Modern organizations experience unique challenges in the process of running daily operations. Developing problem-solving, communication, conflict resolution, motivation, and employee participation in decision making are all areas that contemporary firms are focusing on to foster a high-performance culture at work (Pfeffer, 2015). It would appear that in response to the new economic challenges, there has been a rise in the use of more complex methods of managing organizations, with an emphasis on the dynamics between employees and other stakeholders within an organization, on encouraging collaboration and fostering professional growth (Northouse, 2019). Managing entails planning an organization’s framework with ease, adaptability, dependability, economy, and social acceptability in mind. Designing a company such that it meets the standards of systems thinking means seeing its parts as interdependent wholes rather than discrete entities. The article examines several tenets of organizational leadership that affect organizations in different ways. The issues identified include, the need to address the lack of accountability in leadership, identification of the general gaps in leadership as well as effectively leading a diverse work force.
Addressing Lack of Accountability in Leadership
Leaders and managers are not interchangeable terms. Managers provide directives while leaders provide direction. A leader in any enterprise or corporation must possess traits that enable them to set a positive example for their subordinates (Pfeffer, 2015). A manager will issue an order, and it is expected that it will be carried out, usually because the manager has a goal to achieve or has been tasked with doing so by a higher-up (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Leaders will model the appropriate behavior and set the standard for others to follow. They lead by example and expect the younger members of the team to follow in their footsteps. Because management encompasses not just one but many different groups within an organization, leaders are held responsible for their actions but managers are not.
A leader is someone who takes responsibility for their actions and the outcomes. Responsibility entails owning up to errors however they manifest and rejoicing in victories big and small. Leaders are expected to take responsibility for their actions since doing so fosters a more trustworthy work environment (Pfeffer, 2015). A leader who is accountable is one who accepts blame for their choices and actions. Bad leaders are those who cannot accept responsibility for their actions.
Responsibility also requires respect for one’s superiors and coworkers alike. This is only a display of arrogance from someone who cannot see the beauty in other people and is always sure they are right (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Given that no one is without flaws, this demonstrates a lack of regard for others around them. They behave like a bossy manager with little to no leadership ability. If the person in charge has a reputation for not accepting responsibility for their actions, they will not be informed if they make a mistake on the task or in the project (Pfeffer, 2015). When employees, particularly younger ones, hoard knowledge for themselves, it may lead to chaos in the workplace. An unaccountable leader’s harshness stems from an unhealthy need to demonstrate authority over subordinates.
One way to improve as a leader is to accept responsibility for your actions. If a leader can accept responsibility for your actions and find a way to fix the problem, he will be in a better position to avoid making the same mistake again (Pfeffer, 2015). Responsible leaders seldom make the same mistake again because they gain wisdom from their setbacks. The majority of managers lack this quality. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions and those of one’s subordinates is an important part of being an effective leader, and it also contributes to greater productivity on the job.
Successful leaders who are also accountable serve as a live example to their peers. As a result, other leaders learn from the leader’s failures and are more likely to accept responsibility for their own actions (Pfeffer, 2015). Anyone may demonstrate leadership qualities, even if they are not in a position of authority, by taking charge of even a little part of a problem. Leadership is leadership, no matter how big or small the group, and the success of an organization depends on how well the leader can manage the group.
A strong leader in any field will have followers among their subordinates, and responsibility will strengthen existing bonds. Lack of responsibility breeds hostility in the workplace, which in turn produces subpar conditions for doing one’s job (Pfeffer, 2015). Poor communication hinders the flow of information inside an organization, which may lead to a variety of issues (Harvard Business Review, 2011). An important part of being a leader is keeping an open line of communication with the people you oversee.
Leading Generational Gaps
Companies require their leaders to be prepared for the future, and organizations strive to efficiently meet their workers’ requirements while also satisfying their stakeholders’ needs. The internal and external forces often block the leader’s development, leading to a generational gap (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Leading generational gaps, in this case, include the following below.
Outdated ideas about leadership where the leader has to be answerable to the organization. Nevertheless, the research has indicated that people view the leadership position individually as requiring trade-offs with other priorities like families, thereby dissuading many high-potential employees from effectively undertaking leadership roles. This study sets out to do just that by detailing how various types of leadership may boost or hinder an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness (Northouse, 2019). Digital disruption is another barrier where the speed at which innovation in technologies has reshaped how the employees work in an organization. The study has found that more than 65% of the organization did not offer training to their employees on virtual team coordination (Northouse, 2019). The trainees will fail if the trainer is unable to perform these duties on a regular basis.
An organization’s intense competition for top turnover is another leading generational lead. Most companies are competing to be the best among other organizations in attracting and retaining a higher potential talent. This is a challenge when other employees are retiring, and the organization will not be able to identify new potential leaders who will assist in developing a leadership pipeline (Northouse, 2019). Lastly, the organization may invest in outdated practices that result in a leadership gap and fail to align with the organizational goals and strategies.
Effectively Leading a Diverse Workforce
Management of diversity is an approach to building and sustaining an inclusive workplace that respects and rewards both employees’ shared and unique experiences and perspectives. Diversity in the workplace refers to the many different types of people who work for a company. It includes differences in age, culture, physical abilities and limitations, color, religion, sexuality, and sexual orientation (Northouse, 2019). Diversity encompasses not just how people define themselves, but also how they are seen by others. Embracing diversity and adopting such measures may boost innovation, efficiency, and equality of treatment (Northouse, 2019). If the diversity of the workforce is handled well, it may lead to improved communication, more positive employee relations, and a more welcoming environment at work.
Managing diversity in the workplace relies heavily on competent human resource management. Successfully managing diversity has been linked to happier, more productive workers and, by extension, higher profits. That which cannot be altered includes such things as age, race, gender, mental and physical talents, and sexual orientation (Northouse, 2019). When there are more fundamental differences between individuals, it is harder to build relationships based on trust and respect.
Culture clashes and disputes between groups with distinct fundamental identities may have a disastrous impact on human interactions inside an organization. The components that may be altered or adjusted are the secondary dimensions (Northouse, 2019). Everything from a person’s diet and exercise routine to their religious convictions and amount of formal education to their social standing in their community to their ethnic practices and preferred modes of expression and financial stability are all part of this. Instead, the relationship between the main and secondary dimensions may shape a person’s core beliefs and worldview for their whole life.
In conclusion, effective leaders set an example for those under them. A person who wants something done should do it himself or take the effort to accomplish it so that they may teach their employees from personal experience. Leaders that can inspire their teams to think outside the box, test their own assumptions, and raise their own game will ultimately boost the organization’s output. With the world being a smaller place, it is becoming more important for employees to work with others who may have different cultural experiences. There are serious consequences for administration resulting from a diverse workforce. Managers will have to change their practice of treating all workers the same.
References
Harvard Business Review (2011). HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership. Harvard Business Review Press.
Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage Publishers. Web.
Pfeffer, J. (2015). Leadership BS: Fixing workplaces and careers one truth at a time. Harper Collins.
