Leadership and Communication (Essay Sample)

Leadership and Management
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Leadership is the process by which a person takes the initiative of influencing others in order to achieve the set objectives. Leadership is meant to give direction so that the organization becomes more coherent as well as cohesive. Leadership requires special dedication and devotion to give direction to others. Some scholars associate leadership with one’s ability. It means that leadership requires special skills that only selected people can have (Wise et al. 2010, p.321). The selectivity is justified by subjecting leaders to voting or intensive interview to determine if one has the required skills. A manager’s ability to combine the leadership functions for maximum realization of results is the framework of an organization’s success.
As a leader one needs to be certain of what one can do, knows, or understand. It is notable that the success of a leader is determined by the followers whom the leader influences. If the subjects lack trust and confidence in the leader, it becomes a challenge on the part of the organization because the members do not get inspired (Sadler 2003, p. 45). Therefore, leaders have to convince their subjects of their success but not their superiors or themselves.
Different people require different types of leadership due to difference in handling that is required. Take a comparison between a fresh worker and an experienced worker. A fresh worker from college requires special training and supervision. The special handling is to acquit the new worker with the special skills required in the organization (Schemerhom 2002, p. 256). Close supervision is also necessary to prevent any damages that might be caused by the new worker in the process of orientation. On the other hand, an experienced employee does not need to be given strict technical leadership because they are well skilled through the experience. For that reason, the organization structure should incorporate leadership positions in the structure in consideration of the style of leadership that is required to manage a given group of people. The manager should have a proper understanding of his subjects. The understanding should be done in the perspective of emotions, motivation, and needs. Top management specifically requires general management skills. In technical leadership, one has to have the skills in the given technical field apart from general managerial skills.
Communication is a critical determinant in a successfully lead organization. Communication is the passing of an intended message from one person to another. An effective leadership should accommodate two way communications. The first way of communication is done when giving direction on what needs to be done. This is called top-down communication. A good manager should adopt an appropriate mechanism for delivering their authority. The other type of the two way communication is down-top communication. This happens when junior employees or subjects are submitting to their superiors. It is also used by junior employees to pass complaints to their leaders in anticipation for rectification. Some leaders rule with an “iron hand”, they do not accommodate down-top communication. Such leaders do not require the views of their subordinates in decision making. Consequently, the situation becomes a poor working environment resulting to poor performance of the organization. A good manager should get the views of all members before making a rule on a particular decision (Sadler 2003, p. 234). Many third world countries are victims of poor communication. The presidents are dictators and make decisions that do not favor the majority. They ensure that the decisions of the citizens are not put into action. As result, only a minority of the subjects gain from the policies implemented at the expense of the whole country. This has made the countries wallow in poor economy despite the concern of international organizations to save the situation. To make it worse, such government restricts the involvement of the international community in their affairs.
Another factor in a leadership model is situation. Situations that occur when delivering authority differ. What one does in one situation might never work in another situation. Take an example of confronting an employee for inappropriate behavior (Wise et al. 2010, p. 134). The confrontation should be done in a tactical manner. It should not be too early or too late neither should it be too harsh or too weak. If it is not done in the most appropriate manner, the results might not be desirable. Situations also differ in urgency. There are situations which require instant actions while others require well calculated, timed, and analyzed response.
There are forces that affect the factors of leadership that we have discussed above. The first one is the relationship with a leader’s seniors. An effective relationship between leaders and their seniors result to confidence on the part of the leader (Schemerhom 2002, p. 156). Another force is the skills of the followers. Less skilled and less intelligent subjects require a more perfect combination of tools of authority. Also, the formality of other leaders in the organization determines success of managerial policies. This is because presence of informal leaders in an organization affects the spirit of dedication among the leaders. Lastly, the design of the organization structure affects the flow o authority from leaders to their subjects.
In as much as leadership and management have great mission in common, they always ...