Team Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Management - Essay Example Therefore, teams enable the individual members to bring into their teams special skills and knowledge, different experience as well as diverse cultural exposure. Teams also allow for a speedy communication process as feedback can be achieved in short periods of time (Cranny, Smith, & Stone, 1992). Mullins, (2005) identifies some potential problems in teams as conflicts which arise due to differences in individual's way of doing things, poor leadership of the team if especially the mode of communication the team adopts is very centralised. Cranny, Smith, and Stone, (1992) identifies personality differences as another cause of team failure given the fact that individuals may fail to work together if they have major or irreconcilable personality differences. If a team lacks clear focus for its aims and objectives there is always a likelihood that such teams may end up failing to achieve the very goals they were formed to achieve. Therefore the management has a role in team building especially through encouraging collective responsibility amongst team members. Teams cannot function in an environment free from conflicts and therefore the only way to achieve team goals and objectives is by engaging in effective conflict resolution strategies through strengthening of teams. Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, (2005) defines a team as a formal group of people working together with an aim of achieving common goals. Teams are important in that, they improve performance in an organization, they enhance communication and they make an organization more competitive in that they draw from a wide range of talent. On the other hand, groups are less formal and less coherent and thrive best outside the organisation and whenever groups exist within the organisation, it is usually in a non formal setting. This paper looks at conflicts in teams as the single most threat to team survival and team spirit. In addition, the paper outlines as well as analyzes conflict management process in teams. Business organizations are constantly striving to achieve efficiency and effectiveness on the part of the work force. The numerous challenges organizations are faced with such as ; competitor activity and unfavorable business environment all play a very important role in determining the success of the organization. Of all resources an organisation has in its disposal none is perhaps as relevant and important to the success of the organisation than the human resources. Human resources if managed well hold the key to the success of the organization. According to Cranny, Smith, and Stone, (1992) human resources output is higher when the employee's function as a team than it is the case when employees function in their individual units. A synergetic effect is what results when organizations embrace team spirit. However, creating functional and efficient teams' calls for expertise, tolerance and a lot of motivation on the part of the organization. Teams enable employees to exploit their potential and therefore increase job performance. A team consists of members with diverse experience, skills and

Unemployment issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment issues - Essay Example Unemployment is one of the biggest evils engulfing society all over the world today. With most countries being in a state of recession, jobs are hard to find for even some of the most deserving individuals. This leads to major problems for the country and its population which include lower standard of living, poor health, lower GDP and national income, and a generally depressed society. However, this issue may have an even deeper impact upon a household in which the sole bread winner is unemployed. While such households may experience financial problems, they also experience an array of other types of distress. These pressures may be social, emotional, and psychological; the psychological stress and pressure that unemployment causes, may be its most undesirable and disturbing factor towards a person’s health and well being (Lien, 1988). This paper aims to explore the impact of unemployment upon the psychological position and state of an individual and their family members. It will explain the various psychological pressures that a person experiences while being unemployed and compare the mental health and thoughts of an unemployed person to an employed person. The paper will explore the realms of this issue and determine whether an unemployed person is mentally worse off than an employed person or whether unemployment has no intense impact upon a person’s mental state.... Hence, he/she can indulge in undesirable activities and develop a negative mentality. It is usually said, that people who have a lot of time on their hands are those that indulge in activities such as drugs, crime, fraudulent behavior, extra-marital affairs, and other negative thoughts such as disbelief upon religion or suicidal thoughts. Without a lot of positive and productive mental activity, a person’s mental health is seriously at risk. The availability of excessive free time causes a person to ponder over the smallest things and cause a great array of confusion for him/herself. This may cause a person to stray from their religious beliefs, lose hope in life, or start focusing upon the negative points of everyone around him/her. Such situations cause rifts between families, friends, and make a person difficult to live with. Moreover, having very little productive mental activity causes an unhealthy body as well, and vice versa (Eisenburg, 1988). Upon interviewing Mr. John , a Bachelors degree holder who was unemployed for two years, the following views were recorded: â€Å"I was unemployed for a period of two years after attaining my Bachelors Degree. When I say my friends pursuing successful careers, it gave me a sense of hopelessness and despair. I lost my self-esteem and my endurance to continue with life. I was in a deep state of depression.† Such views make it evident that unemployed people lose a sense of their self-worth because they are not able to prove themselves in any field. Hence, besides the financial problems that go along with the situation, it gives the unemployed person a sense of hopelessness and despair when they see other people succeeding in their careers and they are unable to make any improvements in their

