Organization Behavior and Leadership
Leadership is part of organization behavior (Robbins & Judge, 2007). It involves the ability to influence people to follow willingly one’s direction. There are different styles of leadership styles adopted by leaders in an organization. Each leader chooses the best leadership style that suits the organization in achieving its goals. In the given scenario, there are three different leaders with different leadership styles.
Executive A practices the level five style of leadership. A level 5 leader dramatically changes the appearance of the whole organization. This leader is the perfect example for meekness and intense professional will (Collins, 2001). A level 5 leader is strongly determined that the company he/she oversees will be successful in its affairs. The leader is ambitious and expects the company to succeed even without his/her presence. A level 5 leader leaves the company better than before and expects the company to be successful even after he/she leaves the company (Collins, 2001). This type of leadership style encourages participation of team members in the decision-making. The leader in this style knows of his/her limitations. Therefore, he involves the best staff from the team in making major organization decisions that can transform the organization. Executive A is a level 5 leader. The chief executive officer (CEO) concentrates on the success of the company with the high ambition and drive. The CEO involves other leaders in the organization in the management of the company. When the company succeeds, the executive is quick to note that the success belong to the leaders in the organization, even though the media thinks otherwise. The executive carries the blame for any mistakes that happen in the company. It is because of the CEO’s humility that the company’s profits are better. The CEO aims at leaving the company in a better position on retirement. This is evident from the time the executive has taken in developing the leaders of the organization.
Leader B, on the other hand, is a transactional leader. This style of leadership holds that when the team members accept responsibility for a job, they will obey their leader without question. This style of leadership views the team members as being in a transaction with the organization. The team members will put effort in their job and comply with all the rules in the organization in return for their pay (Robbins, & Judge, 2007). The leader can penalize the team members who do not meet the expected standards. This style of leadership kills the morale of team members. They just work hard because there are incentives for greater productivity. It is more of a management tool than leadership. Leader B practices this leadership style. This leader expects the subordinates to follow strictly task requirements in achieving the organization goals. Leader B does not take responsibility for failure, but passes this on to the subordinates who do the work. The leader views the process as a transaction with the employees. Those who are successful in their tasks receive rewards in return for their hard work. Leader B is the overall boss and expects authority to flow from top to bottom. This leader does not involve subordinates in decision-making, but just delegates work for them to do.
Finally, there is Leader C. This leader uses the transformational leadership style in influencing subordinates. A transformational leader seeks to change the appearance of the organization. It is a great and uplifting experience to work with transformational leaders because they have passion and energy in steering the company to success (Bass, 1985). These leaders have a vision, which they constantly sell to their followers in an effort to improve the image of the company. They find the way forward for the organization and influence subordinates to follow them while remaining at the top. A leader using this style sets a good example for the subordinates. With encouragement and support, this leader expects the best from the team members. This leader inspires people to see beyond their self-interests and focus more on the overall interests of the organization. This style of leadership is evident from Leader C in this scenario. This leader encourages subordinates to surpass their own self-interest for the benefit of the organization. Leader C has a vision for the organization, which the leader shares with followers with the aim of achieving success in the organization. This leader is optimistic for employees and expects subordinates to feel proud of their company. This is characteristic of a transformational leader. This leader motivates subordinates with small things such as remembering their birthday. Leader C also encourages the team to view their leader as a mentor who guides and not a manager. This way, subordinates build trust in their leader and the result is great success for the company.
Executive A is due to retire from the company in the next two years. The company may choose to appoint leader B or leader C as the next chief executive officer. Both leaders have different leadership styles, which will affect the company’s management in different ways. If the company appoints Leader B as the next CEO, the leader’s transactional style of leadership will affect the company in various ways. The company’s profits are likely to drop in the tenure of Leader B. This is because of the style of leadership this leader practices. The subordinates lack motivation in their work. Most of them are working extra hard because that extra work comes with rewards. The leader does not encourage employees to participate in decision-making of the company. Authority flows in a chain of command from top to bottom and, therefore, the subordinates hardly have any say in the company. The leader delegates responsibilities to subordinates who should perform without making mistakes. In the event of failure, the subordinates are responsible, and there is punishment from the leader. This style of leadership is rather rigid and dangerous in an organization that expects to succeed (Bass, 1985). This company’s performance may drop to the level it was at before Executive A took office. This leadership style is, therefore not applicable in this scenario because the organization’s success is at stake. The fact that Leader B rewards exemplary performance is not enough to motivate employees. Subordinates need to participate in decision-making because they perform the actual work. This will improve their performance and mistakes will reduce. The leader should set a good example not as a manager but an influential leader.
On the other hand, Leader C is likely to influence positively the performance of the organization. The motivation of employees will also increase with Leader C taking the position of the next CEO. The corporation’s profits are likely to go up because this leader cherishes the objectives and missions of the previous executive. This leader focuses on changing the face of the company through a passionate vision. The leader expects that the company will lead in service delivery in future. This is through inspiring employees to put their interests aside for the benefit of the whole organization. Leader C encourages subordinates to take pride in their organization, which boosts their morale. The leader also motivates subordinate by remembering their birthdays. Through this support, subordinates are able to work towards achieving the organization’s goals. In the long term, the company performs well and employees benefit through increased salaries and allowances (Robbins & Judge, 2007). If the company appoints Leader C, the employees trust on their leader will increase. This is because the employees will view the leader as a mentor whose duty is to guide them in the right direction. The overall image of the organization will change with Leader C being the CEO.
It is prudent for an organization to select the right leader. This leader should practice the appropriate style in influencing subordinates towards achieving the organization’s goals. Different styles of leadership are applicable in different situations. A leader should guide subordinates in a way that will improve the overall organization performance.
References
Bass, B.M., (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectation. New York: Free Press.
Collins, J., (2001). Level 5 leadership. The triumph of humility & fierce resolve. Harvard
Business Review.
Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T.A., (2007). Organization behavior (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Prentice Hall.
