Analysis of Leadership and Management Practices: A Critical Discussion

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report analyzes leadership and management.

Leadership and Management
1

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
Reference List..........................................................................................................................13
2

Introduction
The function of management incorporates the utilization of leadership skills in order to lead a
team successfully. The organizational goals of a company are attained with the existence of a
strict management system. The study is a comprehensive guide on leadership and
management and gives way to the development of skilled individuals to become leaders. The
concept of leadership can be attained with the existence of a smooth business and proficient
employees working for the company. However, the study will outline a critical discussion on
the concept of leadership and management practices. These practices can initiate a
comprehensive understanding of the significance of management and leadership undertaken
by successful individuals. However, with a critical understanding of the skills and attitude of
professional people, it is easier to put them into effective practice. This can also initiate a
better interpretation of personal life events that are part of day-to-day life activities.
3

Discussion
1. What is involved in being a successful leader?
A successful leader is a product of determination and grit that enables them to proceed
with their effective management of people (Armstrong, 2016). The business
organizations that possess these great successful leaders are able to acquire profits and
growth in their respective companies. Leadership is not science but an art, which
enables an individual to succeed in their business undertakings. Therefore, there are
theories, data that enumerates the concept behind successful business management.
There are theories that revolve around the question; ‘Are leaders born or made’? This
question is subjected to years of debates and has come up with compulsive answers.
Leaders are made crafted with rise of business situations that prevail in a work
environment (Bolman, 2017).
According to Swan, (2017), the theory enumerates leaders are born and never stop learning.
This is an important factor, as leaders are designed through magnetic personality and hard
work. It is significant for the business leaders to be inspirational and charismatic in nature.
However, a successful leader should be confident and make way for all the risks that are
prevalent in the business. This can help the growth and proficiency of the leaders to
produce effective business results. Successful business magnates like Jeff Bezos, Elon
Musk and Marc Benioff are prime examples of hard work and determination in leadership.
Therefore, in order to comprehend the nature of successful leaders, it is important to list
down the traits of a successful leader. These will be illustrated below for a critical analysis
of the situations and business undertakings:
Accountability and Risk- Taker: A good leader is known for leading his team
successfully. He should be aware of the glitches that may arise during business undertaking
(Northouse, 2018). He should be accountable and be sport in taking part in risks. The good,
management of risks can be done to initiate better cooperation and maintain his credibility
among his team leaders. In order to understand the idea of risk taking and accountability,
one can take the example of George Soros. He is known to be the world’s most successful
entrepreneur. He undertook a life risk by escaping the Cold War Life in Hungary and
making investments in franchise.
4

Effective Communicator: A leader should be able to communicate the organizational
goals and objectives of the company to the employee. This is important, as the team
members are able to set an understanding of the business goals. Therefore, with an
understanding of the business capabilities, and potentialities, the team members are
function effectively. Therefore, with a good communication skill, the leader will be able to
communicate decisions (DuBois et al., 2015).
Confidence: A leader should be confident in his business approach. They should not be
negative in their mindset and approach. This can hinder the growth of the business and put
their leadership under risk. They should be assertive and take up all the probable decisions
that can ensure success for the performance of the company.
Good Decision making abilities: A leader should be able to make decisions that can
favour the growth of a business or an entrepreneurial undertaking. However, a better
understanding of business situations can empower the business.
Hiring effective team: A successful should hire capable and skilled workforce for boosting
the productivity of the business. Therefore, they should also be creative and empathetic in
their approach while dealing with their teammates.
Resolving performance issues: A leader is successful in his initiatives if he is able to
resolve the issues that have negative impact on performance. The leader should be able to
comprehend the factors that can hinder the growth of the individuals in achieving effective
results.
Therefore, in order to be a successful leader, it is very important for the individuals to
comprehend the factors that initiate the growth of leaders. They should coach their
members and use the conflict resolution to deal with the members of the team. Hard work,
determination, high aspirations are involved in being a successful leader in a competitive
world. The use of emotional intelligence and applying them to practical life situations can
boost the growth of the business (Gnambs, 2017). A successful leader also aligns the
capabilities of the team members with the organizational growth of a company.
2. Can good leadership be developed, and if so, how?
Good leadership can be developed through the integration of theories and practices that can
initiate an understanding of the concept. With the application of these theories and
concepts, the leaders are able to comprehend the tactical situations that might arise during
the course of the business. However, leadership theories are helpful, as it builds and boosts
5