The Hitlers Success in Using the Principle of Fascism Essay - 32

The Hitlers Success in Using the Principle of Fascism - Essay Example To begin, it is noteworthy that Thomas Hobbes played a significant role in the intellectual movement whose goal was to free the emerging modern science from the classical and scholastic heritage. As indicated by traditional political rationality, on which the idealist notion is based, individuals can control their desires through reason and can work for the benefit of others, even at the cost of their own merits. They are consequently both sane and good executors, fit for recognizing good and bad, and of settling on good decisions (Doyle, 1997). They are likewise habitually social. With incredible expertise, Hobbes attacks these views. His people, to a great degree of individualistic instead of good or social, are liable to â€Å"a never-ending urge to force after power that sometimes ends in death† (Doyle, 1997). They subsequently definitely battle for power. In setting out such thoughts, Hobbes helps a percentage of the essential originations simple to the realist convention in global relations, and particularly to neorealism. These incorporate the characterization of personal inclination as self-absorbed, the idea of global disorder, and the view that legislative issues, established in the battle for power, can be legitimized and mulled over deductively. Secondly, Hobbes indicates that the reasons behind the economic and political conditions after German’s defeat in World War I. Hobbes agree that WWI led to despair and hopelessness among Germans. It is evident that many other different social groups rose to support Nazis and Hitler’s political ambition. Since the end of the First World War, the growth agenda has experienced radical changes (Ivan, 2006). This has led to numerous challenges to other countries and in contrast, for many years, this agenda has been quite reliable.   

Brand Impact and Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand Impact and Popular Culture - Essay Example In doing so, the marketers select a prominent celebrity with a wider following (Bagozzi, 1975). This way the business benefits from his or her popularity possibly fusing the celebrity’s admiration for the product or the service. In the modern society, celebrities determine culture thereby setting trends. Following this understanding, businesses use the celebrities’ popularity to revamp the sale of their products as the discussion below reveals. Samsung is arguably the leading manufacturer of home appliances among other telecommunication equipment. The company enjoys autonomy in a number of international markets and competes successfully with other leading western brands such as Blackberry in the manufacture of mobile phones among other hand held devices and many other companies across the continents that manufacture such products as televisions, home entertainment systems, fridges among many other technological appliances. The company takes pride in an effective marketi ng strategy that has resulted in its substantial hold on the market (Powell, 1990). The South Korean company is currently among the fastest growing technology influences and manufacturers in the world. The company attributes most of its success to effective marketing strategies beginning with a conclusive market research to determine the needs of their customers. They therefore tailor make their products in accordance with the dictates of the market segment. Additionally, the company has one of the biggest advertisement budgets, second only to Coca Cola, which is the leading global advertiser. Through extensive advertisement, the company increases its brand awareness and visibility thereby promoting the unique specific features of the product more likely to increase the sales of their products. Among the commonly preferred advertisement methods that the company employs is celebrity endorsements. Lately the company sought the endorsement of the top Chelsea football club players. Chel sea is among the top four clubs in the United Kingdom enjoying a global fan base of more than five hundred million. The choice to sponsor the club is therefore strategic in the company that seeks the approval of the Western market. By sponsoring such a team, the company earns this besides the local market in South Korea and significant part of the global market. The company understands the club’s fan base. By supporting the club, the company possibly restricts its customer target to the fan base of the club. However, the company determines that there is none of its competitors supporting any football team in the world especially the leading teams in Europe enjoying a global fan base. This possibly earns the company the admiration of all football lovers, which is more than two billion people globally. Advertisement just as explained earlier is a means of improving the brand visibility, thereby increasing the market awareness (Hochschild, 1983). Football is the most watched spo rt in the world. By supporting such a famous team Samsung earns free global market access when the players adorn the football regalia branded with the Samsung logos. Chelsea fans globally further put on similar clothing during the football matches thereby increasing the global visibility of the brand. The choice to support Chelsea has therefore succeeded in creating the global awareness of the products manufactured by Samsung. Additionally, the sponsorship earns the company absolute privilege to use the club’

