Organisation Behaviour

Leadership
OB Term Paper

Title:

Organisation Behaviour Leadership OB Term Paper PGDMM

Course:

Author:

Sreekanth S (PRN no. 13020861017)

Introduction
My view on leadership is that through patience, persistence and hard work, you can be a highly effective leader. Very few of us are leaders all of the time and in everything we do, but all of us can become the leader for a certain time, in specific situations. One can choose to be a leader or a follower, once you choose to be the former you need to ensure you direct your followers towards the goal, be it in an organisation, sport, house etc. You make a start in finding and developing leadership qualities within yourself. Leadership is not a quality that is inborn in any person, it is the situation, circumstances & position that they are put through make them realise their leadership qualities and abilities.
Difference between Leadership & Management

Leaders do the right thing Managers - do things right

1.1

What is Leadership?
Leadership is an ability to influence a group towards achieving a goal. It is a tremendous asset, but conceptualizing and undertaking it has always been somewhat subtle. All successful endeavors are the result of human effort; thus, the ability to influence others is a derivation of

Interpersonal Communications Conflict Management Problem solving

Interpersonal effectiveness is the capability of an individual to do a certain task, influence others, competently. Leader should have awareness, an ability to recognize oneself, others, events and situations in real time, assess the impact of actions on situations and be critically self-reflective. Leadership should have the ability to communicate, resolve conflicts solve problems and make decisions. Also another key element is commitment.

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2.1

Leadership traits
Listening
Quote: Listen a hundred times, ponder a thousand times speak once. Turkish proverb

The true leader is a listener; he listens to the ideas, needs, aspirations and wishes of the followers and then within the context of his or her own well developed system of beliefs responds to these in the appropriate fashion. In my personal experience, for many people, listening is not an easy thing to do. They are so excited about expressing their own thoughts and ideas that they dont take the time to actually listen to what other people are saying. Leadership begins with listening. In order to move forward you have to know where you are beginning and that requires the ability to listen. Not just hear, but really listen. We are lucky to have Listening skills as a subject in Managerial Communications, which gives us important insights of listening. I have often witnessed in meetings, participants not being attentive, some having parallel discussions, certain participants getting discounted while trying to make a point. It is important as a leader that you listen at least as much as you speak.

2.2

Empathy
Take action by understanding what another person is feeling. As a leader you have to be able to relate both intellectually and emotionally to other people. Empathy is also particularly critical to leadership development in this age of young, independent, highly marketable and mobile workers. Feeling sorry or sympathetic for someone else is a universal emotion. A leader, who can empathise, can translate it into a positive action. Empathy allows us to create bonds of trust, it gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking; it helps us understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it sharpens our "people acumen" and it informs our decisions. Empathy is an ability that is well-worth cultivating. It's a soft, sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard, tangible results.

From my perspective, I believe that we need to use our reasoning ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, reactions, concerns, motives. This means truly making an effort to stop and think for a moment about the other person's perspective in order to begin to understand where they are coming from: And then we need the emotional capacity to care for that person's concern; Caring does not mean that we would always agree with the person, that we would change our position, but it does mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their thoughts, feelings or concerns.

2.3

Attitude
The attitude of the leader has a huge mpact on the culture, environment of the organisation. The leaders attitude tends to spread and affect others dramatically. A good leader has the attitude of serving his troops at all times, often at the expense of his own personal needs and morale. Whenever I think of positive attitude, I cant think of a better example than Thomas Edison, who was well known for his never give up attitude with continuous experimentation until he achieved inventing the light bulb.
Quote: The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work Oprah Winfrey

2.4

Dream
Quote: Be the change you want to see in the world. MK Gandhi

Great leaders have great dreams - and they are decisive. They have a vision of what is possible. There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? Great Leaders dream of things that never were, and ask why not? The very essence of leadership is leadership is that you have a vision that you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.

When I asked myself to come up with my vision of leadership, one of the things that come to my mind is the salt march in 1930 by Mahatma Gandhi. I have read that it awakened an entire nation and sparked Indias freedom movement. What a march it turned out to be, was an epic journey that has left an ever lasting impact on thousands of lives even after 80 plus years.

