Organizational Behavior and Leadership: A Personal Philosophy

This essay delves into the realm of organizational behavior and leadership, commencing with an exploration of diverse leadership styles, with a particular focus on transformational leadership. The author outlines their personal leadership philosophy, highlighting key principles such as innovation, motivation, simplicity, and determination, while also discussing the impact of personal beliefs like adaptability and risk-taking. The essay then examines significant experiences that have shaped the author's leadership approach, followed by a case study that addresses a common leadership issue: employee tardiness and early departures. The author proposes solutions centered around enhancing employee motivation through improved communication, transportation logistics, and performance incentives, providing a comprehensive overview of leadership in practice. The essay highlights the significance of adaptability and the leader's role in creating an environment that promotes employee engagement and achieving organizational goals.

Organizational behavior and leadership 1
Organizational Behavior and Leadership
Name
Institution

Organizational behavior and leadership 2
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
Part A: Leadership Philosophy....................................................................................................3
Leadership Style.........................................................................................................................3
Leadership Principles................................................................................................................4
Impact of Personal Beliefs.........................................................................................................6
Key Experiences Informing the Leadership Style..................................................................7
Part B: Application of Leadership Philosophy...........................................................................8
Leadership Issue.........................................................................................................................8
My Decision Pertaining to the Leadership Issue.....................................................................8
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................10

Organizational behavior and leadership 3
Introduction
Every organization requires a leader who will ensure its smooth running and drive
towards achieving the aims and objectives that are outlined. There are a variety of leadership
styles that can be used in an organization depending on the operations that are involved, the
responsibilities of the leader as well as the behavior and capabilities of the leader. Some of the
leadership styles include autocratic leadership, laissez-faire leadership, charismatic leadership,
transformational leadership, and transactional leadership (Du et al, 2013, p. 160). In each of the
leadership styles, a leader should have certain principles of leadership which would help him or
her to achieve the set organizational goals. There are times when the leader is faced with
situations which require him or her to incorporate various problem-solving skills and decision-
making. It is of great significance to note that the performance of an organization depends
greatly on its leadership (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube, 2015, p. 10). This means that an
organization which has poor leadership practices faces a greater risk of experiencing a lower
performance level than an organization whose leadership is excellent. In this piece of work, I
will describe my leadership style, the leadership principles which I would not be willing to
violate, how personal beliefs impact on my leadership, and the leadership experiences which
have inspired my leadership style. Additionally, I will contextualize a leadership issue and give
justification on how I would have solved it.
Part A: Leadership Philosophy
Leadership Style
Transformative leadership style aims at leading the organization in a way that involves
the followers in decision-making, engages different stakeholders, and most importantly works
towards achieving greater outcomes at the end (Choudhary, Akhtar and Zaheer, 2013, p. 436).

Organizational behavior and leadership 4
This has always been my preferred leadership style. This is because it mostly concurs with my
character and abilities. In a transformative leadership, I always aim at ensuring that the
performance of the organization progresses with time, without having performance deficits or
stagnation. Every year has its set goals and objectives to be achieved, both broad and specific.
The employees in the organization are motivated through various motivational strategies and are
coerced to be critical thinkers, initiators of projects, and achieve more than they originally
intended to (Priest and Clegorne, 2015, p. 76). Innovation is highly maintained in the
organization where I ensure that the employees are aware of what is expected of them and that
they maintain the set standards of their behavior and proficiency. The employee's performance is
maintained at a high level though minimum supervision and monitoring are done. This is
because the employees are motivated and inspired, and are willing to work peacefully and
professionally to achieve the objectives that are set in their various departments as well as to
achieve the general objectives of the entire organization. A transformative leader should always
be concerned with ensuring a progressive change in the organization, employees, operational
strategies as well as in himself or herself (Vito, Higgins and Denney, 2014, p. 820).
Leadership Principles
In my leadership, there are a number of principles which I have always pursued and
would not wish to violate them at all. Since the organization requires great innovations in order
to ensure that the various changes are met, I would never wish to lose innovation. Innovativeness
is of great importance in my transformational leadership. This is because innovativeness helps a
leader to identify areas of weakness within the organization and make proper implementation
plans and strategies which would help to counter such weaknesses (McCleskey, 2014, p. 117).
Through innovativeness, I will be able to identify better operational ways which will be used by