Cmt Communications Essay Example for Free

Cmt Communications Essay The success of any organization is determined by managers being able to plan, set goals, and make decisions. Decision making is the primary function of management and this task should not be taken lightly. Decisions are made to achieve goals and tie them to company actions and outcomes. According to Peter Drucker, Whatever a manager does, he does through decision-making.† When making a decision, managers must take all alternatives into consideration and although one may not have all the answers, a manager must be able to move forward, sometimes immediately, in order to be successful and effective in their decision making process. According to Trewatha Newport, Decision-making involves the selection of a course of action from among two or more possible alternatives in order to arrive at a solution for a given problem. This is a continuous process that requires managers to have specific knowledge, skills and intellectual abilities. Some managers find this task challenging as seen in the case of CMT Telecommunications. In the case of CMT Telecommunications, Manager Dave has been selected to take charge temporarily while his boss is on vacation. His issue is that he has to make a decision to select and assign one of two key managers to take the lead of a new project which entails developing a new CD-ROM self-study course for new software. One manager has extensive experience on the technical side of the house and is in charge of the technical publications department. This manager is skilled in developing detailed manuals on how to use the company’s equipment and software. The other manager oversees the software training department. He is especially skilled in designing training courses that effectively communicate the technical information from the publications department’s manuals. He is known for his excellent presentation skills and for the information being customer friendly and easy to follow. This decision is difficult for Dave because he is friends with both managers but also knows that his decision will reflect his managerial competencies which in the long run can affect his opportunities for advancement. There are three models that decision making fall under: Classical, which is based on rational assumptions and managers beliefs; Administrative Model, which is based on human and environmental limitations and is known to be the most effective model; and the Political Model, which allows collaboration amongst and between managers to facilitate the decision making process when there is uncertainty (Daft, 2013). In this case, the political decision making model is evident in the uncertainty of his ability to make a quick decision. This can be due to his diverse interests in both of the manager’s abilities and past experiences. This is a non-programmed type of decision that Dave needs to make in that it is unique. This is a new project that no one has experienced in the company, let alone Dave as a new project manager having to take the lead and make a difficult decision. There are consequences will play an important role for him personally and professionally. Another aspect of the political model is that Dave realizes he has to get both managers to talk to one another and form a coalition however he fears that this may not be possible given that both managers declared openly that the other department lacked the skills needed to ensure project success. Because both managers are highly skilled and each have a powerful team of employees that can assist with the details and tasks required to ensure the success of the project, they need to be able to work together and form an alliance. By using the political decision making model a manager would engage his team to collaborate and share their diverse ideas, interests and skills, while understanding there are conflicting goals and inconsistent viewpoints. The team would work together towards strategically developing specific goals and in this case, each group could take a certain area of the project to work on then bring them together in hopes to acquire a successful cohesive project outcome. The work of Herbert A. Simon proposes that the two concepts: bounded rationality and satisficing are instruments that shape the administrative model of decision making. Satisficing is when managers choose the first alternative that satisfies the minimum criteria of the decision. Bounded rationality is the concept that managers have to be rational when making decisions based on the amount of time and ability to process all of the information needed to make the decision (Daft, 2013). In the case of David, he does have to make a quick decision mostly because the equipment that needs to be purchased for the project has to be placed immediately. Although Dave understands the differences in opinions from both managers, he has to consider his alternatives in a timely fashion for long-term benefits. He also does not come with much project management experience so his ability to make these types of decisions is limited. As Dave, my plan of action would include the following: * Follow the six steps in the Managerial Decision-Making Process * Discuss project plans with each manager, gather their ideas and perspectives * Brainstorm ideas and develop alternatives that meet both managers needs and that allows for collaboration but at the same time allow for some constructive debate * Use the analytical style of decision making first while considering all the alternatives however switch to the directive style when ready to make the decision * Use intuition and trust in my experience, background, and skills * Take a risk in making the best decision possible without being influenced by emotions or friendships built with the other managers, without thinking too much on past decisions and doubts of my decision making