MGT4642 Strategic Leadership Essay: Effectiveness Analysis

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of strategic leadership, focusing on the arguments both for and against the effectiveness of leadership and management development. The introduction establishes the importance of leadership in organizational success, differentiating between leadership and management and setting the stage for the review. The main body delves into arguments supporting leadership effectiveness, including employee motivation and performance, organizational performance, growth and revenue generation, and brand equity. Examples such as Tesco and Unilever are used to illustrate these points. The essay also examines arguments against leadership effectiveness, such as structural frameworks, organizational culture, profitability, growth, and employee sustainability, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. The conclusion summarizes the key points, highlighting the merits of effective leadership and the demerits of ineffective leadership within an organizational context.

Strategic leadership

Table of Contents
Strategic leadership..........................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Argument against the effectiveness of leadership and management...........................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Effectiveness of leadership and management development refers to success of leadership
and management development. Leadership which in business context known as management, is a
key driver of organizational success and that result from success of leadership and management
development. This study attempts to review argument for effectiveness of leadership and
management development. This study includes discussion about success of leadership and
management development in context of employees and their performance, collective
performance of organization and impact of leadership on growth and profitability of
organization. Leadership and management have characteristics that differentiate these from each
other. In context of present organizational scenario managers on top-level of organizational
structure are known to be leading the organization. That is why in this study leadership and
management development have been considered as single term and more than that single factor
influencing organizational performance. This study review arguments for effectiveness of
leadership and management development. Effectiveness of leadership and management is
important in various context and there are various contemporary examples that can support
arguments for effectiveness of leadership and management development. This is a phase that
includes various steps in it and to reach at top-level of development program one need to go
through several steps that attempt to develop management and leadership skills at low and
middle level and that then move to higher CEO and MD level leadership and management
development. Effectiveness of the program is visible through actions taken by leaders and result
in form of success and failure that come from actions taken by leaders and managers. This study
along with favourable arguments also attempt to review arguments that are against effectiveness
of leadership and management development. This is based on general concept that all the
concepts do have their positive and negative sides. So with effectiveness of leadership and
management development.
MAIN BODY
This part of the study undertake review of arguments that are present for and against
effectiveness of leadership and management development. Firstly arguments for effectiveness of
leadership development are being reviewed which are,

Employee motivation and performance, most important characteristics of both the concepts
whether leadership or management is that both requires followers and employees to become
leader and manager. Effectiveness of leadership and management development is important for
motivation and performance of employees in organization. Effectiveness is also visible from
improved performance and motivation of employees of an organization (Bolden, 2016). To prove
this argument example of David John Lewis can be taken, Lewis is CEO of Tesco which is
British multinational retail organization and is third largest retail organization in the world and
this success of the organization have been credited to its employees who are willing and ready to
help their customers to any possible extent. This motivation, performance and loyalty of
employees of Tesco has been transferred from top-level of management and its CEO. This is an
adequate example to prove effectiveness of leadership and management development.
Other argument for effectiveness of leadership and management development is organizational
performance, performance of organization depends on various factors which are directed and
controlled by leader of an organization (Yahaya and Ebrahim, 2016). Most important factor is
taking right decision and effectiveness of leadership and management development enables
leader and manager to take right decision in favour of organisation which later is proven through
success and failure of organization and performance of organization. Leader not only takes
decision related to employees but criteria of decision-making of leader includes all major
decision related to development of organisation, strategies that drive success, policies that govern
organisation all these decisions are taken by leader and effectiveness of leadership and
management development plays a key role in this (Prosser, 2016). To prove this argument Alan
Jope and Paul Polman can be taken both of these headed and are leading Unilever, one of the
oldest multinational companies and successful organization of Britain. Success of Unilever and
its Global presence is because of strategic decisions taken by former and present leaders of the
organization. Effectiveness of leadership and management development in visible in the success
of Unilever which stands at seventh most valuable company of Europe and its existence in over
190 countries.
Another argument for effectiveness of leadership and management development is based on
growth and revenue earned by the company. When it comes to growth and development all the
factors include in this which are employee motivation and performance, effectiveness of
decision-making, appropriate allocation of resources (based on thoughtfulness of leaders). All

