Encouraging Leadership over Management

Encouraging Leadership over Management As defined by Stephen Covey, Effective leadership is putting first things first while effective management is discipline, carrying it out. This offers a brief glimpse on how leadership is different from management. We try to define a leader on the basis of a plethora of qualities such as; a leader should have the charisma, is a motivator, a good listener, a visionary and should be responsible. Leaders can motivate as well as direct people towards the goals and also find out ways for achieving them. Leaders also have the willingness to accept responsibility not only for their own decisions, but also for the decisions of their subordinates. Thus, an effective leader would refrain from passing the buck when it comes to taking the onus for the executed work. Management or managers, on the other hand, have their focus set on the present and the immediate goals. While the managers have the blue print of each task in hand and do not encourage deviations from it, the leaders have a keen eye towards possible innovations or better ways of doing things which may be divergent from the norms already set. This is the reason why a leader can start something new while a manager may be roped in to execute the task in a particular way. To put it into a nutshell, although the concept of leaders might be confused with that of managers, and vice versa, in practice, leaders are the real game changers, whilst managers are ones who have the responsibility of executing the tasks as envisioned by a leader. The world is changing rapidly and with it the ways and means of executing work is going through irreversible change. Earlier, the tasks would be well within the scope of each role, but now, each task is multiple layered and further embedded with many other tasks, demanding more from each role. At this juncture, a manager is bogged down by the how and when. The pressure is deafening, and following a set procedure, while sticking to guidelines, may not always be the solution. It becomes imperative to innovate and find simpler and easier ways of doing things and excelling at them. The reason is quite simple. Competition is stiff, and unless you are doing outdoing your competitor, you may as well quit. Thus, its time that we emphasise on the emergence of leaders from amongst us, who would not only have the required knowledge base, but also have the courage to envision a new path. There are many theories that try to capture the essence of a leader. Some believe that a leader is born and that the leadership qualities cannot be acquired, while some believe that a leader acquires the qualities over the years with experience. There are few who believe that the birth of a leader is situational and they will arise when the occasion demands. The inspiring role of Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain in World War II, is an excellent example of a leader rising up to the occasion. He led Britain to victory and believed in the philosophy that success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. His words in his speeches motivated the British people and encouraged them during the troubled times and paved the way to victory. A leader would always try and create a new path where none existed before. To accomplish that, sometimes, the leaders have to fight resistance and indifference. It is the common attitude to feel secure in mediocrity and predictability, not wanting to change or challenge the present. The thought behind that is the level of comfort that predictability brings. A leader will twist the shackles to break that state of affairs and bring in new light, focusing on things hitherto untouched. Sir Richard Branson, an English businessman, investor and philanthropist is another example of a good business leader. He is the founder and owner of the Virgin group which consists of around 400 companies. He started quite young and showed signs of becoming an entrepreneur at the age of sixteen. With his distinctive leadership, using himself as the personification of the Virgin brand, he created the entire group from scratch and has reached great heights today. A leader like him can always see the bigger picture hiding in the clutter. As per Kurt Lewin, leadership is of three types. This definition is based on the behaviour of the leaders Autocratic leaders Mussolini and Hitler are pretty good examples of autocratic leaders. For them, their own decisions were the most important and they definitely did not encourage the concept of discussion with the subordinates. Autocratic leaders assume that they are superior to others in every capacity and hence the decisions in day to day affairs as well as long term strategic decisions should be taken by them. Democratic leaders -These leaders involve their subordinates in decision making. The team has to agree on a decision and unless that happens, the final decision is not taken. This helps to bring new perspectives and insight into the matter as a lot of people are involved in the ideation. Laissez-faire leaders These leaders have a