INTRODUCTION
The aim of this study would be to identify the importance of effective leader to manage the distribution of goods and services offered by Consumer Technology Corporation to the final consumer at the right time and place. In order to do so, the study would first elaborate the term leader. This would help to gain insight regarding the essential traits required by individuals to be regarded as an effective leader. Leadership is not just limited to one or two styles but it includes various styles. This study would also tend to determine the right set of skills and leadership style required for the position of president while elaborating the importance of attending talks and relationships. Moreover, leaders are in an ideal position to set standards but nothing can be compared to the actions of the leader. The importance of following and communicating the vision of the company and setting a tone for the employees would also be taken into consideration. Handling conflicts and resolving obstacles can lead an organization to its desired success and this can be effectively done by leaders that possess abilities and skills to do so. Lastly, the ethical leadership traits required for the position of the president of the company would be evaluated and discussed.
According to Peter Drucker, a leader is a person that simply has followers. But the definition provided by Peter Drucker is quite simple as an Army Captain has many followers (soldiers) (Kruse, 2013). The Captain is this case is a commander but not a leader. On the other hand, Warren Bennis indicated that a leader is a person that is capable to translate vision into reality. However, the definition provided by Bennis is also vague as it has simply changed the direction of leadership (Kruse, 2013). An individual might have a vision to work with carrots and tomatoes in spring, even if it becomes a reality, the individual would be a gardener but not a leader.
Every individual can become a leader but becoming an effective leader requires certain traits. Some of the most prominent traits that are required to become an effective leader are as follows (Gardner, 2003):
- Proactive; thinking three steps ahead to avoid problems before they arise
- Flexible and Adaptable; ability to adjust in new environment and surrounding
- Good Communicator; ability to not just listen but to understand the needs and desires of others
- Respectful; treating every member of the team and workforce with respect
- Confidence; ability to believe in one self and others
- Open-Minded; ability to take all the options into consideration before making a strategic move or making decisions
- Resourceful; ability to create access to information by effectively utilizing the resource provided
- Rewarding; ability to recognize the efforts of others
- Educated; ability to gain education and knowledge to increase the success in effective leadership
- Open-to-Change; ability to transform or change out-dated policies and programs to enhance the value to the group
- Consistent; ability to remain consistent in terms of leadership which will ultimately lead to support and respect from the workforce
TYPE OF LEADERSHIP STYLE
Leadership is the single most dominant factor that cannot be ignored in an organization. Although, an organization may have variety of leaders following different leadership style but selecting the right leadership style for the position of New President in the Consumer Technology Corporation (Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & Van Engen, 2003).
The most dominant leadership styles that are taken into consideration are as follow (Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & Van Engen, 2003):
- Autocratic Leadership
- Bureaucratic Leadership
- Charismatic Leadership
- Democratic Leadership
- People-Oriented Leadership
- Transformational Leadership
The most feasible and reliable leadership styles that could help the organization to meet the needs and desires of the customers along with the retailers and wholesalers would be the ‘people-oriented or democratic leadership style’. By taking these particular leadership styles into consideration, the new president would be able to effectively communicate with the employees and the retailers and wholesalers. As a result, this leadership style would help the organization to develop and maintain long-term relations with each of the essential stakeholders in the industry. Moreover, the motivation along with the job satisfaction level of the employees would significantly increase as they would be consistently provided with the required training (Hackman & Johnson, 2004).
IMPORTANCE OF A LEADER IN COMMUNICATING VISION
The vision of the company provides the workforce with essential information regarding the direction the company is heading in. To get the workforce involved in reaching the destination, it is essential to communicate the vision effectively. One of the essential qualities of an effective leader is that he/she communicates the vision of the company so that the workforce could be inspired. Leaders are often considered to be an ideal force in an organization and sharing the vision is the central role of a leader (Shelton & CAC, 2006).
