Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
MNGT220
Spring Semester 2015-2016
Project
Saeed Almansoori
Awadh Almansoori
Khaled Alhajeri
Table of Contents
Student
Student
ID. Number
Section
S0000000640
20132312
S0000000467
3
3
3
2
Leadership Profile....................................................................................................... 3
Mahatma Gandhi - The Father of the Nation............................................................3
Leadership style................................................................................................... 3
Leadership Qualities............................................................................................. 5
Leadership impact................................................................................................ 6
Learning Outcomes.............................................................................................. 6
Philosophy of Leadership Statement..........................................................................7
Analysis of a Critical Leadership Issue in an Emirati organization............................12
Lack of entrepreneurship...................................................................................... 12
The Problem....................................................................................................... 13
The Solution....................................................................................................... 13
References................................................................................................................ 15
Leadership Profile
Mahatma Gandhi - The Father of the Nation
Leadership style
On a whole, there is no particular leadership style
that can fully describe Mahatma Gandhi. He showed
different qualities in different settings, For example,
Gandhi was a Transformational leader while he dealt
with the masses, empowered them and motivated
them, He was servant leader in the way he worked
all his life for the people, selflessly and with full
dedication, He was follower centric in the sense that
he always shared his ideas with his followers and had
a two way communication with them. He invited
criticism and was reachable to them, He lead by example by being the
change he wanted to bring. He first practiced the ideals of protesting through
nonviolence himself and proved to the world that it is more effective than
violent means.
Gandhi was an ethical charismatic leader. He was driven by a set of high
moral values and code of conduct which he followed throughout his life. He
had an internal locus of control, he inspired others with his views and
convinced them by reasoning, he encountered many roadblocks on the path
to independence but that did not stop him in fighting for freedom and in
spite of having a position of immense power, his attitude towards life and
moral principles remained unchanged.
MK Gandhi was the face of Indian freedom struggle and a preacher of
protesting through non-violent means. The fact that he was able to force the
British out of a country which they had ruled for 300 years without using any
kind of violence speaks volumes of his extra-ordinary leadership and the
peoples belief in his methods. Many other world leaders and intellectuals
like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Albert Einstein were also
followers of his doctrines.
His massive fan following was a result of many factors, one of them being his
selfless dedication towards the service of humanity. Right from his setting
foot in Africa till the Independence of India, all through his life he fought for
the betterment of the people. He fought against racial discrimination in
Africa. He fought against social inequalities, caste system and exploitation of
women in India and worked towards ending the social malaise of
untouchability and promoting dignity of labor. Due to these acts, he was able
to win the trust of the people from all over the country. He was authentic in
his efforts and thats why people were ready to do whatever he said.
Despite being a famous activist, Gandhi was very humble and down to earth
which helped him in making a strong bond between him and the people of
India. He identified with them and kept a low profile. Instead of elevating his
status above the people like other leaders did under power, he wore simple
khadi cloth, took voluntary poverty living with just basic necessities of life
and shunned all luxuries and used to spin a yarn by himself. The people of
India could connect to him as an ordinary Indian, someone who is from
between them. They tried to imitate his ways trying to bring about a positive
change. They started making their own khadi clothes and burning the ones
which were foreign made. Gandhi became the face of the masses.
Gandhi was not only a preacher but he was a person who put his ideas into
practice. Whatever he believed in, he reflected it practically in his life. He
had a proclivity towards serving people so he worked for it all his life. He was
against any kind of discrimination, he fought for equal rights. He did not
believe in violence, he followed satyagrah. He wanted freedom for the people
of India; he spearheaded the struggle for independence. This was a path of
fire, he was assaulted and sent to jail many times, but he never gave up his
quest for bringing about the change he wanted. These actions show the
clarity of thought and the willingness to deliver as a leader which in turn
strengthened his position as a peoples favorite.
Gandhi was very good at empowering and energizing his followers. He
empowered the people of India with weapons of satyagrah and ahimsa which
were effectively used against the swords and bullets of the British. Such was
the belief of the Indian people in his method that they took the blows on
their body without even raising their hands in defense. He directed the
Indians to follow civil disobedience against the British. He restored self
confidence in the people of India that they are capable of living
independently and do not require goods made from abroad. If the people had
not cooperated in masses, the British would have never come under pressure
to exit India and the struggle would have been a much prolonged one.
Gandhi chose issues that would directly touch the lives of the common man
for example the salt tax issue. Even many of the fellow Indian leaders were
skeptical of the Dandi march but Gandhi was confident and went ahead with
it. The march was a huge success and sent a very strong message energizing
the whole nation. It proved to be the spark which ignited the struggle for
also share this vision with their employees and not limit it to the walls of the
boardroom.
Another important learning we can take from Gandhi is that of Innovation.
The British had ruled India for around 3 centuries at his time. There were
revolts previously but they had failed to convert into a nationwide
movement. At this moment Gandhi devised an entirely new way of protest.
