by Donald Clark
Contents
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Corporate Leader
Rationale
Many people today are seeking to understand - and many people are writing about - the concept of leadership today. The topic has become almost evangelical and prophetic in tone.
It can be quite confusing to try to understand a great deal about leadership because different people tend to talk about leadership from many different perspectives, contexts, etc, and many people don't realize these differences. For example, some people talk about the roles of leadership, e.g., senior-level executives, middle managers, etc. Other people tend to talk about the traits of leadership, e.g., being influential, inspirational, etc. In conversations or readings about leadership, it's important to distinguish whether one is talking about roles or traits. Also it can be confusing because different people talk about different contexts of leadership, e.g., leading oneself, leading other individuals, leading groups, leading organizations, etc. Thus, it can be very simplistic to simply generalize about leadership as if it applies the same way in every situation. Understanding the concept of leadership requires more than reading a few articles or exhorting what leaders should be. This topic in the library helps readers gain broad understanding of the concept of leadership along with the various areas of knowledge and skills required to lead from a variety of perspectives and in a variety of contexts. This leadership course is for new supervisors, managers, leaders, and anyone wishing to move up through the ranks as a leader. The first chapter, Concepts of Leadership, provides a basic background on leadership. The following chapters provide the skills and knowledge needed to implement effective leadership. For the benefit of those interested in training others, the appendixes contain a basic workshop plan for implementing a leadership development program with several learning activities, definitions, quotes, references, and other tools. - Donald Clerk |
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Objectives
1. Comprehensive examination of some of the contemporary definitions of leadership.
2. Exploration of selected models of leadership, and how individual styles compare to such models;
3. Understanding of the concepts and theories in leadership, management and their influence on organisational behaviour
4. Understanding of the responsibilities and privileges of leadership, including moral and ethical decisions and the use of authority and power;
5. Examination of the context of leadership, which is the relationship between the individual and the group;
6. Application of the foundational areas of leadership to practical and real-life situations within the immediate educational environment.
7. Examination of tools for change management and their application in an organisation
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Understand differences and similarities between leadership and management theory and practice.
2. Identify the various theories used to describe organisational design, structure, culture and effectiveness and use various styles of leadership and determine what type of leadership behaviour is appropriate for the situation.
3. Describe a variety of theories of leadership and management development and be able to apply them appropriately to workplace situations
4. Analyse the impact of change, culture, diversity and technology on individuals and organisational behaviour
5. Understand the concepts of motivation, such as the basics of the "science" of human motivation including the theories of Maslow and Hertzberg, in relation to organisational design, size and effectiveness
6. Comprehend the importance of communication and training in the organisation and maintenance of performance management systems
7. Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of various theories and strategies for organisational change, leadership and management of human resources
8. Apply concepts of leadership and effective communication to individual employee situations, to group situations and to organisations
9. Apply basic management skills, ideas and principles that will be allow him/her to function more efficiently as a leader.
10. Coach your colleagues and subordinates to obtain the desired results and get commitment from your teams and maintain control of your operations.
11. Evaluate and apply models and tools within a variety of contexts
Today's Videos
- Connect with us on http://www.youtube.com/finntrack
- Google's Playlists
Teaching and Learning Resources
The matrix explains the learning strategies, objectives, communication, and technology options currently available. This is a partial list of strategies, methodologies and technologies which are changing continuously. We will be regularly reviewing and updating our recommended strategies.
Concepts of Leadership
Much has been written on the concept of leadership, in particular what is leadership and what qualities create a leader. As well as a well established collection of writings on the roles and qualities of a leader, we also each have our own ideas about what leadership is, based both on our own experiences and intuitive concepts.
The ideas of Complex Systems, particularly those of scale, and networks can give a new lens to look at the idea of leadership. This study takes the approach of looking at the role of a leader and its position within a team or organisational structure, we also analyse and structure a list of properties for leadership.
Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. This guide will help you through that process.
To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.
Before we get started, lets define leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs , values , ethics, character , knowledge , and skills . Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around . Donald Clerk
Leadership and Human Behaviour
Workshop
Readings
Human behaviour is the collection of behaviours exhibited
by human
and influenced by culture, attitudes,
emotions , values , ethics , authority , rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics.
The behaviour of people (and other organisms or even mechanisms) falls within a range with some behaviour being common, some unusual, some acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits . In sociology , behaviour is considered as having no meaning, being not directed at other people and thus is the most basic human action . Behaviour should not be mistaken with social behaviour, which is more advanced action, as social behaviour is behaviour specifically directed at other people. The acceptability of behaviour is evaluated relative to social norms and regulated by various means of social control.
