Audience
This paper is directed to the academic audience. It will benefit the academic community associated with the organizational function of human resource management. Specifically, the report would be presented to my tutor. This is done in partial fulfillment of my academic goals. Nevertheless, the information provided in the report has utmost significance to practitioners in the field of human resource management.
Summary
This report focuses on the issue of leadership and management performance in organizations. It begins with the definition of terms that commonly occur within the context of human resource management. It then proceeds to give a brief introduction of the fundamental principles that concern organizational leadership. The next section of the paper covers the problem statement. Here, the research problem is identified to create a sense of objectivity in the subsequent sections of the report. This is then followed by a theoretical analysis that mobilizes conceptual information in the creation of notions that address the paper’s problem statement. Finally, the report concludes and ends by giving recommendations concerning future developments in the field of leadership and management development in organizations.
Definition of terms
Various terminologies are applied in the field of human resource management and leadership development. The most significant terms that would feature in this paper include:
Organizational management is the process aligning corporate functions to company objectives. This aspect involves the planning and control of resources to ensure that they are utilized in an organized and appropriate manner (Wood, 1989). Organizational management meets its purpose when it succeeds in the resolution of issues that surround the process of profit generation.
Human resource development includes the composite of organizational frameworks that work toward the advancement of employee merit. Concerning this, workers are granted the chance to improve their organizational and individual skills (DeSimone, 2002). This results in mutual benefits that advance the interests of a company and its labor force.
Organizational leadership refers to the management approach that focuses on a company’s group development. Regarding this, it employs the dual method of nurturing personal and organizational development simultaneously. Organizational leadership can also be seen as an attitude vested in work ethics and the individual desire to promote productivity in a particular company (Ogawa, 1995).
Managerial leadership development is the practical application of strategic principles to equip people with skills that are fundamental in the spheres of organizational management (Day, 2001). Various skills are learned through this aspect. They include communication skills and motivational ability. Managerial leadership is important in the fulfillment of management goals.
Success is a measure of success. At the individual level, success denotes personal achievement regarding sets of standards. Successful people circumvent failure by employing practical skills learned through the course of their lives. Organizational success defines the extent to which a company has achieved the objectives provided by its business plan (Pfeffer, 1999). Objectives vary and may include set goals, plans, and workflow information. Successful organizations have the ability to overcome obstacles to advance their image in their respective markets.
Introduction
Leadership is a subject that occurs in various disciplines. It can be regarded as a research area that surrounds the fundamental principles of social control. Additionally, leadership is a practical skill that enables people to guide others. This notion also presents itself in the context of the organizational function. A company may possess the ability to dominate the market through the implementation of unique strategies that distinguish them from the rest (Zaccaro, 2002). For a long time, the subject of leadership has featured in various scholarly discussions. Controversies have emerged concerning the sole purpose of leadership. Different viewpoints are associated with both Eastern and Western education. In the Western world, leadership concerns the exercise of social influence within the spheres of organizational function. This means that leaders are individuals who mobilize resources in the execution of tasks. Indeed, successful organizations depend on the roles played by their leaders in spearheading development.
Problem statement
Leadership management is critical for organizational success. The occurrence of bad leadership is a confounding factor towards the registration of company losses. Specifically, leadership is a challenge. The problems faced in leadership management are both external and internal. Responsible behavior is an issue that may affect organizational performance (Brief, 1986). Leaders may act irresponsibly due to the nature of their immediate environment. Additionally, some situations involve personal limitations that drive people to engage in activities that are deleterious to organizational interests. Some rare occurrences may concern leadership problems that originate from the nature of particular roles.
Leaders have the constant pressure of coping with their external environments. In the organizational context, such external influence can be attributed to the financial status of a company. A leader may have difficulty in executing their duties due to limited availability of economic resources. Additionally, an organization’s leader may be subjected to intense opposition from members of the community. This would affect their integrity and overall service delivery. Interpersonal problems may also drive leaders to engage in activities that typify organizational malpractice. Internally, leadership may expose people’s individual limitations. Intolerance and a lack of patience may drive organizational leaders to extreme lengths of desperation. This may express itself when a company leader spends organizational resources unwisely. The problem of leadership management has critical implications for organizational performance (Peterson, 2003). When leaders fail to face their limitations, the entire organization is in jeopardy. Corporate failure becomes inevitable when an organization fails to solve leadership issues in its management circles.
