Analysis of Leadership in the Workplace

This essay analyzes the concept and importance of leadership in the workplace, including its impact on employee performance and organizational goals. It discusses the role of leadership in maximizing productivity, the significance of ethics and values in leadership, and the need for adapting leadership styles to changing organizational contexts.

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Management
Name of the Student
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Introduction
The essay helps in the analysis of the concept and notion of leadership in the
workplace that should be followed in improving the performance related aspects of the
employees. In the current scenario of the workplace environment, the disparity between
success along with failure in the workplace depends on the overall effectiveness of
leadership. Moreover, the leadership is the aspect which plays a major role in determining
whether the companies will be making profits or losses along with whether the company will
be ultimately achieving the laid down objectives in the organization. The main aim as well as
purpose of the essay is to understand and identify the different situations when the leadership
requires to be changed as it is demanded and it will be helpful in managing the individuals in
the workplace more effectively and tactfully as well.
Overview and Notion on Leadership
As commented by Anderson et al. (2017), leadership is one of the most essential
aspects which should be followed in the organizations as it is the essence of motivating the
different employees along with increasing the productivity in a positive manner as well. As it
has been commented by Bedi, Alpaslan and Green (2016), without leadership, the other
elements of business are dormant as the strong leaders help the companies in maximising the
productivity along with achieving the business goals in a positive manner. On the other hand,
as commented by Babalola et al. (2018), weak leadership hurts the overall productivity and it
puts the health of the entire business in jeopardy as well.
Moreover, leadership is not considered to be one blanket characteristic which will be
curing all the ills present in the company; however, there are different other elements related
to the leadership which should be considered as it will be enhancing the overall efficiency of
the leadership which can be adopted by the companies in a positive manner. According to

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Bergh et al. (2016), the leaders are the ones who have the capability to inspire the other
subordinates in achieving success and gain competitive advantage. For instance- the great
CEO of the company helps in inspiring the individuals to utilize the initiative for the good of
the business that will be helpful in increasing the chance of employees in thriving in the
business along with offering pay raises as well as promotion of different opportunities to
develop the business skills.
In addition, as opined by Bird and Mendenhall (2016), the leadership is one of the
most important functions that helps in maximising the efficiency along with achieving the
organizational goals. As opined by Bush, Bell and Middlewood (2019), the leader is the
person who will be communicating the different policies along with plans to the subordinates
from wherein the work starts. As a leader, it is essential for them to motivate the subordinates
which will be concerning to work. Moreover, they try to motivate employees with different
kinds of non-economic and economic rewards and in the respective manner, the leaders get
the work completed by the subordinates as well.
Analysis of Significance of Leadership in Organizations
As opined by Chen and Hou (2016), the leadership is one of the important functions
of the management that assists in maximising the overall efficiency along with achieving the
different organizational goals. The leaders are termed as the person who starts performing the
different activities through communicating the different policies along with plan to the
different subordinates from wherein the work actually starts. According to Chughtai, Byrne
and Flood (2015), leadership aspect is the interpersonal process between the followers and
leaders which will be helpful in deciding how effectively and efficiently the targets of the
organization will be met in a positive manner.

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In addition, the main purpose of the leadership is to attain the common organizational
goals as the main purpose of the leadership is to guide the different people in the company to
work towards attainment of the common goals and the leaders brings the different people
along with efforts to achieve the common goals and improve the overall performance of the
company in a positive and efficient manner. Moreover, as opined by Collinson and Tourish
(2015), the leadership is termed as the continuous process wherein the leaders need to
monitor the employees so that their efforts are going in the similar direction and they are not
deviating the different goals that will be playing a crucial role in improving the organizational
goals successfully.
Analysis of Leadership on Basis of Ethics, Values, Beliefs and Character in Different
Range of Situations
As opined by DeConinck (2015), the leadership is one of the important functions
which plays a vital role in maximising the overall efficiency along with achieving the goals in
the organization. One of the major aspects of the ethical leadership is to become a proper and
appropriate role model for the subordinates as it will enhance the productivity in the
organization in a positive manner. As commented by Demirtas and Akdogan (2015), both
ethics as well as values go hand in hand and the different values which is adopted by the
business leads to moral compass along with determining whether the practices are ethical.
Furthermore, according to Donate and de Pablo (2015), the ethical leadership helps in
creating awareness of the CSR among the different employees along with shaping the
perceptions of CSR that effects the motivation aspect to act in a more responsibly manner in
the personal lives.
Furthermore, the ethical leadership helps in shaping the organizational trust among
the different employees through making them accountable for the various ethical standards

