Training Development
Personal Leadership Plan
Introduction
Leadership is a process of influencing the behavior of others to work willingly and enthusiastically for achieving predetermined goals. The target’s responses to use of power vary along a continuum ranging from resistance to commitment. Any type of compliance tending towards resistance is unwilling and tending towards continuum is willing as well as enthusiastic (Mamoria & Gankar 2002).
Leadership development
In management practices, a recent emphasis has been put on leadership development through training and development and by providing conductive work environment. The emphasis is on developing transformational leaders who can take care of changes, which are occurring at much faster pace than before. Leadership development involves developing those qualities and attitudes in managers, which help them to look into the future and to bring necessary change on proactive basis rather than on reactive basis. Leadership development is a means to an end; the end being successful change and competitive advantage. It has to have a context of pay off.
Personal Leadership Plan
My personal leadership plan would be based on the following steps:
My Leadership Style
My way of leadership is based on the participative style. In this style, I take decisions after consulting with my followers and after their participation in the decision-making process. I involve my group members in the decisions on the feasibility and workability of an idea, or a job and its content, and on the extent and the content of the problems that affect them. I believe that their co-operation in the attainment of organizational goals can be enlisted only if they are committed to the organization, and that commitment can be ensured only by an honest and open communication of ideas with them and by the development of a team spirit. I encourage my subordinates to function as a social unit, and make full use of their talents and abilities. I encourage subordinates to exercise high degrees of responsibility and freedom. They use as little authoritarian control as possible and are concerned with group relationship as well as getting the job done. They do not delegate their right to make final decisions and to give specific directives to their subordinates, but to seek their thoughts and opinions on many decisions that affect them. By this way, I cultivate the decision-making abilities of my subordinates and encourage them to increase their abilities to exercise self-control and urge them to assume greater responsibility for guiding their own efforts (Prasad, 2007).
This style is very useful in many ways. When workers feel that their ideas are important and are being made use of, they feel considerably committed to change in which they have participated. Workers also develop a greater feeling of self-esteem. They maximize their potential in creative and productive ways and experience personal satisfaction and accomplishment of their tasks. Further, when most people are given a little freedom, they develop and grow in personality and job competence. Often they will take on more responsibility than their job descriptions call for because of the pleasure they take in their work. I adopt a helpful attitude toward my subordinates.
In this leadership style, I delegate as much responsibility to the members of the work team as their experience and knowledge will permit. I place emphasis on results rather than an action. My philosophy is: “It is not always how a job gets done that is important but that the job does get done.” I show my concern towards the employees and thereby gain their respect.
The role communication is very much important in establishing my leadership style. Without proper communication, the decisions cannot be made and delegated effectively. Effective communication creates workable understanding and agreement between two persons. I believe that full co-operation from the subordinates can only be achieved when there is clarity in communication. Proper and effective communication helps in building a trust worthy relationship between the leader and the subordinates. Effective leadership communication can be accomplished only when it has credibility. If I want to become a good leader, it is essential for me to be a good listener. By this way, I not only give chance to my subordinates to speak but also gather useful information for further communication. If the communication between my subordinates and me is not effective, I will not be able to guide and motivate them properly so as to accomplish the organizational goals (Mamoria & Gankar, 2002).
Admirable Leader in my Point of View
Ho Ching is an influential leader and her style of leadership is very admirable because of many reasons. She is the wife of prime minister and CEO of the Temasek. She has the ability to influence her followers. She has many qualities of a good leader such as will power, enthusiasm, self confidence, integrity, technical mastery, moral qualities, paternalism, initiative dignity, knowledge, stability in behavior, etc. by which she is able to influence and motivate her employees in an effective way (Ho Ching, 2007).
According to her speech, she always listens to other’s views and tries to understand them. In order to influence other’s behavior, she always acts with the self confidence, avoids anger, takes decisions on a rational basis and thinks clearly with maturity. She is not whimsical but consistent in her action because of her emotional stability and her cool mind. She has sufficient mental and physical energy to work with zeal and enthusiasm for long hours without feeling tired. She has an understanding of human behavior; i.e. she knows people and their needs, sentiments, emotions, their actions and reactions to particular decision, their motivation, etc. She has good communication skills. This way, she is able to talk and write clearly and forcefully. She has also the abilities to persuade, inform, stimulate, direct and conceive her subordinates. Good communication seems to find all responsibilities easier to perform.
The leadership style of Ho Ching is participative or democratic. She always involves the members of her group in the decision on the feasibility and workability of an idea or a job. She has many business achievements and got 11th rank in the list of most powerful women of business world (Rogers, 2007). I am very much influenced from the participative leadership style of Ho Ching.
The other leadership styles such as autocratic, free rein, etc. are not as effective as the participative style is because it makes use of the ability of both the leaders and the followers. On the other hand, in the autocratic style, only leader takes decision and in free rein, only followers take decision, which is not beneficial for both the personal growth and organizational growth. There is no control of leader on their followers so this is not an appropriate style. In order to utilize the efficiencies of the employees and motivate them to work with zeal and enthusiasm, the organizations should adopt participative leadership style.
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