• Subject Name : Leadership Management

The What, Why, and How of Leadership Ambitions

Introduction

Leadership is a practical aptitude of managing the subordinates and providing them with the right guidance to accomplish a pre-defined objective (Bolman and Deal 2017). Leaders must be equipped with the skills to direct attention and provide the correct direction and pathway. For ensuring this, the leaders must have the aptitude to focus their attention. Leadership development is among one of the key metrics based on which the success of any organisation is determined. Before an organisation commences with its potential mapping process of the managers' skills and competencies; there is a need for the firm to determine what it requires.

These requirements may vary from one role to another and from one form to another. These differences can be viewed as the contrast between the competencies, hierarchy in business unit heads, strategic decisions and orientations. The changing dynamics of organisations their need for the leaders to adjust their skills and capability is to meet the present needs of businesses and employees in the 21st century (Chamorro-Premuzic 2017).

Being a business professional with appreciable experience in the business management roles, it is imperative to maintain optimum levels of motivation within self and among the employees as well to sustain profitability and virtuous performance of the firm. The key objective of this assessment is to construct a detailed account of my achievements in diverse managerial areas. This assessment also envisages bringing forward a clear picture of tactics to attain the leadership competencies, goals and self-management. The Goleman's three areas of focus which involve self, others and organisation are used in this assessment to define the what, why and how of the leadership ambitions. Ambition is a significant tool for driving success and overriding both resources and talent to sustain high performance. It is also a vital metric on the basis of which the leadership potential is measured and determined.

What: Leadership Goals and Key Areas of Focus

Leaders must strengthen attention to make better decisions. Focusing on the self is a preliminary aspect as it cultivates a sense of emotional intelligence among the leaders which allows them to hear the inner voices and to draw on more resources to make effective decisions (Goleman 2013). Being a professional business leader, in my opinion, self-awareness must be elevated so that the internal physiological signals are interpreted. It is my critical goal because of the fact that I want to comprehend my psychological signals so that the circuitry is in place and promotes my operations as an individual in the business setting. Side-tracked attention is a key problem in leadership and I experience this, which ultimately impacts my determination and is also impacting the way I deal with my subordinates.

Hence, strengthening attention is my cardinal ambition which is concerned with self-awareness. Every leader must be able to cultivate a triad of awareness (Dippenaar and Schaap 2017). The inward focus helps cultivate emotional intelligence and outward focus is essential in ensuring that ability to devise strategies is improved and the innovation is fostered (Goleman 2013). I think attention is basically a mental muscle like any other muscle. It needs to be strengthened with the right kind of exercises, it makes sure that the mind wandering is diminished and the area of focus is furthermore, narrowed and strengthened.

With an experience of over 20 years, I have been effective in self-branding however, I have faced issues in motivation which is rooted in self-awareness and the way attention needs to be maintained. Self-control is another ambition of mine as it is essential for putting attention at the right place it is also referred to as cognitive control and is used for narrowing down the focus to a specific aspect (Goleman 2013). It is imperative for the leaders to be effectual in managing cognitive control, as it assists in pursuing a particular goal despite the setbacks and hurdles; it fosters the single-minded pursuit of goals and is also helpful in managing emotions. High turnover and low engagement can be quiet costly for organisations hence, it is critical that these two factors are maintained at optimized levels. It is another crucial goal as a leader.

As a part of my ambitions, it is crucial that encouragement is maintained among the employees. This is only possible if I am able to maintain motivation so that the same is imparted in the way I deal with the subordinates. Engaging in self-modelling and creative motivation for enhancing me as a leader and inflating the productivity within the work is boundaries is my ambition as a leader. To maintain strong outward focus so, I need to become a good listener which is crucial in leadership. Focusing on the wider workforce, it is of prime importance as it promotes innovation and assists me in maintaining synchronisation among the employees and also cultivates system awareness.

It is integral for the leaders to make sure that the extra resources are not used for reaching the tipping point and the concentration is focused on resources which are essential and are likely to pay off in a virtuous custom (Fernandez-Araoz 2014). I think it is very important for leaders in today's world where the scarcity of resources is ballooning. Keeping in mind the consideration of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, it is essential that resources are used in an economical manner. This also makes sure that the allocation of staff and resources is done in an effective order and is easily acceptable by all the employees.

