The success of a business depends on the employees’ productivity and the leadership qualities of the management. Various narratives define who an effective leader is. Some theories define effective leaders as authoritative and insensitive to the employees’ feelings, while others describe them as those who engage with the workforce and establish a friendly relationship that makes the workers comfortable to execute their duties efficiently. According to the given article by Fast Company.com, disagreeable bosses tend to make progress in the company and make employees happier. This paper aims to disagree with the assertions made in the article about qualities of a good business leader by proposing different values that an effective leader should possess.
Firstly, a good leader must exercise integrity by practicing their principles in all situations without compromise. Most disagreeable people lack integrity because they often go against the norms and set standards to address issues differently. Without clear principles guiding one’s decisions, it is difficult to have a conscious mind to solve problems during business operations (Leithwood, 2019). Applying different mechanisms is likely to create confusion and inconsistency in the decision-making process, leading to inconsistent decisions. Integrity makes the leader stick to the plan and avoids engaging in activities that lead to personal gain. An effective leader must have a consistent mechanism of identifying a problem and analyzing it to design the best-suited business solution.
Secondly, good leaders must exercise a fair attitude by refraining from biases towards their employees. According to the article, leaders must have a dominant attitude where their opinions often prevail. Such leaders are insensitive to the ideas and emotions of their employees. As a result, they tend to make unbiased decisions that are likely to affect their employees, negatively influencing their productivity. Therefore, a good leader must make fair decisions considering how they affect the employees’ performance (Sloof & von Siemens, 2021). A fair attitude creates a friendly environment where employees feel valued and appreciated because they receive appropriate decisions and treatments. It is essential that employees feel part of the organization to develop a sense of loyalty, which is critical to retaining top talent and reducing employee turnover.
Thirdly, a good leader must exercise humility to allow differing opinions that may effectively transform an organization. Mean leaders tend to take humility for weakness, thus undermining their employees. Such leaders tend to consider their opinion paramount by showing authority and forcing issues to work their way (Cote, 2017). Leaders must practice humility and accommodate other views that suggest better solutions to a problem rather than being authoritative. Humility also makes the leaders associate closely with their employees, understand their struggles, and make policies that aim to create a conducive environment for the employees to work efficiently. Failure to address the issues employees experience may demoralize them and lead to poor performance, thus affecting the organization’s overall progress.
In conclusion, leaders should associate closely with their employees and understand the issues that affect their workforce. This is essential in identifying and solving problems that may affect a company’s progress due to poor employee engagement. To understand the issues that their employees experience, the leaders must not be mean but be humble, exercise fair judgment and integrity. These qualities ensure consistency in the decision-making process and effective management vital for the wellness of the employees and the entire organization.
References
Cote, R. (2017). Vision of effective leadership. International Journal of Business Administration, 8(6), 1-10.
Leithwood, K. (2019). Characteristics of effective leadership networks: A replication and extension. School Leadership & Management, 39(2), 175-197.
Sloof, R., & von Siemens, F. A. (2021). Effective leadership and the allocation and exercise of power in organizations. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(4), 101277.