Friday, March 20, 2020

Leadership Theories

Leadership Theories Theorists have formulated several leadership theories in the past. Leadership styles and theories which were used several years ago are not the same as the ones used today. Hernsey and Blenchard’s theory of situational leadership allows leaders to adopt various leadership styles that match with development levels of their followers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leaders adopt leadership styles which are dependent on readiness and willingness of their followers to perform required tasks. When followers are not mature, their competence and motivation of is low, but it increases as they mature (Hernsey and Blenchard, 1976). According to McGregory (1960), theory X and theory Y assumptions encompasses style, behavior, situation, and adaptation to the situation. These theories resulted in development of other situational theories. Fried Fielder’s (1967) c ontingency theory argues that there is no one best way of leading. It identifies situations when task-oriented approach is more effective, and when a relationship style would be more productive. Fielder concluded that task-oriented leaders are effective when conditions are either very favorable for the leader or which are very unfavorable for the leader (Fiedler, 1967, p.13). When situation is favorable, members are ready and willing to work because their leaders support job performance. When conditions are unfavorable, group members will need to remain goal-oriented for them to achieve any success. In stressful situations, a leader’s structure and control can remove undesirable ambiguity and the anxiety that goes with it (Fielder, 1967). In Hersey/Blanchard theory of situational leadership model, there is no best way to lead. Leaders must be able to adapt to situations and modify their leadership style to be more effective. The level of maturity of a group will determine the most effective leadership style (Hersey and Blanchard, 1976). A leader assesses maturity of a group to come up with the amount of guidance needed. Immature group requires direction and goal-oriented behavior from their leader. At this stage, task-oriented leadership is required since followers are eager to accept guidance when they feel uncertain about a task. As a group matures, it builds a relationship with its leader.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Task-related behavior decrease as relationship behavior takes charge. A two-way communication develops and members are involved by their leader in decision making. As maturity increases, the leader delegates responsibility to the next step in the process (Hersey and Blanchard, 1976). In contingency theory, leadership style is determined by situations and can only be changed based on the relationship between members and their leaders. A leader can adopt a leadership style and use it as situation may demand. On the other hand, Hersey/Blanchard theory of situational leadership model depends on maturity of group members for a leadership style. Immature group requires close guidance and one-way communication where the members are told what to do, when and how they do it. Leadership style changes to a relationship when a group is mature enough. The style later changes to a two-way communication where members are involved in decision making and responsibilities delegated. Role of Leaders in Organizational Ethics Leaders play an important role in developing ethical business organizations. If a manager does not portray a positive behavior, other employees are likely to follow suit and business organization become unethical. Leaders should use idealistic visions and persuasive communication styles to motivate their followers. Ethical behaviors have a role in credibility, and the ability of leaders to ha ve a positive influence on their followers (Piccolo et al. 2010). Ethical leadership captures employees’ perceptions of ethical behavior inferred from leader’s conduct. When leaders demonstrate a normative appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and promote such conduct to their followers through communication, reinforcement and decision making, the result is ethical organization. Trustworthy leaders are proactive and are expected to increase cooperation among employees to promote organizational identification. This will have a positive improvement in performance and ethics in a business organization. Ethical leadership increases organizational identification.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizations which have leaders with poor ethics rank poorly in public and this may have a negative effect on business (Wa lumbwa et al. 2010). Exchange of positive behaviors between ethical leaders and members through trust, open communication, information sharing and liking of followers, contribute to ethical behavior in an organization. According to Bandura (1977), leaders influence their followers by way of modeling process. This is one of the most powerful ways of transmitting values, attitudes and behaviors. Employees learn how to do something by observing their leaders. Leaders can be good models by virtue of their assigned roles, their status, success in the organization and the power to affect the behavior and outcomes of their followers in an organization (Bandura, 1977). Leaders act as role models to their junior employees. Even when other employees do not envy their leader, portraying ethical behavior will ensure that all employees emulate deeds of their leaders. Leaders who are not honest or trustworthy are likely to encourage dishonesty and lack of trust among their followers. Leaders gain trust of their followers when they act in a generally acceptable and consistent manner regarding how leaders should behave in a workplace. References Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Fiedler, F.E. (1967). A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: Mcgraw-Hill. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. (1972). Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources (2nd ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mcgregor, D. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: Mcgraw-Hill. Piccolo, R. F., Greenbaum, R., Hartog, D.N., Folger, R. (2010). The Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Core Job Characteristics. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 259–278. Walumbwa, F.O., Mayer, D.M., Wang, P., Wang, H., Workman, K., Christensen, A.L. (2010). Linking Ethical Leadership to Employee Performance: The Roles of Leader–Member Exchange, Self-Efficacy, and Organizational Identification. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115, 204–213.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