the confidence of the leaders to function in a smooth manner. These theories have
experienced early development with the incorporation of the basic elements that helps in
the growth and productivity of the business. With the incorporation of leadership models
like Team Leadership model, the leaders can procure a mental road map to help in team
problems (Godfrey 2016). These team problems are environmental and organizational in
nature.
The use of the Hill Model for Team Leadership can also boost the growth and
performance of the leaders. The problems are analysed and persuaded to perform
effectively and better (Hawkinson, 2016). This can also build the growth of the proficiency
of the team leaders and help them to function successfully. This model is useful as it helps
in the better leadership capabilities of a team. The leaders are also able to make effective
decisions with the growth of the leadership. This model also clarifies the complex nature of
the leadership. Therefore, with the better understanding of the business, there are elements
that can pick up by a leader to lead his team.
Figure 1: Hill Model for Team Leadership
(Source: Kunnanatt, 2016)
A good leader should be able to manage the growth of a business by making the use of
leadership practices such as servant leadership. This leadership approach focuses on
the improvement of communities and the provision of traditional leadership for growth
of the company. This is a sign of leadership, if he allows his individuals to develop and
consider their needs. This is another sign of a good leadership quality that is invested in
the growth and capability of the individuals. The leaders do not make the use of
6

coercive leadership and substantiate a better method of leadership. Good leadership
can be developed through transformational leadership. This leadership theory has its
positive and negative implications (Avolio et al., 2016). Therefore, if a leader invests
his actions in transforming the growth of the inspiration for the team, he can acquire
best results. Transformational leaders like Mohandas Gandhi also played a pivotal role
in influencing the business leaders. Good leadership can be developed if the values,
emotions and long-term ethics of the team members are taken into consideration.
The leaders can also adopt the use of the transnational leadership for making rewards
and incentives for the member’s hat are able to function smoothly. In critical
introspection of the factors that have an impact in the growth of leadership, there are
negative factors that hinder the development of a leader. Transformational leadership is
helpful, as it is effective and takes the values and morals of an individual. However,
good leadership can be encouraged by putting these perspectives into practice. This can
further initiate the leaders to make better decisions. However, an understanding of the
perspectives of leadership models and their pathway can act as a source of guide of
leaders further encouraging and motivating them. With the integration of a high quality
leader, there would be less employee turnover, organizational commitment and greater
participation. However, according to the critical theory by the researchers there is room
for improvement. The leaders that invest their lifelong understanding in maintaining the
frequency of business promotions those are important for a company. There are
different theories that can integrate positive outcomes in the business. This is known as
the LMX theory. This theory is accountable for describing and prescribing leadership.
Figure 2: LMX leadership theory
7

(Source: Epitropaki, 2015)
The organizational goals are recognised and dealt with effectively and leaders make
special bond with their teammates. This theory is significant as it produces a better
understanding and communication amongst the individuals. However, this also provides
a clear business outcome on the organizational goal of the business. However, good
leadership can be attained with the integration of the best learning outcomes for the
understanding of the business.
3. What distinguishes leadership from management?
The main differences between the leader and the manager concept are that the leader
directs the employees, as he is the one who chalks out the goals and objectives. In that
case, on the other hand the manager only assigns task to the employees and imposes
various types of rules and regulations on the employees that they should follow on the
work field (Skinner et al., 2018). The manager never works out of its comfort zone and
only works the tasks assigned to him or her. The leader goes forward applying its
innovation and skills to motivate the employees and they motivate the employees to
improve in their performances. The Difference between the leaders and the manager
will be enunciated in a table:
Differentiation Leader Manager
Definition The leader motivates the
employees and chalked out
plans and strategies to reach
their goals and objectives
and improve their personal
performance by applying
innovation and expertise
The Manager only controls
the operations of the
organisation and controls
the employees in regards to
assigning tasks and
following up the rules and
regulations of the company
Perspective Chalks out goals and
objectives of the company
and directs them
systematically
The details are assigned by
the manager
Features or quality Futuristic and decisiveness Mindful
Style Transformational (Donohoe
and Kelloway, 2016)
Transnational
8

