Master of Business Administration - UNAP - 2010 Organizational Behavior Module By Walter Sierra López
I must confess that for me is a great challenge to write about these two topics I've chosen not only because of how extensive can become, but also that it is seeking to scrutinize the human mind trying to understand what is suitable (or not) against the development of good leadership and sound decision-making.
There are things that often make me question the validity of the Theory and Practice in front of the two concepts generally do not match the reality, and a key aspect motivated me to address both issues is seen in class diagram, which is herein below, do not want to seem illogical, but really for me was very different "view" and then to "watch", "mature" and "chew" or at least try, I invite you to take a look and watch carefully:
Interesting, right? ... For this reason is that I want to discuss these 2 issues of Leadership and Decision Making, I refine the theory to my approach staff, and share with you my thoughts on the matter, then we are on hand and to start I want to quote some definitions of leadership I describe below
Leadership can say that it is any capacity that an individual may have to influence a group of people (followers), making this group work with enthusiasm in achieving common goals. Is defined as the ability to take initiative, manage, hold, promote, encourage, motivate and evaluate a group or team.
Or maybe we can move to a more short (no less accurate), as described in the Organisational Behaviour module, where we define that:
Leader: A person who has more influence on the group, which the group in .
This definition implies that there is a leader who can influence and motivate their followers. Hence, in studies Leadership is an emphasis on persuasive power and influence over others. Traditionally, the sum of these two variables has been called Charisma. However, there are current studies in psychology and sociology that have concluded that charisma has no historical importance had been given and that there are other factors that are determinant in building leadership.
We also mention that there are different leadership styles defined on the basis of leader development, among which are:
• autocratic leadership (where the leader is the only one in the group that makes decisions about work and the organization) .
• Democratic leadership (where the leader makes decisions after group discussion encouraging, considering the views of their followers).
• Leadership paternalistic (where the leader makes most of the decisions giving rewards and punishments at a time). Encouraging their followers with rewards if they target.
• liberal leadership (laissez faire), the leader adopts a passive role, leaving the power in the group and members of the group enjoy total freedom, and have the only when asked for their views. • Leadership lateral
: (performed between persons of the same rank within an organization)
Another type of classification we can find according to the Theory of Bass (1990) where we can distinguish 3 types of leadership, according to the type of leader's influence over his followers (or subordinate), and we define:
• Transactional Leadership: It is one in which followers are motivated based on the expected benefits for the achievement of goals or tasks. Indeed, this style involves a negotiation process between leader and followers.
• Transformational Leadership: Is that where the leader leads to achieving standards of excellence, individually and collectively, through the establishment of a vision and a common vision, the leader has the ability to modify scale of values, attitudes and beliefs of the followers. Laissez faire
• Leadership: It is the one where the leader relinquishes control and allows them to be subordinates who make the decisions. Independent
definitions, I would like to mention the definition of the Authentic Leader (as if others were not) but I find it quite interesting to include it as follows:
• Authentic Leadership: the one leader who focuses on leadership first place itself. He is a leader with great self, fair, spiritual, compassionate and generous. Only once the leader's mind can lead others. Reviewing all definitions
described above, we find that as a general rule the definition of leadership means that one person (the leader) who can influence and motivate others (followers). Hence, in studies on leadership emphasizes the power of persuasion and influence.
Following the above assumptions we obtain the following conclusion:
All I can tell a leader is to have followers, no leader without followers.
Let me disagree with that, I think the Leader is the person with his qualities and abilities to exercise leadership in the inter relationship with his followers, that is, I reformulated the sentence earlier, saying "there is no leadership without followers (the influence of the leader of the group), but the leader still exists, since it retains its abilities as such. Defin Arieu
and the leader as "a person capable of inspiring and associate others with a dream." It is therefore important that organizations have a mission high transcendent, since it is a powerful way to strengthen the leadership of its directors. 5 months ago at the time I am faced with a situation, leading a new team, after 8 years leading 2 areas in other national company, constantly reflecting on how my leadership influence or interact with the quality of decision making is at this point where I link the two concepts "Leadership and Decision Making", by which I think is one of the activities of the leader
When leadership is required, commonly for office in an organization, we speak of formal leaders. Thus, this leader should have certain skills: communication skills, organizational skills and administrative efficiency, which is to say that a good leader is a person responsible, communicative, and organized today's large number of modern companies are changing the old concept "Chief" by the new concept of "Leader" is within this contextual framework, that more business leaders (managers and executives) must make decisions every day. Their management is based on the decision-making, and quality of those decisions, is one of the most important elements of leadership to achieve, both in magnitude and quality.
There is a direct relationship between the mechanism of decision making and the perception of leadership that produce those who have become leaders of their groups.
is widely accepted in today's environment that the model of more effective and efficient management in business today is leadership. Faced with such a major statement
becomes increasingly important ask what are the keys to success in leadership?
In my opinion, there are 3 key characteristics for successful leaders, which are:
be competent in the area that plays the lead, whether it be sport, work, religion, etc. Bad could a group of followers to be motivated by an incompetent leader in your area.
Another key is the communication, I think that is the hallmark of a good leader, be a good communicator, to coordinate, encourage and urge their followers to achieve common goals.
