PSY FPX 6720 Assessment 1: The Importance of Leader Values, Traits, and Context 

Abstract

The leadership position in an organization is very vital to any team. As far as success is concerned, there are three significant traits that a leader should possess. Integrity, decisiveness, and enthusiasm are traits that any willing leader can achieve, i.e., by prioritizing followers, i.e., those of adaptive leadership and those of affiliative management style. Successful and effective leaders who are able to develop these traits, along with changing different leadership and management styles, are found to be more successful in influencing others in their group so that they become successful as well.

The Importance of Leader Values, Traits, and Context

Being a successful leader requires more than having a title at work. A leader should be somebody with some and certain characteristics that can make him or her an improved leader within the workplace by making them a more effective worker. Becoming a great leader can frighten some, but something must be remembered in this period of development: leaders aren’t born; they are constructed. The experiences that one makes in his journey to become a leader have the ability to shape him for the better and introduce a better and bolder self (Bennis & Thomas, 2002).

Some of the vital traits that all leaders should ensure they achieve on their journey of transformation are those of integrity, decisiveness, and passion. For utilizing characteristics in groups, one must have knowledge regarding what each is individually. The integrity trait entails possessing the motivation to complete something and possessing the desire to be in charge; the decisiveness trait entails possessing the ability to meet daily obstacles with the mind that all objectives will be achieved; and the enthusiasm trait empowers high-energy leaders to be in pursuit of their goals and never quit (Emere et al., 2019).

PSY FPX 6720 Assessment 1: The Importance of Leader Values, Traits, and Context 

At my previous place of employment, I was a staff member at a local movie theater, where the general manager met all the criteria of what it meant to be an effective leader. For example, when this manager was present at the workplace, he consistently prioritized ensuring that all guests enjoyed their time in the theater; this included keeping all theaters clean for the next group of patrons and making sure the staff had a positive working experience. And so when the time had arrived to prepare for the next movie set and the crew was behind schedule in cleaning, this manager would pick up a broom and dustpan and fall in with his followers. His behavior was not only an exercise of integrity as well as firmness in holding up the standards he insisted on among the workers but also on himself. Furthermore, through this action, he showed how much he was willing to ensure that all individuals had a great time while within the theater. Additionally, by adhering to these habits, the leader strengthened his relationship with his followers.

In an organization, the leadership role, or simply the leader, holds the greatest weight among the remaining members. No matter the ever-changing definition of effective leadership, though, there have been traits such as integrity, decisiveness, and enthusiasm that have been shown to be key elements in becoming a successful and effective leader (Hunt & Fedynich, 2019). Studies have shown that if leadership is able to show these qualities, then they present their followers a reason to trust them more as well as make them confident that their leaders can complete the job in hand, since exemplary leadership can take a company quite far (Putra & Cho, 2019). This finding shows that leaders’ qualities affect them, their team, and their company.

Choices that Reflect a Leader’s Values

Leaders play a significant role in motivating their employees and team. Despite the numerous styles of leadership that are being followed by the majority, the affiliative management style seems to be one of the most effective ways of utilizing the traits of enthusiasm, decisiveness, and integrity to foster positivity. The affiliative management style is the method of ensuring your team, or followers, are working in a harmonious and cohesive work environment (Pinelli et al., 2018).

The significance of this is to demonstrate that when team members and leadership are able to work in harmony together in alignment with their expectations of the other, it becomes a more joyful work environment. Regardless of how good the leader’s decisions can be, so is that of a good follower. One who establishes standards of a good follower is one who has the desire to have the courage and confidence to speak respectfully with your leader if you feel you’re not going in the right direction (Chaleff, 2009). The importance of having good followers in your team is to have mutual understanding and trust of the things that need to be done on both sides.

PSY FPX 6720 Assessment 1: The Importance of Leader Values, Traits, and Context 

In the video “Leadership Lessons Learned at Starbucks,” Howard Behar recounts an experience of how his followers, who had initially been very supportive of his promotion, over time had started losing faith in his ability to represent them. Howard started modifying his personality to meet unspoken expectations during meetings. This shift in his traits had begun to break the bonds that Howard shared with his followers. Howard displayed leadership abilities and traits that made his followers believe he was an effective leader, including his passion and openness in sharing his thoughts and opinions with others.

The leader, Howard in this instance, thought about followership because he knew that he was not the person who could be the quiet man in the conference room; he was there to serve and represent his followers. This situation illustrated how a leader would be more effective if they heard what their followers care about. It has been unveiled by research that whenever affiliative leaders become out of touch with inspiring group members, along with themselves, it makes workers feel like they have lost grip on their tasks, and their morale and job satisfaction suffer (Preston et al., 2015). The importance of these values-based leadership and ethical leadership in this case study is that if the relationship between leadership and followers is strained, employee performance can be negatively impacted.

The Importance of Adaptive Leadership in the Workplace

Adaptability should be a skill that all leaders need to learn in order to have a successful career. Adaptive leadership bears a striking resemblance to the affiliative management style, where both styles are follower-focused and predominantly interested in the relationship between followers and leaders (Nelson & Squires, 2017). Leaders with traits such as enthusiasm, decisiveness, and integrity can assist leadership in relating to their followers. Adaptive, flexible leaders who are able to adapt to the affiliative leadership style provide an alternative that is solutions-focused through collaboration between both the management side and the follower side. Studies have shown that leaders who are able to add a number of different leadership approaches to their repertoire have better relations with followers (Nelson & Squires, 2017).

At my previous job, where I worked at a cinema theater, the management would reward employees who were doing exceptionally well and selling a lot with a “shout out.” The shout-out was that the management would, in front of the whole staff, announce their performance and achievements and promise to reimburse them for one of their lunches within a week. By rewarding supporters in this manner, adaptive and affiliative leaders made their supporters aware that their work is valued and benefits the rest of the team and the organization (Heifetz et al., 2009).

The way leadership choices are made and how they reflect a leader’s values is important because a leader’s actions influence everyone around them. Therefore, when a leader can effectively know their followers, it results in a greater sense of employee morale and job satisfaction. It has been shown that when adaptive leadership can effectively reach followers on different levels, there is more retention, increased job motivation, and a more cooperative work environment (Randall & Coakley, 2007).

Conclusion

The role of management leadership is essential for any organizational team and also one of the most important jobs. Effective leaders who are capable of using different leadership and management styles are shown to be more effective in making others in the team more successful. But the management skills are not something that one is born with; real and effective leaders are molded by their experiences. It takes great qualities, such as enthusiasm, decisiveness, and integrity, in order to relate to one’s subordinates. Having these qualities will ensure successful coexistence between leaders and followers.