The Importance of Self-development in Effective Leadership

The value of leadership

Leadership is an important aspect in any organization. The management staff plays key roles in influencing the running of the organization as well as taking part in administration roles such as planning, leading, organizing, staffing, controlling and communicating. Leaders also have a supervisory role in the management of small teams and the entire organization at large. A number of factors are associated with the success or failure of a leader in a company. Among these parameters are values, ethics, competency, communication discipline, skills, attendance, and motivation.

In light of these, the paper describes the relationship that exists between these factors and the development of an effective leadership or supervisory model. The essay implicates that the factors are critical in ensuring effective leadership. The paper concludes by discussing the importance of self-development for effective leadership development.

Values are an essential aspect in developing an effective leadership or what is termed as a supervisory model. They influence a person’s decision to follow a particular leader or perform effectively in an organization set up. Over the years, values have been instrumental in designing goals and policies that inspire workers to optimum production and instilling a culture that fosters a conducive working environment (Schafer, 2013).

In this regard, leadership and supervision entail the interpretation of an organization’s mission, goals and policies into functional values and highlighting them to the employees so that they are able to work effectively towards achieving the organization’s mission. Therefore, leaders should be keen to develop personal values and employee values if they are to be successful in running an organization in any given situation. Some of these values include discipline, honesty, loyalty, competence, responsibility, rationality balance, creativity, risk, confidence, trust, availability, integrity, flexibility, sustainability, collaboration and financial success.

Leadership Models

Values also impact ethics in regard to the development of a leadership or supervisory model. The establishment of ethical principles is paramount and has a great influence on the perceptions of work within a given organization (Schafer, 2013). Ethical principles enlarge a leader’s perspective on the priorities of a company and help them target maximum productivity.Ethical principles are fundamentally defined by morals of both the leaders and staff within an organization. Some behaviors considered by the majority of organizations to be unethical include dishonesty, unreliable communication, and deceptive advertising, manipulation of employees’ feelings, the exploitation of the susceptible, and greed (Schafer, 2013).

Some leaders are also involved in irresponsibility, coercion, nepotism and favoritism, inhumanity and injustice. Ideally, these behaviors are a threat to any model of leadership or supervision as they diminish an organization's potential in production. An effective supervision model encompasses skills and competencies that enhance maximum performance within a given organization. A good model of leadership has a competence-based perspective that is key to the identification and equipment of any cohort of leadership (Humphrey, 2014).

The capabilities defined in a leadership model vary among organizations in order to give each firm a competitive advantage over others. Competencies and skills are central to leadership development as they are used in defining the positions and levels that require such relevant skills and capabilities. Thus, the selection of a leadership or supervisory model should include a criterion that considers the competencies and skills that an individual has and the ones that require more advancement for successful headship influence.

There is a relationship between communication discipline and effective leadership or supervision. Thus, the establishment of any model of leadership should consider the communication patterns that are clear, effective, equitable and fair (Schafer, 2013). Communication is a key function among the six duties of management which include leading, planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and communicating. Essentially, the outstanding function that holds the rest of the roles together is communication (Humphrey, 2014).

Studies have shown that the success of a given organization depends on the leadership model put in place. Good leaders are ones that clearly articulate the organization’s mission, vision, goals and objectives, and policies. They have clearly expressed values which are in line with what they profess. The art of communicating feedback to employees and those under supervision is an important aspect in any effective model of leadership and supervision.

In any leadership or supervision model, presence is vital to its effectiveness. Leadership presence is the capability of constantly and plainly enunciating one’s value scheme while persuading and relating with others (Humphrey, 2014). This attribute not only refers to appearance but also the person’s conduct and perception of themselves. It encompasses self-assurance, equanimity, certainty, legitimacy and the capability of communicating clearly. Effective leadership presence involves relating with other people in a manner that a supervisor is able to connect with them.

The leader should be able to create rapport with other employees, be respectful and genuine to them, and listen to their opinion. An effective model of leadership or supervision is also results-oriented (Schafer, 2013). Any leader who intends to develop their presence in an organization should ensure that they work towards clearly defined goals, be passionate about achieving the objectives and involve the relevant stakeholders in pursuing these goals. Thus, an effective leadership or supervisory model is dependent on presence.

Effective leadership and supervision are influenced by the motivation of the supervisors and the employees. Motivation refers to an objective-oriented feature that enables individuals to realize their goals (Humphrey, 2014). In essence, inspiration propels an individual to be industrious in achieving the desired outcomes of a venture. Leadership calls for open-mindedness with regards to human nature and the identification of the needs of the staff in order to ensure the process of making decisions is easier and faster. Although both the leaders and the employees are encouraged to possess motivational traits, it is mandatory that the management is familiar with the factors that inspire their subordinates and other stakeholders within the organization. However, self-motivation is a key prerequisite to inspiring others.

A leadership or supervision model should also incorporate techniques of handling problems faced by employees especially those that result from their resistance to change. These interventions should primarily be focused towards motivating such employees so that they can achieve the organization’s goals with ease. Some of these techniques include harmonizing and matching the needs of the employees with those of the organization, appreciating and rewarding top performers and establishing role models for such employees (Schafer, 2013).

Furthermore, inspiring the workforce to take part in planning would give them an opportunity to express their desires to the organization and thus, enable the management to design policies based on evidence. Establishing a team spirit would also encourage and motivate such workforce to work together towards the realization of the organization’s targets. The leader or supervisor should also be empathetic of the employees’ difficult situation and try as much as possible to view the situation from a subordinate’s perspective.

The Importance of Self-Development

Self-development is crucial for the development a good leader who is able to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives. An individual considering to be a leader or aspiring to advance their management capabilities should invest in personal development. Such a person should consider the important skills that are essential for leadership development. Some of these skills include commitment, resolution, persistence, risk-taking, planning, motivation and communication skills (Schafer, 2013).

Individuals should aspire to attain such abilities as they form an essential aspect of transformative and visionary leadership. Personal development allows one to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and ultimately, improve accordingly. Self-awareness enables the management to accommodate suggestions from other employees within the organization on how to best improve the running of a particular department. Irrefutably, self-development is important for effective leadership.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a relationship between values, ethics, competency, communication discipline, skills, presence and motivation, and the development of an effective leadership or supervisory model. These factors have an influence in determining the success or failure of a leader or supervisor. When each aspect is carefully explored and taken into consideration, leadership can effectively thrive. Nevertheless, where employees have a challenge in conforming to the set trends of leadership, the leadership model should have provisions that motivate such employees. Self-development is important in developing effective leadership. Any person aspiring to be a leader should take time invest in developing leadership skills as they are a prerequisite for effective leadership development.