2.5

Effective
Quote: Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning the right wall. Dr. Stephen Covey

Effective leadership is one key element in the success of a group and virtually anyone can learn to be an effective leader. Leaders are made, not born. Great leaders are effective. They understand what needs to be done and they do it. Effective leaders are honest. This gives them credibility, resulting in the trust and confidence of their group. Credible leaders foster greater pride in the organization, a stronger spirit of cooperation and teamwork, and more feelings of ownership and personal responsibility. I have personally seen that effective leaders don't push too much. They encourage members to do more, but know when it's too much. They believe in the inherent self-worth of others. They make sure their actions are consistent with the wishes of the people they lead. They have a clear idea of what others value and what they can do.

2.6

Resilience
Great Leaders are resilient; failure is often only the first step on a long and backbreaking journey. I have seen several people who emerge as leaders when things are going well, but it is those people who take the reins of leadership to turn failure into success, unfortunately, they are very few. One of the resilient leaders is Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his political beliefs and emerged to be first democratically elected president of South Africa after dismantling the apartheid policy. It truly demonstrates how strong he was in his beliefs.

2.7

Lead with Purpose

Quote: For your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before -Joseph Campbell.

Having no purpose is like chickens running around with their heads cut off. They will run till their life force is drained out of them. Similarly, all persons within an organization need a purpose to be there. They need to know where they are going and why. As a leader you need to provide this purpose for individuals, groups and organisation. The best and successful leaders know that you must be clear about where you are going and inspire others to follow. To do this you must have a sense of purpose. Your purpose can be your guide, creating ease, fulfilment, and inspiration in your work. Knowing your purpose will make you a more inspiring, more passionate leader. There is always untapped productivity and loyalty in your followers or team that your inspiration will unlock. You as a leader, by providing a purpose to those you work with, will create an environment that people will want to work in, be productive, and know the future

2.8

Humility
Quote: If I have seen further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of Giants. -Sir Isaac Newton

Great leaders are humble and they have a sense of humour. They have the ability to keep their achievements, and their ego, in perspective. It is the quality of humility that often enables leaders to break down the barriers between themselves and those who follow, and makes them worthy of esteem. Of all the virtues vital for successful leadership, humility elicits the most lip service--and the least decisive action. Its a hard-won virtue, constantly demanding an honest assessment of ones real merit. Humility asks us to

acknowledge our imperfections. It requires that we admit when we are wrong and then change course. Know what you dont know. You may yourself excel in an area, but as a leader you are, by definition, a generalist. Rely on those who have relevant qualification and expertise. Know when to defer and delegate. Embrace and promote a spirit of service.
Employees quickly figure out which leaders are dedicated to helping them succeed, and which are scrambling for personal success at their expense.

Be passionately curious. Constantly welcome and seek out new knowledge, and insist on curiosity from those around you. Take it from Einstein. I have no special talent, he claimed. I am only passionately curious.

2.9

Integrity
Quote: Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Integrity in a leader is the consistent pattern of upholding a high standard of moral and ethical behaviour. What is Integrity? The quality or condition of being whole or undivided. As a leader you have to be sure that you are right and then go ahead.

Clear and uncompromised values and clarity about what's right and wrong Behaviours matched values or The quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate Self-aware and self-reflective Mature and wise

2.10

People Skills
Quote: Leaders with principle are less likely to get bullied and pushed around because they can draw clear lines in the sand. The softest pillow is a clear conscience. -N R Narayana Murthy

Great leaders have people skills; they adhere strongly to their principles and they appreciate what others do. Rapport build is one of the most important skills because at the end of it, people work with you if there is mutual connection.

Conclusion
Many of us or at least most of us have already led, and have done so with great distinction. We need to take a moment and reflect on it. Each of us has the spark of leadership, which needs to be ignited.

References
Table 1 lists documents and other reference sources that were referred for above material.
Table 1
No. 1. 2. 3. 4. Source TOI Leadership by Example Mind tools HBR Articles

References
Author Article Dr. Sanjiv Chopra Website