Leaders believe the vision of the company quite passionately due to which leaders are responsible to communicate the vision with the workforce frequently and effectively. By doing so, the leaders are able to make the complicated and complex situations easy for the workforce. As a result, a relation of trust and commitment is build which motivates and energizes the workforce to accomplish the desired goals and objectives under the leadership of an effective leader. For a president to be considered as an effective leader, he/she must be able to communicate the vision of the company effectively as the organizational culture depends highly on it. In addition, the clear and effective communication of vision gives the workforce hope which eventually inspires them. On the other hand, if the workforce is not provided with the right direction, it may lead the organization to lose it focus and would have to witness decline in performance and low motivation level of the employees (Sosik & Godshalk, 2000).
IMPORTANCE OF HANDLING CONFLICTS AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Diversity of resources, knowledge and ability to provide innovative and creative ideas are some of the inevitable advantages of a team. However, such diversity in team also leads to conflict. Although, conflict plays an essential role in healthy relationship but the inability to deal with the conflict at the right time could cause great harm to the relationship. Conflicts arise due to difference in perspective due to which it must be managed and handled in respectable and positive manner which will eventually provide the organization with an opportunity from the conflict (Sosik & Godshalk, 2000).
Leaders are the front line of the organization to handle conflicts within a team. In order to do so, leaders must possess listening abilities along with the ability to understanding the root of the cause. Leaders are considered to be the best for handling conflicts as the conflicts are handled in healthy and productive way. Unlike others, leaders embrace conflicts rather than avoiding it. As a result, the organization is provided with several opportunities that could be taken into consideration by effective conflict management under the guidance of leaders (Sosik & Godshalk, 2000).
Some of the most prominent ways through which leaders eliminate or handle conflicts within an organization are as follows (Myatt, 2012):
- Defining acceptable behavior
- Hitting the conflict head-on
- Understanding the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) factor
- Avoiding conflicts by choosing the battles
- Viewing conflicts as an opportunity to learn
ETHICAL LEADERSHIP TRAITS
The needed ethical traits for the position of president in the company are as follows (Aronson, 2001; Brown, Trevino, & Harrison, 2005):
- High Values Awareness
An effective leader always communicates the values of the organization with the employees so that every single individual working for the organization can comply. In addition, an effective leader also ensures awareness and understanding of values throughout the organization.
- Leadership By Example
Leaders are considered to be a role model for the employees. Due to such fact, the leaders must set an example by doing the same thing him/herself as expected by others.
- Value Driven Decision Making
An effective leader always ensures that the decisions undertaken by the management are aligned with the organizational values. By doing so, the organization is provided with an opportunity to maintain its values.
- Honesty and Consistent Feedback
For an effective leader, it is essential to tolerate the mistakes of the employees from time to time. To significantly reduce the errors and flaws, the employees should be provided with frequent feedback which will ultimately enhance the job satisfaction level.
- Willingness to Share Credit for Success and Blame for Failure
An effective leader must have the ability and willingness to share the credit for success along with the blame for the failure with the rest of the team members. This significantly enhances the ability to create healthy relationship within a team.
- Ability to Communicate Goals and Vision
Effective leaders are always ready to communicate the goals and objectives of the company with the workforce. In addition, the vision of the company is frequently and effectively conveyed to each individual working for the organization.
CONCLUSION
Leaders are managers but for a manager to become a leader takes time. Effective leaders within an organization plays dominant role in motivating and inspiring people to work in such a way that the goals and objectives of the organization could be accomplished.
REFERENCES
Aronson, E. (2001). Integrating leadership styles and ethical perspectives. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 18(4), 244-256.
Brown, M. E., Trevino, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117-134.
Eagly, A. H., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C., & Van Engen, M. L. (2003). Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles: a meta-analysis comparing women and men. Psychological bulletin, 129(4), 569.
Gardner, W. L. (2003). Perceptions of leader charisma, effectiveness, and integrity effects of exemplification, delivery, and ethical reputation. Management Communication Quarterly, 16(4), 502-527.
Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2004). Leadership: A communication perspective. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
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Myatt, M. (2012). 5 keys of dealing with workplace conflict. Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/
Shelton, M., & CAC, C. (2006). Leadership and Diversity. Camping Magazine, 26-32.
Sosik, J. J., & Godshalk, V. M. (2000). Leadership styles, mentoring functions received, and job‐related stress: a conceptual model and preliminary study.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(4), 365-390.