capabilities, have some self-efficacy, and think outside of the box to gather the best ideas and develop strategies to move the project planning phase forward. Every problem can be solved differently depending on the manager, their personality, past experience, education, upbringings, but most importantly their intuition and the risk taking abilities they bring. When making decisions, managers must consider the type of decision that needs to be made, their own managerial style when it comes to making decisions, as well as how rational one can be depending on the decision that needs to be made. One should always consider all the alternatives presented to them as well as the time needed to make a decision. As a manager, one should not be afraid to take risks however should understand the levels of risk depending on the alternatives presented. Being true to what one believes is also important and should always play a part of a manager’s decision making process. References: Kalyan City Life Blog. Decision Making Process in Management-Problem Solving. Retrieved from http://kalyan-city.blogspot.com/2010/06/decision-making-process-in-management.html

Internet and Children Essay Example for Free

Internet and Children Essay Nowadays, in the world in which we live, violence is reported everywhere. It makes parents became worried. So, they try to protect their children from the adverse impacts in society. But although society has taught us that violence is not accepted, in the essay â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids,† Gerard Jones tries to convince people, especially the kids’ parents, that violent media is good or furthermore, it is essential for the development of children. He uses his own childhood as an example of how media or The Hulk helped him switch to â€Å"more sophisticated heroes† (Jones 195), and â€Å"finally found my own lead along a twisting path to a career and an identity† (Jones 196). Afterwards, his son was afraid to climb a tree, so Jones read the stories of Tarzan to his son. Then later, his son was climbing trees. He also gives other examples of how violent media helped children to overcome their stressful and hurtful lives. A healthy child must grow both physically and mentally. Especially, mental illness in children can be hard for parents to identify. Gerard Jones admitted that he grew up too passive because he was sheltered from the media. In recent years, there has been dispute about whether or not children should view, or listen to violent media. In Violent Media is Good for Kids Gerard Jones says that we should. He noticed that â€Å"people pulling themselves out of emotional traps by immersing themselves in violent stories. People integrating the scariest, most fervently denied fragments of their psyches into fuller senses of selfhood through fantasies of superhuman combat and destruction.† (Jones 196) .Each person’s childhood is often a ssociated with something, for example, Donald Duck, Superman, or Barbie doll, Batman, etc†¦ Those characters sometimes play an important role in the formation of their life. After finding his favorite character, The Hulk, Jones â€Å"finally found my own lead along a twisting path to a career and an identity† (Jones 196). Jones’s son, perhaps, admires Tarzan, who was told by his father to support him to climb a tree. To Jones, a super hero model can give kids strength and make them brave. Children need a way to express their natural rage and by allowing them to read these stories or play battle just for fun with their friends helps them develop into kids that will interact with each other. All kids feel rage, so if they let it out in a safe way, they can use it to combat challenges in life. Thus, violent media helps them develop into people who are not afraid to stand up and take charge. Jones tries to prove that violent media can help kids if it is used in the right way. He writes a quote from Melanie Moore, Ph.D., a psychologist who works with urban teens, t o support his argument. He does however include examples as to why he believes that violent media is good for children. But he does not include statistics to back-up his arguments and this is a weakness of Joness essay. His examples might not be credible because he presents himself as one of the evidences and each child develops differently. We can see every child takes a different way to explore the world. Many children will grow up like Jones. They will find themselves in the real world and know who they are if they were allowed access to the media. He states â€Å"When we try to protect our children from their own feelings and fantasies, we shelter them not against violence but against power and selfhood.† (Jones 197) .Parents cannot ban their kids playing video games or watching violent cartoons but as adults, they must know which one is good, which one is bad for our kids. When parents try to protect their children from the influence of violence, they need to remember th at although comics and video games are full of violence and fighting, they also have messages and some good lessons. Parents always loves their children, so Jones uses the phrase â€Å"when we tries to protect our children† to let the parents know that he sympathized with their concerns. But then he says: â€Å"we shelter them not against violence but against power and selfhood.† The word â€Å"shelter† means to protect from something harmful. He emphasizes that the harmful thing is not violence but it is harmful to children losing their power and selfhood. However, some children might take the message of the stories the wrong way, putting themselves too deep into a story. They may hurt themselves or the others because they thought that they were strong like their favorite hero. As increasing violence in the media would be certainly dangerous for society and corrupt a childs thoughts and imagination through blood, knives and guns, those were called â€Å"a tool to master their rage† (Jones 196). â€Å"Im not going to argue that violent entertainment is harmless. I think it has helped inspire some people to real-life violence. I am going to argue that its helped hundreds of people for everyone its hurt, and that it can help far more if we learn to use it well.