The Function Of Leaders Essay Research Paper — страница 3

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that a leader must eliminate “intimidation” and “hassle” factors that get in the way of people?s sharing their creative virtues with others. Also, it is important for leaders to give others the freedom to fail. An employee can learn a great deal from failure, and become much more effective. Under all these conditions, leaders provide employees the freedom to utilize their creativity to accomplish company goals efficiently and to the best of their ability. Scheduling and Leaders A leader must self-manage his schedule because he is the only one who can identify his roles (Covey, 1989). In business, a leader might have many specific roles. For example, one man might identify his roles as being Manager of New Products, Manager of Research, Manager of Staff Development, and

Manager of Administration simultaneously. Once roles are clearly set, the next step is scheduling. Leaders use a variety of methods to plan ahead in order to keep up with the business cycle. Covey suggests planning two or three important tasks to accomplish in each of the roles during the upcoming week. Setting up time-blocks for specific events allow leaders to physically visualize the week on paper. This time-block strategy allows time for unanticipated factors, shifting appointments if necessary, and to concentrate on relationships and interactions with employees (Covey, p. 165). Ideally, these weekly goals should be incorporated with long-term goals and be prioritized according to his/her set of values and visions. When prioritizing, leaders understand that urgent matters

aren?t always important. Important matters require more initiative (Covey, p. 151). Scheduling is a method by which leaders stay in touch with their deepest values through review of key roles. By satisfying every role that a leader occupies in his company, he is better prepared to carry-out visions and goals. Dealing with Resistance Even with scheduling and prioritizing, leaders must still deal with resistance from employees when a change occurs in the workplace. This resistance can be caused by many factors. Sometimes workers are resistant due to a lack of understanding of a change. A leader must educate people beforehand. The education process usually involves one-on-one discussions, presentations to groups, and memos or reports (Kotter, 1999, p. 37). Other times, a change

brings increased workload and extra effort for employees. In such cases, a leader provides training in new skills, or gives employees time off after a demanding period, or simply practices empathetic listening on a regular basis and provides emotional support. Although leaders have the authority to use any method, they stay away from manipulation when instituting a change. According to Kotter, manipulation is “the very selective use of information and the conscious structuring of events” (1999, p. 41). Leaders are aware that manipulation undermines their own capacities for developing power and trust for influencing others. Therefore, leaders avoid manipulation and stick to more honest methods previously mentioned to deal with resistance to change. Leaders are Needed, Not

Managers Business institutions succeed over the long term not because of their cultures, or their use of modern management tools, but because they regenerate leaders at certain levels (Tichy, 1997, p. 43). Managers are not necessarily leaders. A manager supervises, inspects, and demands (Rosen, 1996). A manager can treats his employees as tools to make a profit. On the other hand, leaders accomplish the same results with regards to employees as people. No one says that leadership is easy. It is hard because people that are at the top of the corporate hierarchy are often caught in a management paradigm (Covey, p. 102). As Covey humorously quotes it, “Efficient management without effective leadership is, as one individual phrased it, ?like straightening deck chairs on the

Titanic?”(p.102). Leaders don?t get trapped in thinking of control, and rules. Instead, their focus is on direction, and purpose. Leaders enable organizations to fulfill their desired goals, and redesign those goals as circumstances change while maintaining trust and encouraging creativeness in employees. In time, under good leadership, some employees will become leaders themselves. One implied trait of a leader is the ability to personally develop new leaders. Larry Bossidy, CEO of Allied Signal, comments, “When confused as to how you?re doing as a leader, find out how the people you lead are doing. You?ll know the answer” (Tichy, 1997). Leaders must personally oversee the development of new leaders, otherwise, the business won?t be sustainable. They spend much time