Socially Responsible Leadership in Organizations: Importance, Challenges, and Characteristics

Leadership in organization

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................1
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................2
Importance..................................................................................................................................2
Relevance to Industry.............................................................................................................3
Challenges to socially responsible leadership........................................................................4
Behaviour and characteristic of the leader.................................................................................4
Socially responsible leader in context of managerial grid......................................................5
Personal reflection......................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The topic selected is social leadership which has become an important aspect in the modern
day business. The major reason for these kinds of leadership to become more successful is
that it helps an organisation in achieving desired goals without hampering the associated
stakeholders with it. Companies need leadership that are socially responsible and also require
people that support them in fulfilling their responsibilities (Colarelli and Arvey, 2015). The
major responsibility of the firm these days is not just to earn money but also ensure that they
are not falling short in accomplishing their mission and vision. A socially responsible leader
is someone who understands the fact that his or her decisions or actions may have influence
on the different types of stakeholders within the firm. Socially responsible leader is someone
who has his eyes on the organisational purpose and the way in which organisations may
contribute to the social and environmental challenges. It is critical for the leaders to make
sure that they have a plan for sustainable development of the organisation.
Difference between Leadership and Management
Leadership Management
Leadership is skill that helps an individual in
inspiring their team members with their
vision.
Management is skills that help in providing
instruction to their team members on
implementing decisions (Borkowski, 2015).
They have the role of delegating decision
making.
Management allows an individual to take
decisions that helps in achieving goals.
Leadership vision is to generate a successful
future with the assistance of strategic
planning and through creativity (Witt and
Stahl, 2016).
Vision remains to put efforts for managerial
strategies which are based on managing a
relationship between the environment and
abilities of the firm so as to achieve desired
objectives.
It gives a framework for leading and
inspiring teams for transforming it into a
better workforce for each other.
It is the skill that allows a firm to create a
better environment for business (Hopkins,
2012).
Their main focus remains on the results. Their major focus remains on structures and
procedures.

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From the table it analysed that, leadership focuses on providing encouraging their teams to
work on the vision and to accomplish the goals and objectives whereas management provide
the instructions for making the routine as well as major decision about the organization.
Leadership provides the guidance and supports their team members by helping them in the
critical situations whereas management helps in arranging the necessary resources which is
needed for performing the work (Borkowski, 2015). Leadership performs their duties by
keeping the team members on the priority whereas management performs the roles and
responsibilities by focusing on the goals as well as objectives of the organization (Colarelli
and Arvey, 2015).
Literature Review
Importance
Thesis
In the time when the resource scarcity is increasing, it has become critical for the
management to have an understanding about the sustainable use of resources and in this
regards the role of the strategic and socially responsible leaders becomes highly critical.
Wang et al., (2015), has a view point that social responsible leaders focuses on the needs of
stakeholders and also follows the corporate social responsible practices. The study was
conducted on 85 leaders from the listed companies in China to know the socially responsible
leadership traits and the performance of the organization. From the analysis, it is found that
there are positive association between both of them, however leaders follows the aspect of
integrity, morality as well as relationship with the stakeholders which helps in motivating the
team members (Lawton and Páez, 2015). Leaders face challenge while focusing on the needs
of the employees in Chinese firms because of diversity in the attitudes as well as behaviour of
different individuals.
Witt and Stahl, (2016) conducted the study to investigate the corporate social practices in the
several Asian as well as western societies. The objective of the study is to know the socially
responsible leaders duties towards their stakeholders as well as their implications of being a
responsible leader. Socially responsible leadership helps in providing guidance to all the
employees in the organization. It results in increasing the motivation among the employees,
through which employees work efficiently in the organization (Rao and Tilt., 2016).