Paper Example on Leadership: Engaging Others to Achieve Organizational Goals

Introduction

Leadership is a term that has been defined differently by scholars. Still, the key component is that it is the process of instilling morals and attitudes in others to facilitate teamwork in order to achieve a common goal in an organization. The effectiveness of a leader is his participation in accomplishing the set objectives of an organization. The same success also entirely lies in the extent to which leaders engage other members in decision making. Leaders should, therefore, be individuals with traits that encourage teamwork, embrace project culture, and identify and motivating of employees' commitment (Joyce, 2016). The paper, therefore, analyzes the top management team anatomy in the organization I have been into, there characteristics, and how those characteristics influence the strategic decision-making process within the organization.

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Characteristics of Top Management and Their Influence on Strategic Decision-Making Process

The strategic decision-making process is the main aspect of development and sustainability that I have experienced within my organization. However, the top management team and I constitute the decision-making process base on my organization. In general, it is only the top management and I that has the perspective required to know the broad implications of the decisions made in an organization and the mandate to authorize the resources required for the effective running of an organization.

Some of the basic characteristics of top management that have a greater influence on the strategic decision-making process include the philosophy of the organization, effectiveness, leadership, strategy, and direction. The top management and I, therefore, ensure that there is a common establishment of organizational concepts and values, innovations are promoted, risks are evaluated, and leading the organization to fulfill its set objectives. Thus, top management within my organization is the essential asset, and the leadership styles they possess are key to a successful strategic decision-making process (Godiwalla, 2018).

The top management team and I have been responsible for the formulation, planning, and execution of the strategy within an organization. The theory that explains how the characteristics of top management influence the strategic decision-making process is the upper echelons theory. The theory claims that validating those characteristics triggers the prediction of the strategic decisions of an organization as well as the performance (Golensky & Hager, 2020). Taking an example of Safaricom Limited Company, the success and sustainability of the company have been as a result of effective decisions derived on by the top management.

Strategic Leadership Styles and Approaches that have been Effective in Strategic Decision-Making Process within My Organization

Some of the leadership styles which have been tested and confirmed to be effective in any entity, including my organization when properly embraced, are: participative style, task-oriented style, relationship-oriented style, subordinate empowerment, and power-sharing styles. Any leader who adopts these leadership styles effectively will always thrive and face all kinds of challenges which may face an organization directly or indirectly, such as stiff competition in terms of service delivery (Gupta, 2018).

Non-Formal Leadership Style

Top management structure and component is vital in the running and success of an organization. The common anatomy of an organization is mainly composed of the chief executive officer (CEO) who approves all kinds of decisions reached upon at all levels. Below the CEO is the departmental manager, such as production manager, sales manager, personnel manager, procurement manager, among others depending on the structure of an organization. A multiservice organization may take such form (Golensky & Hager, 2020).

Below the departmental managers are subordinate staff whose role depends on departments under which they serve and the role assigned. I comprehended that the success of an organization or effective achievement of set objectives depends on the flow of information from the top managers to subordinate staff and the channel through which it passes.

Laissez-Faire Leadership is a non-formal leadership style. No one has got a direct influence on the other. Top management does not necessarily have to establish policies and procedures to be undertaken to affect them. Still, stakeholders are assigned the duty of deriving policies under which an organization operates (Gupta, 2018). Members are free to do anything which they strongly feel can impact positively on an organization without consulting the top management. The key role that the top management and I have in the organization is to provide resources needed to achieve set objectives.

Such kind of leadership can be messy if the members of an organization are not professionals or the absence of the basic skills needed for the running of an organization. It is, therefore, crucial that the top management engages only those with the necessary skills and experience in performing the task they are likely to be assigned. It is also clear that in this leadership style, the decision-making process is short and effective, owing to the fact that professionals are involved, and whatever they agree upon is well thought about and predicted to impact positively. It also enables quick implementation as the required resources are also readily available. The worst point of such leadership style is that mistakes committed by an individual may impact grievously and lead to total failure of the organization.