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and the work environment is designed in such a manner which will be helpful for creating
and generating positive outcomes to reduce the different risks which are affecting the
business-related activities. In addition, as opined by Hallinger (2018), by setting high and
proper standards for the business, there will be avoidance of any legal complications that will
be beneficial for the success of the company in a positive manner. It is the duty of the ethical
leader to regularly discuss the high values along with expectations through regular
communication as well as discussing values which will be ensuring that there will be
consistent understanding across the company.
As opined by Hammad and Hallinger (2017), the ethical leadership is one of the main
aspects which should be considered as the solution for creating proper balance between the
overall wellbeing of the different subordinates as well as the wider community with the
organizational profitability. Through the Utilitarianism theory, the leaders assist in
maximising the welfare of the different subordinates as the main focus is on ensuring that the
different subordinates feel happy and good in the workplace before deciding on the action
which will be effective in managing the different needs in a proper manner.
For instance- Larry Page is one of the suitable examples of following the ethical
leadership as for Google, it would not have been possible to achieve the growth without being
influenced the values of ethical leadership approach. Larry Page has been one of the most
suitable examples of the supportive leadership to the entire team that helped Google reach
such large heights and it helped the company in becoming more successful in nature. There
have been different criticisms faced by Larry Page, however he never allowed opinions of
others sway him from pursuing the values for the company he considered best.
From the particular example, it can be identified that ethical leadership is the most
important aspects which should be followed in the organizations as it will be assisting in

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achieving the goals and improve the morale of the employees who are the asset of the
company and they will be able to achieve the goals successfully. The ethical leadership is
important as it leads to financial along with strategic success for the different companies and
it is important as it is the right thing for greater good.
Identification of Situations for Leadership Styles Modification with Relation to
Changing Organizational Contexts
As commented by Harms et al. (2017), the key to the most successful kind of
leadership in the current business environment is influence and not authority as the leadership
is not the concept wherein one size will not fit all the aspects and circumstances in the
business environment. In the present business scenario, as commented by Harris and
DeFlaminis (2016), the changing style of leadership depends on where the different
subordinates are in their level of development. It is essential for the different leaders to know
which leadership will be fitting in the different business-related scenarios and in order to
become one of the most effective leaders, it is essential for the leaders to be keen in knowing
when it is the right time to change the style of leadership.
For instance- Steve Jobs was one of the arrogant, dictatorial as well as mean-spirited
leader who tried to work as per his own will. He tried to perform the different activities and
managed the different employees in the organization as per the different aspects which he felt
was correct and it affected the morale of the employees in a negative manner. Under the
leadership of Steve Jobs, workers described harsh conditions at Apple and due to which there
was high turnover among employees which affected the overall efficiency of the company in
a negative manner (BusinessInsider.com 2019).
When Steve Jobs was handling the operations at Apple, it was being noticed that there
was lack of engagement, high turnover along with lack of enthusiasm among the employees