Credibility: defined as having the quality of being credible. Credibility is important for any leader and people are more willing to follow someone if you can believe what that person says and does. One must remember that there is a difference between management and leadership.
which I try to grow every day, in the way of "building" day by day as a leader. Decision making
Let us focus now on the second concept I want to associate with the Leadership, which is the decision-making, in my opinion, there is a leader who makes decisions (except for the laissez faire), which in my opinion not for an active leader, but rather a passive leader (or decorative). Let's review a definition that seems pretty accurate the decision-making process that says
Decision making is the process by which a choice is made among the alternatives or ways to solve different life situations, these can occur in different contexts: at work, family , sentimental, business (using quantitative methodologies provides management, etc.).
is, at all times we make decisions, the difference between each of these is the process or the way in which they are reached. The decision is basically to choose among the available alternatives, in order to solve a current problem or potential (although not a potential conflict becomes apparent.)
Decision making at the individual level is characterized in that a person makes use of its reasoning and thinking to choose a decision to a problem you face in life, that is, if a person has a problem, it must be able to solve individually through making decisions that specific reason. In the matter making the choice of a way forward, so at an earlier stage of action alternatives to be evaluated. If the latter are not present, there is no decision.
Unlike the effects that can cause a decision right or wrong from the point of view of the leader or the individual are the consequences and / or potential effects on the group, obviously the only affected individual himself, being the leader affect (positively or negatively) to the entire group, which is why it makes more relevance is the correct decision making in front of the group's leader, as bad choices can take you not only lose credibility with your group but also to lose its leadership role.
decisions can be classified taking into account different aspects, such as how often they occur. Are categorized as to the realities facing these decisions regardless of the situation to decide and how to decide (Lander Ramos Basan) define 3 types; Scheduled, Unscheduled and business context, briefly review these 3 definitions
programmed decisions: These are taken frequently, ie they are repetitive and becomes a routine to take them, like the kind of problem solving and occur with some regularity since it has a well established method solution and therefore already know the steps to address these problems, for this reason. The person who makes such a decision does not need to design a solution, but simply governed by the above has been followed.
unscheduled Decisions: decisions are taken on issues or situations that occur infrequently, or exceptional. If a problem has not been presented with often enough to be covered by a policy or if it is so important that it deserves special treatment, should be handled as an unscheduled decision. Problems such as allocating resources in an organization, what to do with a production line that failed, how to improve community relations, in fact, the most important problems facing the leader (eg a manager) - usually require decisions unscheduled. Context
business decisions: In general organizations and companies in particular often exists a hierarchy that determines the type of actions taken within it and, consequently, the type decision to be taken, Administrative Science divides the company into 3 hierarchical levels:
1. .- High level strategic direction, global planning across the enterprise.
2. .- Tactical level planning business subsystems.
3. Operational level .- Development of daily operations.
hierarchical and departmental organization of a company.
The louder the Leader in the hierarchy of an organization, the ability to make unscheduled becomes more important, since such decisions are those that affect those levels. Therefore, most of the programs for developing managers seek improve their ability to make decisions not scheduled, usually teaching them to analyze problems in a systematic manner and make logical decisions under such a scenario becomes more important the quality of decisions made by the senior leader. Which I find very interesting. Today
is such programming, studies and research on the subject, we can make reference to a Process "structured" Decision-making, we can segment the following steps:
Identify and analyze the problem: It is about understanding the condition of the time of viewing the desired condition, ie find the problem and recognize that it must make a decision to reach this solution.
Identify and weigh decision criteria: It consists in identifying those aspects that are relevant when making the decision, that is those patterns which depends on the decision taken.
Define the priority to address the problem: Based on the impact and the urgency that we have to address and resolve the problem. That is, the potential which is vulnerable, and the time available to be taken to avoid or at least reduce this impact.
Generate alternative solutions: involves developing different solutions to the problem.
Evaluate the alternatives: This consists of a detailed study of each possible solutions were generated for the problem, ie look at their advantages and disadvantages, individually regarding the decision criteria.
Choosing the best alternative: In this step you choose the alternative that the evaluation is going to get better results for the problem. (In my opinion is the critical stage).
Implementation of decision: To implement the decision in order to assess whether the decision was correct or not. The implementation will likely result in making new decisions, minor.
Evaluation of results: After implementing the decision is necessary to assess whether or not the problem solved, ie if the decision is having the expected result or not.
In my opinion, and the stage where a leader exerts Key Leadership (pun intended) is in the "choosing the best alternative", a process which tests the true competence of the leader, who then must persuade and motivate their followers to join them to success, having made the decision, and make their plans into action.
From a business perspective, the challenge today is to relate not only to efficiency leadership, but it is necessary to evaluate the influence of the leader on the decision making process, and hence the formulation and implementation of the strategy. Consequently, a significant gap between theory and practice is to develop a model that integrates the impact of leadership style on decision-making process, important factor when defining the concept of "Strategic Leadership" and its subsequent effects about collective leadership will, business, sports, military, etc..
If we make a parallel between life and war, the Leader and a Lion, and supporters with the Servants, it seems very appropriate to quote the following phrase from the Greek writer Plutarch (50-125). That says
"An army of deer led a lion is more feared than an army of lions commanded by a deer. "
Have a great day!
Bibliography:
1. Ana Polo. "Forget charisma, the real key to leadership."
2. Kouzes, James M. and Posner. "The Six Disciplines, Credibility: As you win, lose, and because people claim." Jossey-Bass Publishers. San Francisco.1993. pp. 51
3. Internet. http://www.proverbia.net/citastema.asp/tematica=1778
4. Leadership, by several authors. Harvard Business Review. Deusto. 2004.
5. Class Notes.
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