Theoretical analysis
The relationship between effective leadership and management performance
An evaluation of management theories explains the relationship between effective leadership and management performance. Various reasons can be raised to clarify this fact. First, practice explains the positive influence of effective leadership in the realization of organizational goals. High degrees of dynamism characterizes modern markets. Competitive environments are intense, and this drives organizations to apply innovative means of sustaining their market shares. Additionally, decreasing returns has become one of the most imminent threats to the health of modern organizations. Practitioners of organizational management acknowledge the significance of effective leadership in the circumvention of corporate challenges. Effective leaders express behaviors that may steer their organizations towards economic success. They guide their colleagues whenever companies face new market challenges. Acknowledging the benefits of effective leadership to organizations is prudent. This is because of the theoretical implications that surround the aspects of organizational management. Research outcomes have pointed out the significance of effective leadership to company performance (Guzzo, 1996). It has been found that this aspect is among the driving forces that promote the productivity and longevity of modern organizations. Inevitably, effective leadership is a potent force that fosters sustainable management performance.
The correlation between effective leadership and management performance is contingent on the types of leadership styles. For instance, transactional leadership enables companies to achieve their objectives efficiently. This happens because of the establishment of linkages that connect organizational performance to reward management strategies (Bass, 1991). This allows the members of an organization to access the necessary resources needed for the execution of tasks. Additionally, this form of leadership inspires competence through the existence of incentive systems that promote desirable performance. Visionary leadership characterizes managers that employ the rules of strategy in the implementation of business plans. Concerning this, visionary leaders operate according to personal impressions about the future state of operations. This means that a leader would work towards bridging the gap between a current and desired state. Additionally, these individuals approach their duties metaphorically. They communicate their desires to organizational members through subtle means of information exchange. They would then influence their colleagues to adopt similar notions with the aim of steering the company towards organizational success.
Scholars argue that visionary leadership is a significant tool in promoting sustainable management performance (Szekely, 2005). This is through the creation of knowledge systems that foster organizational cohesion, employee motivation and a sense of commitment. Successful organizations focus on the nature of their leadership management systems. The desire to outperform other companies is a factor that begets this occurrence. Good leaders are responsible for the creation of good organizational cultures that promote productivity. Apart from influencing collective action in companies, such persons support strategic teams in the creation of initiatives that foster organizational success.
Nevertheless, the relationship between effective leadership and management performance has been subject to critical evaluation. This is due to the ambiguity that accompanies organizational performance regarding management systems. Leadership goals vary along the lines of diverse skills and motivations. Additionally, it is important for companies to acknowledge the crucial role played by intangible business assets in influencing organizational performance. This means that the contributions made by effective leaders are rather indirect. This concerns the aspect of product development and satisfaction of the consumer market. A company must combine their labor force with organizational processes in the pursuit of particular company goals to succeed.
Identification of leadership development needs
Organizational leadership and management development should be handled critically. Best practice managers understand the significance of training as a key determinant in the realization of company goals. However, some individuals may fail to understand the problems afflicting their functional teams. This also includes the individual team members that contribute to organizational functioning. Understanding the leadership needs of a company is a major step towards the creation of strategies that would contribute significantly to advancing individual and group interests.
Understanding the fundamentals of management development is essential in creating the need to identify leadership needs. Arguably, management development is a systematic process that supports the pillars of a company. By definition, management development is the process involved in the installation of management best practices. Concerning this, members of organizational management systems seek to enhance their skills. Their particular competencies are evaluated to determine their alignment with corporate ambitions. Additionally, knowledge exchange takes place during the execution of this process. This kind of education may be formal or informal in nature and is critical in spurring individual and group growth.