The behaviour of people is studied by the academic disciplines of psychology , sociology , economics , and anthropology . In 1970, a book was published called "The Social Contract: A Personal Inquiry into the Evolutionary Sources of Order and Disorder" written by the anthropologist Robert Ardrey . The book and study investigated animal behaviour ( Ethology ) and then compared human behaviour as a similar phenomenon. See also |
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Leadership and Leading. Leadership and Direction
Workshops
Readings
Leadership and Communication
Workshop
Readings
Communication is a process that allows organisms to exchange information by several methods. Exchange requires feedback . The word communication is also used in the context where little or no feedback is expected such as broadcasting , or where the feedback may be delayed as the sender or receiver use different methods, technologies, timing and means for feedback.
Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analysing, and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur. [1] Communication is the articulation of sending a message, through different media [2] whether it be verbal or nonverbal, so long as a being transmits a thought provoking idea, gesture , action, etc. . .
Communication can be defined as the process of meaningful interaction among living beings. It is the act of passing information and the process by which meanings are exchanged so as to produce understanding.
Communication is the process by which any message is given or received through talking, writing, or making gestures. Another form of communication known in the spiritual context is thinking and is mainly used in prayers where God is the receiver.
There are auditory means, such as speaking, singing and sometimes tone of voice, and nonverbal , physical means, such as body language , sign language , paralanguage , touch , eye contact , or the use of writing .
Communication happens at many levels (even for one single action), in many different ways, and for most beings, as well as certain machines. Several, if not all, fields of study dedicate a portion of attention to communication, so when speaking about communication it is very important to be sure about what aspects of communication one is speaking about. Definitions of communication range widely, some recognizing that animals can communicate with each other as well as human beings, and some are more narrow, only including human beings within the parameters of human symbolic interaction.
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Nonetheless, communication is usually described along a few major dimensions: |
Between parties, communication includes acts that confer knowledge and experiences, give advice and commands, and ask questions. These acts may take many forms, in one of the various manners of communication. The form depends on the abilities of the group communicating. Together, communication content and form make messages that are sent towards a destination . The target can be oneself, another person or being, another entity (such as a corporation or group of beings).
Depending on the focus (who, what, in which form, to whom, to which effect), there exist various classifications. Some of those systematical questions are elaborated in Communication theory .
- Communication as information transmission
- Information exchange between living organisms
- Language
- Media
- Communication Strategies
- Metacommunication
- Sources
- Communications by region
- References
- External
links
- A brief history of communication across ages
- Communicating for change and impact
- How Human Communication Fails (Tampere University of Technology)
- The Transmission Model of Communication (Daniel Chandler)
Activity
Leadership and Motivation
Workshop
Readings
Employee Motivation: Theory and practice
The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But that's easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines.
In spite of enormous research, basic as well as applied, the subject of motivation is not clearly understood and more often than not poorly practiced . To understand motivation one must understand human nature itself. And there lies the problem!
Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership.
These articles on motivation theory and practice concentrate on various theories regarding human nature in general and motivation in particular. Included are articles on the practical aspects of motivation in the workplace and the research that has been undertaken in this field, notably by Douglas McGregor (theory y), Frederick Herzberg (two factor motivation hygiene theory,) Abraham Maslow (theory z, hierarchy of needs ), Elton Mayo ( Hawthorne Experiments ) Chris Argyris Rensis Likert and David McClelland (achievement motivation.)
Why study and apply employee motivation principles?
Quite apart from the benefit and moral value of an altruistic approach to treating colleagues as human beings and respecting human dignity in all its forms, research and observations show that well motivated employees are more productive and creative. The inverse also holds true. The schematic below indicates the potential contribution the practical application of the principles this paper has on reducing work content in the organization.
Motivation is the key to performance improvement
There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if it's thirsty - so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Whether it is to excel on the workshop floor or in the 'ivory tower' they must be motivated or driven to it, either by themselves or through external stimulus.
Are they born with the self-motivation or drive? Yes and no. If no, they can be motivated, for motivation is a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any business to survive and succeed.
Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus:
- Job performance =f(ability)(motivation)
Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation.
