Term Paper on "Leadership the Globalized Economy That Characterizes"

Term Paper 10 pages (2962 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Leadership

The globalized economy that characterizes the current business environment requires companies to develop and implement flexible strategies that are able to adapt to the changes determined by this environment. Also, this requires that companies focus more on developing leaders, instead of relying only on managers. Business practice and the increased competition have determined the necessity of leadership in most organizations, from smaller companies to large corporations. Even more, leadership is required in most aspects of the society.

There are several leadership theories, like Great Man theories, trait theories, behaviorist theories, situational leadership theory, contingency theory, transactional theory, and transformational theory. These leadership theories propose individualistic approaches of the leader. Such theories are based on management and science. In opposition with this, certain specialists in the field provide a different approach, that of dispersed leadership (Bolden et al., 2003). This approach is based on sociology, psychology, and politics. Each of these theories focuses on different sets of characteristics and skills that a good leader should have.

Great Man theories assume that leaders are naturally inclined to lead other people, they have extraordinary native characteristics oriented towards leading. According to such theories, leadership was an attribute of men. Such leadership styles are usually associated with military careers.

Trait theories assume that leaders must have a series of characteristics that can be identified in certain individuals, which can be recruited, selected, and trained for leadership positions. The traits identified by specialists in the field include: adaptable to situations, alert to social environment, assertive, cooperative, decisive, dominant, energetic, clever, diplomatic, organized. However, there are limitations to this theory, given the fact that its application did not produce the expected effects.

Behavioral theories of leadership focused on human relations, on results, and on performance. They also refer to participative management. Individuals' concern for people and for production determines their leadership style, according to such theories.

Leadership Characteristics

As mentioned above, there are numerous characteristics that leaders must have in order to be able to correctly manage the companies, groups, and situations they are involved in. Each theory proposes a different set of traits that are intended to identify good leaders. Some believe these traits are innate, while others think these characteristics can be developed in time. However, the main categories of characteristics that leaders must possess are represented by interpersonal skills, communication skills, values, organizational consciousness, confidence, flexibility, creativity skills, and orientation towards achieving results.

This does not mean that each leader or manager should posses the same traits. Each person is different and is the result of different education and professional training, and, therefore, its characteristics are different from those of other persons. What these categories of characteristics mean is that good leaders must possess a combination of characteristics representing these main categories. Each leader presents a different set of characteristics that must be able to address its job requirements.

Therefore, it is difficult to identify the exact characteristics that leaders must have in order to be considered successful. In addition to this, the characteristics required by leaders differ according with the organization they collaborate with, the level of their activity, or the groups of people they are supposed to lead.

Leadership Skills

Leader must portray behaviors that are different from those of other people. They should be an example that inspire others and that determines them to willingly follow such an example, without imposing something against their will. Therefore, successful leaders must make the proof of certain skills and behaviors. For example, integrity should be one of the first things that come to people's minds when thinking about their leader. This is related with fairness, with firmness and clarity in actions, with honesty and responsibility.

The leader must involve other people in the decision making process, as he should show that he is interested in other people's opinion, and not just in imposing his view. He must also support his group, even if they fail at fulfilling their tasks, because this support encourages them to improve their performance. The leader should also focus on helping his people grow and develop their abilities and skills. There are numerous skills and behaviors that good leaders should have, but they vary in accordance with their personality and situations they encounter.

Personality Characteristics Discussion

According to the results of the Myers-Briggs test, my personality is ESTJ type. The dimensions of the type of personality are: extraversion, sensing, thinking, and judging. Extraversion is characteristic for people that are oriented towards the outside world, towards other people and things. Sensing refers to people that focus on concrete information gained through practical observation through their senses. Thinking means that such people base their decisions on logic and require objective analyses of the situation. Judging refers to people that are usually organized and prefer to plan their activities.

There are numerous interpretations of these personality types, but they agree on their characteristics, manners of manifestation, and other aspects. According to Keirsey, the main temperaments are: guardians, artisans, idealists, and rationals. Each category is divided into several subcategories, in accordance with the dimensions of each personality type. Therefore, guardians can be: supervisor, inspector, provider, protector. Artisans can be: promoter, crafter, performer, composer. Idealists can be: teacher, counselor, champion, healer. Rationals can be: fieldmarshal, mastermind, inventor, architect.

The ESTJ personality type is a guardian supervisor. Such persons are highly social and oriented towards community. Persons with such personality type are well-known for occupying positions of responsibility in their groups. This jeans such persons have good potential for becoming leaders (Keirsey, 2010). Such people are registered in several clubs, in which they participate by supporting and taking leadership roles. This is because supervisor personality types like taking charge in their groups and are comfortable issuing orders. They encourage and support cooperation within the group.

Such personality types enjoy making plans, inventories, schedules, lists, agendas, and others. They have the ability of correctly evaluating the activity of other people and on assessing them in accordance with the established rules. One of the most important characteristics of these people is that they are very hard-working. They value traditional aspects when it comes to human relationships. They are polite and enjoy social situations.

Also according to Keirsey it seems that the best possible jobs for this personality type refer to leadership positions in different fields. The characteristics of this personality type recommend them for such positions. Their orientation towards leadership is proved by several examples of individuals characterized by this personality type.

Therefore, I can draw the conclusion that based on the description of my ESTJ personality type I have the potential of becoming a good leader in the groups I intend to participate. I am a very organized person, I enjoy planning my activities, whether they refer to work, school, or social activities. Although I also value innovation, which all leaders should, I prefer to plan the events and activities that concern me.

I have also noticed that I tend to get involved in planning the activity of others when they are unable to properly plan it themselves. As a result, I learned in time how to make proper use of one's time. This is very important for leaders, because they must ensure that their time and the time of their team is properly spent and their schedule is able to address the required aspects by their activities. Time management assumes that individuals must correctly assess the importance of each task in order to allow it the necessary amount of time.

I also enjoy participating in social situations and events. In my opinion, this is very important for a good leader, because this is how leaders can improve their networking opportunities. Leaders must continuously look for new opportunities, therefore, it is important that they enjoy social situations that put them in the position of communication with others, of expressing their intentions, and on identifying opportunities that can help them and their organization.

In addition to this, leaders must have strong communication skills. This is because they must communicate with their superiors, with their subordinates, and with other groups. In my case, communication has always been one of my strengths. I communicate easily, I am diplomatic, I do not rush into stating certain things. Also, I am empathic, which allows me to understand what others feel, even if their communication skills are not that developed. I like observing others, their behaviors and motivations, which allows me to anticipate what their plan is, what they intend to do in relation with certain situations, and what they expect to obtain.

I do not engage in speculations, as I prefer to use facts and logic when taking decisions. I rarely make decisions based on feelings. I consider that my rationality is an important strength when it comes to assessing one's leadership potential. As mentioned above, I usually make pros and cons list when it comes to making important decisions at work. I am not afraid of routine details.

Also, I must say that I am a hard-working individual. I… READ MORE

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