Effective management is the desire of any functional organization. This concerns both public and private investments that are comprised of conventional organizational systems. Organizational success is associated with the implementation of sound economic strategies. Management systems are mandated with various responsibilities. First, managers are involved in planning processes. They organize strategies and align them with the particular goals that define their workplaces. Coordination functions are also the reserve of modern managers. Various policies are employed to ensure the smoothness of operations with clear visions about the possible organizational states. Management development interventions are used to cushion organizations from inefficiencies that may compound to the occurrence of a failure.
The identification of leadership and management development needs is a critical process. In modern organizational management, this objective is met by the application of the leadership gap indicator. This analytical tool is an assessment method used in the examination of a company’s leadership status. Apart from whole organizations, the index can be used to evaluate functional teams. The leadership gap index evaluates the effectiveness of an organization's management system with an emphasis on the leadership status of a company. This gives employers a chance to identify gaps that may explain the occurrence of organizational malfunctions such as operational inefficiency. The focus of the leadership gap indicator is aligned with the organizational need to advance corporate interests through problem-solving strategies.
The leadership gap indicator has various features. First, it identifies the particular derailment factors that hinder the smoothness of operations. This is with a particular focus on the contributions made by managers in the implementation of development plans. The tool provides a long list of competencies that characterize sustainable organizational leadership. The application of this assessment model follows a critical comparison of a company’s management status with the standards provided. The expected results obtained from this analytical tool are associated with particular skills that promote organizational efficiency. The success of an organization is attributable to its possession of specific competencies. These attributes are usually borne in company leaders. Nevertheless, the competency areas that feature in the leadership gap indicator vary from one organization to another. When evaluating the needs of an organization’s leadership and management system, managers must ensure that the determinants provide descriptive information that appertains to their respective companies.
Competences for effective leadership and management performance
The measurement of leadership effectiveness is done according to comparisons made with sets of competencies. When an organization focuses on these factors, it promotes the nurturance of leadership qualities that go a long way in advancing corporate goals. Nevertheless, the demand for leadership skills depends on organizational levels and a company’s maturity in the context of consumer markets. The application of a competency approach allows employers to understand the nature of management development. This means that they gain knowledge about competency requirements concerning various leadership levels. Notably, some leadership competencies are consistent across most organizations. This standard is applied in the creation of strategies that seek to improve the leadership system of organizations. Leadership competencies are simple categorizations that describe organizational structures.
The selection of organizational leaders is aligned to the fundamental principles of human resource management. Human resource practitioners use leadership competencies to create balances between individual skills and organizational processes. This allows them to understand the needs of particular roles and assign them to capable individuals. When an employer uses leadership competencies to hire managers, they caon make informed decisions that would safeguard the interests of their company. This includes the hiring and promotion aspect of organizational functions.
Organizational leaders have various responsibilities that can be used to highlight their competence. First, they create working plans that guide employees on the right approaches to use in the implementation of strategic plans. These individuals also set expectations that provide standards of behavior. This becomes a guiding principle that regulates organizational behavior. Additionally, they monitor the performance of corporate members. This concerns the application of assessment techniques in understanding the welfare of employees with a particular focus on their progress in the implementation of a company’s business plan. Additionally, this aspect is coupled with performance measurement that explains the fate of the business regarding its economic progress. Another role played by organizational leaders is the development of performance capacities. They provide platforms that cultivate responsible behavior and the exploitation of individual talents. Ultimately, best practice leaders are responsible for the implementation of organizational reward strategies. They identify commendable individuals and reward their efforts through incentives.
The application of performance management principles demands proficiency in various competencies. These factors are usually measurable and observable and are necessary for the execution of organizational leadership roles. Regarding effective leadership and management performance, individuals that hold leadership positions in an organization express competencies. First, competent leaders are effective communicators (Riggio, 2003). They can establish and maintain efficient communication with employees. They nurture the existence of a free communication system that promotes the freedom of expression. An effective leader must value the significance of information exchange in information exchange.
Another key competency is goal setting (Bowles, 2007). A successful organization is built on the need to pursue particular goals that define the motivation of the company. Effective leaders operate with the aim of meeting specific goals. Short and long-term goals are important in ensuring employee objectivity. People work best when rules concerning individual roles guide them. They are educated on the desired state of the organization. This maintains their focus in the pursuit of company goals. The ability to set appropriate goals is a significant function of performance management. To achieve this, team leaders and supervisors must clarify organizational expectations and educate their subjects on the same.