completely non-interfering style of leadership and allow the subordinates to come up with solutions as well as take final decisions. Though on the surface it seems pretty righteous, in reality it sometimes makes the team seem rudderless as the leader leaves everything on the subordinates. A manager is responsible for the proper and timely execution of a task in hand. For achieving this, they sets rules and norms that they themselves have been following and implementing. The focus of a manger is always on the procedure, or in other words, a manager is always process oriented. They are responsible for getting things done in a preconceived way. For a manager it is very important that all the organisational level activities are carried out in a smooth way and they do not encourage waywardness. For this reason, it is important for a manager to implement control and authority over the affairs through which they get the job done. A manager would always look up to a leader for solutions and answers. This is because the world of business is highly dynamic and the problems keep getting tougher, demanding innovative solutions. As the older methods become redundant, newer technologies and techniques take over. The situation demands immediate countermeasures that can sometimes spell survival. A leader is a visionary who focuses on matters that may encourage or hinder the growth of his business. A leader will ask questions and look for answers. They will be a risk taker. Such risks can sometimes be based on calculations and sometimes on pure intuition. But the success that may follow the risk would not only increase the stature of the leader; it would also make the organisation trust him more. A managers scope is limited to executing the task at hand through various subordinates, that too within a stipulated time period. Major decisions which can affect the very survival of the organisation with respect to policy formulation, strategy designing, etc., is most definitely taken by the leadership of the company. Thus, it is important that the managers try to look above the scope of the fixed norms and broaden their horizon for organisational level decision making. A manager may have a limited scope or a myopic vision towards the emerging future but a real leader will not be swayed by immediate tasks. They will put organisational perspective first and think way ahead of their subordinates. Visionary business leaders like Lakshmi Niwas Mittal of Arcelor Mittal and Martin Sorrell of WPP have achieved great success owing to their belief in their vision and their hard work towards it. For a technology-driven, fast-paced world, the scope for ambiguous decision making is nil. Its important that the organisation not only survives this race, but also gives strong competition to its peers. For this, it is important that managers are encouraged to become leaders and the paradigm of responsibility shifts on the shoulders of the managers as well. A managers role should not be limited to executing the tasks but they should also think as a leader and get involved in the bigger picture. This will help in streamlining the process as well as create future leaders who can step in, if and when the organisation requires them. Thus, the organisation has the responsibility to create leaders instead of just managers who will not only envision the future course of the organisation but also help in achieving it. Encouraging the emergence of leadership over management is the need of the hour if the organisation wants to achieve fairly impossible targets and goals that todays business world puts forth. Just managing the day to day affairs and carrying on the usual course of business is definitely not enough. Innovation and experimentation is important. Carving out a niche out of a crowd of hundreds is important and making a mark is important. A leaders role encompasses all these and more. Although there is an ongoing debate over the differentiation between a leader and a manager, what we need perhaps is an amalgamation of both where the leadership qualities are given their due importance over managerial qualities. Leaders can create a difference with their charisma and inspiring words. The motivation which is piqued through effective leadership is the one through which even impossible targets can be easily achieved by the employees. An effective leader is thus someone who can definitely make a difference in the lives of his employees as well as the organisation as a whole. References Bass, B.M. Stogdill, R.M., 1990. Bass Stogdills Handbook of Leadership-Theory, Research and Managerial Applications. Simon and Schuster. Covey, S.R., 1992. Principle Centered Leadership. Simon and Schuster. Kotter, J.P., 2008. Force For Change: How Leadership Differs from Management. Simon and Schuster. Lewin, K., LIippit, R. White, R.K., 1939. Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, pp.271-301. Srivastava, A., Bartol, M.K. Locke, E.A., 2006. Empowering Leadership in Management Teams: Effects on Knowledge Sharing, Efficacy, and Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 49(6), pp.1239-51.

