As a member of the scouting organization, there is a lot of fun, challenging activities, as well as unique experiences. Such activities include kayaking, climbing, and zorbing. There is also learning of survival skills, first aid, and computer programming. It has enabled the children to develop skills in teamwork, time management, initiative, planning, leadership, and communication. However, these are only possible with an effective scout leadership. Leadership is the process in which a person has direct or indirect influence on others or the goals of an organization (Day, 2014). Two aspects of leadership are critical in identifying a leader in any institution. The first aspect is that leadership represents a social influence process. Thus, it can never exist without a leader and two or more followers. The second aspect is that leadership ends up into a purposeful and goal-directed follower's behavior. These aspects are important to the success of an organization.
Theory of Leadership
Leadership determines the relationship and success in an organization. It determines the values, culture, and employee motivation. However, successful leaders have one thing in common; they tend to influence the employees or any other person in the organization so that they can achieve the maximum benefits from the resources of the organization. There are some leadership theories that have been used to explain effective leadership in an institution (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009). These include the traits theory and the behavioral theory. However, in our organization, the theory being practiced by the leaders is the behavioral theory.
In the behavioral theory of leadership, the focus is the behavior of a leader. The theory maintains that the behaviors of the leaders are likely to affect the performance of an organization. Kurt Lewin developed behavioral theory in the 1930s. The leaders are classified into three groups dependent on their behaviors. The first group is termed autocratic leaders. These make decisions without considering the opinions of other members or other leaders. This has been very effective in our organization since there are situations that require quick decision-making. For example, in a situation where someone’s life has to be saved, consultation with the team members must be minimized or avoided (Day, 2014). The leader involved must make a quick decision on what should be done to save someone in danger. This style of leadership is considered appropriate in circumstances of danger. This was experienced one day when the scouts went hiking. One of the scouts slipped and fell into a deep river. The leader did not have to consult the other members of the next course of action. The leader jumped into the river and saved the boy
The second category of leaders is the democratic leaders. These represent a group of leaders who consult the team members before coming to any conclusion. This is very important in a situation where the contributions and the opinions of the team members matters. However, it is only effective when the team members are few and can be easily managed (Day, 2014). Most of the scout leaders have applied such style of leadership, especially during camping in a particular site. All the scouting teams are consulted so that the views of everyone are considered before a final decision is made. It has enabled the leader to determine whether the camping area is favorable for the whole team and any necessary alterations that can be made based on the suggestions. This has also motivated the scouting teams as they feel appreciated and involved in the decision-making of the organization. However, it consumes time since the teams are always large, and the views of each person are considered important (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
Laissez-faire is the third category of leaders as described in the behavioral theory. These are the leaders that do not interfere with the decision-making process. The team is allowed to make its decisions (Day, 2014). This can only be applied when the team is highly motivated, capable of making their decisions, and does not require close supervision to carry out their roles in the organization. Although it is applied when dealing with the senior scouts, it is very rare since most of the scouts are young and require supervision. It also portrays laziness or forms of distraction, which can lead to the failure of the leaders. The theory maintains that for one to be the best leader, one must employ different behavioral styles in the appropriate situations. This can enable them to handle different situations in the right way (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
Power and Influence of leaders on followers
Many employees find it challenging to differentiate the two terms of power and influence. Power denotes the capacity or ability of an individual to have effects on others (Day, 2014). It is the ability of the leaders to ensure that things happen and be able to overpower any form of resistance for them to achieve the organizational goals. Influence, on the other hand, is the change that an individual is likely to have on the attitudes, beliefs, or the behaviors of a follower due to the influence tactics one use (PSU World Campus, 2013).
Power and influence are vital components of an effective leadership. A leader becomes useless without power and influence. What influences it have on workers' behaviors or performance? All leaders must address this important question. In the scouting industry, the leaders have some sources of power that they have used to influence the scouting teams. These sources of power are classified into either positional power or personal power (PSU World Campus, 2013).
Positional power includes legitimate power, where a leader uses position in the organization to influence the followers. Most of the scout leaders have influenced the team member using this power. They believe that in their positions, they have the right to order their followers and expect them to obey. This is common with the young scouts. The senior scout leaders give instructions, and they are expected to follow.
It can be perceived as effective in the organization since most of the team members obey their seniors with the fear of being seen as disobedient. For example, a scout leader may choose a camping site for a given group of scouts and expect them to camp there, whether they like the place or otherwise. However, the leaders should be warned that the junior scout teams are not influenced by them but by their position. They should not rely on their legitimate powers since it may result into an abuse of their powers and poor working relationships with the other leaders (PSU World Campus, 2013).
Reward power is the second form of influence that the leaders may have on their followers. This is the ability of the leaders to give the followers rewards for something well done as a source of motivation. These could be in the form of promotions, increase in salaries, and training opportunities. This is also considered a positional power since the ability to give rewards is due to the leader’s position. This has been successfully applied to the scouting teams by the leaders in motivating an appreciating the team members (PSU World Campus, 2013). Coercive Power, on the other hand, is the direct opposite of reward power. It is where the leader uses threats and punishments on the followers. Most of the scout teams have not been receptive to this kind of influence since the consequences are severe. For example, some senior scouts have been demoted while the salaries of others reduced because of this power.
