Abstract
Leaders need to have traits that are visionary and should be competent enough to attain the intended goals of the organization; meaning that the future of the organization lies squarely on the ideas generated by them. Such people should be inspired and possess the capability to explain it to the rest of the leaders or work mates.
Inspire a Shared Vision
For a leader to induce change in an organization, there are issues that he or she needs to be well versed in. While taking care of issues that arise from the management, some challenges are evident especially those that touch on the management criteria of the organization (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002, p. 219). Leaders should know that it is important to understand the success they achieve in an organization results from teamwork and should not be credited to specific individuals. In addition, managers should be prepared to let go of outdated cultures or practices in the company; this means that leaders of an organization should always be prepared for change. No matter how dearly they uphold some of the practices in the company, they should not be resistant to change (Kenny & Zaccaro, 1983, p. 679).
Despite the fact that change is needed in an organization, it should not be forced against the wish of other people (Miltenberger, 2004, p. 203). The mindsets and cultures of people need to revolutionize, but change should not be forced; it should only happen where it is needed within the organization. Flexibility in administration of change reduces chances of causing strain on the management as well as the personnel of the organization (Miltenberger, 2004, p. 203).
When introducing a new dream into the organization, an effective leader should be sensitive to his workmates and support staff; he should consider their opinion in virtually all matters (Stogdill, 1948, p. 36). No matter how serious the dream seems to be, with cooperation of the whole team the organization is capable of effectively realizing its dream. However, leaders should be decisive and steadfast while informing the rest of the organization on the need for change and when adopting new strategies (Dasborough, 2006, p. 164).
On the other hand, no matter how important it is to achieve the ultimate goal of an organization in the shortest time possible; it is important that the leaders get to sit down and deliberate on every move. The shot gun analogy that asserts that speed is the best decision to make and the most effective strategy to success is unacceptable; leaders in an organization should have time to deliberate before they can speed up the various processes needed to implement changes (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002, p. 219).
Most organizations have the tendency to ignore dialogue, which is a process of bringing people together to a common forum where they share about their systems and cultures. Such sittings are critical in the attainment of the organization’s future goals (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002, p. 220). A good leader to an organization must be able to determine what other people in the organization feel or see as the best move to attain the future goals of the organization.
To build commitment on the way people in an organization respond to change is critical in implementation of change in an organization; commitment is built through intensive discussions that consider other people’s opinion regarding the future of the organization, including critical paths to be followed by the organization (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002, p. 220). Such leaders are capable of connecting with their juniors and are termed as emotionally intelligent individuals; they have special ways of ensuring that the process of change is slowed down and deliberated on, and they choose go for the most suitable and effective processes when it comes to the attainment of goals and future plans of an organization. Another aspect that should be present in an active and efficient leader is the ability to manage the organization’s bottom-up strategy (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002, p. 221). Using such strategies enables leaders to have a coherent commitment from the entire group. This ensures the future of the company is determined by all the stakeholders.
No matter how effective a leader could be in the attainment of the intended goals, he needs the support of other stakeholders and vice versa; the company could have a very committed workforce but if the systems are faulty, it is not possible for it to attain its goals and strategies (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002, p. 219). To achieve the intended goals in the management of an organization, all goals and strategies of the leaders should be synchronized with those of other stakeholders (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 150). To evaluate if the process is effective, there is need to have an evaluation procedure that determines if the adopted changes are helpful; a reward system, which is applied as a motivation for excellent performance and a reminder to those who might have overlooked the need to work optimally, should also be implemented.
Besides commitment to the strategies put in place, there is a need to combat myths held about leadership. Leaders should shun the negative myths associated with headship as what matters the most is the commitment of the company to its goals (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2002, p. 221). When myths about a company are proved to be wrong by leaders using their strong influence and commitment, positive myths can be created in the organization.
When determining the future of the organization, leaders should act as catalysts in the process of the management; the process of leadership should be very effective and coherent with the management systems. The HopeLab video games have applied psychotherapy as a strategic application of the aspects of management, which has proved to be a very effective process in treating adolescents suffering from cancer or psychological failures and dysfunctions. The founder confirms that the intention of implementing this psychotherapeutic process in video games is to offer psychological help to the young (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 151).
When it comes to visions of leaders to the company, it should be in line with the rest of the individuals in the management. When leaders are introducing visions to their juniors or the entire organization, it should be appropriately explained and displayed to help the rest of the individuals feel part of the process and feel free to contribute their ideas either raw or refined (George, 2000, p. 1027).
Leaders should envision all the possibilities of achieving the mission and should establish a common purpose, when working in teams. The human brain has a great achievement since it has the capability of imagining objects and episodes that do not exist in the real world (Kenny & Zaccaro, 1983, p. 679). With the ability of creating imaginations, people develop the capacity to face the future and have plans for it. However, it is a great challenge to convert an inspiring vision into an idea that can be shared among different members of the management (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 150). The vision about an idea is basically a feeling or a sense that cannot be explained in terms of how it started so; leaders have a challenge when it comes to explaining to the workforce the source of the ideas, but they should never despair.
In conclusion, emotional intelligence helps all the leaders to establish a synchronized relation between them and their juniors. The synchrony becomes easier to realize when there are systems that hold other stakeholders responsible for their roles in implementation of pertinent changes. In addition, the future of a company is based on the minds of the leaders. If one has all the traits of a viable leader, then communication to the rest of the members becomes an easy task.
References
Dasborough, M. T. (2006). Cognitive asymmetry in employee emotional reactions to leadership behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(2), 163-178.
George, J. M. (2000). Emotions and leadership: The role of emotional intelligence. Human Relations, 53(1), 1027-1055.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston, BS: Harvard Business School Press.
Kenny, R. D., & Zaccaro, S. J. (1983). An estimate of variance due to traits in leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68(2), 678-685.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The leadership challenge 4th Ed. San Francisco, SF: Jossey-Bass.
Miltenberger, R. G. (2004). Behavior modification principles and procedures (3rd ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Stogdill, R. M. (1948). Personal factors associated with leadership: A survey of the literature. Journal of Psychology, 25(1), 35-71.