For bringing about a new change and winning over the same, the leaders must be able to arrange the resources effectively so that in times of need they can be easily accessed and easily be considered in cases of high priority. The main objective of the international communication strategy is associated with the goal of maintaining the use of minimal resources as per the requirements. This is so because internal communication plays a critical role in breaking through the cognitive issues. There is a need to communicate to the subordinates and other officers so that the expert communication can be trailed for investigation regarding the resources available and resources that are required to be restocked. Pitfalls and gaps in the communication process can lead to wastage of resources or overuse of resources which is completely not desirable within an organisation. My leadership goal is to ensure that the resources are used in an optimal custom and trailing effective communication so that each hierarchical level of the organisation is well informed about the organisational strategies in concern with the resources as well as other practices.

Why: Rationale for Framing the Goals

For broadening my personal development, thinking and experience, it is essential that self-awareness is realised. Self-awareness is boosted by emotional intelligence which I have set up as my goal (Mikkelsen et al. 2017). Emotional intelligence is cardinal as it ensures that both inward and outward focus is effectively managed. It is also a key pillar of social relationships which are essential within the workplace. It allows the leaders to emerge as natural leaders who are able to handle the organisational tasks irrespective of the firm type of social rank. Strengthening the capability to sustain open awareness is beneficial in controlling the employees and the firm in terms of an attitude adjustment.

Psychologists say that emotional intelligence assists in cultivating a positive attitude which further activates the brain centres to ensure that the negativities are eradicated and a positive environment is fostered (Mallett 2005). Emotional intelligence is also crucial in making sure that the employees are recruited from different pools with different skills and abilities so that diversity is sustained. Emotional intelligence is my critical goal because it is important for increasing empathy. Leaders with high emotional intelligence usually have a clear understanding of their own emotional states and it is further beneficial in ensuring that the emotional states of others are accurately gauged.

As a business leader, empathy will allow me to put myself in the shoes of the employees and hence leading me to make good deliberate and thoughtful decisions. It enhances the interaction between the leaders and employees which is beneficial in strengthening the social relations and hence, building a positive work environment which will further contribute to the enhanced performance of the workforce (Martin et al. 2017). Emotional intelligence is also helpful in getting a grip on impulse to empathize when the feelings of people can make improved decisions when someone others' emotions flood threatens to overwhelm. It increases the focus, and a focused leader is able to concentrate on the priorities and make use of brilliant systems thinking to tune with the corporate culture.

It is also important to accomplish self-awareness and emotional intelligence to make sure that the command is done with full range and attention. It is helpful in controlling the impulses and being aware of the surroundings and avoiding distractions and gets free from the preconceptions (Dippenaar and Schaap 2017). It is crucial to exercise the attention circuits so that the analytical skills are improved along with the systems of the body. The link between excellence and attention is vital and fundamental for the leaders. It is also the root of strategic intelligence.

Fostering internal communication within the organisation is my critical goal. This is so because it ensures that the smooth flow of data is maintained. It is closely associated with another goal of making use of the resources in an economical custom. Both are related with each other; as with the assistance of this; effective communication can easily communicate to the employees regarding the use of only the relevant resources and ensuring that the sustainability is promoted (Dippenaar and Schaap 2017).

Being an ethically compliant leader poses a positive impact on employees as it further cultivates a sense of loyalty towards the organisation. Therefore, I have maintained the economic value of resources and effective communication is one of my preliminary goals as a leader in the business. There is a need for the leaders to ensure that people from an impressive background and great fit should be recruited so that technological competitiveness and competitive edge is maintained in the firm. As a leader, it is challenging to find the required fit of employees (Zak 2017). Therefore, it is my major goal to make sure that homogeneous pool of employees is maintained so that diverse workforce is promoted as well as the decisions of the organisation are made more inclusive (Neck and Houghton 2006). Accomplishing this goal will foster learning in the organisation as it will allow me to look for different types of tools and techniques for integrating the communication systems within the organisation.