these factors collectively contribute in revenue generation and growth of company. Growth terms
as existence of company in geographical locations and also functions performed by company
including type of service that is provided by the company and its profit and value that company
provide to its customers and society all are success factors of the company. Growth of the
company is also measured on al these factors (Pitichat and et.al., 2018). Effectiveness of
leadership and management development is a key contributor in success of all these factors.
There are various examples available that can prove this argument right.
Another important argument for effectiveness of leadership and management development is
brand equity of a company and its product. Goodwill and image of the leader directly impact
brand equity of a company and its product. According to general notions if a company is leaded
by a good leader than products of that companies will also be good and reliable and if due to any
valid or invalid reason leaders' image get ruined than it will directly impact goodwill and image
of that company. There are two important reason to favour this argument one is that effectiveness
of leadership and management development will enable leader to commit for building brand and
another reason is that relation of brand with leader (Elkington and et.al., 2017). Effectiveness of
leadership and management development will result in effective and reputed leader of a company
that will directly affect branding of company. This is very important specially in present scenario
where every detail is available to customers and society who directly impact success of
organization.
Argument against the effectiveness of leadership and management
The effectiveness of leadership can be addressed with the outcome of the organization.
Impactful leadership is always created positive outcomes in the favour of the company.
Unfavourable outcome is the result of leadership failure of the organization. The leadership
failure of the company can be a reason of following factors.
Unsystematic Structural Frame work: Structural framework can be expressed as the
operational structure of the company (Ho, Ross and Coutts, 2016). Operational structure of the
company has the huge impact in all the operations associated with the company. Organizational
structure of the company has a direct impact on the productivity aspect of the company.
Management of the company frame all the operations of the company as per the organizational
structure. All the powers and responsibilities are distributed as per the organizational structure of
the company. Inefficient leadership has the direct impact on the productivity of the organization

and as a result the productivity and the profitability of the company starts to diminish. Recently
Marks and Spencer has witnessed the downfall in the performance because of the ineffective
leadership approach of the company that resulted into non-productive environment in the
company's structure.
Non satisfactory organizational culture: Organizational culture can be elaborated as the
internal environment of the company that affect the company's operations (Mendenhall and et.al.,
2017). Leadership and management of the company take the crucial part in setting up the proper
culture that provide all the amenities to the employees for conducting all the operations in the
most favourable way possible. Inefficient leadership put negative impact on the organisational
culture of the company . Positive organizational culture also empowers all the employees of the
organization. Ineffective management lacks in providing the suitable working culture as per the
needs of the employees and as a result the productivity of all the employees not get up to the
expected mark. Marks and Spencer statistics reveals the downfall in the selling statistics of the
recent year and non satisfactory organizational culture was among one of the reason behind such
downfall as the employees of the company could not empower themselves to perform as per the
best abilities possessed and that resulted into less productive outcome of the company.
Lower Profitability: Ineffective leadership of the company resulted into lower profitability as
the company unable to cope up with the competition in the market because of the non-profitable
business decisions for the company. Profitability is the result of company's performance in the
market (Furtner, Maran and Rauthmann, 2017). Ineffective management of the company more
engaged with saving the own position in the company that resulted into lack of market
understanding and also in dealing with all the expectations related to the potential consumer's of
the company. Ineffective management of the Marks and Spencer becomes the major reason
behind the sustainable downfall of the Marks and Spencer's profitability in the recent years as
compare to other competitors in the market.
Diminishing Growth: Ineffective leadership of the company focus more on the individual
growth rather than focus on the growth perspective of the company (Herd and et.al., 2016).
Diminishing growth of the company becomes one of the major outcome of the ineffective
leadership in the organization as the management of the company fails to make proper strategies
that can make a profitable impact in the favour of the company. Diminishing growth also
resulted into reducing trust of all the stakeholders of the company. Marks and Spencer has

