Introduction
Motivation, teamwork and performance are related to each other. The level of performance of a follower is mostly influenced by the amount of motivation he receives from his leader. The leader is responsible for evaluating the performance of the followers and making any suggestive comments, if required.
Role of motivation
Motivation plays an important role in the effectiveness of leadership. It can be said that motivation is one of the essential elements of good leadership. If the leader is properly motivating the follower, an improvement in the performance and efficiency of the followers can be seen. Even a follower can motivate his colleagues. If the performance of a person as follower is outstanding, there is a good chance for that person to be promoted as a leader. (Chapter 9, p. 369). With the help of effective motivation it is possible to make the followers confident of doing a particular task. Motivation can change the attitude of the followers like telling ’I cannot do this’, ‘I am not confident’, ‘it is difficult to do’…etc.
The leaders can make use of the expectancy theory for motivating the followers. According to this theory, the leader has to discuss with the followers about the project work, the requirement of improvement in efficiency, completing the work according to the estimated budget and within the time limit fixed for completing a particular project…etc. And also the leader has to clearly make aware the followers about the benefits the followers can achieve and the organizational benefits. (Chapter 9: part 3, p.395).
Importance of follower in leadership
Though the leaders are very important in the implementation of a task, the role of the followers cannot be ignored. If the leader is having exceptional qualities, but the followers are not following the instructions of the leader properly, then it cannot be said that there is effective leadership. “Leadership is a reciprocal process between those who choose to lead and those who choose to follow. Any discussion of leadership must attend to the dynamics of this relationship.” (Kouzes, & Posner 2004, p.1).
Therefore, it is clear that without follower ship there is no leadership. Follower ship is also important for an organisation like how the leadership is important. The followers should have some of the qualities of leaders, three of them, which are very important, are explained below:
- Integrity: Like the leader, the followers should also have the quality of integrity. The real follower should not confuse the personal responsibilities and matters with the organizational matters and responsibilities.
- Intentionality: Just like the leaders, the acts of the followers should also be intentional. That is the actions should be backed by a plan of action and there should be some purpose for doing the particular action.
- Influence: The followers should also be having the ability to influence others. The followers can influence the leaders and the leaders can influence the followers. And also both the leader and follower have the ability to influence outsiders. (Gilbert & Matviuk 2008).
Performance and Satisfaction
If the followers are satisfied with the job, then only it is possible to say that the leadership was effective. It is the ability of the leaders to make the follower satisfied with their job and with their leaders. If the workers are more satisfied they are likely to continue in the organisation for a longer period. If a survey is conducted on the reasons for the labour turnover, it would be clear enough that the main reason is the attitude and character of their superiors or leaders. The job satisfaction has direct relation with the appreciation by the leaders. If the leaders or superiors have the mentality of appreciating the achievements or contribution by the follower, the followers would be more satisfied. (Paulsson, & Lindgren 2008). Through effective motivation it is possible to improve the performance level of the followers and thereby achieving the organizational as well as individual objectives.
Team work
Team work also plays an important role in the effectiveness of the leadership. Team work means each employee working together with co-operation and for the achievement of the organizational objectives and thereby achieving the personal goals. It is pertinent to state here the famous proverb ‘Union is strength’, that means if some people unite together they can achieve many things. For a leader it will be easy to lead a team which is having co-operative mentality. If the team members are fighting each other, it will be difficult for the leader to lead such a team. The team members should be given an opportunity to express their views. “The team members and the whole team itself need to feel empowered to make decisions – within certain parameters of course.” (The importance of leadership in effective team building 2007).
Life experience
My experience as a football player gave me the clear cut idea of the importance of motivation and team work and thereby achieving a great amount of satisfaction. I used to play for a local club in my locality. One day, in the final match of a crucial tournament, I was really surprised of the fact that, motivation can do wonders. In the second minute of the match the opposition scored a goal. Our team and supporters were disappointed. But our captain who was having almost all the qualities of a good leader motivated all the team members and we played with strong mentality and enthusiasm. The result was that, when first half of the match finished, our score was 3 and the opponent’s score was 1. In the second half, we continued our play according to the plan of action which involved good mutual understanding between each player and a high amount of motivation from the captain. Finally we won the match with the score 3-1. All the team members and supporters were very much happy and satisfied.
Reference
Chapter 9: part 1, 3:Motivation, Satisfaction and Performance (Provided by the student)
Gilbert & Matviuk 2008, The symbiotic nature of the leader-follower relationship and its impact on organizational effectiveness, Academic Leadership The Online Journal, 6, 4, 2009. Web.
Kouzes, M, James & Posner, Z, Barry 2004, Follower oriented leadership, 2009. Web.
Paulsson, Sanna & Lindgren, Linda 2008, Retention: an explanatory study of Swedish employees in the financial sector regarding leadership style, remuneration and elements towards job satisfaction, Essays.se, 2009. Web.
The importance of leadership in effective team building: Tips for team leadership: empowerment 2007, Page Personnel, Web.