A633.4.3.RB - Changing Dynamics of Leadership

Why do you think there is a shift in leadership thinking and do you think this is indicative of what is happening in your organization.  It is well known that there is a massive shift in the global business community.  Businesses of all sizes are being challenged to adapt to both internal and external factors; and their leadership is being challenged to manage these changes and still remain successful.   As we discovered in module one, there are various ways to define organizations. We now use new descriptive terms like polyarchy and complex adaptive systems (CAS) to define an organization.  To add to these factors, we are facing multiple terms of demographics in the workforce.  Today’s leaders now have to understand that today’s workforce is a diverse mix of generations and that each employee comes with their own collective backgrounds and value systems. What worked (leadership styles) decades ago, may not work today.  The ability of leadership to adapt to these pressures is increasingly crucial to an organization’s survival.  I will admit that my original perception of leadership styles was very traditional; however, I have learned that I must change if I plan on being successful as a deciding factor for any organization I represent. 

In my current organization, the leadership style has not changed much from the traditional form of hierarchy.  The government is a not for profit organization so the complex adaptive system and polyarchy are not ideal.  Some of the concepts of the less traditional forms of organizational styles can and should be implemented; however, the entire concept cannot. 

As far as the opening exercise goes, I believe that less than 20 percent of the solutions suggested come from executive leadership; while the majority of all solutions are derived from a mixture between middle management and bottom level supervision.  I am not sure if I agree with other perspectives on the statement that top managers/executives know very little about the day-to-day processes/procedures performed within the organization.  I agree that they may not understand the details of daily operations, and there is a shift that senior leadership depends more on the middle and the bottom to education then details of daily operations. 

List three reasons to support or refute this position.
1. Improvements in Global Wide Technology - Technology has made the world a smaller place; one in which business cultures are more interconnected and interrelated when it comes to business operations.  Think about the daily activities of today’s leader versus twenty years ago.  Leaders at every level must now be attached to some type of computer device; which includes checking emails, surfing the web, or attending a virtual meeting. 

2. Information - Information is more abundant today than it has ever been in history.  Twenty years ago no one really understood the true value of what a computer server, but now it is one of the more important styles of retrieving and storing information.  There are not many large organizations that could sustain its oracle of information while maintaining itself.  To complicate things, social media is now one of the leading sources of information.   

3. Generational Differences- As I stated earlier, leaders have to understand that today’s workforce is a diverse mix of generations that each come with their own collective background and value systems.  Organizational cultures and employee values continue to evolve and reform toward a more independent and diversity-driven society. Leaders must not only understand this shift, they must embrace it is they are to manage it successfully.

If so, how would leadership dynamics have to be altered to accommodate and promotes these types of changes?  In order for leadership dynamics to accommodate and promotes these types of changes, organizational cultures must be willing to accept change and the factors that come with them.  Traditional leadership structures must be able to empower lower levels of management and subordinates.  Communications within the company must flow from all directions.  The decision making process must involve more than just the few at the top of the organizational pyramid. 
 
What are the implications of this strategy? The most important implications of this strategy are survival.  In order for an organization to survive, its leaders must share their goals and visions with all level of employees.  By making sure that everyone has an understanding of the goals of the company, they can all work toward achieving success.  This helps everyone to feel empowered.  Leaders that do not understand that there is a massive shift in the global business community are doomed.  Implementing and accepting change is never easy and never will be; leaders and organizations must be aware of this.  Change must be initiated and supported by all levels within an organization.