- Positive reinforcement / high expectations
- Effective discipline and punishment
- Treating people fairly
- Satisfying employees needs
- Setting work related goals
- Restructuring jobs
- Base rewards on job performance
These are the basic strategies, though the mix in the final 'recipe' will vary from workplace situation to situation. Essentially, there is a gap between an individuals actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap.
Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator. Naturally, these goals as also the motivation system must conform to the corporate policy of the organization. The motivational system must be tailored to the situation and to the organization.
In one of the most elaborate studies on employee motivation, involving 31,000 men and 13,000 women, the Minneapolis Gas Company sought to determine what their potential employees desire most from a job. This study was carried out during a 20 year period from 1945 to 1965 and was quite revealing. The ratings for the various factors differed only slightly between men and women, but both groups considered security as the highest rated factor. The next three factors were;
- advancement
- type of work
- company - proud to work for
Surprisingly, factors such as pay, benefits and working conditions were given a low rating by both groups. So after all, and contrary to common belief, money is not the prime motivator. (Though this should not be regarded as a signal to reward employees poorly or unfairly.)
The Theorists and their theories
Leadership and Character. Leadership Styles
Workshops
Readings
- Leadership Styles Based on Myers Briggs/Jung Typology
- The Leader Within : Learning Enough About Yourself to Lead Others
People Who Work For You. Special Project Teams
Workshops
Readings
Teamwork is the concept of people working together cooperatively, as in a sports team .
Projects often require that people work together to accomplish a common goal; therefore, teamwork is an important factor in most organizations. Effective collaborative skills are necessary to work well in a team environment. Many businesses attempt to enhance their employees' collaborative efforts through workshops and cross-training to help people effectively work together and accomplish shared goals.
"The old structures are being reformed. As organizations seek to become more flexible in the face of rapid environmental change and more responsive to the needs of customers, they are experimenting with new, team-based structures" (Jackson & Ruderman, 1996).
A 2003 national representative survey, HOW-FAIR [1] , revealed that Americans think that 'being a team player' was the most important factor in getting ahead in the workplace. This was ranked higher than several factors, including 'merit and performance', ' leadership skills', 'intelligence', 'making money for the organization' and 'long hours'.
Leadership and Diversity
Workshops
Readings
The term multiculturalism generally refers to a de facto state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space.
Some countries have official, or de jure , multiculturalism policies aimed at preserving the cultures or cultural identities - usually those of immigrant groups - within a unified society . In this context, multiculturalism advocates a society that extends equitable status to distinct cultural and religious groups, no one culture predominating.
- Contemporary history in Western societies
- Multiculturalism in contemporary Eastern societies
- Adoption of multiculturalism as national policy
- Multiculturalism as introductory to monoculturalism
- Opposition to multiculturalism
- Current trends in Europe
- References
Leadership and Change
Workshops
Readings
Change management is a structured approach to the change in individuals, teams, organizations and societies that enables the transition from a current state to a desired future state.
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Leadership and Organisational Behaviour. Leadership and Meetings. Leadership and Time Management
Workshops
Readings
Organisational studies , organisational behaviour , and organisational theory are related terms for the academic study of organizations , examining them using the methods of economics , sociology , political science , anthropology , communication studies and psychology . Related practical disciplines include strategic management , human resources and industrial and organisational psychology.
- Overview of the field
- History
- Specific Contributions
- Current state of the field
- Methods used in organisational studies
- Systems framework
Leadership and Presentations
Workshops
Readings
Performance
Workshops
Readings
- Organisational Level - strategic, design/structure, and deployment of resources
- Process Level - process improvement and re engineering interventions
- Job/Performer Level - coaching, performance management, and training interventions
Recommended Texts
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Introduction
to Information Systems,
11/e Check the availability and buy your books from our Bookshop |
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Strategic
Management - An Integrated Approach Check the availability and buy your books from our Bookshop |
Check the availability and buy your books from our Bookshop
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The
Quest for Global Dominance: Transforming Global Presence
into Global Competitive Advantage Check the availability and buy your books from our Bookshop |
Resources
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Check the availability and buy your books from our Bookshop |
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- The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of International Trade and Finance REF HF1373 .G57 1994
- Dun and Bradstreet's Guide to Doing Business Around the World REF HF1416 .M78 1997
- Finding Statistics Online REF HA33.5 .B47 1998
- Global Data Locator REF HA36 .K87 1997
- International Business Information: How to Find It, How to Get It REF HF54.5 P33 1998
- Internet Resources and Services for International Business REF HF54.56 .L58 1998 Business Reference
