Introduction
Through out their existence, organizations and businesses are considerably pressured to raise their levels of performance and productivity. This is especially so in the modern day business environment which is characterized by aggression and excessive competition.
Businesses are therefore constantly forced to exhibit innovation, enhanced performance and unquestionable managerial skills so as to remain relevant and profitable in the ever increasingly competitive arena. To achieve the organizational goals of increased productivity, the input of both the individual and groups in the organization remains invaluable.
However, for these inputs to make optimal impact, there must be a strong management to steer the individual and group effort in the right direction. This being the case, the development of managerial traits and skills is indeed necessary for the survival and continued success of an organization. This paper sets out to discuss what makes for exemplary management in an organizational setting. This shall be achieved by going into a detailed discussion as to what effective management consists of.
Functions of management
Management refers to the process through which an organization efficiently utilizes available resources towards fulfilling the set goals and objectives. It involves planning, organizing, leading and controlling of the organizations activities and resources. Managers are the people taxed with the role of marshalling the human resource in the organization for its growth and expansion. Their role is crucial and they must possess exemplary leadership skills so as to fulfill these tasks.
Planning is among the core strategies that should be employed if a business is to succeed in its endeavors. According to Javed (2010), planning refers to the process through which an organization formulates a program that outlines a specific course of action that should be implemented so as to achieve set organizational goals and objectives.
The author further asserts that planning often requires a definite time frame through which various activities will be carried out towards meeting the defined short and long term goals. In addition, Javed (2010) further contends that planning is a process through which the management can organize the present resources such that they steer towards the desired future.
However, planning can be useless if there is no proper organization of the resources. Management should ensure that adequate efforts are directed towards organizing the available resources such that they work in unison towards achieving the set goals and objectives. As Javed (2010) states, organization of resources refers to the process through which various business components are arranged or interconnected such that they constitute to a system that can be identified as a functional unit.
In a business setting, organization refers to the steps implemented to ensure that differentiated business segments adequately get the resources they require so as to achieve the set goals. It often involves careful evaluation of available resources such that they are equally distributed to all departments in a timely and efficient manner.
Leadership most often refers to a process through which one person uses the help and support of others towards achieving a particular goal or task. In the article by Warren Bennis “The Leadership Advantage”, the author aims at highlighting the factors and characteristics that compliments a good leader and consequently, effective leadership. He descriptively states that there are several core attributes that makes for a good leader.
They include being a knowledgeable professional in the field of expertise, having a proven track record of achieving set goals and objectives and the ability to motivate and delegate effectively. Leaders also ought to be able to cultivate and identify talent and exhibit sound judgment even under pressure
The final tool that is often used in management is controlling. In relations to management, controlling refers to the process through which the management exercises authoritative influence over others within the business setting. The main aim of this tool is to set benchmarks and standards that should be met within an agreed upon period of time. However, Javed (2010) cautions that if this tool is misused, it may lead to tensions among employees leading to a loss in focus regarding to the set goals.
In my organization, leading has been very instrumental in guiding us towards the desired results. An exemplary leader should ensure that his team has a sense of purpose and is working towards the achievement of some organizational goals. He/she should also set out to generate and sustain trust between the administration, employees and clients. Bennis (1999) asserts that this will result in the promotion of hope and confidence amongst the organizations worker force.
These qualities heighten the levels of optimism within the organization all the while boosting employee’s morale and guarantees future success in all organizational endeavors. These qualities are especially desirably in the present time where optimism in organizations is low as most economies in the world work towards recovering from the credit crunch that hit almost all countries in the world.
In regards to planning, our management team has efficiently implemented various programs that help the employees focus on the tasks at hand. By clearly communicating the organization’s goals and objectives, the management has designed an organizational road map that defines the vision, mission and objectives of the organization all the while giving a detailed description of how the organization hopes to achieve the desired results.
Similarly, by formulating rules and regulations, code of conducts and ethics programs, the management has been able to control and monitor business and employee activities in a bid to ensure that they work towards the set goals and objectives.
In terms of organization, the management has done a great job in ensuring that members know their role in the organization and that they have the required resources to efficiently carryout their tasks. To accomplish this, the management has been promoting teamwork and communication which are vital in ensuring that a business remains successful.
Conclusion
This paper set out to give a concise description of leadership qualities from a journal article. The qualities and characteristics of good leadership have also been properly articulated and their adoption in an organization has been seen to yield to higher productivity for the organization.
Lack of this leadership qualities leads to unmotivated workers hence lowers profitability of the entire organization. The adoption of these qualities will lead to an organization being able to competitively deal with the market forces that may threaten its survival.
References
Bennis, W. (1999). The Leadership Advantage. Web.
Javed, R. (2010). Functions of Management in Business Organizations. Web.