Organizational behavior and leadership 5
the employees and other stakeholders in order to realize better organizational performance.
Additionally, I would be required to have inspirational and motivational strategies which ensure
that the employees are empowered and satisfied. This would require the principle of motivation
which aims at ensuring both personal and corporate motivation. The principle of facilitation
dictates that a leader should ensure that the employees have all the required tools and equipment
(Ferguson, 2019). These tools and equipment would be significant in my leadership in that the
employees would have all they require to perform their various duties and responsibilities and
that they are comfortable in their places of work. While giving directions or when interacting
with my employees, I always ensure that the principle of simplicity is maintained. The
communication with the employees and other stakeholders is simple in a way that the recipient
easily understands what is communicated (Mittal and Dhar, 2015, p. 902). The principle of
simplicity ensures that time is properly managed since the communication is short and aims at
using the least and meaningful words as possible, remaining in the context or theme of
communication (Sharma and Jain, 2013, p. 310). The decision-making process makes use of the
employees in order to ensure that their views are heard and incorporated where necessary.
Additionally, I would never violate the principle of determination since the determination is a
powerful attribute which gives me the power and the drive to move on in a positive way.
Communication is maintained in both upward and downward vertical style. Violation of this
aspect would make the organization to develop resistance groups among the employees in order
to have their views heard as well as their interests met. However, with the use of this kind of
communication, the employees have their views heard and incorporated and present their
interests which are then met in the best way possible (Doci and Hofmans, 2015, p. 441).

Organizational behavior and leadership 6
Impact of Personal Beliefs
In transformational leadership, self-transformation is the most significant of the beliefs
that a leader can have (Furtner, Baldegger and Rauthmann, 2013, p. 443). This is because a
leader would not transform an organization if he or she is not transformed on a personal basis. I
make sure that I get transformed either physically, intellectually or spiritually. Self-
transformation involves interaction with various stakeholders, neighboring leaders, as well as
reading articles which would help change my leadership abilities. In my leadership, I maintain
the belief in adaptability. Through the belief in adaptability, I am always able to fit into
organizational and market dynamics in order to meet the objectives of the organization.
Adaptability ensures that there is no tension or confusion when certain changes occur (Tipton,
2019). Consultations are made where necessary to ensure that the right strategies are
incorporated in the various departments in order to adapt efficiently and effectively to the
dynamics. The belief in taking risks is highly used in my transformational leadership. In business
organizations, it is like a norm to take risks since business is all about taking risks. Through this
risk-taking, I incorporate the belief in the ability to solve potential problems that may occur in
the organization, at the same time believing in making excellent decisions with the consultation
of the views of the employees. This is helpful in that it helps to solve any problem that arises in
the organization regardless of how challenging the problem may be (Men, 2014, p. 276). This
keeps me motivated and determined throughout the processes and activities of the organization.
A determined leader will always achieve the goals of the organization excellently since he or she
has the drive and motivation to keep moving. Additionally, I uphold the belief that a person does
not resist change but resists being changed without his or her permission. This means that any
change that comes in is first analyzed with the incorporation of critical thinking in order to

Organizational behavior and leadership 7
familiarize with it and its possible effects it might bring to the organization (Cavazotte, Moreno
and Bernardo, 2013, p. 502). I also believe in focusing on strategies that would work effectively
rather than strategies which are implemented just for formality. This belief is significant since
the customers, the employees, and stakeholders always feel the trends and perspectives of the
organization. They tend to develop trust in the leadership structure as well as the entire
organization. Additionally, the organization is able to realize an improved performance as well
as develop competitive power within the business environment.
Key Experiences Informing the Leadership Style
Experience is argued to be a major contributor to the effectiveness of a leader within an
organization (Shanafelt et al, 2015, p. 435). My leadership has been basically inspired greatly by
the professional studies that I pursued through formal schooling. The studies which were
majoring on issues of organizational leadership impacted my knowledge and abilities
significantly. I was able to familiarize with terms that are used in organizations. The knowledge
and skills that were obtained through these studies influenced my attitude towards leadership, my
ability to apply various organizational theories and models as well as the ability to maintain key
principles and beliefs within the organization. Additionally, through the interaction with various
organizational leaders, I was impacted on the various strategies that I can employ in different
organizational situations. Moreover, the various organizations that I have led have given me
great experiences which have shaped my leadership strengths. I have been able to meet new
challenging issues whereby I have gained the skills on how to handle a variety of such issues. I
have got knowledge of the common mistakes which leaders make, hence being alert and careful
not to fall in the same problems that inexperienced leaders fall into. I have also engaged and

