Leadership in new era

LEADERSHIP IN NEW ERA
Mini-MBA Course
Ch.2
Prepared by:

Amr Abdel-Aziz
Computer science, Helwan University
Amr.abdulaziz@outlook.com

INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP
The 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 “
” and the desired 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 functionsplanning, 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 RELATIONSHIPS
When 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.



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.



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.

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 wellfunctioning, 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.

Leadership in new era

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