Leadership

Introduction

Leadership requires flexibility, in the sense that a leader should be capable of changing according to the situation. In as much as leading people might not be easy, a good leader should always examine the type of tasks which he or she is assigning his or her subjects. This ensures maximum cooperation, and effectiveness from the employees. On the other hand, in situations where things change, a good leader is also supposed to change his or her leadership ways, thus being able to deal with the situation as it presents itself. This paper will therefore focus on leadership, based on Jim Anderson’s six week training program.

Jim Anderson created a six week training program, which was mainly based on listening and communication skills. The main aim of the training program was to improve successful management in the organization through improving communication. Jim therefore utilized situation leadership style. He therefore decides to focus on leading the seminar based on the way the situation is. In so doing, he aims at increasing the number of attendants, hence being able to understand their behaviours and characters. In addition, through the use of situational leadership, Jim hopes the participants will feel free, hence being able to attend other seminars in the future (Northouse, 2013).

Situational leadership allows a leader to be able to relate well with his subjects, a factor which makes them to feel at ease while working. In addition, through situational leadership. Judging from the flow of events, a leader changes his leadership style, hence being able to relate well, and communicate easily with the employees (Chapter 5). This type of leadership therefore ensures maximum collaboration between the employees and the leader, thus leading to improved work output. Similarly, throughout the seminar, Jim opted to use this type of leadership, as it would encourage the participants to come for more seminars in the near future (Northouse, 2013).

The main role of situational leadership is reach an understanding, whereby a leader understands the weaknesses and strengths of his subjects, thus providing support where necessary. In addition, the leader should also encourage the employees to work hard or to do things in a certain way, hence leading increased work output in the organization (Northouse, 2013). This therefore requires a situational leader to balance the aggregate of direction, through building close relationships, due to the changes in skills and motivation in human lives, which occurs with time (Rashid & Leonard, 2013).

The seminar was to offer training to middle-level managers in research and development. The group comprised of 25 individuals, who had advanced degrees, and they had also participated in a previous seminar. The participants therefore knew and understood the way the seminar runs. Due to the way the previous seminars had been, most managers did not see the need of attending the seminar, hence leading to a low turn up (Rashid & Leonard, 2013). However, this time round Jim decided to use new methods and techniques, in order to improve learning and communication. This was the reason as to why Jim opted for a situational type of leadership, as it would allow the participants and the leader to work at ease without any forms of pressure. He was determined to ensure everything remained and went according to plans, since he did not put any strict rules and regulations regarding the attendance of the seminar (Northouse, 2013).

At the back of his mind, Jim knew very well, he was dealing with professional people, who did things in the right way. There was therefore no reason to come up with strict rules against coming to the seminar early or late. He knew all the participants would be responsible, thus arriving at the meeting on time, and following the schedule of the meeting without any problems whatsoever.

Due to the perception which Jim had regarding professional people who were also experienced, he did not see the need to put certain restrictions to the meeting (Northouse, 2013). Jim consequently used presentation technique, similarly, he also asked for active contribution from the managers. Jim became friendly to the participants in the first two sessions, a factor which affected his speech delivery. In addition, he also provided them with coffee during the breaks (Rashid & Leonard, 2013). This made the managers not to take him seriously. The managers felt as he was not serious, by relating with them and even becoming very friendly, hence leading to familiarity, a factor which made most of the participants to even before the third and the fourth sessions (Northouse, 2013).

Managers tend to believe that since they are in control of an organization, then the rest will follow. They tend to forget that being a manager is just but a title, whereas being a leader is a different thing (Northouse, 2013). Leadership is consequently a practice whereby a person impacts other people to focus on a specific goal to the end. A good leader should be able to sway other managers in a positive way, through encouraging them to achieve a common goal (Rashid & Leonard, 2013).

The seminar was not therefore successful, because Jim did not understand what leadership is. Perhaps he should change his leadership style in order for the managers to take him seriously. He should be serious, but also supportive, have a tight schedule, which would makes the managers to see the need of attending the seminar and taking the lessons seriously (Rashid & Leonard, 2013). He should consequently value the participants’, nonetheless, he should be strict in such a way which makes the managers to be responsible, thus being able to attend the whole seminar without returning back to their offices (Northouse, 2013). On the other hand, since the content of the seminar was good, it will only require Jim to change his personality, and act more like a leader, thus making the managers to appreciate whatever he does, and to also take him seriously.

Conclusion

Leaders are people who influence others to do things in order to achieve a specific goal. As discussed in the paper, a good leader should be able to convince other leaders to do certain things, in order to achieve their goals. In the case of Jim, he did not understand what leadership is, a factor which made most manager to leave the seminar before the last session. In order to be a leader, one should be influential, convincing and articulate. Jim did not pay attention to the qualities of a good leader, a factor which made the managers not to take him seriously, thus leaving even before he had completed the seminar.

Reference

Chapter 5 in Leadership: Theory and Practice 

Rashid, F., Edmondson, A. C., & Leonard, H. B. (2013). Leadership lessons from the Chilean mine rescue. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/07/leadership-lessons-from-the-chilean-mine-rescue

Wong-Mingji, D. (2013). Contingency theory of leadership. In The Encyclopedia of Management Theory. (pp. 148-152). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452276090.n45 

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.