The leader within an organizational context
Organizations are made up of individuals brought together to enable it to achieve its mission. The organization's structure will determine how these individuals work together in teams and how they relate to one another. For an organization to be successful, it is important that every individual in the organization is working towards the same goal.
Leaders have an important role to play in co-ordinating and integrating the activities of these individuals and teams, ensuring that they are aware of the institution's priorities and that they are working towards them. Leaders achieve this not only through the authority delegated to them within the organization's hierarchy, but also by being charismatic, knowledgeable and respected leaders who inspire and motivate.
This section outlines:
- the qualities of a leader and variables which impact upon the success of a leader
- how a leader inspires and motivates
- why empowerment is important
- the importance of teamworking
Managers and leaders
There is much debate about the difference between a manager and a leader. Some argue that there is no real difference and that leadership is just one aspect of the role of a manager, while others say that there is a significant difference between the two. A leader is someone who has vision and drives change whereas a manager maintains stability through planning, control and monitoring activities.
In the modern world with organizations facing many challenges, there is an emerging debate that managers need to be both managers and leaders, and apply the combined skills to enable the survival and success of an organization.
Members' pages
Theoretical debates on the differences between a leader and a manager are further developed in the Members Pages section.
Leadership qualities
Leadership is concerned with the influencing of the actions and attitudes of others ensuring that everyone is following a common goal. Within an organizational setting, the power of a leader to influence others is established within the organizational structure. However, positional power does not necessary mean that others will follow or that they will follow willingly. It is therefore important that the leader has certain characteristics and abilities.
[Authority and power are further discussed in Role of the individual.]
Knowledge and expertise.
We are more likely to follow someone if we admire and respect his/her expertise and knowledge.
Social skills
Leaders channel the efforts of individuals into team efforts. This builds an organization into a community of people working together to achieve a shared vision and goals. In order to achieve this, effective working relationships have to be built. The leader has a key role to play to developing this sense of team spirit.
Vision
Within an organizational setting, it is not surprising that individuals will view their work, the organization itself and the people they work with in different ways. It is the role of the leader to manage this diversity and to reconcile the needs and values of the individual with the needs and values of the organization to encourage creativity and vision and minimise frustration and conflict.
Leaders need to inspire and motivate their workforce to achieve the organization's goals. It is important to clarify the organization's vision so that everyone understands his/her place in achieving it and exactly what is required. Leaders need to then ensure that the necessary systems, resources and processes are in place to enable the vision to be achieved.
[Individual differences are explained in Role of the individual.]
Problem solving and judgement making skills
Effective leaders have an ability to solve problems and to make objective decisions in a timely manner.
Self-knowledge
Knowing and understanding our strengths and weaknesses is important if we are to develop and grow. Successful leaders build on their self-knowledge and encourage their teams to do the same.
Quality focus
Leaders aim to achieve their personal best and help their teams to continuously improve in all aspects of performance. This involves setting demanding yet achievable targets, sponsoring improvement in the organization's processes and striving for total quality in all areas.
Leadership success
There are a number of variables that impact upon the success of the leader within an organizational context.
Relationship with the team
Teams are made up of individuals brought together to enable the organization to achieve its mission. It is the role of the leader to integrate the activities of individuals, ensuring that they are aware of the institution's priorities and that they are working towards them. If individuals are pulling in different directions, then this will have a detrimental impact upon the organization achieving its mission.
Leaders need to be respected by their teams. They can achieve this by building effective working relationships and trust within their teams. This means dealing with issues of inter-team conflict and being proactive in dealing with instances of bullying or harassment. Leaders must also lead by example.
The style of the leader
This needs to be consistent with the needs of the organization and the needs of the team. The most effective leadership style is an approach that is both considerate and compassionate to the workforce and focused on achieving organizational objectives by getting the job done, to the right specification and within the correct timescales.
The culture of the organization
Leaders do not operate in a vacuum and consideration needs to be given to the context in which they are leading. Some leadership styles may be more successful in certain situations and therefore leaders may need to adapt their style to meet the needs of the organizational culture and conditions.
Communication skills
Some leaders are just better at communicating than others and have a greater ability to encode and decode messages. This is because they have developed their communication skills based on their knowledge and experience of what works well. [Communication skills are further explored in Communications].