† (Jones 197) .Jones admits that violent media isnt harmless and that it does dra g some children to doing real life violence, but he does not say specifically what should be done about this issue. He goes on to say that it has helped more than it has harmed. There is much research on whether children should or should not access to violent media. By giving some evidence as well as using quote authority to support his thesis, Gerard Jones made a good essay to persuade that violent media is one of the factors that children need to develop. The title â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† is also impressive. It makes the readers curious because â€Å"violent† and â€Å"good† may sound contradictory. However, his essay is interesting but not enough to convince. A good way to protect the children is to give them the right tools in life, and teach them how to make it a responsible choice and how to protect themselves from bad temptations. â€Å"All violence is the result of people tricking themselves into believing that their pain derives from other people and that consequently those people deserve to be punished.† (Rosenberg) Works Cited Jones, Gerard. â€Å"Violent Media Is Good for Kids.† Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 195-197. Print. Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: A language of life. California: PuddleDancer Press, 2003. Print.

Hersey Blanchard Situational Leadership Management Essay

Hersey Blanchard Situational Leadership Management Essay The term leadership is a word taken from the common vocabulary and incorporated into the technical vocabulary of a scientific discipline without being precisely redefined. As consequences, it carries extraneous connotations that create ambiguity of meaning (Janda, 1960). Additional confusion is caused by the use of other imprecise terms such as power, authority, management, administration, control and supervision to describe similar phenomena. An observation by Bennis (1959, p. 259) is as true today as when he made it many years ago: Always, it seems, the concept of leadership eludes us or turns up in another form to taunt us again with its slipperiness and complexity. So we have invented an endless proliferation of terms to deal with it. and still the concept is not sufficiently defined. Most definition of leadership reflect the assumption that involves a process whereby intentional influences is exerted over other people to guide, structure, and facilitate activities and relationsh ips in a group or organisation. The numerous definitions of leadership appear to have little else in common. They differ in many respects, including who exerts influence, the intended purpose of the influence, the manner in which influence is exerted, and the outcome of the influence attempt. The differences are not just t a case of scholarly nit picking; they reflect deep disagreement about identification of leaders and leadership processes.(Gary Yukl, 2010) Theories of leadership: Douglas McGregor described Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise. Theory X and Theory Y each represent different ways in which leaders view employees. Theory X managers believe that employees are motivated mainly by money, are lazy, uncooperative, and have poor work habits. Theory Y managers believe that subordinates work hard, are cooperative, and have positive attitudes. Theory X is the traditional view of direction and control by managers. 1. It is the nature of average human being who dislikes doing work and will avoid if he or she can. 2. Because of this human characteristic of dislike of work, most people must be controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort toward the achievement of organizational objectives. 3. The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, and has relatively little ambition, wants security above all. Theory Y is the view that individual and organizational goals can be integrated. 1. The expenditures of physical and mental effort in work are as natural as play or rest. 2. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing out effort toward organizational objectives. 3. Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement. 4. The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but also to seek responsibility. 5. The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems in widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. 6. Under the condition of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilized. Fred E. Fiedlers contingency theory postulates that there is no best way for managers to lead. Situations will create different leadership style requirements for a manager. The solution to a managerial situation is contingent on the factors that impose on the situation. For example, in a highly routinized (mechanistic) environment where repetitive tasks are the norm, a certain leadership style may result in the best performance. The same leadership style may not work in a very dynamic environment. Fiedler looked at three situations that could define the condition of a managerial task: 1. Leader member relations: Compatibility between the manager and the employees? 2. The task structure: Is the job highly structured, fairly unstructured, or somewhere in between? 