Positive Reward and Power Sharing Style

It is a leadership style in which leaders aim at initiating structure through value exchange. Leaders of such kind aim at achieving set objectives by maintaining a good relationship with those they engage in performing certain tasks in an organization, they put a reward for performance. It is taking advantage of the fact that formal leadership does not take into account the needs and desires of subordinate nor focus on their personal development (Joyce, 2016). They, therefore, create room for subordinate participation in various ways. The leadership style considers that the image of an organization is portrayed by anybody working within an organization to achieve set goals.

A motivated member tends to portray a good image for the success of an organization, which at the end attract heavy reward in the promised form. Incorporating subordinates in the decision-making process has also impacted positively. Taking into account that subordinates are the implementors of the set objectives, they feel part of the system if their opinions and suggestions are part of the decisions reached upon by the top management in an organization. Otherwise, they get demotivated and may end up passively participating in matters to do with the accomplishment of objectives, which is a threat to the success of an organization (Kim & Toya, 2019).

Facilitative Approach

Is a leadership style in which both leaders and subordinate are actively involved in the businesses of an organization. There is a shared decision, and every opinion is acceptable and can be affected if it meets the threshold of set standards. Most of the leadership styles in management have been undermining the role of subordinates in an organization. Recently, top management has changed and considered subordinate as a crucial entity within an organization (Godiwalla, 2018). As a result, they are enthusiastically participating in the day to day activities of an organization.

It is essential to note that, in a facilitative leadership style, both leaders and subordinates share and bear the responsibility of both intended and unintended consequences of their decisions. It has also proved to be empowering and motivating to subordinates. The fact that subordinates are always in direct contact with the external business environment, they can influence the manner in which the general public view an organization in a way leading to success or failure (Kim & Toya, 2019). An accommodated and motivated subordinate is more likely to portray a good picture of an organization and enhance a good relationship with the society in which the organization is based.

Lower Influence Approach

Leadership effectiveness is also viewed in terms of power. Who possesses the power, over whom is the power exercised, and to what extent? Suppose the top management is made powerful, then obviously it has to exercise it to influence subordinates. Based on the fact that power is the potential to influence others, then it can even apply to top management themselves.

In any given organization, there are individuals with diverging opinions who think that their opinions are always the best to be adopted in any decks making process. It is made such that every opinion to be adopted should come from someone who can influence the stand of others amicably and assures the rest that the opinion can take an organization a step further. It could be better rather than relying on a dictatorship kind of leadership (Asif, 2019).

Power influence is complex in that some have taken it literally as the ability to impose order and have it affected regardless of the impact provided it comes from the top management. Globalized world and ever-advancing technology have also made the power influence approach take another dimension. Information is power, and most of the organizations have thrived on the fact that they have a wider base of information about their product, customer need, what others can do, and that which they are unable to do.

Information has created a business opportunity for many organizations. Individuals with recent and necessary information on the production of goods that are so much demanded are far much ahead. Therefore, the power influence approach is not only direct to those under one's supervision but also applies to the extent to which one can possess and influence how things are done using information (Golensky & Hager, 2020).

Trait Approach

The accomplishment of an organization depends on the traits of the key stakeholders, who are the top management officers. The managers should be individuals with the ability to contain people of diverse backgrounds, interests, and attitudes (Essa, 2018). In addition, they should be skilled and flexible in order to deal with situations in a manner that does not raise the alarm by possessing extraordinary abilities such as foresight and irresistible persuasive power. The ability to study the human mind or psychological perspective is also essential to effectively deal with people who are determined to achieve goals based on different opinions (Godiwalla, 2018).

Consultative and Delegative Approach

Due to the magnitude and nature of activities done in an organization, most of the organizations have resulted in consultative and delegative approaches in leadership and decision making. No one is complete in his thoughts but may constantly need to consult others for clarification and explanations. Leaders who think that they have very little to gain from subordinates have ended up failures. That new idea one gain from another person regarded as a junior is more crucial than a pool of knowledge one may claim to be having (Golensky & Hager, 2020)

Consultative approach enables leaders to borrow ideas and opinions from different individuals within an organization and articulate them in making a decision by not necessarily sitting together with all of them at a time. Some subordinates are expertise; some are well informed about market issues, which can help in making a reliable decision.