Attitude to learning
Effective leaders are always learning and they encourage their teams to do the same.
[Awareness raising, learning, training and development are further developed in the Role of the individual].
Goal setting
Leaders must set clear goals. Leaders should involve their teams in this process and ensure that the goals are demanding and yet achievable and realistic within the required timeframe. Goals should be communicated effectively to the team.
The key leadership theories are explained in the Members Pages.
Empowerment
Nowadays, we exist in an environment of rapid change and technological advances and an increasingly competitive environment. In order to compete in this environment, organizations need to successfully tap into the knowledge and skills of their workforce and use this to enhance the organization.
In addition, there has been a shift in individual expectations and we now expect more control over what we do and a greater say in the decision making process. Feeling unable to control and influence what you do is a major factor contributing to workplace stress. Empowerment centres on giving people a greater say in what they do for the benefit of both the individual and the organization.
It is important that if we claim to believe in the values of empowering our workforce that we actually take proactive steps. This can be achieved in a number of ways.
Communication
We can involve the workforce directly in the communication process, asking them for ideas and suggestions on how the organization can be improved and also getting feedback on the success of new initiatives. This makes greater use of the knowledge and skills of the workforce.
Decision-making
This involves allowing the workforce greater freedom and autonomy in the design of their work and greater responsibility for making decisions that directly impact upon them.
Structure
The structure in place within the organization needs to represent and enable empowerment. A flatter structure will not only reduce operational costs but will also enhance empowerment. It is important however, that there is clarity about where responsibilities lie or there will be confusion regarding who does what.
Culture
For individuals to develop their knowledge and to take on a broader perspective to their work, they need to operate in an environment where they feel safe to take intelligent risks. Operating in a blame culture will stifle innovation, creativity and the willingness to accept responsibility.
Understanding the bigger picture
In order to know your value to the organization, you need to know where you fit in. Leaders can ensure that their teams know how they contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization to encourage ownership, responsibility and entrepreneurial thinking.
[The link between empowerment and stress is further developed in the Members Pages section.]
Motivation
A motivated workforce will be more focused and productive and will ensure an organization achieves its business objectives. It is important therefore that leaders are aware of what drives and motivates their staff in order to facilitate this process. However, workplace motivation is a complex issue. Motivation is a very individual and multifaceted concept. In addition, within the workplace, leaders may have direct influence and control over some motivating factors and none over others.
The psychological contract
The psychological contract is the term used to describe the set of implied individual and organizational needs and expectations that do not form part of any formal agreement.
As an individual, when we take on a position within an organization we usually know our salary, role and responsibilities, position within the organization's hierarchy and an indication of our level of authority. However, in addition, we have a set of unspecified expectations about our role. For example we expect to be shown respect, to be treated fairly and to be enthused by our work.
Our organization also has a set of unspecified expectations outside of those outlined in the job description, contract of employment and person specification. There is an expectation for us to act with integrity, be honest, strive for perfection and to uphold the ideology of the organization. Problems exist when these sets of expectations are at variance with one another, or when either the individual or the organization does not feel that their needs are being met.
Motivating factors
As individuals, we are all different and we are driven by different desires and wants. Some desires are tangible – more money, a better car, a bigger house - while others are intangible – a sense of achievement, a challenge, positive recognition. Our needs and desires do not exist in a vacuum. They are often interrelated and interdependent. They are also subject to change and refocus. Our desires and needs are not fixed will change throughout our lives.
Financial rewards
Financial rewards are usually decided at an organizational level and are often outside the immediate control of an individual manager. Problems can exist when at an individual level, we compare how much financial reward we get compared to others doing the same type of work, or working at the same grade. If we feel that they are getting more for the same or less effort, then we feel a sense of inequity in our situation. This can then impact upon our satisfaction and performance.
A sense of security
Being in regular permanent work with a contract of employment and conditions of service is the driving force for many. In some occupations and industries this sense of security can be difficult; short-term contracts, part-time working and seasonal work are the norm for certain industry sectors. Again, these factors are often organizational issues and outside of the direct control of managers.
A sense of belonging
Managers have a key role to play ensuring that the team are working well together and that conflict is dealt with.