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which affected the growth of the company as the employees were leaving jobs of Apple and it
affected the overall productivity of the company in a negative manner as well. In addition, as
opined by Kalshoven, Van Dijk and Boon (2016), the requirements of the business are
changing in the present scenario as the millennials are entering in the workforce and it is the
first and foremost era, wherein the millennials are trying to work in a proper manner through
adopting to the different situations and achieve positive results. In such scenario, the different
CEOs and the senior managers of the companies need to adoptable to various situations as it
will be helpful for them in connecting with them more efficiently and it will be generation of
positive and efficient results.
From the respective example, it can be identified that due to the autocratic and
authoritarian style of leadership which was followed by him, it affected the morale of the
employees in a negative manner and it affected the overall productivity of the company
negatively as well. In such scenario, wherein the turnover among the employees were high,
Steve Jobs could have changed his style of leadership to a bit of transformational or
participative style of leadership which could have been helpful in improving the situation in
a positive manner.
Moreover, when the different employees join the organization, they require proper
support from their superiors, in such circumstances, the superiors should be showcasing
proper support to them which will be helpful in managing their demands and the different
activities will be performed in a proper manner. In the case of the current business
environment, the millennials are preferring to persuade open communication with their
superiors as it helps them in improving the results of the tasks which are performed by them
(Muller and Turner 2017). The encouragement of open communication is the most effective
aspect wherein the younger employees respond in a positive manner when they have the

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feeling that the management welcomes the different inputs and it helps in generating the
positive results in the company.
Moreover, when Tim Cook took over the different responsibilities of Apple, it can be
identified that the work was performed in a much smoother manner as he was the situational
and transformational leadership aspect that helped the company in achieving the
organizational goals in a positive manner as well. As a leader, he tried to include the different
workers in the decisions as well as change efforts as he felt decision-making should be
limited only to the top-level management and the different team members can assess the
problems and provide with different solutions for the problems. Tim Cook tried to change the
style of leadership to accommodate the millennials in the organization which helped them in
working successfully along with increased the productivity and engagement among
employees.
From the different instances of CEO of Apple, it can be analysed that improvement in
anything takes time, similar is the case in terms of changing of style of leadership in
organization. In order to move from beginner to better to best, it requires proper grasp of
knowledge which will be helpful in defining the requirements of the job along with
improving themselves which will be helpful in attaining the different goals positively. While
dealing with different kinds of situations, it is essential for the leaders to deal with the
changes and adopt the situations in a proactive manner as well. As opined by Northouse
(2018), the millennials in the present scenario prefer proper feedback and in the traditional
model, the performance of the employees were directly tied to the compensation, wherein the
different employees were reviewed just once for determining the annual pay raises.
However, as opined by Rao-Nicholson, Khan and Stokes (2015), the millennials are
not content to wait for the next twelve months for the feedback regarding the performance of

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the job, as they prefer to know their performance and where they stand in advance as it will
be helpful for them in improve their work performance in a much more efficient manner. In
such scenario, the different supervisors in the companies need to change the style of
leadership that will be able to enhance the effectiveness of the work which is performed by
the subordinates. Although, as commented by Robinson, Neubert and Miller (2018), the
ongoing feedback giving is time-consuming in approach, however it will be helpful for the
different employees to do their best work and the results will be positive in nature.
In addition, as opined by Shapiro and Stefkovich (2016), the changing style of
leadership mainly depends on the development phase of the various subordinates. For
becoming an effective leader, it is essential in nature for them to adopt to the different styles
of leadership wherein it is needed which will be supporting the company and create a
meaningful type of workplace. Moreover, as stated by Stokes et al. (2015), in the changing
workforce scenario, with the technological advancements, it is not suitable for a single leader
to guide the different employees in the organization. In such scenario, proper group of
members who are dedicated needs to come up with proper leadership styles which will be
suitable to manage the millennials and they can gain more ideas for the future events as well.
For instance- Sundar Pichai is one of the transformational leaders in the
competitive business environment as the main focus of Sundar Pichai was on achievement of
the goals of the team and not individuals’ aspects. As a leader, previously Sundar Pichai was
sort of transactional leader wherein he used to take into consideration the different viewpoints
of the employees, however the final decision was taken by him (BusinessToday.in 2019).
However, with the change in time and status of the business environment, it can be seen that
Sundar Pichai tried to change the style of his leadership wherein he adopted the
transformational style of leadership and he used to consider the different kinds of opinions of
employees and it helped in the process of decision-making as well.

