Essay on Reflection on Leadership

Introduction

A leader is defined as a person who commands the ability to influence and direct other individuals. Due to complexities associated with the subject, the concept of leadership has evolved significantly over time. In the 1900s, much emphasis was placed on the leader’s ability to control other individuals within an organization. However, currently, much emphasis is placed on the leader’s ability to build a relationship and maintain a rapport with other members of the staff. Therefore, an organization has to take a critical approach to leadership concepts. It has been shown that because of taking an analytical approach to leadership concepts, an organization stands to increase its overall productivity, reduce operating costs and reduce the costs incurred from staff turnover. In this essay, I explore the benefits that will be experienced by Verizon Company because of taking a critical approach to leadership concepts.

Economic, ethical and social realities demand new forms of leadership.

The current economic, social and ethical realities demand a new form of leadership, which not only focuses on the internal organization ecosystem but also on the external environment. An organization may benefit from this new form of leadership in that the organization will be able to attract and retain quality staff. Currently, workers are not only motivated by salaries alone; they need other packages such as health schemes, pension scheme among others (Bolman & Deal,2017).In the past, Verizon Company staff have cited scrapping of the health benefits as a reason for picketing. By correcting these factors, it is apparent the organization will be able to attract and retain quality staff. Besides it will also be a motivating factor for the staff not to picket. Again, unlike before the organization environment has changed immensely concerning how staff relate to each other. Currently, there is an increased need for team building events among others. These events help promote unity among the staff ensuring all the workforce pushes towards a common goal. Again, because of organizations sustainable development goals, the issue of corporate social responsibility has gained profound importance. Organizations seek to act in a manner that is considered morally right. This is essential in that it promotes organization brand equity.

Organizations must understand we live in a networked society.

The current society is a diverse society that is repeatedly changing. Thus for any manager, it is imperative to pay attention to the informal and formal network that exists within the organization (Higgs & Dulewics,2016).In the current type of organizations tough decisions are often made, and thus leaders need not necessarily rely on the traditional hierarchy approaches of leadership to make things happen in the organization quickly. Therefore, this demands a leader who will be able to see beyond the organizational boundaries. It is no different either for Verizon Company as it deals with the telecommunication sector, which is profoundly impacted by technological developments.

Verizon Company will benefit from understanding that the society is a networked society in that the company will be able to understand and appreciate how information flows across different levels and departments in an organization. This is important in that it will enable the organization to be able to develop or use preexisting channels to transmit information quickly which would have the desired impact. Again, by the company understanding the society is a networked society, this fosters interdependence and collaboration. This is important in that it helps develop a sense of unity in the organization. An organization with its all staff pulling in one direction is more likely to achieve its goals and objectives as it has stability. The staff of the organization will be made to appreciate the importance of teamwork. Besides, the work will be done fast because of the collaborations. Through understanding the society is networked, the organization leaders can identify and leverage hidden leaders within an organization.

Past approaches to leadership may not be sufficient.

In the past leadership focused on the behavior and qualities of successful leaders. However, with the society repeatedly changing, this is no longer the case. According to Ken Blanchard, while in the past, leaders were bosses; it is no longer the case, as current leaders can no longer be judged on positional aspect only. Fred .E Fielders contingency theory states that there is no predefined best way for a leader to lead. Each situation has its unique leadership requirements. Therefore, this means that which might have worked in another place or time may not work in a particular setting. Situational leadership, which is an adaptive leadership, is based on the argument initially stated. Verizon Company, therefore, stands to benefit in the event where the organization leadership recognizes that prior methods are no longer useful. This will lead to increased performance, organization effectiveness and ease of receiving feedback

Past approaches to leadership were mainly focused on only getting things done efficiently. There was little or no feedback at all (Carter et al., 2015).An organization like Verizon company understanding past that leadership is no longer effective; this would lead to the development of the employees level. The organization will be able to understand the role of technology in the current leadership sphere. Consequently, the organization will train its employees to ensure they are adaptable to the current demands of the organization. Additionally, it may lead to employee retention. In the recent past, Verizon company staffs have repeatedly picketed. Therefore, the company will be able to understand the caveats of the previous leadership style and correct it. This would reduce the frequency of the staffs picketing and overall lead to employee retention.

Eco-leadership that supports ethics and sustainability may be essential.

Eco-leadership discourse emerged at the turn of millennium due to the paradigm shifts. Organizations are thus viewed as eco-systems equally. The core pillars of the Eco-leadership discourse are ethics, social responsibility and sustainability (Baporikar,2017).With Climate change set to increase and the finite resources getting depleted, it is then logical for an organization like Verizon company to adopt the Eco-leadership system.

Verizon Company will benefit from the eco-leadership discourse because of the company brand being protected. In the recent past, Verizon Company has been the victim of negative consumer activism in the United States. For instance, when the company’s staffs were picketing, some sections of the consumers threatened to boycott the company’s wireless services. Through eco-leadership, Verizon Company will insure itself against negative consumer activism. In the end, the company will build its brand and protect it. Again, Verizon Company will be able to reap benefits of efficiency and savings. The eco-leadership discourse requires companies to put efficiency in the forefront. Verizon will be able to reduce its operating costs due to a reduction in the energy bills and waste. The company will also be able to save on costs related to turnover effects, which may be channeled into other needs in the organization.

Leaders must look past the world of business to see what is happening in the rest of the world.

It is imperative for leaders to look beyond the world of business to see what is happening in other sectors of the world (Kotter, 2014).Since the turn of the century, technological developments have been on the increase. Usually, the goal of a technology is to make life easier for people. The developments in technology offer other business opportunities that exist. For example, the Payoneer Company, which deals with online banking, is a result of the company’s founder Yuval Tal ability to spot a market gap that existed. The same applies to all leaders alike even in the case of Verizon Company. By spotting this gaps, the company will be able to gain an added advantage in the market world which in the end increases the organization overall resources. Additionally, by building a global appeal, a company may be able to attract talented staff from all corners of the world.In the end this reduces the turnovers costs that the organization would have incurred in training and replacing its former employees. It is also important to note that by building a global brand a company is able to increase its market.

Conclusion

Overall, we have shown the benefits that are to be experienced by Verizon Company because of taking a critical approach to leadership. As mentioned in the text the concept of leadership keeps on continually evolving, and thus organizations should strive to ensure that they remain competitive by adapting their leadership styles. A better leader is one who recognizes the needs of a particular situation and adapts him/herself to the demands of the situation.

References

Baporikar, N. (2017). Corporate Leadership and Sustainability. Collective Creativity for Responsible and Sustainable Business Practice, 160-179.

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley & Sons.

Carter, D. R., DeChurch, L. A., Braun, M. T., & Contractor, N. S. (2015). Social network approaches to leadership: An integrative conceptual review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(3), 597.

Higgs, M., & Dulewicz, V. (2016). Developments in leadership thinking. In Leading with Emotional Intelligence (pp. 75-103). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Kotter, J. P. (2014). Accelerate Building strategic agility for a faster-moving world. Harvard Business Review Press.