3. Position power: How much authority does the manager possess? Managers were rated as to whether they were relationship oriented or task oriented. Task oriented managers tend to do better in situations that have good leader-member relationships, structured tasks, and either weak or strong position power. They do well when the task is unstructured but position power is strong. Also, they did well at the other end of the spectrum when the leader member relations were moderate to poor and the task was unstructured. Relationship oriented managers do better in all other situations. Thus, a given situation might call for a manager with a different style or a manager who could take on a different style for a different situation. Another aspect of the contingency model theory is that the leader-member relations, task structure, and position power dictate a leaders situational control. Leader-member relations are the amount of loyalty, dependability, and support that the leader receives from employees. It is a measure of how the manager perceives he or she and the group of employees are getting along together. In a favorable relationship the manager has a high task structure and is able to reward or punish employees without any problems. In an unfavorable relationship the task is usually unstructured and the leader possesses limited authority. Positioning power measures the amount of power or authority the manager perceives the organization has given him or her for the purpose of directing, rewarding, and punishing subordinates. Positioning power of managers depends on the taking away (favorable) or increasing (unfavorable) the decision-making power of employees. The task-motivated style leader experiences pride and satisfaction in the task accomplishment for the organization, while the relationship-motivated style seeks to build interpersonal relations and extend extra help for the team development in the organization. There is no good or bad leadership style. Each person has his or her own preferences for leadership. Task-motivated leaders are at their best when the group performs successfully such as achieving a new sales record or outperforming the major competitor. Relationship-oriented leaders are at their best when greater customer satisfaction is gained and a positive company image is established. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory is based on the amount of direction (task behaviour) and amount of socio-emotional support (relationship behaviour) a leader must provide given the situation and the level of maturity of the followers. Task behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages in spelling out the duties and responsibilities to an individual or group. In task behaviour the leader engages in one-way communication. Relationship behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communications. This includes listening, facilitating, and supportive behaviours. In relationship behaviour the leader engages in two-way communication by providing socio-emotional support. Maturity is the willingness and ability of a person to take responsibility for directing his or her own behaviour. People tend to have varying degrees of maturity, depending on the specific task, function, or objective that a leader is attempting to accomplish through th eir efforts. To determine the appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation, the leader must first determine the maturity level of the followers in relation to the specific task that the leader is attempting to accomplish through the effort of the followers. As the level of followers maturity increases, the leader should begin to reduce his or her task behavior and increase relationship behaviour until the followers reach a moderate level of maturity. As the followers begin to move into an above average level of maturity, the leader should decrease not only task behaviour but also relationship behaviour. Houses Path-Goal Model The path-goal theory developed by Robert House is based on the expectancy theory of motivation. The managers job is viewed as coaching or guiding workers to choose the best paths for reaching their goals. Best is judged by the accompanying achievement of organizational goals. It is based on the precepts of goal setting theory and argues that leaders will have to engage in different types of leadership behavior depending on the nature and demands of the particular situation. It is the leaders job to assist followers in attaining goals and to provide direction and support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the organizations. A leaders behaviour is acceptable to subordinates when viewed as a source of satisfaction and motivational when need satisfaction is contingent on performance, and the leader facilitates, coaches and rewards effective performance. Path goal theory identifies achievement-oriented, directive, participative and supportive leadership styles. In achievement-oriented leadership, the leader sets challenging goals for followers, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. This style is appropriate when the follower suffers from lack of job challenge. In directive leadership, the leader lets followers know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. This style is appropriate when the follower has an ambiguous job. Participative leadership involves leaders consulting with followers and asking for their suggestions before making a decision. This style is appropriate when the follower is using improper pr ocedures or is making poor decisions. In supportive leadership, the leader is friendly and approachable. He or she shows concern for followers psychological well being. This style is appropriate when the followers lack confidence. Path-Goal theory assumes that leaders are flexible and that they can change their style, as situations require. Effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers achieve their goals and make the journey easier by reducing roadblocks and pitfalls. Research demonstrates that employee performance and satisfaction are positively influenced when the leader compensates for the shortcomings in either the employee or the work setting. Leadership plays an important role in ones life. If one is a business owner he needs to be a leader in the field of your business. To be a successful leader, one must demonstrates some or all of the following characteristics: 1. The ability to listen: Most leaders do too much talking but not enough listening. Feedbacks to a persons company services or products are important to that person as they demonstrate the customers needs. 