’s interest over an individual’s interest; and finally the authority functions from the top to the bottom.  Certainly, authoritative managing has its place, but only when responsibility for a final decision must be made.

SYSTEM APPROACH THEORY A newer management practice is the system approach,

which suggests viewing an organization/company/business as one whole that consists of interrelated parts (individuals, groups, authority, goals, etc.). Coordination of employees and activities must be guided in a way to ensure that all the parts are working together to achieve a set objective. Moreover, coordination has to take into account that the actions of one group may affect other groups.  For instance, if the people responsible for the materials for building a table do not prepare wood, other workers with hammers will not be able to work.  System management has four major functions: Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Guiding.  Therefore, this management style is more suited for a leader because it is more facilitative.

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

So, when considering management and leadership, the answer is simply: Managing and Leading are not the same!  Managing refers to planning, organizing, and controlling.  All these activities are based on resources rather than on people. Of course managing also involves people, but they are not necessarily the main focus. Whereas leading, on the other hand, is focused on people only. Many people make the mistake of using management and leadership to describe the same thing, but this is not correct. Just remember this: One manages resources and leads people!

LEADERS GOALS

Your goal as a leader is combining the responsibilities and strategies of administration with being a true leader. Not only does good leadership involve taking into consideration the company’s mission and goals, but it also takes into consideration the interests, strengths and skills of one’s employees. There are several keys to effective and inspired leadership.  They are communication, recognition of talents, delegation of tasks, encouragement of creativity, team building, problem solving, and the ability to inspire.

COMMUNICATION Most often forgotten or ignored is communication,

yet it is the most vital skill a leader needs.  Defined, it is the ability to listen to your workers, to find common language, and to peacefully resolve differences in opinion, both individually and in groups.  For instance, when a leader/manager is implementing an activity or a goal, it is easy to assume their team understands all the steps in the process and all the decisions that are made during the process.  However, there are moments when the leader becomes so engrossed in the process they forget to maintain communication.  This can be especially challenging in times of company crisis, such as in downsizing.  

DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITY Another important skill for a business leader to

consistently practice is delegating responsibility, especially if the leader is accustomed to being authoritative.  Often business leaders will take on all tasks of a project because they think it is just easier for them to do so, when in fact, trying to manage too many responsibilities can slow progress.  This type of controlling behavior will exhaust the manager, slow or stall advancement, and may lead to hard feelings among team members because they have been excluded from direct participation in the project.  A key point to remember is people on your team want the company’s projects to succeed and want to reach the established goals.  

WHAT TEAM LEADER SHOULD DO Allow team members to make decisions during the process, and allow them to creatively solve problems which may arise.  Even if a team member does not carry out a responsibility in the same fashion as the leader would have, if the project goal is competently met, then success is still achieved.  Any job assignment is a constant barrage of solving problems. An effective leader must be better, faster, more efficient, and produce quality work.  Remember, in order to do this, a leader needs time to make managing decisions and to concentrate on the overall progress of the work.  Being able to make independent decisions and sharing responsibility gives the team a sense of ownership in the work being done.

FOSTERING CREATIVITY

Great leaders foster and expect creativity from the people they work with.  Leaders know the potential and capabilities of the people working with him and help them grow personally and professionally within the organization.  

When beginning a project, unite your employees by establishing common goals and shared vision and objectives.  Then use the following team building practices, in order to encourage creativity when constructing tasks for a project:

PRACTICES: Don’t put restrictions on instructions: You’ve selected the

people for your team for a reason.  In them you have recognized certain skills and expertise, so allow them to share their knowledge freely.  This is a moment where all can learn from each other and share ideas for moving forward.

Don’t think of things in only one dimension: It is easy to become comfortable in a certain approach that has always worked.  Encourage and expect out-of-the-box thinking.  

Don’t be judgmental: Nothing stifles creativity more than criticism at the beginning of an idea exchange.  Allow your team to share their approaches, find commonalities, then plan strategies for the project implementation.

Don’t second guess yourself:  If you keep something back, others may lose inspiration.

Set a time limit for sharing in order to keep the team focused.

INSPIRATION PRACTICES

Search for solutions together with your employees and support and inspire the exchange of ideas. People like to feel independent and to be able to influence the decision-making process.   If somebody performs well or exceeds expectations, show them your appreciation for what they have achieved.  In return employees will be happier and will be fully invested in their work. In these ways, a leader can inspire those in their workplace and increase performance. Inspiration is a never ending process, much like finding the end of a rainbow.