experienced the lower growth rate as compare to previous states because of the poor decision-
making by the management of the company. Diminishing growth stats always reduces the trust
of all the stakeholders of the company.
Employee Non Sustainability: Management of the company play the huge role in solving all
the grievances of all its employees and also to provide the suitable base to grow in the
organization (Gandolfi and Stone, 2016). Ineffective leadership fails to involve in all the issues
related to the employees of the organization and as a result the company start looses its
experienced employee base and it also affects the productivity of the company. Non
sustainability of the employees also resulted into extra training cost in conducting the raining
programs for all the new employees of the organization. Ineffective management of the Marks
and Spencer proved as the major reason behind employees leaving the organization in the search
of the better organization.
CONCLUSION
This report concluded all the essence of strategic leadership. Effective leadership in the
organizational structure has concluded in this report. All the benefits of having an effective
leadership in the organization is concluded briefly in this report. All the impact of positive
leadership is concluded precisely in this report. All the effects of the ineffective leadership in the
organization has concluded in detail manner in this report. How the ineffectiveness of the
leadership in the organisation impact the profitability and productivity of the company has
concluded briefly in this report. Effect of the ineffective leadership on the sustainability of the
employees in the organization and also on the growth of the employees in the organization has
concluded briefly in this report. Impact of the ineffective leadership in the organizational
structure of the company has also concluded in detail manner in this report. All the amenities
arises because of the effective organizational structure has concluded in this report. Effect of the
ineffective leadership on the different aspects of the organizational structure has concluded
briefly in this report. This report conclude about all the merits of effective leadership in the
context of the organization and all the demerits of having an ineffective leadership in the
organization has concluded in this report. This report can be illustrated as the detail information
about the leadership and its related aspects such as effective leadership and ineffective
leadership. All such aspects of the leadership has concluded by giving the detail explanation. All

the aspects are concluded in this report that demonstrate the best about the effectiveness and also
about the ineffective aspects of the leadership.

REFRENCES
Books and Jour
Bolden, R., 2016. Leadership, management and organisational development. In Gower handbook
of leadership and management development. (pp. 143-158). Routledge.
Elkington, R and et.al., 2017. Global leaders’ perceptions of elements required for effective
leadership development in the twenty-first century. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal. 38(8). pp.1038-1056.
Furtner, M.R., Maran, T. and Rauthmann, J.F., 2017. Dark leadership: The role of leaders’ dark
triad personality traits. In Leader development deconstructed.(pp. 75-99). Springer,
Cham.
Gandolfi, F. and Stone, S., 2016. Clarifying leadership: High-impact leaders in a time of
leadership crisis. Revista De Management Comparat International.17(3). p.212.
Herd, A.M. and et.al., 2016. Finding What Works: Leadership Competencies for the Changing
Healthcare Environment. Journal of Leadership Education, 15(4).
Ho, N.T.T., Ross, H. and Coutts, J., 2016. The Influence of Leadership in Fisheries Co-
Management: The Case of Tam Giang Lagoon, Vietnam. Society & Natural
Resources.29(12). pp.1405-1420.
Mendenhall, M.E. and et.al., 2017. Global leadership: Research, practice, and development.
Routledge.
Pitichat, T and et.al., 2018. Psychological capital for leader development. Journal of Leadership
& Organizational Studies. 25(1). pp.47-62.
Prosser, S., 2016. Effective People: Leadership and organisation development in healthcare.
CRC Press.
Tang, K. N., 2019. Leadership Styles and Organizational Effectiveness. In. Leadership and
Change Management. (pp. 11-25). Springer, Singapore.
Yahaya, R. and Ebrahim, F., 2016. Leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature
review. Journal of Management Development. 35(2). pp.190-216.