Good leadership is important for quality improvement processes, customer relatio

Question

Good leadership is important for quality improvement processes, customer relationships, employee retention, and overall organizational processes. A good leader has several characteristics, including balanced commitment, positive role model, communication skills, positive influence, and persuasiveness. However, each leader may have a personally distinct style of leadership. In this discussion, you will explore the importance of leadership and the various leadership styles. • Discuss the following characteristic as it relate to quality leadership: o Positive role model

Explanation / Answer

One of the most contributing ingredients in a successful organization in many aspects is effective leadership. It is important to consider society when dealing with human services because the term ‘human services' is exactly that; which is a service to people. A society filled with individuals from all different types of backgrounds and cultures. There is not just one type of humans, and it may be said that the human services field may be trying to give hope to humanity in many different aspects of the approach. Many different individuals are in need of a different variety of services. The question that is brought up is, “Why is this important?” When looking at the development of an organization, it is important to know what type of leadership will benefit the personal growth of the client and the professional development of the customer and the human service professional. There are a variety of leadership styles along with theories that are in existence. There are some that are more and less efficient in the human service fields. The most prominent styles of leadership along with the most researched within the human service field include; charismatic, transformational, transactional, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individualized consideration (Patti, 2009).

Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and a small amount of input from subordinates. According to De Hoogh, Greer, and Hartog (2015), autocratic leadership is characterized by the centralization of decision-making and directive power in a single dominant leader and creates a clearly defined intrateam hierarchy. Autocratic leaders typically produce choices based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. This type of leadership is often criticized for the demoralizing effect that an autocratic leader's centralization of power can have on the team climate and thereby on team performance ( De Hoogh, Greer, and Hartog, 2015). Like all leadership styles, the autocratic style has both some benefits and some weaknesses; however, autocratic leadership primarily delivers negative team morale and surrounds subordinates with a negative work climate. Power centralization on one superior individual may activate a subordinate's feelings of being undervalued, wronged, and lacking empowerment. Autocratic leadership style increases perceptions of inequity and hinders team climate and team performance.

In a human service organization that is managed by a collaborative or participative leadership style, the organizational climate is intimately affected by its mission to serve its consumers and clients. In the collaborative/participative leadership employees that have an increased say in the decision making, there is less delegation or supervision from the managers. The levels or motivation, the commitment, and job satisfaction are higher due to feelings of association, especially when their suggestions are implemented. Workers in a collaborative/participation will assume more responsibilities to self-manage themselves in an organizational goal accomplishment. The culture of a collaborative/participative workplace is determined by workers who feel as if they are an integral component of the organization and not mere workers’. The quality and productivity are improved when workers at the lowest or execution level feel that they are a part of organizations decisions; even in the minutest details are taken care of and reported. No flaw or loophole goes unreported. These are ways that participative/collaborative leadership style affects the organizational culture and climate. Due to the emotional labor of the Human Services field workers must, according to Gardner, W., Fischer, D. & Hunt, J. (2009), “effort to appear calm in the face of emotionally charged situations reflects the importance of emotional labor to leadership roles” (Gardner, et al, 2009).

Laissez-faire leadership is considered a lack of direct supervision. Also known as leaders being hand-off allowing group members to make the decisions (De Hoogh, Greer, and Hartog, 2015). Characteristics of laissez-faire are, leaders provide the tools and recourses needed, and group members are expected to solve problems on their own.With this kind of leadership style in an organizational climate, an employee's perception may be distorted. Productivity and lack of motivation may be missing. Where there is an absence of leadership employees tend to slack on work. The laissez-faire is also known as the most ineffective style that managers and leaders use. Some leaders use this method to avoid personal responsibility for group failure especially when deadlines aren't met (De Hoogh, Greer, and Hartog, 2015). Even though most of your experience employees may not need supervision, the climate can develop into an adverse outcome, and lead to reduced production. Some people are not good at setting their deadlines and solving their decisions. In the organizational setting, there will be employee's that need supervision because not all employees share the same characteristics.

There are several advantages of the styles autocratic, participative, and laissez-faire leadership in human services management. In the field of human services, the benefits of being an overbearing manager are knowing and understanding that there are constant changes. This leader/manager will be able to respond in a way that helps the agency or company from falling below and behind other organizations. The manager will ensure that the team is on board and keep up with the needs of the clients he or she serves. Participative leadership is a style that allows the employees to provide input and feedback on decisions within the agency. A manager that is a participative leader helps to empower their employees to use their creative thoughts and promotes employee satisfaction. When a manager can be "hands-off," and the employees can make their judgment, laissez-faire's benefits for a human service manager gives them little to no supervision over the employees. Thus making staff develop self-efficacy. Human service managers all will develop their style of being a leader, and some will have their pros and cons. It is when the manager, can lead their team to the goal of effectively advising, organizing, and problem-solving that helps build the culture of a work environment.

Organizational climate and leadership style play significant roles in a workers’ performance in the workplace. The psychological climate also is considered because the mental environment is what an employee thinks what is affecting them negatively and positivity in the workplace. It is important to remember that it is the person's perception of their workplace but not always exactly how the workplace truly is. This is where the psychological part of the climate is present in the organizational climate. Other factors to be considered in the regulatory environment are values, beliefs, and norms of the society that the organization is at. Culture diversity, as well as different characteristics, are also significant roles that shape the organizational climate. Some agencies have a dress down policy where they wear jeans, and t-shirts, as where other organizations are business casual or even wear uniforms. Clothes are used to show unity and equality from throughout the agency, no matter the role of the employee.

Leadership style comes back to the basics such as structure, core technology, and specific leadership roles throughout the agency. By leadership interacting with staff and forming the relationship throughout the organization can help shape the structure in the office that leadership is seeking. (Birleson, 1998; James & Tetrick, 1986; Pennings & Gresov, 1986; Rentsch, 1990; Schein, 1996). Leaders can also manipulate the agencies views by implementing new policies and structures if needed. Leadership roles are known to influence the employees’ roles and values over time as policies change.

            In the following paper autocratic, participative, and laissez-faire styles of leadership were discussed along with the organizational climate and culture to understand how they may affect leadership for better or worse. Worker performance under each leadership style of management is considered to explore how management influences staff outcomes and effectiveness on the job. There is a link to job satisfaction, client-worker interaction, and organization effectiveness that starts with the administration relations to the staff of the organization. Management must work together to innovate and strategize what may work best for each employee while still keeping into consideration the differences in culture, abilities, and even personality.

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