Interventions for effective managerial leadership development
Various interventions can be used in the establishment of functional managerial development systems. These approaches are aligned with the need to promote the efficiency of organizational performance with an emphasis on the timely implementation of plans. The formal and informal leaders associated with a company are equipped with skills that advance their competence in guiding organizational employees. The applications of these approaches are widespread. This is because of the nature of modern business environments.
Most companies have installed programs for the identification and improvement of their leadership pools. Efforts are directed towards investing in budding leaders. This is evident through many actions. First, an organization may perform frequent reviews of its leadership system to redefine roles. This sets the ground for the creation of strategies that would enable the enterprise to respond to changing consumer tastes. Additionally, company goals are designed to accommodate future leadership prospects. This enables an organization to fulfill emergent needs along the lines of performance management and organizational oversight. Another action involves the emphasis on accountability. This factor regulates the behavior of leaders and ensures that the decision-making aspect of organizational function occurs within the boundaries of corporate ethics and sustainability. A company may also create and advance a sturdy development culture. This is approached through goal setting that prompts organizational members to develop new ways of solving daily problems. Lastly, the customization of development opportunities can be used to improve the leadership culture of an organization. The needs of influential persons are catered to encourage the maintenance of sustainable leadership cultures.
The most common leadership development interventions include coaching and the 360-degree feedback. Business coaching is a functional practice in leadership development. Concerning this, the instruction is used to impart skills to organizational members. It may be used to support individuals that express leadership potential in the context of an organizational environment. Coaches and coaches establish relationships that are meant to advance the personal effectiveness of the subjects (Clegg, 2005). Nevertheless, this aspect occurs within the boundaries of organizational goals. Performance management may be focused during coaching sessions to ensure that the beneficiary advances their grip of the matter. The administration of career changes can also be included in business coaching. The roles of an individual may be adjusted to allow them to occupy different positions in the corporate world. Their transition from one level to another occurs under the watch of a mentor. Additionally, leaders’ notions can be changed through business coaching. This occurs when individual contentions are shifted from undesirable mentalities to productive perceptions of organizational goals. This motivates subjects to adopt positive principles that would increase their fitness concerning service delivery. Ultimately, coaching leads to individual and group growth because of the dissemination of crucial information across all organizational levels.
The 360-degree feedback, on the other hand, concerns a leader’s immediate working environment. Organizational leaders can improve their management skills by adhering to the needs of other employees in their environment. The 360-degree feedback may originate from colleagues directly. Such individuals are mostly subordinate staff that is affected by the actions of their supervisors (Alimo‐Metcalfe, 1998). The experiences of these persons can be used to gauge and improve the leadership quality of an organization’s management pool. Additionally, feedback may be obtained from peers that occur in the same leadership levels of a company. Some unique situations involve self-evaluation. In such occurrences, an individual judges the nature of their leadership role and compares it to the outcomes of their particular position. The results obtained from 360-degree evaluations are used to plan for future operations. This concerns the execution of duties to meet organizational standards and promote individual efficacy. Administrative decisions may also be determined by the outcomes of this form of leadership assessment. In the end, leaders can chart their development paths and enhance the quality of their service delivery.
Conclusion
Leadership development is an important determinant of organizational success. Best practice companies value the significance of this aspect. Leadership development increases people's capabilities to perform leadership roles in organizations. These duties are vested in the need to implement plans concerning the execution of strategies aligned with company goals. Best practice leaders value the contributions of their subordinates in steering a company to organizational success.
Recommendations
Leadership development should be approached collectively. This means that members of an organization’s senior management should liaise their subordinates in the establishment of sustainable leadership cultures. This can be done in many ways. First, the exchange of feedback can be encouraged through the clarification of communication channels. This would be done to promote organizational performance with a bearing of nurturing leadership development. The importance of all corporate members should be respected. This would create peaceful environments that cultivate sustainable behaviors. Additionally, performance issues should be addressed using appropriate strategies. Reward systems would be instrumental in motivating organizational members to advance their aggressiveness in the pursuit of organizational goals.
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