Critique Leadership Survey Results-A-Z Corporation
There is a direct link between existing leadership qualities and an organization’s success. However, that does not mean that there are specific good leadership qualities that translate into successful leadership. Modern organizations have evolved so much that only dynamic leaders who embrace qualities that befit specific circumstances will create organizational success. To that end, there is a need for leaders to consider the traits and needs of the teams they lead before determining the best leadership qualities they will apply. The contingency theory of leadership determines the proficiency of a leader based on how they apply context-specific qualities to drive success. Since team members are the primary drivers of organizational success, a survey must be undertaken to determine their needs and apply corresponding leadership qualities. Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com. We offer assignment help with high professionalism.
The survey on my competence as a leader at A-Z Corporation shows that I scored average on effective working relationships with team members, hence the need for improvement. One way I may improve my working relationship with juniors is by creating two-way communication and good relationships, which may include embracing the right attitude while communicating with the team (Olanrewaju & Okorie, 2019). Also, a people-oriented behavioral approach will come in handy. Such an approach focuses on ensuring effective working conditions while also making sure I establish solid trust as I work with team members (Olanrewaju & Okorie, 2019). Also, the component of dignity and amiability, whereby a leader communicates with a gentle and friendly tone, will help create good working relationships. While at it, some sense of humor and sharing occasional jokes will ease the tension between a leader and team members, hence creating effective working relationships. A good working relationship between a leader and team members depends on a two-way communication structure, and this will form the basis of determining success in the next employee review.
The team at A-Z Corporation also expressed little motivation to achieve individual and team goals. A highly functional team is fundamental to achieving organizational success in a dynamic and fast-changing global business environment. One way a leader can help teams achieve their goals is by embracing collaborative design thinking, whereby members collaborate to figure out how best they can perform different tasks (Keighran & Adhikari, 2016). The design-thinking model looks at tasks as technical and complex functions that require the application of technical skills. Therefore, as a leader, one should not just assign tasks and issue deadlines, expecting that members will somehow figure out how they will achieve goals. Instead, a collaborative approach whereby the leader and team members continually contribute to achieving goals is critical (Keighran & Adhikari, 2016). A collaborative leadership approach facilitates the team to explore ideas, generate ideas, implement solutions, and conduct an evaluation to ensure goals are achieved.
The third leadership component where I scored average is instilling confidence that I can steer the team toward success as a leader. To that end, I will have to embrace self-confidence as a way of making the team trust in my capabilities to drive them toward success (Kolzow, 2014). Self-confidence is not about expressing arrogance and egotism but embracing the willingness to take on difficult tasks to help the team achieve new goals. Besides, a leader should try new things, offer ideas, inculcate positive energy, and collaborate with team members (Kolzow, 2014). If team members encounter challenges performing complex tasks, a leader should chip in and offer potential solutions instead of showing fear. One way to bolster one’s sense of confidence as a leader is by believing that one is competent in what they do. Also, the boldness of action in trying new, challenging tasks portrays an image of a leader who is in control. In the long run, a self-confident leader instills positive energy and confidence while alleviating doubt among team members. The approach will be deemed effective once team members become confident about their capabilities.
Another leadership component that requires improvement, as per the survey, is the enhancement of followership trust in me as a leader. Trust, in this case, shows followers’ belief in their leaders to act with high ethical standards, be predictable, and be fair (Le & Tran, 2020). A successful leader should establish and maintain the trust of their followers by acting in a way that is consistent with creating a positive perception of their behaviors and character. Leaders with high predictability encourage their followers to express their vulnerability with work-related tasks (Le & Tran, 2020). For instance, if a team member cannot handle a task, they are likely to express their weakness to a leader they know will help them figure out solutions instead of putting them down. Apple’s former and current CEOs, Steve Jobs and Tim Cook are perfect examples of the impact of trust on leadership. On the one hand, Steve Jobs had a condescending attitude, which made some employees fearful of expressing personal vulnerability. In contrast, his successor, Tim Cook, was predictable, thus encouraging team members to exhibit vulnerability freely. A positive correlation exists between trust leadership and employee trust, which eventually drives organizational success.
Finally, my team at A-Z Corporation expressed concerns about my lack of visibility and inaccessibility as a leader. An obvious problem is the lack of employee engagement, which may lead to reduced individual productivity, high turnover rates, and low service quality (Garza, 2018). Leaders need to practice effective centralized communication in which they explain expectations through face-to-face meetings to keep employees engaged. Since leaders are not necessarily all-knowing, attending communication training exercises will help them gain effective communication skills. Another way to enhance employee engagement is by exhibiting supportive employee behavior, which allows the team leader to build a rapport with the rest of the team (Garza, 2018). Community activities and retreats will ease the tension that exists between leaders and followers, thus allowing followers to interact freely with leaders. Also, expressing appreciation for a job well done, even if it is just by word of mouth, goes a long way to enhancing leader-follower engagement (Garza, 2018). Engaging a team drives a sense of importance to the organization; hence, they are likely to exploit their potential to help the organization achieve success.
To determine leadership effectiveness after undertaking the above steps, I will measure the team’s success in achieving group goals and the team’s overall performance. If one of the group goals is to increase sales, and the sales increase by the end of the review period, then the methods were effective. Secondly, I will ask subordinates to evaluate my effectiveness as a leader anonymously, and the outcomes should reveal whether the strategies implemented succeeded. The subordinate evaluation of their leaders is effective since it gives a clear picture of how people feel regardless of performance. Another way to determine the effectiveness of leadership qualities is by evaluating team members’ individual job satisfaction levels. If there is a positive satisfaction level, then it means the team appreciates the leadership qualities.
In summary, the contingency leadership theory is critical to ensuring effective leadership in any organization. One of the leadership components under this theory is a good working relationship between a leader and followers, which requires constant, centralized, and concise communication. Besides, effective leaders exhibit a sense of self-confidence, which will eventually be replicated by the rest of the team. Good leaders also ought to exhibit a collaborative spirit, which will help the rest of the team achieve their individual goals. There is also the need for the leader to keep followers positively engaged in getting the best out of them.
References
Garza, C. (2018). Leadership strategies to increase employee engagement.
Keighran, H., & Adikari, S. (2016). Developing High-Performing Teams: A Design Thinking Led Approach. Semantic Scholar. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40409-7_6.
Kolzow, D. R. (2014). Leading from within Building organizational leadership capacity.
Le, B. P., & Tran, Q. T. (2020). Leadership Practice for Building Trust of Followers: Decisive Factors of Organizational Performance. SEISENSE Journal of Management, 3(2), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.33215/sjom.v3i2.308.
Olanrewaju, O. I., & Okorie, V. N. (2019). Exploring the Qualities of a Good Leader Using Principal Component Analysis. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 9(2), 142–150. https://doi.org/10.2478/jeppm-2019-0016.
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Question
Imagine the following hypothetical scenario:
You are a mid-level manager at A-Z Corporation. In your annual employee performance review, you were presented with results from an evaluation of your leadership skills and qualities based on a survey completed by your team members. From the survey findings, below is a list of statements that were scored as average or below average:
Critique Leadership Survey Results-A-Z Corporation
My Supervisor and I have a good working relationship.
I am inspired to meet my goals at work.
I trust the Leadership Team to lead the Organization to success.
I trust my Leader.
The Leadership Team is visible and accessible.
Based on the survey results described above, determine ways you could improve your leadership skills in these areas. Explain key practices for improvement as supported by theory in the literature. Predict how you would measure your success in implementing these improvements for your next annual employee review.
Length: 3-5 pages, not including title or reference pages
References: Include a minimum of 5 scholarly resources.