Sample by My Essay Writer
Effective management can shape and change people’s lives, for the good or for the bad. A leader is a person who can influence; a person who helps people understand how to be more effective in achieving their goals, and maintaining vibrant working relationships with coworkers. As a military leader, I have to use various leadership strategies to accomplish my assignments. Motivation, change and effective decision-making are three of the most important functions in my role as an administrative leading petty officer in the Navy Marine Corps.
Motivation
Good leaders have a certain quality to them called idealized influence. This is a behavioral type that is adopted by leaders to make followers want to emulate their actions, and it is the basis by which I form my leadership qualities. But in order to act in a way where people want to follow me as a leader, I must act in ways that exhibits a high moral standard, and this is demonstrated through my integrity. However, “moral” is a very abstract term and can take on different definitions depending on who is interpreting the action. According toJeremy Bentham, a deceased English philosopher, an ethical decision can be calculated based on whether it has the greatest impact on the greatest number of people. When the leader adheres to this moral principle, those around them start paying attention, and feeling motivated to complete the task that I set out.
Another way I use motivation is to always try to stay positive. I am always smiling, and even when things are not going well, I try my best not to show it. If I am happy and energetic, I believe I will pass on that energy to my subordinates. For example, one of the duties in my other position (as a physical fitness instructor) is to motivate people to complete workouts at 6:45 a.m. I have to have a high level of energy and give clear directions to the people I am training, and the only way we will enjoy ourselves to the point where we do the workouts on successive days, is if I am positive, and motivate the person I am training to be positive, too.
Change
I find that in both my role in the navy and at a physical fitness instructor, setting out milestones will work to achieve change. Here’s what “Planning and Goal Setting for Small Business,” from the U.S. Small Business Administration, had to say: The manager will need to evaluate their performance. This involves the collection of information about the decision’s success. Goals, such as a 10 per cent increase in productivity, or a 100 per cent of deliveries on time, for example, are effective at evaluating whether an employee has the willingness to learn and whether the adapting is at the pace the company needs. Data can then be gathered to analyze where the training module is meeting the goals and where it falls short. If the employee is not meeting the milestones, then the leader should return to the drawing board to try a new course of action, (Planning, 2010). This is the same type of strategy I utilize in my work. It helps both my subordinates, and the people I am training.
Effective Decision-Making
It is important for me to make the right decision when my supervisor is not available. I need to know who, what and when to delegate. This requires my decision-making abilities to be top-notch. I am faced with many alternatives in my position with the Navy. It is important that I am able to deal effectively with those choices when they arise, and make the best decision for the organization. When I make these decisions, I go through a process similar to what is explained in Chapter 6: I identify the problem and the criteria in the decision and I allocate the weights of the criteria. Then I analyze, develop and select an alternate decision that may resolve the problem. Next, I implement the selected alternative before finally evaluating the decision and whether it was effective. I find that I am able to complete this task most effectively by knowing who I am: “By understanding yourself you are more prone to control your emotions so they do not get in the way of effective decision-making,” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2009).
Evaluation of Course Material
The course material was very helpful at setting out the various steps that it takes in order to be a leader. There are so many components that make up a strong leader, and I found I could relate to several of them more than the others. These include motivation, change and effective decision-making. The textbook gave solid examples of cases where these functions are vital, and I found I was able to relate those mainly to my experience in the Navy, but also to may experience as a physical fitness instructor.
Review of Authors’ Theories
The authors provided a great outline of the various ways to be an effective leader, and they gave me a few pointers in the process. It is clearer to me now more than ever that through the effectiveness of management is hinged on being able to influence other people and to inspire them so that they perform the tasks that are needed of the organization. By have a high level of integrity, the authors pointed out, I am able to develop the following necessary to be an effective leader. Leading by example is the backbone of my strategy, and it is one that gels nicely with what the authors have to say. Without that integrity, it makes motivating employees extremely difficult. But as a leader who motivates, I believe I have the quality that is the basis by which change can occur seamlessly, and it will create a better opportunity to make effective decisions. These three qualities are the most vital to me being an effective leader, and the authors helped me make that connection.
Works Cited
Planning and Goal Setting for Small Business. (2010. Dec. 30). U.S. Small Business
Administration.
Shockley-Zalabak, Pamela S. (2009). Fundamentals of Organizational Communication (7th
Edition).
