Managing Work and people( research report) Paper

Managing Work and people( report) - Research Paper Example The leaders have long been considered as the ruling personality in the business and working environment. However, the theories of leadership provide different grounds to leadership styles. Leadership is now believed to be a more flexible and dynamic approach to lead a team than ever. This paper aims to provide a more logical and less rigid perspective of leadership in the context of business environment. The theories related to leadership involving charismatic leadership, contingency perspective and path-goal theory are discussed in this paper. The paper also provides an account on the challenges that leaders face these days due to modern concepts like globalization, technological advancements and diversity. This paper also provides a personal reflection on the practical application of leadership styles and forms a conclusion based on the discussions on different topics related to leadership. The leadership approach that is being supported in this paper is ‘the contingency lead ership approach’. Leadership: The Concepts and Issues The Conceptual Definition of Leadership The concept of leadership is no longer a mystery. ... This paper analyzes the perspectives and styles of leadership and aims to form a conclusion based on the research on authoritative and participative leadership styles. Traits of an Effective Leader A leader is the person who puts forward the plan, explains success, and confirms the capability of success. It is clear that a leader who assures these things will be more competent than other leader who desires to put the idea but refuses to accept any work in the managerial part (Clark, Clark & Albright, 1990). Hence, effective leader is the one who have power over people and whose decisions are binding on others. Everyone possesses leadership potential. Effective Leadership can, & normally does, emerge from the inside. Effective leadership requires the leader to take the whole group along. It is not necessary to involve the whole group in decisions regarding the group’s success however; the members of group are ‘helpers’. These ‘helpers’, if motivated an d encouraged to work together, may quicken the process of success. This is what my experience led me to realize. The first experience as a night shift manager of a small hotel was the most difficult phase of my life. I hardly knew how to handle the staff and motivate them to work speedily and accurately. Leaders in the service industry need to be more attentive since the customers and workers are in a direct contact. The motivational theories helped a lot in running the business successfully from the very beginning of my professional career. Challenges to the Organizational Leaders: The five challenges as described by Yukl (2001) involve the challenges in achieving ethical leadership, gender