It allows a leader to consider the technological trends widely being incorporated into organisations. It can also foster learning in terms of conducting meetings with my subordinates and acknowledging their viewpoints and hence, broadening my perspective regarding communication and its implications. In my opinion, potential thinking is promoted by developing goals and trying to look for the reasons to pursue them. It also enhances the strategic orientation and collaboration among the team which is the ultimate goal of any organisation within any industry.

Showing empathy towards the employees and maintaining an empathetic attitude is also essential for strengthening self-branding. It builds a sense of gratitude which reduces self-centeredness and hence encourages capitalist marketing. Workplace stress is inevitable and unavoidable. At such circumstances, empathetic attitude and emotional intelligence in managing such situations are a better way without letting it consume the organisational efficiency. It also ensures that the negative thoughts are diminished and a better work-life balance is maintained. It is also helpful in ensuring that the team engagement is promoted.

How: Process of Accomplishing the Goals

Self-leadership strategies

A leader is Central to the development of expertise within a firm and subsequently, the cardinal person to facilitate adaptive forms of motivation and improve the quality of performance of the employees. For designing the optimal environment of the workplace, the leaders must be sensitive to underline motives of the employees and an in-depth comprehension of motivation.

As stated by the authors, Fernandez-Araoz et al. (2017), self-leadership strategies is the preliminary aspect that must be considered while turning the potential into execution. Pertaining my goal of self-awareness, employee motivation, firm performance, optimum use of resources and effective communication, it is cardinal that I lay emphasis on myself leadership abilities which involve competencies, strategic orientation, market insight, results in orientation, impacts on the customers, influence and collaboration, development of the organisation, team leadership and progressive change in the leadership tactic. I think these steps need to be followed so that the goal achievement process is effectively planned and outlined. Strategic orientation assists a leader in engaging in conceptual thinking and analytical and complex brainstorming procedures.

Integrative emotion regulation

A leader can build strategic orientation by seeking inspiration from the outside of the business from other business and global leaders which will allow me to further look into the matter (George et al. 2007). Learning from the team is one of the vital ways through which I can further cultivate emotional intelligence as I will be able to connect with the employees and it will be helpful in displaying the empathetic attitude. I can use body language to communicate with the employees and be an active listener so that queries of all the staff members are resolved. Active employees can also assist in building a robust link of communication and ensuring that the knowledge of resources is gained and the employees' knowledge regarding the availability of resources is also tested.

Market understanding is imperative as it assists in gaining an insight into what factors actually impact the business (Kouzes and Posner 2016). Having effective market understanding allows a leader to communicate the same to the employees regarding the performance of the firm about its financial productivity, key details of its annual report and its stakeholders' relations, it will safeguard that employees are well informed and motivated. Authors; Kouzes and Posner (2016) have stated that employees, when informed about the organisational procedures, have an enthusiastic attitude about their job and have elevated levels of motivation. This will ensure that employee turnover is also reduced.

Self-determination needs

Ensuring that all employees agree to a particular aspect is one of the biggest cognitive hurdles that leaders usually face. The need for change within a firm must be employed by the leader by adopting the suitable change leadership practice so that employees do not feel left out or isolated from the change management process. Employees’ morale must be boosted with change management approach which is critical (Neck and Houghton 2006). Provision of incentives, appraisals rewards and recognition within the organisation are some of the vital tactics that the leaders must adopt so that the moral of the employees are boosted. As a leader, it needs to be ensured that a growth map is constructed so that all the employees acknowledge what are the procedures that will be trailed under the change management process. Another step is result orientation; this can be ensured by properly outlining and planning the progress of the employees. A well-constructed incentives policy can be communicated to the employees. Self-determination needs encompass emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, openness to new ideas and proper management of conflicts.

Behaviour of effective leaders

Customers' needs impact the firm's performance so that employees align their activities according to the needs of the customers (Rosenbach 2018). This can be done by making sure that the right guidance is provided to the employees and are divided into a team to perform market research and virtuous analysis to acknowledge the results. Collaboration and influence is another tactic which requires communicating with each other by frequent meetings so that the organisational development can be managed.

