Leadership Challenges in Complex Times: BUMGT5970 Assignment 2

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BUMGT5970 - ASSIGNMENT 2
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
1. What are the challenges of leading an organisation in today’s world?....................................3
2. What needs to change in the way we frame and understand leadership if we are to meet the
challenges of leading in such complex and uncertain times?..........................................................6
3. What would be your main recommendations for improving the quality of leadership
development programs?...................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13
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Introduction
The assessment report addresses on the importance and significance of the leadership in the
environment of the dynamic nature. In the changing scenario with the frequent variations the
authorities of the business organisation faces series of the challenges that tends to create series of
the barriers. With such barriers, the sustainability and growth prospects of the company are
highly affected. For such purpose, the report work provides and elaborates on the need to change
and understand the aspects related to the leadership so as to face the complexities and
uncertainties in a proper manner. Further provided, the report work addresses on the series of the
limitations that are faced by the company in the formulation of the suitable leaders and the
approaches to leadership. The overall report highlights the series of the recommendations and
suggestions that are required to be followed by the company concern in Australia to improve
their quality of the leadership and the programmes of the development.
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1. What are the challenges of leading an organization in today’s world?
While working in a dynamic environment, the company concern faces series of the challenges
that tend to hamper the work operations in a great manner. These variations in the environment
tend to affect the work operations for the current as well as future prospect of the time. Market
environment consists of the series of the external and internal factors that directly affect the work
operations. Further provided, such variations influence the decisions of the key parties that are
associated with the business leading to great effect on the aspects of the expansion and
diversification (Daft, 2014).
One of the major challenges that are being observed by the business concerns while working in
the market of dynamic nature is leading the overall operations of the company in a single
direction that is towards the attainment of the goals and objectives (Beck & Cowan, 2014). This
is an important parameter to be considered as with the frequent variation the employees are
unable to fulfil their part of the responsibility in a proper manner leading to the negative
outcomes. For such purpose, leadership plays an important and effective role that assist in the
modification of the entire workforce leading to better integration of the activities related to all
the departments that are working within an organization (Dinh, et. al., 2014).
Some of the major challenges that are being observed in the organization while working in the
world of dynamic nature are as follows:
 Developing managerial effectiveness
The main challenge that is being observed is with respect to the development of managerial
effectiveness. With the frequent variation in the environment, the major issue is observed with
respect to the management of the time, prioritization, strategic thinking and decision making.
With inadequate managerial qualities, the company concern cannot conduct its working
operations or patterns in a proper manner. As such proper focus must be made by the authority
concern of the business organization in Australia to focus on the development of the managerial
effectiveness so as to ensure suitable confirmation of the internal operations as per the needs and
requirements of the e4xternal environment (Feng, 2012). This will lead to smooth operations
such that the objectives can be attained in the desired manner.
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 Inspiring the employees working within an organization
In the current and dynamic scenario, there is a great fear of change in the normal working of the
company by the employees. Such fear among the employees acts as a barrier in bringing the
suitable up gradation with respect to the creativity and innovation in the work operations. This in
addition greatly affects the position of the concerned company in terms of the competitors. As
such, there is a great need that the employees are motivated properly so as to ensure that they be
satisfied with the jobs and work in a proper manner so that the desired objectives and goals can
be attained easily (Dinh, et. al., 2014).
 Developing employees
With the changing condition of the market environment, it is also crucial that employees develop
their skills in accordance with the needs of the environment. However, this tends to be a major
challenge for the authority concern of the business organization as it involves a lot of time and
cost to provide suitable training sessions and seminars so as to elaborate their understanding with
the variations in a proper manner (Khalid, et. al., 2012). As such they will be able to conduct
their activities in a proper manner. In addition, it will also assist in better decision making with
respect to the current as well as future prospects. As such, the aspect to develop the skills and
capabilities of the employees must be properly considered by the authorities of the business
organization.
 Guiding change
Another major challenge that is being observed in today’s world is the guiding change. Guiding
change is the process and a major challenge of managing, mobilizing, understanding and leading
change (Feng, 2012). This challenge is required to be considered in a proper manner as it assists
in the mitigation of the factors of risk. In addition without providing suitable guidance with
respect to the change, many barriers may be faced by the company that can overall affect the
work operations thereby declining the position of the company in terms of the competitors. For
such purpose, suitable guidance must be provided so that to enhance a positive response from the
overall organization.