Recommendation
It would be appropriate if the leaders abandoned coercive power and replaced it with expert power. This is because it discourages the scout teams, especially the young ones, and scares them from participating in various activities. Replacing it with expert power can enable the scouts to acquire special skills. The scouts can tend to listen more to the leaders who demonstrate expertise. This power does not require any form of positional power. The leaders can use the expert power guide and support the young scout teams. They can also use it to motivate them. Additionally, the leader can use the expert power to gain respect from the scouting teams for their respective positions and skills. The scouting leaders should also be open to discussing any problems that the teams may have. This is because through listening to their concerns, the leader may use skills to solve them. This is important in leading change and managing resistance from the teams (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
Transactional and Transformational Leadership
Leadership can be either transactional or transformational. Transactional leaders focus on the supervision and group performance in an organization (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009). Such leaders are worried about the progress of the organization towards its goals. Most of the leaders in the organization can be termed as transactional. This is because they lure the scout teams to follow them through a raise, a promotion, or new responsibilities. However, the scout teams only follow these leaders due to the incentives. Without such incentives, they cannot have any followers. Once they do not have anything to offer the teams, they may not be able to influence the followers.
Transformational leaders, on the other hand, aim at improving the levels of motivation and participation of the followers. They only direct them towards the organization’s shared vision. They seek to change the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of those they lead. In the scouting team, most of the members are eager to learn new things and become better that their trainers and leaders. The only way they can acquire these skills is through training and acquiring new knowledge. This is what the transformational leaders apply. They use their knowledge, expertise and vision of the organization to change their followers. This is the most effective type of leadership in the organization since the leaders give the flowers an opportunity to transform and develop themselves (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
The company has achieved the best outcome because of this form of leadership since the scout teams are developed regarding the skills and have a positive attitude regarding the organization. It is strongly desired in the organization since it does not buy the followers. Rather, it focuses on getting the followers depending on their pace of evolution. It also emphasizes on leadership by examples where the scout leaders are the ones who do what they expect the scout teams to do (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009). Through this, they can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the team members as well as enable them to overcome their weaknesses. Thus, the most effective type of leadership is transformational leadership.
Characteristics of an Effective Leader
Not all the leaders are effective and able to bring great changes in an organization. Leaders face some challenges and how they deal with them determines if they are growing or becoming effective as leaders. There are some characteristics that a leader must possess to be considered effective. These include being very creative. A leader should initiate novel ideas or approaches that can move the organization to better position and nearer to its goals.
They must be able to recognize the fact that failures are only temporary and instead of focusing on their failures, they should understand what not to do in the future. Such leaders can change the processes, laws, and the principles for better operations of an organization. Additionally, an effective leader must have self-control in all situations. As much as leaders are human beings with emotions, they should know their ability to stay calm. This is one character that has to be nurtured. Self-control can enable the leader to determine what is important for the organization or otherwise (Day, 2014).
An effective leader must also be caring. It can be an indication to the followers that they are valued. They should have a caring attitude to the whole team and be concerned about them. It can only be shown through acknowledging others. They should also ask the team members questions and listen to their problems. This is a genuine interest in the lives of the followers. Additionally, an effective leader must be a clear communicator. Good communication is important during conversations and message delivery. Therefore, an effective leader must be a good communicator as well as a listener (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
Being visionary is another important characteristic of an effective leader. One must be a dreamer who can see the future of the organization. Nonetheless, they must be careful not to go far ahead and the leave the entire team behind. They should aim to transform the vision of the organization into a reality. Lastly, an effective leader must be ethical. This can create a strong moral base for the leader and help one avoid any questions related to the individual character. It can also be a good example to the followers who become motivated always to do the right things (Bowles, Cooper, & Palgrave, 2009).
Leadership, Mission, Vision, and Strategy
Every organization has a mission, vision, as well as the strategies of achieving their goals. A mission is the current state of an organization. That is the current stakeholders, their customer bases, and their unique propositions (Day, 2014).Vision is the future state that an organization aims to achieve after a given period. Strategy, on the other hand, is the various activities or plans that the organization can implement to achieve its goals.
The success of the organization depends on its leadership. To achieve the vision of an organization, the firm requires a focused, dedicated, and hardworking leader (Day, 2014). This leader can create a culture that encourages the employees to work towards achieving the goals of the firm. Just like in the organization, the main objective of the scouting team is to save lives and change the world into a more conducive place for the survival of people. To achieve such goals, the leader must acquire adequate skills that can be effective in implementing the strategies of the organization as it tries to achieve its goals. A leader also gives direction to the team towards achieving the aims of the organization.
How to Change the Organization
Just like every organization, the company has some hiccups in its leadership. There are various changes that I would make to improve the effectiveness of its leadership. My initial action as a leader, is to seek and take responsibility for my actions (Day, 2014). As much as I would find ways of taking the organization to greater heights, I would not blame anyone for my failures. Instead, I would analyze the situations and take the appropriate corrective measures. This can improve transparency and accountability in the organization.
Furthermore, I would always make timely decisions. This is by employing good tools of problem solving and decision-making. Being a good role model is another factor that can improve the leadership of the organization. As much as I am the leader who gives directions, I must set the pace for the team to follow. Lastly, I would train the employees as a team. This enables the leaders to focus on the overall interest of the organization rather that their interests. I would also reduce the misuse of power in the organization to influence various teams. This is because when power is used negatively, it may lead to conflicts but when used positively, it overcomes conflict and even avoids problems (Day, 2014).
References
Day, D. (2014). The Oxford handbook of leadership and organizations. New York: Oxford University Press.
Bowles, D., Cooper, C., & Palgrave, C. (2009). Employee Morale: Driving Performance in Challenging times. Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
PSU World Campus. (2013). L.07: Power and Influence. Retrieved from ANGEL Course Management System: https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa13/psych485/001/content/07_lesson/printlesson.html