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From the analysis of the approach of Sundar Pichai as a leader, it can be identified
that the main aspect of Sundar Pichai was to empower the different youths as he believed that
there is lot of pressure on the youth in present scenario, and therefore he encouraged
creativity in the organization that helped the company in attaining the organizational goals
positively without making much efforts as well. As per Sundar Pichai, the continuous
learning is the major and key element which should be followed by the employees working at
Google that helped in improving the overall efficiency of the business scenario.
From the different kinds of instances of the leadership, it can be identified and
analysed that it is one of the main aspects that the leaders need to change the style of
leadership as per the situation demands (Yahaya and Ebrahim 2016). As a good leader, it is
always essential for them to perform the homework that will be guiding them in
understanding and analysing how to perform the tasks and manage the subordinates in the
company. In such scenario, the adoption of the situational style of leadership is the main and
most appropriate aspect that will be helpful in gaining competitiveness (Wong and Giessner
2018). As situational leadership is the most flexible approach, it helps in encouraging
successful collaboration among the different team members along with boost the employee
motivation within the business organization.
In the different situations related to uncertainty, the situational leaders can encounter
the same and it is helpful for the leaders in adopting to the different styles to those who the
leaders will be leading. On the contrary, as commented by Stokes et al. (2018), it has been
analysed that within a small span of time, the leadership style and aspect cannot be changed
as it requires proper situations that will be helpful in absorbing the required style of
leadership and it will be enhancing the overall working environment in a positive manner. In
addition, as commented by Thorpe (2016), it helps the team to be able to work better with
one another as the main approach of situational leadership approach is intuitive as well as

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flexible which will enhance them in performing in a proper manner and it will be reducing
the risk of conflict in a proper manner as well.
Lastly, from the examples of the different leaders of Google and Apple, it can be
identified that the leadership should be changed as per the different demands of the situations
in the workplace. From the analysis of example of Apple, it can be identified that the leaders
followed the autocratic style of leadership which affected the motivation of the employees
negatively and it resulted in the turnover of the employees. However, from the case of
Google, it has been analyzed that Sundar Pichai tried to adjust the style of leadership as per
the demands of the followers which helped the company in succeeding in future and gain
competitiveness in the market as well (Walumbwa, Hartnell and Misati 2017).
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that leadership is one of the most crucial elements
which can be ensuing the business to maintain their vision and achieve the organizational
objectives in a positive manner. In many instances, it has been commented that there are
some quarters wherein the organization without leader is like the army without their general.
The main aspect of the business leader is to inspire morale among the different employees
working in the company and it helps the employees to work harder and it will generate
positive confidence among employees to achieve the different goals in a successful manner as
well. As a leader, the communication regarding the new strategic direction is the most crucial
element which will be helpful in improving the different activities in a positive manner. It
helps the employees in dealing in a better manner with the different changes they may come
up with the adopted strategic directions.
In addition, from the entire analysis, it can be identified that both management as well
as leadership are closely related to one another as they compliment one another in a positive

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manner. After the analysis of the different instances of Apple and Google, it can be identified
that adoptability is the one of the key elements which should be adopted by the leaders as it
will be enhancing the business-related activities in a proper manner. In the present scenario,
wherein the millennials are working in the different business organizations, it can be
identified that the employees should be motivated which will be beneficial for improving the
morale in making them efficient in achieving the organizational goals in a successful manner.
Proper inclusion of the continuous learning is the other aspect which should be
adopted by the companies and the leaders working in the organizations as the millennials
prefer to work as per their demands and they will be promoted in a positive manner as well.
Proper diversity is the crucial element which should be managed by the companies wherein
there should be proper room for cultural diversity aspects that will be enhancing and
embracing the same. The millennials in the present scenario prefer to be heard by the
different superiors working in the organization as they feel that they are being valued. From
the instances of Google, it can be identified that proper and positive type of leadership
determines positive kind of organizational structure as well as performance that will be
helpful in influencing behaviour in the correct direction.
Lastly, it can be analysed that different managerial skills enable the different
employees to take on the roles related to leadership which will be providing them with
opportunities to manage the different exciting projects in a proper manner. As a good leader,
it is essential for the leaders to demonstrate the efficiency through changing the style of
leadership and it helped in improving the business scenario positively.

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