Instead of suggested people to lift guns he asked them not to lift even their
hand in protest. This was totally unexpected by the British and sent their
strategy haywire. In the rapidly changing market scenario, Innovation and
thinking out of the box is the key for the survival of an organization.
have developed throughout the lifetime you have had. Once you have
defined the values you stand for then leadership works toward the
collaboration component of leadership. A leaders ability to collaborate is
directly influenced by the time spent reflecting on your abilities, decisions,
and performance. Reflection leads to more effective and efficient ways of
solving the problems that leaders face. Finally, a leader needs to realize that
flexibility and adaptability is vital to maintain credibility when working with
the members of a grade level, school, and community. Leadership is
embodied in many different ways and performed in many different ways, but
the keys to a great leadership are values, collaborative mindset, reflection of
ideas and practices, accountability, and modeling action.
Communication is the most important component to be an effective and
influential leader. Communication comes in many forms as a leader. There a
many ways a person communicates what they are thinking or seeing. Great
leaders use all methods of communication to reach the people they are
responsible for. Leaders communicate through their words and actions. The
biggest and most effective way for a leader to communicate is through their
actions. A persons actions are the best way to get to know another person.
Watching the way they approach people and problems can tell more about
the values a leader has than listening to the words they speak. Through
communication a leader express expectations for the kind of environment
that is acceptable.
This point cannot be made enough, leaders must set the tone for the type of
environment that they want everyone to operate in. Great leaders establish
open lines of communication where everyones opinions and ideas are
valued. Not accepting what people put forth is a sure way to alienate them
and exclude them from helping the school move forward. Peoples opinions
are only valued when they are able to participate intelligently. A great leader
uses communication by getting the whole group the information to make
informed and relevant contributions to discussions. Communication must be
a two way street, a place where people can participate and feel a part of the
process.
Leadership is not limited to being a general, CEO of a major corporation, or a
principal. Being a leader can be at any level of any job or position a person
finds themselves in. The person in a position of leadership must, to borrow a
Greek phrase, know you. Knowing what you believe is the first step and the
second understands why you believe those things. You have wrestled and
worked out the why so that it becomes the core of who you are. Values will
change over time and can be based on the situations or problems that are
encountered. However, how you treat people, your integrity, how you followthrough, personal convictions, and your approach to situations are
essentially the code of conduct you use on a daily basis. Your character
comes out of you when you are put to the test, its just a matter of will it spill
out or shine? Those values you have incorporated are the difference in
regards to what people will see in you.
Treating people the right way means to show them respect and being a good
listener. Steven Covey said. . . Seek to understand, not to be understood..
A great leader is one who does just that. If the leader desires to be the one
whom everyone looks to for direction the leader must gain the trust of the
people he or she is leading. Gaining trust comes down to treat people the
right way every time. It does not mean that each person gets whatever they
want or their way; instead, they get the things that will make them
successful in the school. The leader conveys the message you and your
opinion and ideas are important to me in the words and actions they use as
they interact with the people under and around them. This message comes
through developing a quality ear for listening. Using techniques of good
listening and trying to see from the other persons perspective will help the
other person begin to trust what the leader does and says. In a word a great
leader is a servant leader. Robert Greenleaf coined the seemingly
contradicting term servant leadership to describe a unique approach to
leadership. Essentially you put people first in all aspects, from listening to
their concerns to growing them as people. This servant leadership is key in
the development of trust and trust is an indicator of great leadership.
Integrity and follow through are two characteristics of great leadership that
instills confidence and trust in the ability of the leader. Many people can
promise to fulfill an obligation, but sadly the world is full of talkers who say
one thing and do another. A great leader holds him or her to a higher
standard when they deal with people. Doing what you say can be difficult at
times, but a great leader ensures that they follow through consistently.
Follow through is just one component of integrity. A great leader knows when
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to speak and when to think about an issue or concern. They are deliberate
and careful about what they say because a great leader, with integrity,
knows that he or she will have to follow through.
Great leadership is exhibited mainly through collaboration with the people in
a school. The school year will involve many decisions, many projects, and
many directions. Having one person make all the decisions is an outdated
mode of leadership for school and other private enterprises. A best practice
style is transformational leadership which uses a consensus style decision
making process .Great leaders get others involved in order for them to buy in
to the direction of the organization. Consensus does not mean a unanimous
decision in order for progress to happen. Rather, the majority of people
decide where they want to go and then find ways to make it happen. The
leader gives everyone an opportunity to give their input in the decision and
then moves forward when everyone gets the issue clarified. This method of
shared, team-building leadership is how great leaders energize and motivate
the whole group. Everyone knows that they will have input and can make a
difference in the decisions.