How the Marine Corps Prepared Me to Self-Publish Novels

How the Marine Corps Prepared Me to Self-Publish Novels How the US Marine Corps Prepared Me to Self-Publish Matt Leatherwood is a former United States Marine and two-time self-published author. In this guest post, Matt shares how his experience in the Marine Corps inspired him to self-publish novels,  and how returning to the publishing industry after more than a decade-long hiatus has shaped him as an author.Growing up, I recognized I had a unique ability to capture people’s imaginations through the written word. Teachers in middle school and high school called it a â€Å"gift.† I just thought of it as a way to pass the time during boring classes. Once the bell rung, I couldn’t wait to share my latest creation with others. Mr. Bennett, my science teacher, recognized my talent and began reading my work out loud during study halls.For years, I was content with scribbling stuff down on paper, passing it around and getting a reaction. This habit followed me through high school, into college and eventually the Marines.Journaling my experiences in IraqI never wanted to be a writer. That changed on January 13th, 2003, the day my battalion commander stood before me and announced that the Secretary of Defense, acting on orders from the president, had issued our unit a deployment order for the Middle East. My initial thought was, â€Å"I’m going to war, and I’m gonna die.† My next thought was about how I had squandered my writing talent.A majority of my fellow Marines were disturbed by the news. The last time the United States deployed for an armed conflict on a mass scale was slightly over a decade ago (1991). Fear of the unknown was rampant whether anybody wanted to admit it or not. I resolved at that moment to keep a day-to-day journal of things as they unfolded on the ground. This journal tracked my movements from the U.S. to Kuwait into Iraq and back again.My motivation for the journal was to provide my family with a written record of what was going on as I experienced it should I perish - my mother would be most comforted for an in-depth explanation beyond the generic â€Å"killed in action† touted by the military.How the battlefield turned me into a writerI returned back to the U.S. on July 4th, 2003 and was honorably discharged several months later. I still had all the journals I had written but didn’t know what to do with them. It then dawned on me to turn them into a book that my family and others could read to understand the plight of the combat soldier. Those journals became Train to Baghdad, my first book.I had officially become a writer through extenuating circumstances. I can honestly say, if I had never gone to war, I would’ve never taken up writing. So, it is my contention that I was â€Å"drafted† into writing. "I  was drafted to war.  I was also drafted into writing." @M_LeatherwoodJr Why I gave up writing after my first attempt to self-publish novelsI worked daily for eight months, shaping my journals into the book "Train to Baghdad". Because the war was still being fought and I did not obtain clearance from the Department of Defense, I was forced into writing the book as a fictional memoir.Not knowing anything about fiction, apart from what I had learned by reading it myself, I enrolled in the novel-writing program at Winghill Writing School and spent thirteen months learning the craft from the bottom up. I was assigned an instructor, Canadian author Michael Crawley, who had some commercial success and we began working on the first ten chapters of what is now Complicity in Heels.Why self-publishing works for meWorking with Reedsy editor, Angela Brown was a joy. I followed her editorial letter religiously as I revised the manuscript of "Complicity in Heels". There were times when I realized my story had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. She brought up poin ts I had never even considered when constructing my story. I found myself often asking, "How could I have missed that?" She pushed me past my comfort zone as a writer.Despite my initial, challenging experience with self-publishing, the decision to self-publish my second book was quite easy. The choice felt right because of how it coincided with my Marine background. Self-reliance, discipline, and responsibility are in my blood. I thrive on challenge and adversity, both of which are involved when you self-publish. "I thrive on challenge and adversity, both of which are involved in self-publishing." For others, the traditional publishing route provides security and industry validation. However, both avenues come with a laundry list of pros and cons, so anybody just starting out would be best served to do their due diligence.Looking back on war and the importance of readingContrary to popular belief, there is a lot of dead time during a  war. I too held this misconception of nonstop action, until I found myself in a combat zone - I thought it would be constant engagement with the enemy. After all, that’s what all the movies show: firefight after firefight.   Not so. There are long stretches of action-less time, depending on where you are on the battlefield. Books and mail from loved ones at home are much-desired staples that get you through those times.Often, you don’t know where you are, how long you’re going to be there, or what tomorrow looks like. Orson Scott Card’s  Ender’s Game series got me through those doldrums. I kept a fresh co py of his paperback in the cargo pocket of my uniform and toted that book wherever I went.On the battlefield, books and letters are lifelines. Back home, writing has given me a new path and self-publishing has allowed me to open a new chapter in life. "On the battlefield, books and letters are lifelines." @M_LeatherwoodJr "Complicity in Heels" is available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback. Find out more on Matt’s website!  What has inspired you to be a writer? How has self-publishing influenced you as an author? Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Matt  in the comments below.