Leaderships Role and Organizational Effectiveness

Leaderships Role and Organizational Effectiveness

Analysis of Critical Questions that Leaders Should Ask About Their Organizations to Achieve Purposeful Organizational Effectiveness

Achieving purposeful organizational effectiveness requires ensuring that an organization’s goals are being met. One of the critical questions that leaders should ask about their organizations as they determine the areas to achieve purposeful organizational effectiveness is whether the organizational strategy has been communicated clearly to ensure that everyone in the organization understands what is expected of them. According to Kinley & Ben-Hur (2015), when employees know what is expected of them, they develop a sense of direction to meet the organization’s expectations, which translates to organizational effectiveness. Leaders also need to ensure that all employees’ actions align with the organization’s strategy to create a uniform approach to meeting the organization’s goals.

The second critical question that leaders should ask is whether it is clear who is responsible for making critical decisions in the organization. Decision-making is vital in achieving organizational effectiveness based on the quality of decisions made. Therefore, leaders need to ensure that critical decisions are made by people with the authority and capacity to do it. For example, financial experts need to make critical decisions about the organization’s financial resources and communicate with top management and employees. Determining who is responsible for making critical decisions also eliminates delays in the decision-making process and conflicts that may arise from different opinions. The third question is whether the organization has the right capabilities and people to achieve the organization’s goals. Leaders must ensure that the organization’s workforce is equipped with the skills and capabilities needed to meet its goals and whether additional training may be required for the existing workforce to improve their ability to complete assigned tasks effectively.

Major Behaviors Associated With Effective Organizational Leadership

One of the major behaviours associated with effective organizational leadership is approachability. According to Swani & Isherwood (2019), approachability includes maintaining open communication and encouraging communication by asking questions about what should be done to achieve the best outcome. Leaders need to be approachable to encourage collaboration with subordinates in decision-making. Approachability also improves organizational leadership because the leader can get information about the issues hindering employee performance since the employees are not afraid to talk to their leaders. Being approachable also fosters a good relationship between the leader and employees, thus making employees develop a sense of belonging and existence in the organization. Employees with a sense of belonging are likely to be committed to the organization and focus on meeting the organization’s goals (Dewi et al., 2020). Approachability also enables employees to review their progress with a positive outlook and demonstrate a high sense of participation.

The second behaviour is leading by example. According to Schuhmacher et al. (2021), leading by example includes portraying the conduct that a leader expects the employees to have. Effective leadership is characterized by setting a good example for followers. For example, if a leader expects employees to arrive on time, they can lead by example by being the first to report to work. Leading by example also allows leaders to communicate the organization’s values, thus influencing employees’ behaviours and attitudes. Leaders can also use their actions to ensure that the organization’s objectives are met in accordance with its mission and vision. The third behaviour is being goal-oriented by setting realistic and clear goals. The goals must align with the organization’s objectives and build motivation while pushing the team to achieve important objectives. Goals play a significant role in shaping the behaviour of employees based on what needs to be achieved, thus enhancing organizational performance.

Three Significant Ways Leaders Can Inspire Change

Leaders play a significant role in implementing change in an organization. One of the ways a leader can inspire change is by telling the story behind the change. In most instances, employees may resist change because they do not understand its background and its significance in the organization. Therefore, it is important to tell the story behind the change to inspire employees to embrace it and develop a common purpose. The story may focus on the need that the change is expected to meet or a vision that needs to be realized. For example, suppose the change includes using technology to automate some tasks. In that case, the leader may tell a story of how he observed employees overworking themselves to meet targets and sacrificing time they should spend with their families. Such a story demonstrates that the change is intended to benefit employees and the organization, thus reducing resistance.

The second way is to encourage employees to give feedback about the change and the areas that should be improved. Engaging employees in change implementation makes them feel appreciated and part of the organization, thus inspiring them to do whatever they can to ensure the change is successful. Employees may also be encouraged to give recommendations on the best strategy to implement the change without putting too much pressure on them. The third way is maintaining open communication throughout the change process. According to Damawan & Azizah (2020), poor communication is a leading cause of resistance to change. Therefore, it is important to create an open line of communication that includes communicating the goal of the change and the change implementation process. Communication should be transparent to ensure that no information is withheld.

Leadership Actions Demonstrating Calm and Optimism in Crisis

Leadership during a crisis requires demonstrating optimism and calmness to avoid tension among followers and subordinates. Regular communication is one leadership action that demonstrates calm and optimism in a crisis. Miscommunication and rumours are common during a crisis because people speculate about different turns of events. Regular communication demonstrates that a leader knows what they are doing and is confident that the organization or team will pull through the crisis. Regular communication may also create the impression that the leader has a plan to overcome the crisis. Communication should include situation updates and guidance on what the team or subordinates should do.

The second action is transparency. During a crisis, a leader may be tempted to hide some information from their followers or give false information to avoid creating tension. However, transparency is essential because it demonstrates calmness and optimism. Leaders who maintain transparency during a crisis acknowledge that they may not have all the answers to resolve the crisis but are optimistic that the measures they are taking will help the organization pull through. The leaders should stick to facts and limit biased comments and speculation. Transparency also reassures followers that the leader is alert and aware of the magnitude of the crisis. The leader must emphasize that followers should focus on what they can do and control during the crisis. The third action is listening to other people’s realities, concerns, and recommendations. During a crisis, a leader may demonstrate calm and optimism by encouraging others to share their ideas on what should be done to get through the crisis. This shows that the leader is not tense and is exploring all options to resolve the crisis.

References

Damawan, A. H., & Azizah, S. (2020). Resistance to change: Causes and strategies as an organizational challenge. Proceedings of the 5th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200120.010

Dewi, S. R., Suryamarta, R., Kurnia, D., & Andari. (2020). Sense of belonging and job satisfaction on employee performance. Proceedings of the International Conference on Community Development (ICCD 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201017.140

Kinley, N., & Ben-Hur, S. (2015). Changing employee behaviour: A practical guide for managers. Springer.

Schuhmacher, K., Towry, K. L., & Zureich, J. (2021). Leading by example in socially driven organizations: The effect of transparent leader compensation contracts on following. The Accounting Review, 97(3), 373-393. https://doi.org/10.2308/tar-2019-0227

Swani, J., & Isherwood, P. (2019). The approachable team leader: Front line perspectives on leadership in critical care. Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, 25(1), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516043519887045

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You may have heard that leadership is an art, not a science. But that does not mean you cannot study it and learn how to be a better leader. Even those with a “natural” talent for leadership will need to learn certain skills so they can lead effectively in a variety of different situations. There are behaviours and strategies leaders can learn to affect organizational effectiveness, inspire change, and maintain calm and optimism in turbulent times.

Complete a 3- to 5-page paper that reflects on leadership’s role as it relates to organizational effectiveness. Specifically, you should respond to the following four areas:

**Analyze three critical questions leaders should ask about their organizations as they determine areas to achieve purposeful organizational effectiveness.
**Identify three major behaviors associated with effective organizational leadership.
**Describe three important ways leaders can inspire change.
**Describe three leadership actions that demonstrate calm and optimism in crisis.