Accountability, the way the leader takes responsibility for what happens on
his or her watch, is a key part of the foundation to great leadership. Passing
the buck or blaming the people under the leader is a sure fire way to alienate
the people who will make or break them. This accountability is often the first
step towards reflection. Being responsible should lead a person to thinking
about what happened and why it happened. A leader also needs to pause
and reflect about where they are going, how things are progressing, and how
to improve when faced with future issues. The reflection process is vital to
making a great leader because issues and situations are constantly
changing. A leader must be flexible and adaptable in order to progress
towards the mission and vision. Reflection ensures that continual
improvement will be ongoing and that the leader will not grow stagnant, or
become ineffective in their position.
The flexibility and adaptability of a leader is key when dealing with
collaborative situations. A great leader is someone who is confident in the
people around him or her. That confidence is displayed when distributing the
tasks of management and progress to subordinates. A leader who
understands his or her role is willing to allow others to have certain levels of
control in order to accomplish the mission. Putting people in charge of
projects or aspects of the organization is another form of flexibility. This
delegation of authority places the judgment component of leadership in the
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spotlight. Being able to pick competent people for assignments shows the
level of trust and confidence the leader has in the people around him or her.
A leader who has a transformational style will accomplish much during their
tenure because it empowers the people around them to be creative and
exponentially more effective at their tasks. Great leaders realize one of the
big keys to leadership is giving away power in order to be effective.
Problem-solving is a large piece of the leadership pie. Great leaders are first
problem-solvers. When challenges present themselves leaders begin a
process of reaching a solution to the problem. This process is a combination
many of the traits that make a great leader. They use the environment they
have established to empower the others around them and involve them in
the process. Encountering the many different kinds of problems requires
thinking outside of the box and a willingness to be flexible in their thinking.
Accepting the ideas of others and providing them the environment to reach
conclusions that differ from the leaders conclusion is collaborative in nature.
Good problem-solving leaders use collaboration to empower others and
develop them into problem-solving team members.
Empowering the people around me to improve themselves and our
school would be the major thrust of my leadership philosophy. The most
enjoyment a teacher who is teaching because of calling can get is when a
student gets that ah-ha moment. They understand what we have been
discussing in class and finally connect the dots of that understanding with
accomplishment. Better the people around me is one of the core values that I
have. I do not desire to be in charge of everything and prefer people to work
out solutions that make sense to them and are workable. Engaging the
teachers in my building would be my highest priority. Getting them to reach
consensus and move toward a planned with everybodys fingerprints on it
would be a common practice in my administration. There are too many great
ideas floating around in schools for me to completely ignore. It would be a
serious mistake to think I am the end all of creative and effective thought.
Listening to others is another key for me as an administrator. Teachers have
ideas and opinions that should be thrown out there to see how they bounce.
Parents are another key component to successful schools and my
expectation would be to get them involved in the decision process. The
students also represent an important part of the culture at the school. They
are the reason we do what we do. The older the age group the more input
should be solicited from them. Making them a part of the conversation at the
middle and high school levels feeds their need to be seen as adults. As the
leader of the school I want them to come to us with ideas and give us ways
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to improve the school. Buy-in is not limited to the people who get paid at the
school. Students and parents are essential to my role as the leader. Great
leadership utilizes all components of the school to emphasize the most
important aspect of the school: the students opportunities to learn.
Great leadership is a rare and difficult thing to come by in todays
schools. The difficulty is primarily a result of focusing on aspects of the
school that miss point of education. We focus on money, home life, lack of
resources, and other important-yet unimportant- problems. The focus of a
great leader is the relationships that are built through a joint effort to
achieve a common goal. When servant-hearted administrators put into the
culture of their school the idea that learning must take place and it is the
process of how the student gets there, not what they got for a grade, then
schools overcome those difficulties. Leadership is more the ability to
communicate a mutual respect and a love for the people you are in charge
of. When people know you respect and care for them they will run through a
brick wall to accomplish what everyone has decided is important to the
mission.
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The Solution
The country needs to plan its future from a demographic perspective.
UAE need to plan and map the future. Future lies in the people not in the
gadgets, fast cars of the comfortable lifestyle that we are providing them
with. They need to plan human development at the federal level and start
implementing them that will create business leaders and entrepreneurs and
not job-seekers.
For that, they need to create a proper Human Development programme and
realign in education and training systems to realize the human development
objectives that will be aligned to the national visions and aspirations.
For these to happen the country first needs to acknowledge the facts this is
quite worrying.
In order to map the future, they need a solid statistical database. They do
not know the real numbers. The number of Emiratis is about 800,000, they
do not have unified statistical database on key economic indicators to
measure the ground reality. Different government bodies give us different
figures and there is hardly any co-relation. This is worrying.
Then, the government needs to prioritize the tasks. The third step would be
to formulate the policies, establish the institutions and realign everything to
execute the policies.
The UAE market, and the global economy, needs a generation of job
creators, and not job seekers, who are entrepreneurial and equipped to start
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References
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