LEADERSHIP AND POLITICS

Leadership and Politics

Leadership and Politics

Leaders

Leader is one who is characterized by a more directive, authoritarian style of management that focuses on the task and initiating structure. The Leader is one who is characterized by sharing of information, participation, consultation, delegation, and joint decision making focused on employee orientation and consideration. Batten (1999) described Leaders as people who know what they want and why they want it, and have the skills to communicate that to others in a way that gains their support. In is view by (DePree 2000); she states “the leadership focus of knowing what you want and when you want it distinguishes exceptional from average leaders.”

Leader and Manager

A manager is simply a person who can manage things, so in a broad sense we all are managers because we all can manage things ourselves, but a leader is one who knows how to make things done at right time by a right person. To make it clear:

Managers are those who do things right, but leaders are people who do the right things.

Leadership In An Organization

To achieve success in today's competitive environment it is essential that Leaders develop the ability to interact positively with others, whether they are employees, employers, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Strong interpersonal skills are also required if one have to maximize (Hesselbein 2006).

Organizations worldwide are confronting more turbulent markets, more demanding shareholders, and more discerning customers, and many are restructuring to meet such challenges. Change is always happening, like a river winding its way to the ocean; it never ceases.

Leaders who want to get ahead in today's marketplace must learn to respond to a growing number of changes in how they structure companies, conduct business, implement technology, and relate to customers and employees. While most organizations focus on deciding what to change to improve company performance and quality. To successfully implement major change, companies must find the connection between the organization, the worker, and the change initiatives being introduced. That connection is achieved by fostering resilience among individuals in the organization. Change is uncomfortable, and adapting to change is messy. But change is vital it defines life itself (Hesselbein 2006).

The key is to learn how to embrace the changes that face us both professionally and personally. As the global marketplace continues to change, leaders face ever increasing and more complex challenges. The successful ones will continue to expand these competencies in order to maximize their leadership skill base.

There is a direct correlation between corporate leadership and corporate performance. With the continuing changes in the global industry, the necessity of high quality organizational leadership has never been greater. As regional markets grow and associated local manufacturing investments continue, companies must globalize and modify their business models to compete. A tight command and control management style cannot compete effectively in today's changing global economy, nor is it effective as flatter organizations place a more significant and complex decision making responsibility on the individual leader.

Visionary leadership and strategic thinking provide success and vitality to ...