2. The ability to acknowledge and change: This is probably the hardest part to do. People often refuse to change. They believe their services or products are the best, which, theres nothing wrong with that. But when there are feedbacks coming from customers you have to listen, then acknowledge them and make changes to provide better customer service. 3. The ability to form one-on-one relationships: People will need to be able to reach you. If you are just starting a business its especially important for you to be able to spend some time to get to know your customers, and/or employees. If you do that, over time, you will develop a strong trust between you and your customers. 4. Successful people make sure they surround themselves with like-minded people. Im not saying millionaires should just ignore the poor. But you need to spend time to communicate with like-minded people. You cannot survive by yourself, and by interacting with others you can motivate others or give others a chance to motivate you. 5. The ability to know yourself: It is very important to know what youre best at, and what your weaknesses are. A business is a team sport. Often one cannot handle all the aspects of a business and need to know when to seek for assistance. 6. Successful people refuse to let other people dictate how they should do certain things. We are not living under someone elses shadow. We must take control and ownership of our lives and careers and never let go. 7. The ability to communicate: Communication is really very important. Even if you are running a home online business and you use email as a communication channel. Down the road, you might want to do a video to promote your company. You might receive TV interviews. Its never too late to practice your presentation and communication skills. 8. Successful people display high levels of optimism and confidence. They believe in themselves and they are not afraid of failures. They see every obstacle as a stepping-stone to their success. They turn challenges into motivators and become their advantages. 9. People who are successful are the ones who are passionate at what they do. 10. People who are successful are the ones who develop high levels of patience and dedication to see the results. http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Characteristics-of-a-Successful-Leaderid=1552997 Characteristics of Successful and Effective Leadership It is not only inborn personality traits that are important but also styles and behaviours that a person learns. Strong autocratic leaders set their goals without considering the opinions of their followers, and then command their followers to execute their assigned tasks without question. Consultative leaders solicit the opinions and ideas of their followers in the goal-setting process but ultimately determine important goals and task assignments on their own. Democratic or participative leaders participate equally in the process with their followers and let the group make decisions. Extremely laid-back leaders, so called laissez-faire leaders, let the group take whatever action its members feel is necessary. A research team at the University of Michigan, inspired and led by Renis Likert, studied leadership for several years and identified two distinct styles, which they referred to as job-centered and employee-centered leadership styles. The job-centered leader closely supervises subordinates to make sure they perform their tasks following the specified procedures. This type of leader relies on reward, punishment, and legitimate power to influence the behaviour of followers. The employee-centered leader believes that creating a supportive work environment ultimately is the road to superior organizational performance. The employee-centered leader shows great concern about the employees emotional well-being, personal growth and development, and achievement. A leadership study group at Ohio State University, headed by Harris Fleishman, found similar contrasts in leadership style, which they referred to as initiating structure and consideration. The leadership style of initiating structure is similar to the job-centered leadership style, whereas consideration is similar to the employee-centered leadership style. It was the initial expectation of both research groups that a leader who could demonstrate both high initiating structure (job centered) and high consideration (employee centered) would be successful and effective in all circumstances. Many students of leadership today believe that there is no one best way to lead, believing instead that appropriate leadership styles vary depending on situations. Fred Fiedler (1967), for instance, believes that a task-oriented leadership style is appropriate when the situation is either extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable to the leader. A favorable situation exists when the relationship between the leader and followers is good, their tasks are well-defined, and the leader has strong power; when the opposite is true, an unfavorable situation exists. When the situation is moderately favorable, a people-oriented leadership style is appropriate. Some theorists suggest that situational factors-the type of task, nature of work groups, formal authority system, personality and maturity level of followers, experience, and ability of followers-are critical in determining the most effective leadership style. For instance, when followers are inexperienced and lack maturity and respons ibility, the directive leadership style is effective; when followers are experienced and willing to take charge, supportive leadership is effective. (http://www.answers.com/topic/leadership)