Organizational behavior and leadership 8
participated in various short courses and training which are significant in empowering my
leadership perception and skills.
Part B: Application of Leadership Philosophy
Leadership Issue
In a business organization that was led by a leader whom I have ever worked with in
organizational leadership, the employees had a tendency of reporting to the workplace late yet
they also demanded to leave the workplace before the expected time. This was a major drawback
of the organization since the employees were not committed in their duties and responsibilities.
The employees argued differently on this issue of time where others argued on issues of transport
problems while others on the hardship of the work that they do in the organization. The leader
managed to have a meeting with them in order to find out the main problem and hence come up
with a strategy to counter it. At the end of it, the leader resolved to reduce the working hours so
that he could make the employees satisfied. However, this strategy affects the organization
negatively since the employees have very little time to work substantially to meet the expected
goals.
My Decision Pertaining to the Leadership Issue
If I were the leader of the organization in such a situation, I would have looked for ways
in which I could make the employees more motivated. This would include having good
communication and relationship with them, encouraging them to feel free to address any issue to
the relevant departments. Additionally, I could have made transport logistics which would help
the employees to have easy transportation to and from their residing places. Moreover, adding a
bonus on their wages would impact their motivation to feel even more willing to work for longer
hours (Muchiri and Ayoko, 2013, p. 401). Resting time would also be availed in order to provide

Organizational behavior and leadership 9
relaxation to the employees when they get tired. These strategies would help resolve the problem
effectively.
Conclusion
Transformational leadership style involves ensuring the change of the entire organization,
employees, stakeholders, and self. It aims at adding value to the organization through the
incorporation of various principles such as simplicity, innovativeness as well as determination.
Personal beliefs are also important in that they build and strengthen the leader, giving him or her
the power to ensure continuous productivity of the organization. some beliefs such as self-
transformation, ability to face challenging problems, focusing on strategies which are effective as
well as believing in taking the right risks. A leader is significantly influenced by professional
studies as well as experiences since they equip him or her with the right knowledge and skills. In
an organization, a leader must face challenges, hence the ability to solve them effectively is
greatly significant. Leaders should seek to develop their abilities and skills in order to be able to
fit in any organizational situation.

Organizational behavior and leadership 10
Bibliography
Amanchukwu, R.N., Stanley, G.J. and Ololube, N.P., 2015. A review of leadership theories,
principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), pp.6-14.
Cavazotte, F., Moreno, V. and Bernardo, J., 2013. Transformational leaders and work
performance: The mediating roles of identification and self-efficacy. BAR-Brazilian
Administration Review, 10(4), pp.490-512.
Choudhary, A.I., Akhtar, S.A. and Zaheer, A., 2013. Impact of transformational and servant
leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis. Journal of business
ethics, 116(2), pp.433-440.
Doci, E. and Hofmans, J., 2015. Task complexity and transformational leadership: The mediating
role of leaders' state core self-evaluations. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(3), pp.436-447.
Du, S., Swaen, V., Lindgreen, A. and Sen, S., 2013. The roles of leadership styles in corporate
social responsibility. Journal of business ethics, 114(1), pp.155-169.
Ferguson, G., 2019. Seven Principles of Transformational Leadership. [online]
Smallbusiness.chron.com. Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/seven-principles-
transformational-leadership-42552.html [Accessed 4 Apr. 2019].
Furtner, M.R., Baldegger, U. and Rauthmann, J.F., 2013. Leading yourself and leading others:
Linking self-leadership to transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership. European
Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(4), pp.436-449.

Organizational behavior and leadership 11
F. Vito, G., E. Higgins, G. and S. Denney, A., 2014. Transactional and transformational
leadership: An examination of the leadership challenge model. Policing: An International
Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 37(4), pp.809-822.
McCleskey, J.A., 2014. Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership
development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), p.117.
Men, L.R., 2014. Strategic internal communication: Transformational leadership, communication
channels, and employee satisfaction. Management Communication Quarterly, 28(2), pp.264-284.
Mittal, S. and Dhar, R.L., 2015. Transformational leadership and employee creativity: mediating
role of creative self-efficacy and moderating role of knowledge sharing. Management
Decision, 53(5), pp.894-910.
Muchiri, M.K. and Ayoko, O.B., 2013. Linking demographic diversity to organizational
outcomes: The moderating role of transformational leadership. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal, 34(5), pp.384-406.
Priest, K.L. and Clegorne, N.A., 2015. Connecting to experience: High‐impact practices for
leadership development. New directions for student leadership, 2015(145), pp.71-83.
Shanafelt, T.D., Gorringe, G., Menaker, R., Storz, K.A., Reeves, D., Buskirk, S.J., Sloan, J.A.
and Swensen, S.J., 2015, April. Impact of organizational leadership on physician burnout and
satisfaction. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 90, No. 4, pp. 432-440). Elsevier.
Sharma, M.K. and Jain, S., 2013. Leadership management: Principles, models and
theories. Global Journal of Management and Business Studies, 3(3), pp.309-318.

Organizational behavior and leadership 12
Tipton, B., 2019. The 7 Core Beliefs of a Transformational Change Leader. [online] Team
Tipton - Accelerating Extraordinary Outcomes. Available at: https://www.teamtipton.com/seven-
core-beliefs/ [Accessed 4 Apr. 2019].