Animal Bullying

The horizon melted across the sky, the setting sun nowhere to be seen. A seagull dived across the sky, heading horizon. I sat on the sandy beach, staring at the mesmerizing obediently beside me. Looking at it, a wave of fresh memories came rushing back into my mind, engulfing me in it†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ It was a sultry Saturday afternoon, left to my own devices. I sat on my squishy couch, eyes peeled on the goggle box, enjoying my favourite television show, ‘Zero no Tsukaima’. Then, the show finally ended, I rubbed my still bleary eyes and gave the clock a quick glance.It was still early, only 3 o’clock. Wondering what to do, I stared blankly at the ceiling. Then the telephone started ringing shrilly. Without further hesitation, I dashed to answer it and to my surprise, it was my best friend, John inviting me for a ride in the park. I agreed readily. Like a cat on hot brick, I quickly changed and glanced countless times at the clock in the process, then, I quickly boar ded my bike and started cycling towards the park. Though the park was only a stone’s throw away from my house, then it seemed as if it was miles away.After what seemed like an eternity, I finally reached the park and found John waiting for me there impatiently. I quickly approached him and we began cycling around while chatting about the interesting happenings in school. Just as we having a whale of our time, a scared ‘mew’ and then a crowd of raucous laughter aroused our attention. We quickly alighted from our bikes and then edged nearer and nearer to the direction where the laughter was coming from. Hiding behind a clump of bushes, we peered carefully through the gaps between the leaves to see what had happened.To our utter horror, three teenage boys formed a small circle around a white and brown splotched cat and each was armed with several rubber bands and a packet of soft drink. Then, one of the boys let loose a rubber band striking the cat near the eye, it retreated and the boy behind it let loose another rubber band hitting it on the back and he also edged forward to step its tail. The cat gave another loud pitiful ‘mew’ and it nearly broke my heart. â€Å"How dare they do that to such a helpless little cat? † I thought.I began to stand up, but John grabbed my arm and we retreated to a few metres away and John frantically asked me, â€Å"What do you want to do? They are so much bigger and stronger than us! † I gave a sigh and told him how I felt and I also told him that I could not bear to see the kitten being bullied and beaten by the teenagers and I turned to go towards the teenager, and John grabbed me again and tried his best to persuade me not to go but I would not listen, the commotion aroused the attention of the teenagers and they came out, looking at what had happened. When they saw us, they snickered and asked, â€Å"What business do you have here kid? Anger started to boil within me and I longed to go up to him and give him a bash straight in the face, but I had to suppress my anger and said, â€Å"I may be a kid but at least I know it is wrong to hurt innocent animals unlike you dunces. † The teenagers instantly flared up and were cracking their knuckles. Instantly, I regretted what I had just said. John was standing beside me trembling from head to toe. Then, the leader of the gang snarled at me, â€Å"Who cares about a rotten ball of fur. † I made a quick dash for the kitten that came limping towards us and then without a second look, I dashed away.John also followed me and also kept looking backwards, but to our surprise, the teenagers did not chase us. After running for quite a long distance, we stopped to catch a breath. I also stopped to take a look at the kitten, its right leg was bleeding and its blood dyed my red shirt as I held it close to myself just now. Then the kitten started licking its wound. After discussing with John, we decided to bring it to the vet. Upon reaching the vet, we showed him the veterinarian and he told us that the kitten was not too badly hurt except for some skin deep cuts.Only then, we sighed in relief. Then, we decided to go home and John said that he had nothing to do with the kitten, so I brought it home. When my parents came home, I related the incident to them and I asked them if I could keep the kitten. At first, they were firm and said no, but after much begging and persuasion, they finally agreed me and requested me to take care of the kitten myself as my mother was afraid that after some time, I would lose interest in the cat and the responsibility of taking care of it would land on her.That, I readily agreed. Suddenly, my cat bounded from my torch and ran it around me back into reality. Looking at the sky again, it was turning dark and I gave a sigh ready to get up and go back home for dinner, carrying the kitten in one hand, I set off to home. I was really grateful that I had the chance to come by the kitten. I will devote myself to take care of the kitten for life. That is what it takes to be a responsible pet owner.