Team leadership can be demonstrated as a leader by promoting employee leadership. The potential future leaders among the employees can be selected as representative of different groups so that change is effectively promoted regarding the goals in the context of self-awareness, motivation, employee retention and management. Competence and the need to outstand in the market other are self-determination aspects as a leader to accomplish the goals of elevated motivation within the self as well as among the employees (Giles 2016). It taps the psychological relatedness and addresses the autonomy and competence within the firm.

Conclusion

This assessment has effectively brought forward a picture of effective leadership and how it can be improved by setting ambitions and goals in the context of employee performance, management, motivation, self-awareness and organisational productivity. This assessment sustains a key refrain of leadership tactics and the formulation of leadership associated ambitions. Leadership development is a vital facet based on which the victory of any business setting is determined. Before an organisation initiates with its potential mapping process of the managers' skills and competencies; there is a need for the business to be clear about the leadership approach as it is the cornerstone in a business.

This assessment discusses the leadership ambitions which involve self-awareness. Focusing on the self is imperative as it cultivates a sense of emotional intelligence among the leaders which enables them to use their emotional intelligence and to draw on more resources to make effective decisions. Other goals highlighted in the assessment are optimal use of resources, motivational issues, and employee retention and turnover and communication practices. It is evident from the assessment that the key reason for choosing these goals is the fact that promoting internal communication within a firm is essential. This is so because it ensures that the smooth flow of data is maintained.

It is also associated with another goal of making use of the resources in an economical custom. Emotional intelligence is vital in focusing on the priorities and eradicating any sort of distractions. Motivation is essential in elevating employee morale, retention and in turn reducing employee turnover. The ways to accomplish the tasks are strengthening the self-determination needs involving emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, openness to new ideas and conflict management. For resource management, motivation and employee retention, employee resource groups can be formed, incentive policies can be constructed and regular meetings can be conducted.

References

Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T. 2017 “Could your personality derail your career?” Harvard Business Review, September, pp138-141

Dippenaar, M. and Schaap, P., 2017. The impact of coaching on the emotional and social intelligence competencies of leaders. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 20,1 pp.1-16.

Fernandez-Araoz, C. 2014, “21st-century talent spotting" Harvard Business Review, June 46-56

Fernandez-Araoz, C. Roscoe, A. and Aramaki, K. 2017, “Turning potential into success: the missing link in leadership development” Harvard Business Review, November-December 2017 86-93

George, B. Sims, P. McLean, A. and Mayer, D. 2007, ‘Discovering Your Authentic Leadership’ Harvard Business Review, pp129-138

Giles, S. 2016 “The most important leadership competencies, according to leaders around the world” Harvard Business Review Digital, pp1-6

Goleman, D. 2013 “The Focused Leader” Harvard Business Review, December, pp51-60

Kouzes and Posner. 2016. The five practices of exemplary leadership, “Secrets of the super-bosses” Harvard Business Review, pp104-107

Mallett, C. J. 2005, “Self-Determination Theory: A Case Study of Evidence-Based Coaching” The Sport Psychologist, 2005, 19, 417-429

Martin, R., Epitropaki, O. and O’Broin, L., 2017. Methodological issues in leadership training research: In pursuit of causality. Methodological challenges and advances in managerial and organizational cognition, 2, pp.73-94.

Mikkelsen, M.F., Jacobsen, C.B. and Andersen, L.B., 2017. Managing employee motivation: Exploring the connections between managers’ enforcement actions, employee perceptions, and employee intrinsic motivation. International Public Management Journal, 20,2 pp.183-205.

Neck, C. and Houghton, J. 2006, ‘Two decades of self-leadership theory and research’ Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21,4 pp. 270-295 (this is a highly academic article and makes an interesting contrast to the HBR articles)

Rosenbach, W.E., 2018. Contemporary issues in leadership. London: Routledge.

Zak, P. 2017, “The neuroscience of trust” Harvard Business Review January-February pp85-90

Remember, at the center of any academic work, lies clarity and evidence. Should you need further assistance, do look up to our Leadership Management Assignment Help

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