Leadership style in organizations has transformed as many industrial aspects such as advancement in technology and modernization have surged in. The traditional form of leadership has been replaced by a flexible form of leadership where the leaders can interact and socialize effectively with their employees or followers. Through such interaction, the leaders can identify areas of strength in the firm and sectors that need rectification to enhance the efficiency level in the organizations. Traditionally, leaders were accorded respect by their followers, and they were feared by the people they led. Leaders were assigned a dominant position that depicted a unique individual requiring special treatment which leads to information barrier since their followers do not interact and share with them information. In the article, the effect of polarization through leadership will be discussed alongside the benefits of a flexible leader-follower relationship. Also, the influence leaders have to their friends and its impact on their relationship will be analyzed in the last section of the paper.
Managers and leaders play a vital role in enhancing the efficiency of organizations. The leadership position is characterized by powers to make decisions that influence the running and operations of the firm; hence, the consciousness of the leader determines the direction the company is taking regarding effectiveness. The principals in enterprises and ventures tend to set an example for their followers by mentoring them which needs the leaders to be disciplined, principled and of good conduct if any organization is to prosper in achieving its objectives. Leaders are the pace setters in firms, and their actions and attitudes determine the level of productiveness in the enterprise since the workers or followers tend to view their leaders as their referees. Hence, the employees end up copying the actions of their leader which suggests that if their actions are right, then the overall activities of the stakeholders in the firm is good hence increasing effectiveness in the enterprise.
Polarization effect in leadership drives the followers and their leaders wide apart even though the issues affecting them tend to have the same roots. Polarization occurs systematically beginning with the fact that every individual feels justified to their opinion on various topics in question. When a person takes a particular side of an issue, they tend to seek facts to support that specific aspect in question. In the process, individuals feel that they are correct, and those supporting the opposing side are irrational and wrong which has the effect of increased arguments and conflicts with people with the different point of view.
The leaders who dictate the way for the followers might misguide their followers due to the failure to listen to the arguments of their critics, which could be logical. The reason is that such leaders are in a position whereby they do not indulge with their followers hence the opinions of the people being led is not taken into consideration with seriousness. Hence, it leads to a situation whereby the society is not satisfied by the services of their leaders. Due to the differences involved, the followers may tend to cling on to one point of view on issues and become incapable of seeing their faults, and the right recommendations suggested by the leaders are assumed to be wrong. The reason is that the followers already have a belief that the leaders are dictatorial, and all their decisions are biased which is not usually the case.
Individuals in organizations become polarized by various issues since the leaders use their position to influence the emotions of their followers which has the impact of increasing their popularity. The leaders achieve this through portraying the negative aspects of their competitors rather than invest in showing their positive personal traits. Through this, the followers are left with inadequate information on various issues such as the accountability and reliability of the leaders who are representing them.
In firms and organizations, the stakeholders, who are the workers and their employers, tend to fall into conflicts with each other often. The disputes can be a result of disagreements on decisions and policies stipulated by the organization's management. However, the issue can be corrected through the adoption of a modernized form of leadership whereby the leaders create room for dialogue with all the stakeholders in the organization; hence, coming up with business plans and strategies that are approved and supported by all the workers (Carmeli, Atwater, & Levi, 2010). Through such dialogue, the employees can raise their concerns and suggest possible solutions that the management can incorporate thereby creating comfortable working environment for all the stakeholders; hence, increasing the overall productivity of the venture.
In the modern organizations, the work surrounding is continuously changing which calls for adjustment of leadership and management style in firms. Modern day workstations are different compared to the traditional ones due to technological and behavioral advancement. Managers and leaders in today’s organizations need to lead and follow at the same time. By doing this, the leaders can interact with their followers and address various issues that might be affecting their performance in the organization (Kellerman, 2007). Here, the role of leaders is smoothening the way for their employees through helping them eradicate various obstacles in the road to efficiency and productivity. Through this, the leaders in firms can empower the other stakeholders in the enterprise by eliminating the traditional leadership style characterized by leading by the notion of command, fear, and control.
Modern day leaders need to have technical expertise whereby they have knowledge on technological advancement and usage. Through this such leaders can monitor trends in the market and be able to predict the performance of their respective enterprises in future. When the manager is equipped with basic technological expertise, the ethical level in firm improves since they can be able to monitor cases of fraud and misconduct in time; hence, be able to take appropriate action accordingly. Another feature of modern day leadership is leading by example(Morgan, 2016). Traditionally the managers assumed an autonomous role whereby they just command, and the action is taken. However, in the modern times, the managers need to be on the ground level with the other employees and be part of the activities of the firm through using the same tools and resources the other employees have. Through indulging in the venture’s operations from the grassroots, the managers motivate the employees via the interaction they have had in the field.
Leadership position can be challenging when it comes to handling friends. The reason is that there is a prior relationship between the leader and the followers who are their friends. In such a situation, the leaders may make decisions or choices that are biased and based on emotions (Carmeli& Waldman, 2009). On the other hand, if the followers are the friends of the leader, they expect the manager to deliver special treatment to them due to their relationship which proves to be challenging to the head in question. In the end, the previous relationship is ruined since each of the stakeholders has a role to play and that can only be possible through mutual understanding and agreements.
As organizations are changing and developing, there is the need for diversity in leadership and management to incorporate the economic and social changes. Leaders need to be more flexible in their operations to enhance the efficiency in the firms. Also, the relationship between the leaders and their followers should be formalized in such a way that it creates a connection between the stakeholders through serving the interests of the public accordingly as well as improving the efficiency of the organization. Through achieving that, the leader is self-actualized since the success of the enterprise and joy of the stakeholders in the venture is the leader’s primary objective.
References
Carmeli, A., Atwater, L., & Levi, A. (2010). How leadership enhances employees’ knowledge sharing: the intervening roles of relational and organizational identification. J TechnolTransf, 36(3), 257-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10961-010-9154-y
Kellerman, B. (2007). What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 3 May 2016, from https://hbr.org/2007/12/what-every-leader-needs-to-know-about-followers
Morgan, J. (2016). Forbes Welcome. Forbes.com. Retrieved 3 May 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2013/07/23/5-must-have-qualities-of-the-modern-manager/#4b230c1060d5
Carmeli, A. & Waldman, D. (2009).Leadership, behavioral context, and the performance of work groups in a knowledge-intensive setting.J TechnolTransf, 35(4), 384-400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10961-009-9125-3
