Respond to the two student posts each 150 words
post 1
Alyssa Collection
I believe in the philosophy of empowering and participative leadership and think that a leader should behave in a way that motivates and empowers their employees to achieve common goals. In the work environment, it is important that employees feel empowered to make decisions and give their opinions, they could have a different way of thinking or style of working that could be beneficial and so ideas should be heard and considered. According to Yukl, Gardner, and Gardner (2019) empowering and participative leadership involves decision-making procedures that allow team members to be involved in decisions about work.
I have worked in a few places that had very different leadership styles but one of my favorite team leaders I had was working for a small shoe store. I did not like my job, but leadership made it bearable when I was working and trying to get my bachelor’s degree. The shoe store was called Sheikh and my manager and team leader were Jonathan, he followed the empowering and participative leadership style, and it made the store extremely successful. Another leader I have always admired is Emma Watson who I grew up looking up to, she was a strong woman who believed in empowering other women and educating people to make informed decisions. She has been a trailblazer for change, and she taught me the importance of equality and the importance of sharing your voice, opinions, and ideas. Tian and Zhang (2020) state that empowering leadership was positively related to employee innovative behavior. I believe innovation is important to every work environment to be successful.
In my organization, I have seen a difference in the roles and behaviors of managers at different organizational levels, which makes sense because their job descriptions and everyday tasks vary. People at higher levels in the organization play a different role in the company and must ensure that the people who are at lower levels in the organization respect them and listen to them. People at my level in the organization, which is low, must behave differently. We are people facing, have different tasks, report to other people, and when big decisions need to be made, we must get approval from people at higher levels. We only have to consider ourselves while they are responsible for more people and ensuring that the company runs the way that it should.
In the Superior Staffing Case in our reading the specific task-oriented behaviors that are used by Jackie are planning activities and tasks for the workgroup as well as monitoring their performance and setting challenging monthly goals. The specific relations-oriented behaviors used by Jackie are support and consideration such as praising their performance or giving advice on how to be more effective and taking an interest in her employees’ personal lives and checking on their well-being. Another specific task-oriented behavior that was not mentioned that Jackie could use would be clarifying work roles, which would be effective in the beginning, fewer issues may arise later if there is a clear understanding at the beginning of what is expected. Another specific relations-oriented behavior Jackie could use would be to try to reduce the amount of stress on the job, she sets high expectations for her employees, which is great, but it may create a lot of stress.
References
Yukl, G. A., III, W.L. G., & III, W.L. G. (2019). Leadership in Organizations (9th Edition). Pearson Education (US). https://reader2.yuzu.com/books/9780134895314
Tian, G., & Zhang, Z. (2020). Linking empowering leadership to employee innovation: The mediating role of work engagement. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 48(10), 1–8. https://doi-org.saintleo.idm.oclc.org/10.2224/sbp.9320
post 2
Giovanni Thomas
While, according to the book, there may exist a broad degree of variability among those definitions which seek to describe leadership, there are likewise certainly a broad set of behavioral characteristics and attributes that may be considered to effectively constitute such traits that one may find applicable to a leadership figure (Yuki & Gardner, 2020). I believe a leader to be a figure of pronounced influence who fulfills the role of providing guidance or governance to one or more persons. Thus, while the behaviors of a leader may be contingent on the environment or the conditions within which they operate (for example, while both may be considered leaders and could share equivalent characteristics, a university professor and an army captain would display fairly disparate and unique traits tailored to lead in the situation they are within), those individuals in such positions of influence should behave in a manner that exercises thoughtfulness, confident decision making, and takes into consideration the behaviors and responses of those which they lead, as well as how their decisions manage and guide the group to a particular goal (Benedictine University, 2021)
A couple of examples of individuals who have managed to portray effective displays of leadership in the public eye could include figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Nelson Mandela. In the case of both, these individuals were able to catalyze a nationwide paradigm shift which led to the improvement of political and social conditions in their respective countries. These notable efforts are only further highlighted by the fact that they did so in the persistence of extreme adversity and under hostile conditions. A few characteristics which may be inherent to those who display strong leadership traits such as MLK & Mandela may include determination, intelligence, and a healthy degree of confidence in a particular (their) vision. In accordance with the Saint Leo Core Value of Excellence, which denotes the application of hard work for the goal of developing character, learning, and applying oneself for the sake of the improvement of the community (SaintLeo.Edu, 2022), these individuals applied their efforts and utilized their influence to lead those in the movement for the betterment of society.
Within my personal life, specifically within my own organization, I have noticed that there are discernible differences in the behaviors of managers at different organizational levels. While it may be observed that a large number of these individuals share a breadth of overlapping traits, managers at lower levels (i.e., group/team leads) often display a greater degree of specialized knowledge specific to the function which they are overseeing, while as the higher up the hierarchical structure the manager is and the more functions fall under their supervision, the higher the likelihood they are to defer to lower-level managers for the addressing of technical role-related attributes. Though this is to be expected if their specialization is not in those particular fields which they supervise. The processes outlined in Chapter 2, which denoted “the communication of plans, policies and role-related expectations – defining job responsibilities and requirements, setting performance goals, and assigning specific tasks” (Yuki & Gardner, 2020) are such responsibilities that would be most applicable to the higher-level managers; those who are less “hands-on” with regards to the application of direct labor and more involved in the planning, monitoring, management, and supervision aspects instead.
What specific task-oriented behaviors are used by Jackie?
According to the coursebook, task-oriented behaviors may include those such as problem-solving, planning, clarifying, or monitoring (Yuki & Gardner, 2020). Some of the specific task-oriented behaviors employed by Jackie included setting monthly goals, holding progress review meetings, and developing improvement plans for her employees in addition to encouraging them to seek her out with any problem-solving concerns
What specific relations-oriented behaviors are used by Jackie?
Supporting, developing, and recognizing are notable examples of relations-oriented leader behaviors (Yuki & Gardner, 2020). Jackie’s demonstration of sincere concern for her employees and the more open and positive work environment that has come about, as a result, is one such example of this manner of leadership behavior. Moreover, she also provides individual coaching to those employees who may need it
What are some other specific task and relations behaviors that were not described in the case but may also be relevant for Jackie to use?
Any behaviors such as those applied with the intent to foster more positive relations among those who fall under her management through teambuilding or otherwise, as well as emphasize effective communication and team collaboration would be appropriate relationship-oriented endeavors that Jackie may pursue. As for task-oriented behaviors, she could employ the use of step-by-step plans or management tools to establish clear and easily communicable goals for her employees. Perhaps she may be able to facilitate the addressing or management of tasks through the use of programs or software for her employees.
References
Benedictine University. (2021). Leadership Qualities of a Good Manager. Benedictine University. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://online.ben.edu/programs/mba/resources/leadership-qualities-of-a-good-manager
SaintLeo.edu. (n.d.). Mission Statement, Core Values, & Catholic Identity. Mission, Values, Identity. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.saintleo.edu/mission-values-identity
Yukl, G. A., & Gardner, W. L. (2020). Leadership in Organizations (9th ed.). Pearson.
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