 Management of the internal stakeholders
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Managing of the internal stakeholders is the challenge related to the managing of the
relationships, politics, and image. To have effective command on the concerned challenge
gaining the support of the managerial level is highly essential. For such purpose, suitable
meetings and sessions are required to be conducted so as to ensure suitable and effective
communication among all the employees and the key parties associated with the business leading
to better and suitable decision making with respect to the current and the forthcoming operations
(Khalid, et. al., 2012).
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2. What needs to change in the way we frame and understand leadership if we are to meet the
challenges of leading in such complex and uncertain times?
While working in the dynamic environment with series of the variations there is a great need on
the part of the authority concern of the business organization to understand the facts and aspects
related to leadership (Pamfilie, et. al., 2012). This is essential as it provides a suitable framework
that tends to provide effective guidance for the forthcoming activities that are required to be
performed by the business organizations. To meet the challenges it is also essential that the
management concern properly and effectively understands the aspects and concepts of the
leadership. This will assist in the attainment of a better position in such a complex and uncertain
situation of the market environment. However, while working in the dynamic environment it is
observed that to face series of the challenges we need to make a variation in the existing
leadership approaches so as to have better command and supervision (García-Morales, et. al.,
2012). Some of the needs to change that are requisite to be framed to understand all the facts and
aspects related to the leadership include the following:
 Clearly defining the goals and mission:
There are a series of the challenges being observed in the work operations while conducting the
activities in the environment of the market. As such it is a prime need to ensure proper
clarification of the goals and mission associated with the company (García-Morales, et. al.,
2012). This tends to have a clear alignment of the roles and responsibilities associated with each
employee and the departments. With the proper variation in traditional clarification methods of
goals, the business concern can empower the workforce to perform to the best of their ability
leading to the attainment of the objectives and attaining an elaborated and strong position in
terms of the competitors.
 Initiation of the action in a proper manner:
For the purpose of attaining the effective and suitable command and supervision on the
challenges, there is a great need to have proper measures with respect to the initiation of the
activities related to the business operations in a proper manner (Nixon, et. al., 2012). For such
purpose, the authorities of the business organization must ensure elaboration of the suitable
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information and communication about the working patterns such that to have positive outcomes
(Pamfilie, et. al., 2012). Leaders as such ensure to develop suitable skills so as to modify the
behavior of the workforce in an appositive manner towards the working patterns of the
concerned company.
 Refining of the skills and capabilities of the employees:
To manage the change and the challenges emerging from the dynamic environment there is a
great need to refine the skills and capabilities of all the employees and the key parties associated
with the business. This will tend to bring suitable creativity and innovation in work operations.
For such purpose, the concerned company is required to conduct proper and suitable training
sessions and seminars. This will impart suitable knowledge about the series of the variation
matching their skills and abilities with the needs of the external environment. In this aspect,
leaders are required to motivate the employees leading to better operations (García-Morales, et.
al., 2012).
 Develops a positive mental attitude:
For the effective management of the challenges, there is a great need to develop a positive
mental attitude among all the employees so as to ensure that they can deal with the unusual
circumstance in a proper and effective manner. However, there is a great difficulty in developing
a positive attitude as the mental ability of the employees is exposed to a series of thoughts and
events. As such in these aspect leaders tend to develop a positive environment that tends to
control and supervise the thinking ability of the employees in a positive manner. Such
development of the positive mental attitude will yield positive results that tend to thereby ensure
effective attainment of the objectives (Nixon, et. al., 2012).
 Demonstrate accountability:
With a series of the challenges there emerges a series of the failures and mistakes that tends to
affects the working operations of the company in a great manner for future prospects. However,
in this aspect leaders are required to bring suitable transformation in the aspects related to
accountability. As such, smooth operations and order can be attained by the company concern in
the working patterns. With the appropriate command on the aspects of the authority and
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responsibility, the company concern can handle the various threats leading to better command on
the objectives.