Analysis Of The Youngest Daughter - 1429 Words

Clarissa Reyna Mrs. M. Segovia English IV AP March 12, 2016 A Deeper Meaning The works of poetry are often underappreciated and overlooked. The stories of plenty are being neglected in the education of our youth. The work of Cathy Song, per say, personally has never come up prior to the assigning of this paper. In Song’s â€Å"The Youngest Daughter†, we are introduced to a variety of meanings in which an analysis full of depth is required to clearly interpret and understand what it is that the speaker is attempting to bring across through the use of clever diction. The poem in itself also contains a compilation of carefully puzzle together literary techniques that are taught to be broken down to provide a good understanding of a work of†¦show more content†¦When analyzing literature, it is very important to take it one puzzle piece at a time. Deconstructing a work of literature can be difficult if the path isn t taken correctly and the work isn’t completely broken down for understanding. In Cathy Song’s poem, the audience is able to understand the situation the speaker is in due to the vivid images that Song provides. The imagery in the poem can be identified as metaphorical (figure of speech in which a phrase is applied to something not literally applicable and order to suggest a resemblance). The reader can also analyze the setting through the metonymy (the use of the name of one thing for that of another thing) portrayed. Last but not least, the poem can be deconstructed with the use of the symbolism (the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities) that can be found when the poem is taken apart piece by piece. Now that we have a better understanding of what it is that is going to be analyzed, let s begin to take a look at the poem through the eyes of a deconstructionist. 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Survival of the Fittest vs. Natural Selection

When Charles Darwin was coming up with the Theory of Evolution, he had to find a mechanism that drove evolution. Many other scientists, such as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, had already described the change in species over time, but they didnt offer explanations as to how it occurred. Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently came up with the idea of natural selection to fill that void. Natural Selection vs. Survival of the Fittest Natural selection is the idea that species that acquire adaptations favorable for their environment will pass those adaptations to their offspring. Eventually, only individuals with those favorable adaptations will survive, which is how the species changes over time or evolves through speciation. In the 1800s, after Darwin first published his book On the Origin of Species, British economist Herbert Spencer used the term survival of the fittest in relation to Darwins idea of natural selection as he compared Darwins theory to an economic principle in one of his books. This interpretation of natural selection caught on, and Darwin used the phrase in a later edition of On the Origin of Species. Darwin used the term as it was meant regarding natural selection. Nowadays, however, the term is often misunderstood when used in place of natural selection. Public Misconception of Fittest Members of the public might be able to describe natural selection as survival of the fittest. Pressed for further explanation of the term, however, most answer incorrectly. Someone not familiar with what natural selection really is might take fittest to mean the best physical specimen of the species and that only those in the best shape and best health will survive in nature. That isnt always the case. Individuals that survive arent always the strongest, fastest, or smartest. By that definition, then, survival of the fittest might not be the best way to describe natural selection as it applies to evolution. Darwin didnt mean it in those terms when he used it in his republished book. He intended fittest to mean the members of the species best suited for the immediate environment, the basis of the idea of natural selection. Favorable and Unfavorable Traits   Since an individual needs the most favorable traits to survive in the environment, it follows that individuals with favorable adaptations will live long enough to pass their genes to their offspring. Those lacking the favorable traits—the unfit—most likely wont live long enough to pass down their unfavorable traits, and eventually, those traits will be bred out of the population. The unfavorable traits might take many generations to decline in numbers and longer to disappear from the gene pool. This is evident in humans with the genes of fatal diseases; their genes are still in the gene pool even though conditions are unfavorable for their survival. Remedying the Misunderstanding Now that this idea is stuck in our lexicon, there isnt much that can be done to help others understand the actual meaning of the phrase beyond explaining the intended definition of the word fittest and the context in which it was said. An alternative could be to avoid using the phrase altogether when discussing the Theory of Evolution or natural selection. Its acceptable for a person to use the term survival of the fittest if he or she understands the scientific definition. However, casual use of the phrase by someone without knowledge of natural selection can be misleading. Students who are first learning about evolution and natural selection should avoid using the term until they have a deeper knowledge of the subject.