A sense of achievement
This will mean different things to different people and it is important that managers are aware of how influential they are in cultivating this. By setting realistic targets, clearly defining their requirements, giving encouragement, praise and recognition, managers can directly influence motivation within their team.
Frustration
Failure to achieve our needs and desires, because of a barrier, leads to frustration. This barrier can be either real or perceived. Frustration impacts upon our behaviour and we can act in a positive, constructive manner or in a negative manner. Factors that influence our frustration include: the level and potency of need; the degree of attachment to the desired goal; the strength of motivation; and the personality characteristics of the individual.
Positive action may include problem solving a solution around the barrier or re-thinking our desires and goals to make them more realistic and achievable. Negative action can include aggression, regressing to childlike behaviour or withdrawing from the situation.
[Individual personalities are further developed in the Role of the Individual.]
[The key motivational theories are explained in the member pages.]
Teamworking
Teams exist within organizations in order to bring together the collective skills, abilities and creativities of individuals. There are a number of variables which impact upon the success of the team and how close the team feel as a group of individuals. These include:
Location and distance
Advances in communications technologies and the globalisation of the economy, have changed our working practices. More people are working from home, working flexibly, or working across the globe. Individuals may not feel that they belong to a team but that they are working in isolation. It is important to consider how these modern working practices can impact upon the cohesiveness and success of the team. Organizations need to put systems in place so that the workforce does not feel alienated from one another. This may include regular team meetings where members of the team 'physically' come together and communication structures that enable day-to-day discussion and interaction.
Leader
The style of the leader has a significant impact upon the team. The leader is responsible for bringing together all of the individual skills and abilities for the collective benefit of the team. The leader must ensure that the team are clear about their roles and responsibilities and deal with any conflicting situations as they arise. The leader must be fair to all the individuals that make up the team so that the team will have respect for the leader and feel that all members are treated equally.
Members
We are all different with different experiences, backgrounds and skills. Therefore, we can all bring different ideas and qualities to the team. A successful team makes the best of these differences with each member of the team complementing each other. Some teams however do not acknowledge difference and a situation of 'groupthink' develops where challenges to new ideas are stifled because of in-group pressures to conform.
Within an organizational setting, it is not surprising that individuals will view their work, the organization itself and the people with whom they work in different ways. It is the role of the leader to manage this diversity and to reconcile the needs and values of the individual with the needs and values of the organization to encourage creativity and vision and minimise frustration and conflict.
Maturity
Teams develop and grow. The stage of development of the team will therefore impact upon how comfortable the team feel together, how well they know each other and how well they can work together.
Harmony and conflict
Feeling part of a team can be a significant motivating factor for many individuals. We need to work in a positive working environment in which issues of conflict and unacceptable behaviour are dealt with. However, if the group is in conflict, the situation can lead to members becoming frustrated and stressed. The role of leader is to ensure that all conflict situations are resolved quickly and fairly to restore harmony to the group. The leader must ensure that there is a culture of trust and not of conflict, encourage good communications and positive working relationships, and deal with any incidents or bullying, harassment or unacceptable behaviour in-line with the organization's policies.
[The key teamworking theories are further developed in the Members Pages.]
Members' pages section
The Members' Pages are only available to CQI members:
- the difference between a manager and a leader
- empowerment and stress
- key motivational theories
- key leadership theories
- Belbin – teamroles
- team conflict and stress
References
Texts
Boddy, D. (2005), Management and Introduction, Financial Times Prentice Hall.
This is an excellent introductory text for anyone who is new to management or who wants to develop their knowledge and understanding of management issues.
Mullins, L. (2006), Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Financial Times Prentice Hall.
This is a summarised version of the fuller Laurie Mullin text – Management and Organizational Behaviour. It is an excellent reference source for anyone who wants to develop their knowledge and understanding of how organizations behave and the role of the manager in co-ordinating team and individual behaviour.
Websites
www.managers.org.uk Chartered Management Institute
This is a useful website which has free access to a number of research reports on various management issues.
www.i-l-m.com Institute of Leadership and Management
This is a useful website which has free access to a number of articles on a variety of management topics.
www.bbc.co.uk BBC website.
As well as news, this site include sections on motivation, stress, anxiety, confidence and health. The site has a number of interactive quizzes to assess individual responses.
www.acas.org.uk The website for Acas.
This website has lots of useful information on managing workplace relationships.