 Taking risks:
While working in the environment of the dynamic nature, it has been observed that along with
the threats there are series of the opportunities that can be prevailed by the company for the
attainment of the better position (Nixon, et. al., 2012). However, there is always a fear among the
workforce with respect to the implementation of the change due to fear of loss. As such, in this
aspect leaders tend to play a crucial role in taking suitable steps or procedure to accept the
variation and taking the risk. This will assist in the better conduct of the objectives leading to a
better position.
As such, it can be suggested to the authority concern of the business organisation to ensure the
formulation of the suitable policies and procedures that can bring about a positive change in the
work operations leading to the better management of the challenges’ and the unusual
circumstances that are prevailing in the market environment (García-Morales, et. al., 2012).
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3. What would be your main recommendations for improving the quality of leadership
development programs?
With respect to the smooth and systematic operations of the business activities, the authority
concerns can adopt the suitable recommendations that can assist them in dealing with the
challenges and the barriers in the proper manner (Chhokar, et. al., 2013). With the following
recommendations the concerned company can attain proper and effective command on
improving the quality of the leadership and the related developmental programmes:
 Proper scanning of the market environment:
The authorities of the business concern must ensure to have proper scanning of the market
environment. This will assist them in gaining the factors of opportunities and threats that can
assist the business concern in making suitable decision with respect to the current and
forthcoming operations’. This will also assist in the better analysis and evaluation of all the facts
and aspects by the business concerns. As such, proper efforts are required to make by the
authority concern on such aspects (Chhokar, et. al., 2013).
 Inspiring the entire workforce with respect to the operations of the company:
Further provided, the authority concern must ensure a proper focus on the inspiring of the entire
workforce in a positive manner so that they perform their part of the role in the best possible
manner leading to the better attainment of the objectives (Sadri, 2012). For such purpose, the
leaders are required to have proper sessions and seminars so as to ensure suitable impartment of
the knowledge and information yielding positive results. Conducting of the training sessions will
also ensure suitable coordination among the entire workforce leading to the better integration of
the overall activities.
 Ensure a suitable learning environment:
Leaders of the organization are required to focus on the creation of a suitable environment of
learning for the employees so that they can enhance their skills and capabilities in a proper
manner (Sadri, 2012). For such purpose, the company is required to ensure active participation of
the entire workforce and the key parties linked with this business. Creation of the suitable
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learning environment will also assist the business concerns in the attainment of the suitable
creativity and innovation leading to a better position in terms of the competitors.
 Encourage employees to network
Networking is an essential element that is required within every organization to attain suitable
growth and sustainability. For such purpose, the leaders must make suitable efforts to ensure
active participation of the employees in all the activities. With such an aspect the company
concern is can get new ideas with respect to the work operations leading to the attainment of the
desired outcomes (Chhokar, et. al., 2013).
 Act as a guide:
Leaders of the business concern must ensure to act as a suitable guide in imparting of the
information that can assist the employees to grow and advance their skills. For such purpose, the
company concern can conduct the mentorship programmes to sharpen the skills. Further
provided with such programmes organizational objectives can be attained taking into
consideration organizational objectives (Leroy, et. al., 2012). Apart from that the proficiency
level of the employees can also be attained leading to better efficiency.
 Focus on the opportunities and threats for the attainment of the suitable growth:
To enhance suitable working it is recommended that the authority concern focuses on the series
of the opportunities and threats that can ensure better decision making with respect to the
attainment of the growth. For such purpose all the facts and aspects’ related to the dynamic
market environment must be properly analyzed and evaluated so as to ensure the positive
decision with respect to the future prospects (Caldwell, et. al., 2012).
 Maintain a feedback forum:
For the purpose of the attaining of the suitable confidence among the employees, it is essential
that their queries are resolved in a proper manner and at an early stage. For such purpose, it is
requisite that the major focus is made by the authority concern on the establishment of the
feedback forum that can effectively handle the grievance of the employees. This will assist in the
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better confidence of the employees towards the working patterns. As such it can be suggested
that leaders must ensure a suitable mechanism to deal with the aspects in an effective manner.
All the recommendations must be properly applied and implemented by the business
organization so that activities of all the departments and events are properly and effectively
integrated into a single direction that is towards the attainment of the goals and objectives
(Caldwell, et. al., 2012).
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