Effective Leadership and Empowerment

Effective Leadership and Empowerment

Name

Tutor

Course name

Date

Introduction

Amazon Company limited is an American based company which majors in cloud computing and electronic commerce. The headquarters Amazon Inc.is in Seattle Washington. This Company was founded in the year 1994 July 5. Currently the company has been experiencing power wrangles, unhealthy organizational culture and struggles which has made it difficult for the organization to realize its potential. Having been appointed as the overall manager I have set myself to get the company on truck and where it belongs something I am sure I will deliver in my new role as a General Manager (Kriger 2009).

Research on leadership empowerment and influence on organizational culture

Transformational leadership

Having been appointed the general manager of Amazon Company, my first task I have done is to research on various types of leadership style for effective leadership, among various types I researched I was able to settle on transformational leadership to be the best I can employ for effective leadership.

Radiological technologists have also established that transformational leadership is one of the best type of organizational culture which is best for effective leadership. Through my research I was convinced that employing transformational leadership will be the only way out to get Amazon Company on truck and running (Gayle, 2012). This is because of the following factors discussed below;

Research has established that transformational leadership has high influence on the effectiveness of the organization. This type of leadership has shown great relationship between leadership and organizational effectiveness. The organization should develop the culture first because development of organizational culture influences the organizational effectiveness.

Analysis

According to my understanding, leadership role involves the leader getting results for the followers. This means that the leader needs to get the results for the followers. Leadership role is all about results, style, charisma and balance by the leader to get his/her followers on track. To be a good leader I must be effective in order to deliver results. For effective leadership the organization requires me to have the following elements; interpret and understand the environment in which I operates, should develop a winning strategy, execute the roles brilliantly, measuring the impacts of the strategy systematically, adjusting them accordingly and developing an organizational, personal, departmental and team capabilities.

Leadership is crucial to an organization in realizing the results, this is because it is the leaders who execute the actual roles of an organization. The above factors that enable effective leadership are as explained below;

Understanding and interpreting the environment in which the organization operates

As a leader I need to be able to know what is happening or sense what is coming up, get the opportunities that should be coming and the threats before these issues materialize. Leaders who can only see what they have seen before, whose vision and scope is limited by the experiences of the past become inadequate due to the changing world. To control the environment I need to be updated by the current issues in the economy. Effective leaders are supposed to learn from the past mistakes so that they can avoid repeating those mistakes ones again (Künzle, 2010). The conditions of the future are quite different from the yesterday and therefore the environment of tomorrow should be interpreted with reference to the experience OF yesterday but not with the same strategies.

Formulate the winning strategies

My main role as a leader is to get the results for the organization, therefore I need to develop the winning strategies to get the results for my company. Organizations normally spends a lot of money so that to develop and influence the customers. Strategies normally describe what the organization is supposed to achieve within a specified period of time. What should be done, how and who by using which resources, this is very much important in developing the organization strategies. Individuals in an organization normally follow the leaders if they understand the reasons they have been asked to move in specific directions but strategies will provide the reasons for the actions. In an organization strategies are required at all levels and those strategies must be integrated in the system if they are to be executed well. As a General Manager I will develop winning strategies, ineffective leaders do not deliver the results for the organization (Riggio, 2009).

Executing the strategies brilliantly

The outcomes that are as a result of the strategies depend on the manner in which they are executed. If the strategies are executed perfectly then it is possible to get the results (Harris 2013). The elements that enable execution of strategies are as follows;

The alignment of the strategies in different departments and sub-units, this is important in achieving the goals, missions and visions of the organization. The performance management in each department plays a critical role in execution of the strategies. I will give priority and attention when it comes to execution stage, this is because the actual implementation of the strategies falls in this stage.

Monitoring strategies and making necessary adjustments

It is not always a guarantee that the strategies employed by the leader will yield the results, to control this I need to consistently monitor the results of the strategies and if possible make necessary adjustments where necessary. I should analyze the strategies after a specific period of time every time so as to address the problem in the best time possible and avoid bad results due to mistakes. As a smart leader I should be able to monitor the performance of the competitors and be able to make necessary adjustments that can cope with the prevailing competition or probably respond differently. Effective leaders always know that if they respond promptly, they often make corrections in the course of the process and get the organization on truck once more (Künzle, 2010). Effective leaders are also sensitive to discordant information when implementing new strategies.