EXAMPLE [A] So, what became of that suburban school district

superintendent? He saved his campus and his faculty from outright

antipathy by choosing to lead people, rather than to control and manage them.  He reestablished communication by holding a district-wide meeting to exactly explain the condition of the organization’s finances.  Once the state of the organization was clear to his faculty, he reviewed the district’s mission statement which states that its purpose is to help each student reach their full potential.  Once the faculty was refocused on the mission, the superintendent invited faculty members’ input in a creative and progressive conversation on how to save money and still provide a rigorous and quality education for the students.

 He became a leader by guiding his team in understanding the financial crisis and focusing on district goals.  Through this shared knowledge, calm was restored.  A sense of ownership in the decision making process gave faculty members the sense that they are valued and their knowledge and skills are useful and appreciated.  Although the final decisions lay with the superintendent, his communication and creative team building restored the sense of individual investment and worth in his district.

CONCLUSION What the superintendent began with his

faculty at the first district-wide meeting was he started to recognize his team as knowledgeable and creative partners.  So, how does a business leader  go about recognizing the talents of his team?  When he chooses to lead, how does he encourage their creativity, inspire them, and guide them to achieve project and company goals?  Keep in mind, you are not managing or controlling people- you are guiding and leading them.

BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPSWhen you hire people to work for you, you must plan with your team what knowledge and skill needs your company has.  Once an employee is hired to meet those needs, you must maintain and cultivate an inspired, professional relationship with them. This process does take time and conscious effort. Consistent, individual check-ins are a solid investment in your business relationships and foster good will.  Keep an open mind when sharing ideas. What motivates you may not motivate someone else.  How does a leader find out what motivates an individual team member?  They do so through consistent communication, creative conversations, and simply by asking.

RECOGNITION AND REWARDS RECONSIDERED Outward recognition and rewards are effective if they

are meaningful.  People like to feel that their work and effort is valued.  Simply take time to recognize an individual’s good work and give clear, positive feedback.  Also, keep in mind that failure should also be recognized, but in a productive way.  What should be reviewed in failure is what was learned through the experience and what should be changed in the processes.  Your team member will be more enthusiastic about what they are doing if they feel that the work they are producing is quality, and if a project does not work well, they will learn new approaches from it.  This encouragement is the hallmark of meaningful, inspirational leadership. 

RECOGNITION AND REWARDS RECONSIDERED Also consider that along with simple recognition is

rewarding your employees for exceptional performance.  Certainly a money bonus is always appreciated, but it is not the only option.  Consider extra family time as a reward or even the chance to attend a valued conference or to attend a workshop or class to build their skills.  Furthering one’s education is essential to rejuvenate an employee’s interest and knowledge in their work, and personal growth is vital to a company’s synergy.  Create opportunities for individuals to grow and learn in their practice. If an employee feels that they have the opportunity to build their career inside the company, they will perform much better.

RECOGNITION AND REWARDS RECONSIDERED

Another consideration is a reward for good performance by assigning leadership roles to those who have proven themselves ready for the responsibility.  This not only rewards the individual team member, but it also creates more time for you, the team leader, to accomplish your tasks.  An example of this would be to assign your employee to lead a team meeting or to coordinate the tasks for the next project.  If employees feel that they are valued by the company, they will invest more effort in their work and be more invested in the company’s purpose and mission. 

RECOGNITION AND REWARDS RECONSIDERED

Lastly, once you have determined your employees’ strengths, assign them projects that interest them and delegate the work accordingly.  If they see inspiration and challenge in what they are doing, they will definitely approach it with greater enthusiasm.  The feeling of being valued among a group has great power.  If you manage to establish a motivated work place, you are already on the first step towards a well-functioning,  productive  team. If the team members feel comfortable working together, they will help each other, work more efficiently, and do so in an inspired, profound way.

PRACTICAL WISDOM Keeping inspiration as a contextual goal in

mind, one of the most effective and influential rewards a person can have is their family. A very simple action you can take is to make a commitment to your child or significant other based on the impact you intend to achieve during your workday. This can be any type of impact you intend to accomplish during the day.  Children are the best inspiration as they have no politics that refrain them from asking you the blunt question regarding your commitment.

Here’s one example:In the morning, share with your child – „today, Daddy will make a major impact on at least two people and make their hearts smile; I will tell you all about it when I get home tonight“.

Something this simple can make a huge difference as all parents have a strong desire to make their children proud and work harder than any other motivator to not let their children down. Using the uninhibited curiosity of the child, they will ask you about the promise if you don’t tell them when you get home from work.  Explore this simple action for yourself as well as those you wish to lead.

Remember, leadership is how a business person inspires, guides, communicates with, and transforms people. 

Begin to inspire yourself and your colleagues today.

THANKS