Personal model of leadership in the modern business environment

Personal Model of Leadership

The modern business environment has significantly diversified, in order to adapt to the changes determined by globalization. Given the situation, the importance of the role of leaders has also increased. This determined theorists' and practitioners' interest in leadership studies that are able to provide some guidelines regarding the manner in which leaders should behave.

The challenge is represented by the fact that the leadership models presented by the literature in the field and by the business practice lead to the assumption that these leadership models are unable to respond to the changing business environment (Clawson, 2010). In other words, leaders must trust their instincts and knowledge when establishing the leadership model they should follow. Such leaders should also take into consideration successful leadership models, no matter the field the leaders in case addressed. This is because the values encouraged by a leader in politics can be successfully applied in the field of business. It is recommended to combine the characteristics of different leadership models that individuals consider to be suitable to their situation and to the objectives they intend to reach.

Personal Model of Leadership Level 1

The first level of the human activity is represented by observable behavior. This level of the leadership model is consisted of the values and beliefs that establish the foundation of the leadership. As the literature in the field proves it, most managerial systems have focused on level 1 aspects, basically on influencing observable behavior. Although such an approach is considered limited in the current managerial practice, it is necessary for a leader to develop strong level 1 values.

Therefore, I consider that a good leader should make the proof of integrity, because others would be inspired by this and would try to follow the example. I also think that leaders should strongly value personal learning. Although taking risks is important for entrepreneurs, the leader should be a little more tempered in situations that require taking big risks. Instead, the leader should thoroughly assess the situation in case and determine whether it is wise to take that risk.

It is also important that the leader is accountable. In addition to this, if the leader is able to self-motivate himself, it means that he is able to motivate others, too. Being action-oriented is a characteristics that all managers and leaders should posses. This means that the person in case is able to clearly establish a set of objectives and a direction and strategy that can achieve those objectives. Although the leader should value using intuition and imagination, he should focus on facts. It is not sufficient for the leader to have a vision, but he should also be able to share that vision others and explain his ideas.

Another important quality that a leader should have consists in the ability of making people collaborate, work with each other as a team. In addition to this, the leader must be able to see the big picture, but he should also be able to focus on details that are important in certain situations. Given the fact that the leader should not have to do all the work, he should be able to efficiently delegate authority and responsibility. The leader should also be able to motivate others.

Personal Model of Leadership Level 2

The second level of the human activity is represented by conscious thoughts that are not always observable by others. In the case of the leadership model, the second level is represented by the behavior or norms of behavior that illustrate the values and beliefs that the leader identified in the first level. Although one cannot make correct assumptions based on a person's second level behavior, because the activity attributed to this level cannot be observed directly, the norms of behavior in this level are important for the leadership model. This is because each level influences the other levels.

It is not recommended that a leader portrays the same behavior in any situation. An efficient leader should be able to adapt his behavior to each situation, to the individuals he comes into contact with, and to the objectives he intends to achieve. Therefore, the leader must identify his personal belief system that answers a series of questions regarding the personality of the leader, his thoughts on the nature of his work, about the nature of the people he is managing, and about the role of the organization or group he is in charge of.

The leader must also develop the vision that he will use in leading other people. This vision should try to refer to the interests of the leader, of his subordinates, of the organization, of the society, and of all stakeholders taken into consideration. The leader must also identify aspects that are intended to differentiate him from other leaders.

The leader must ensure that he is able to teach other employees the values, beliefs, and culture of the organization in case (Dunaway, 2007). In addition to this, the leader is responsible for ensuring and supporting collegiality among the employees. He should be able to determine people to work together in solving the problems of the organization.

Personal Model of Leadership Level 4

The impact that the leadership model has on the leader and on others is very important. Basically, the leader should determine others to increase the quality of their work and to orient towards positive actions that inspire others in turn (Cunningham, 1966). This has implications on individual, on organizational, and on society level.

The leader should be able to transform problems into opportunities, and to teach others to follow such an approach. Planning is very important for the leader in reaching the established objectives with limited resources. Given the fact that not everyone is able to identify their responsibilities, the leader should help identify the responsibility attributed to all stakeholders involved. The leader should be an example of correctness that others want to follow, by imposing high standards in most professional aspects that affect the organization.

Reference list:

1. Clawson, J. (2010). Level Three Leadership. Retrieved January 21, 2011 from http://www.apps.business.ualberta.ca/.

2. Dunaway, D. (2007). Eight Leader Behaviors that Increase Motivation, Morale, and Performance, and One that Won't. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://cnx.org/content/m15614/latest/.

3. Clark, D. (2010). Concepts of Leadership. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html.

4. Cunningham, C. (1966). Dimensions of Leader Behavior. Journal of Cooperative Extension. Retrieved January 22, 2011 from www.joe.org/joe/1966winter/1966-4-a4.pdf.