Determination Gives decisions to the
employees
Only makes decisions to
impose them and order the
employees to follow them
accordingly
Bringing change The leaders always instils
change
The managers only reacts to
the changes of the
organisation
Table 1: The Differentiation between the leaders and the manager
(Source: Created by the learner)
For example, the role of a leader and a manager is divided into five consecutive steps they
follow to keep the employees diligent and high yielding in their work processes. The steps
includes
 Planning
 Organising
 Leading
 Controlling
 Coordinating
Sometimes there is a similarity between the leaders, mansger the style may be diifdfrent as
in the leader adapt the transformational approach, and the manager adapts the
transformational leadership. The transformational style leads to motivation and inspiring the
person through its capability and bringing out the best of the employee. The manager style
imposes the tasks on the employees, which make the employees understand to work under
tome, and they are prepared to work under pressure and when they have deadlines in their
work. There are managers who even adapt the way of leaders as they encourage and
motivate the employees (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017) The other way also happens when the
leader is transnational and they use punishment and regards way to get the work out of their
employees in time. The transnational way makes the employees more aggressive and
ambitious the transformational way makes the employees more innovative and high yielding
in their work and working their best to being the organization success and development.
9

4. What have you learnt about leadership from your own experiences, on this course
and elsewhere? ( Payel) (675)
After knowing all the types of leadership styles, the most influential one is the
transformational and transnational. According to my knowledge, I have been working n a
corporate sector where all the employers are engrossed in their work as they have deadlines
and the work has to be submitted in a deadline. There are many effective styles of leadership
they are like autocratic Leadership, Democratic leadership, Bureaucratic Leadership,
Charismatic Leadership, Situational Leadership and lastly the Transformational and the
Transnational Leadership. The charismatic leaders ate the one, which are the idol of many
peoples, and therefore they have many influences by their management styles and leadership
qualities. The Greatest leaders which reflects the Charismatic leaders are Mark Zucherberg,
Simon Sinek as they influences and instils in people the concept of good leadership needs
humanity and being highly empathetic. The concept of leadership is different from person to
person and also the difference between the leadership style depends on the types of
organisations. The leadership style has many problems related to the transnational style and
the various parts of the style. The transnational style is generally used in many corporate
sectors and retailing sectors to make the employees understand the logic of competition and
make, they adapt under the work pressure so that they can work efficiently in time of crises
for the company.
For example, the place I used to work had much pressure and therefore the leaders have to
very particular about guiding them to the right path (Cotter et al., 2018). Some leaders follow
the transformational style in our organisation and some leaders insist in getting flawless
work, which they will gain from the employees through the process of rewards and
punishment. If any employee makes special contribution to the organisation by their work
and innovation, they will get rewards and if any of the employees misses the deadline of the
work they have to get punishment like extra working hour without payments (Ahmad, 2018).
One of the leader guided us like a friend and gave good training at the time of recruitment
and then the leader chalked out the goals and objectives and also help out filling up with
strategizes and policies which would include having the desired directions to reach the goals
as fast as possible. The leaders used to guide us in amiable manner and understanding each
employees opinions and views .The team was the most effective that the other team of the
transnational one. The transnational is effective for the employees who are not diligent and
10

are lethargic in work. Therefore, from my experience in working in an organisation the ideal
qualities needed to be a good leader is that
 The leader should have accurate decision taking skills
 The leader must be able to bring changes into the organisation through his innovation
and influential qualities
 Must be understanding and amiable enough to make the employees motivated and
productive
 The leader must embrace a bit of charismatic quality to influence the employees and
his team mates
 The most important quality is being empathetic and understanding the logic and
opinions of the employees. The path goal theory is one of the effective leadership
model which influences the leader to acknowledge the opinions and views of the
employees and their opinions
 To be very much professional and not mix up his emotions with the professional one
 The leader must have convincing skills so that they can convince anyone and this can
help them to get into the good books of the employees as well the employees
 Even after guiding the employees, the leader should also look for advice and guide so
that he can do his work in a much more better manner. The motivation of the leader
will only eventually motivate the employees, as well which will be in the end
beneficial to the company processes (Berger et al., 2017).
 The L& D(Learning and Development), department should be always updated by the
leader and the manager of the company and therefore the leaders and the employees
should indulge more in research before chalking out any goals and objectives.
The Path Goal Theory is the most effective way to influence the employees, as it is a theory,
which is, related to the understanding of the employees and opinions and then applying the
opinions and the views of the employees to make a pathway for achieving the desired goals
and objectives.
11

Conclusion
The study consists of the various leadership styles and the ways, which can affect the
communication of the employees with leaders. The Leadership styles can be effective in
many operations of an organisation and therefore they have to look after the employees by
applying effective leadership styles to bring out the effectiveness of the employees. The
report therefore has stated various leadership styles, which are applied in the organisational
structure. The situational leadership, contingency leadership and the transformational and
transnational leadership to be known as one of the effective one to be applied in most
organisations. The difference between the leaders and the managers has also been stated in
the study along with the application of the leadership and essential features of the operations
management.
12