Building organizational capabilities

As an effective leader I’m ready to act for both long and short-terms simultaneously. I will develop winning strategies, execute them brilliantly and monitor those strategies systematically. Effective leaders also invest their time, money and effort in building and developing the core competencies, leadership and management talent I will not be the exceptional. To enhance effectiveness I will cut down the expenses and costs to get the best for the organization, a problem that has seen the company decline. As a general manager I will be sensitive to the fluctuations in prices in the market. Other key competences in effective leadership includes the following; intellectual property, knowledge management skills, community accessibility, business government relation perfection and environmental reputation. These features enhance effective leadership in an organization.

Power and politics for effective leadership

Power and politics has always been viewed negatively on how it contributes to the effective leadership, but that is not always the case. This is because at times power and politics is the best way in effective leadership (Yukl, 2012). For effective leadership I will try to know how to balance power and politics to deliver the results for the organization as explained below;

Making decision

Decision making is always the most difficult task for leaders, for effective leadership I will involve members in the decision making while executing my power. Research has shown that effective leaders take the opinions of employees’ so as to make decisions of the organization, this is done through asking the employees to make their contribution concerning the decision and if an agreement is not settled upon the leader should be able to use his/her to make the final decision.

Delegating duties

As a general manager I will always be ready to delicate duties to other officials in my organization using in line with my powers. Delegation is an important aspect for effective leadership, with this I will be showing trust in other members by delegating some duties specifically in my absence. This maintains the performance of the organization even in my absence. This factor also enhances trust between the leader and the employees which impacts to the organization positively.

It is important that the leader delicate duties to the right, trusted and responsible individuals in the organization as it plays a crucial role in realizing the results. Despite delegating I also need to retain some specific and identified roles for myself. For effective leadership the tasks I should retain must be more than the ones I delegate so as not to create confusion or double standards.

Recommendations

Effective leadership is about getting all people in an organization working together as a team from the subordinates’ staffs to the senior employees. The following are my recommendations on how I will empower my subordinates and team members using the tactics of honest and ethical influence to increase organizational effectiveness.

Transparency

Transparency is a very important aspect in the organization performance. This is one factor many leaders ignore, in order to encourage honest I will be able initiate transparency. I will be able to show this by enhancing transparency in the usage of resources available. I will involve the employees in major decisions so as to create transparency in the long run I will be instilling the culture of honest in the organization.

Accountability

Accountability is much to do with the use of finances and resources in an organization, it also involves taking the responsibility of the results of an organization. In my pursuit to encourage honest in the members, I will always try to account for the results of the organization. Decisions involving finances and the use of the resources I will make them open for all members and subordinate staff to know, get involved and understand how they were used. Accountability creates honest and is ethical to the functioning of an organization.

Creation of an in depended human resource department

The only way to create effectiveness and honest in leadership my organization should have a proper and functioning human resource department. I will create an in depended human resource department free from managerial interference so as to have employees air out their complaints and opinions openly without fear of victimization. This will encourage a culture of honest and trust in the organization a factor that will work in favor of the company.

Conclusion

Having been appointed in a crucial leadership role in Amazon Company limited as a general manager, I understand the need to be an effective leader because it is the only way to achieve the set goals and deliver the results Amazon organization. I will work towards empowering my team and initiating an organization culture that will enable the achievement of the objectives. Effective leadership and empowerment of the team has delivered results in other leading companies globally. The above recommendations I have stated will facilitate the realization of the strategic goals, as such I look forward to implement the recommendations and strategies so as to get Amazon Company where it belongs.

Reference

Fry, L., & Kriger, M. (2009). Towards a theory of being-centered leadership: Multiple levels of being as context for effective leadership. Human Relations, 62(11), 1667-1696.

Gayle, D. J., Tewarie, B., & White Jr, A. Q. (2011). Governance in the Twenty-first-century university: Approaches to effective leadership and strategic management: ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report (Vol. 14). John Wiley & Sons.

Harris, A., Day, C., Hopkins, D., Hadfield, M., Hargreaves, A., & Chapman, C. (2013). Effective leadership for school improvement. Routledge.

Künzle, B., Kolbe, M., & Grote, G. (2010). Ensuring patient safety through effective leadership behaviour: a literature review. Safety Science, 48(1), 1-17.

Riggio, R. E., & Reichard, R. J. (2009). The emotional and social intelligences of effective leadership: An emotional and social skill approach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(2), 169-185.

Yukl, G. (2012). Effective leadership behavior: What we know and what questions need more attention. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 26(4), 66-85.