Managerial Effectiveness Managing the Self and Others

Chapter 7 : Leadership and Change Management

+Leadership Skills

+Change Management Skills

+Crisis Management Skills

Chapter Summary

Leadership is the function of influencing the behavior of others. In an organization, a leader has to influence all the members to carry out the various activities. Leadership skill can be developed through continuous practice. Leaders should have a vision about the organization which would enable them to see where they want the organization to be in future. Their vision should also help the organization to achieve a better position than the present one.

Another important skill required by leaders is the ability to persuade. Persuasion is aimed at making a person or a group accept as their own, a product, person, idea, thing, or opinion that the person would otherwise not accept. This skill is of everyday use to leaders. In persuasion, enough attention should be given on how the message is presented. The leaders should be able to motivate the employees to achieve the vision which they have for the organization.

Leaders can motivate by developing an environment in the organization in which the jobs provide inspiration and satisfaction. This would influence employees to contribute in all possible ways to increase the productivity of the organization. Motivating employees requires the leader to have an understanding of the nature of employees, their goals, expectations, etc.

Conflicts occur in organizations very often and the leaders should have the necessary qualities to handle the situation. Conflict management requires leaders to have four necessary skills -- the ability to communicate assertively, listen actively, solve problems, and negotiate effectively. eaders also have to develop various tactics to achieve organizational objectives. They have to develop relations outside their chain of command which may become useful for them in certain occasions.

Managing change is another challenge that a leader faces. The leader needs to control the forces for change existing in the organization to ensure successful change. Suitable management processes and a supportive corporate environment are essential for change to take place in organizations and the leader has to ensure that they are available. For the success of any organization, a proper direction is essential. Direction means setting clear goals and guidelines for the subordinates to follow.

The staff has to be directed by the leader, who should provide effective measures for everyone in the organization to follow. While setting the direction, the leader has to maintain a healthy level of flexibility. While making changes in an organization, a leader may encounter resistance in various forms. It is the function of leaders to take measures to ensure that changes are properly implemented even if there is resistance to them. This can be done by helping the subordinates to understand the benefits that they would get from the proposed changes.

Organizations may encounter crises in various forms like natural disasters, terrorist attacks, failure of a new product in the market, takeover bids, etc. Appropriate crisis management is essentially for the organization to tide over the consequences of any such crisis. Communication plays a vital role in crisis management and it is necessary to have a proper crisis communication plan to manage the proceedings in the eventuality of a crisis.

Leaders are often faced with situations which require them to take decisions in the face of risk. In such a situation, they have to collect all the relevant information about the opportunities available and the probable outcome under each opportunity and with the aid of their own experience and take decisions. 

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