The Essay On Perception's Impact On Leadership Effectiveness.

For leaders, perception matters. Discuss how perception impacts on leadership effectiveness and what can a leader do to improve the perceived leadership effectiveness.

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Perception related to Leadership Effectiveness

In general sense, perception is to gain knowledge by making use of the senses. It differs from person to person. For a leader, perception is to know the people with whom they work to realize the defined organizational objectives. It holds vital importance to understand the way people are going to behave in a respective organizational climate. Perception helps in analyzing human behavior and to perk up relationships with the people working under the same company (Maciariello, 2014).

The perception duly impacts on leadership effectiveness as it helps to get to know the requirements of the people linked with the organization. Leadership effectiveness can be attained by understanding the way leaders perceive its member’s performance and presentation towards the tasks assigned to them. If things go on smoothly, the relationship would turn out to be strong and hopeful as well. At the same time, the leader should also see to it that the followers experience positive response as and when the leader asks for something to do. If followers are pleased, they are going to contribute more towards making leadership more effective and successful. If there is correct perception, it is sure that the areas lacking could be determined and steps could be taken to manage and tackle it accordingly (Seijts, 2006). 

The title says “For leaders, perception matters”. Leader and follower relationship are based on the way both perceive each other in order to make a move forward. But, the most important thing is that the perception should be unbiased, and then only, the resultants obtained would be proper and up to the mark. If the leader acts in good faith, the followers would also respond accordingly. In all, it will benefit the organization by making it perform its tasks and activities in the most likely manner (McGarry, 2017).

In the words of Otara, 2011, the perception formed by leaders, managers and the workers contribute a lot towards the construction of such a climate that fosters a worker’s efficiency and effectiveness. At the same time, it is not an easy task to perceive the behavior of people working in an organization as it differs a lot. It can be very well seen that people are more interested in acting as per their values. In a workplace setting, the employees, as well as the employers, can be at variance on account of disagreeing perceptions with regards to quantity, quality, and schedules. There is no doubt that the people do consider that the leadership effectiveness can be derived by means of successful perception. But, it can go differently from a leader and a follower perspective. The response given to a particular situation is primarily based on what to go through. This is the possible reason that the perception should be correct and based on true facts. If leader follows right perception, the resultant would be hopeful and promising. The leader has to develop right intent and that too should be properly communicated to them. With positive perception, the leader is going to foster diversity and going to promote the workplace ambiance in the most successful manner (Otara, 2011). 

Transformational Leadership and its impact on Employee Motivation

According to Long, Yusof, Kowang, and Heng, (2014), it is very much evident that the leaders come across choices, contending sets of values and priorities that make up the leaders’ dilemmas. It is important enough to develop trust and empathy from the leader’s part and to have the potential to make out what is right or wrong. On that basis only, the leader could do well and going to lay down positive impact on the followers also. There stay great necessity feeling the relevance of perceived leadership and that can come up by using the aptest leadership style. Transformational leadership style is the most needed one to bring forth positive changes. It delivers motivation to the followers and makes the leader have the courage to bring innovativeness and also to make employees feel satisfied also. There could also be quality working life in order to make the workplace and the job turns out to be the most positive thing for the employees. By this, it could be made out that the leader has to go through the most appropriate leadership style for the sake of receiving the most promising returns. Worker’s job should also be enriched from time to time in order to make it interesting and stimulating for the workers. In this manner, perception towards leadership effectiveness could be realized by means of the most requisite leadership style (Long, Yusof, Kowang & Heng, 2014).

The authors Ahmad, Abbas, Latif, and Rasheed, 2014, discussed the impact of transformational leadership on employee’s motivation. The concept of Transformational leadership is encircled by idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivation. It can also be figured out that the leaders following this leadership style are going to connect with an influential vision that induces strong feelings, and that makes them ethical and honorable hero amid their followers. At the same time, it leads to rising followers’ perception with regards to tranquil goals and invigorating followers so that they can outshine their own interest, collective objectives. This has been concerned well with the positive conduct of employees including duty performance and plentiful actions showing behaviors of organizational citizenship (Dipboye, 2018).

The transformational leadership style is the best way to perceive the best out of the leader and to make him more effective. It is a must to make followers positively impacted and this can go well by going through the key aspects. It aims more on to get close to the way leader has to be proficient enough deriving trust and consideration from the follower’s part. This is definitely going to perk up the individual as well as organizational performance (Ahmad, Abbas, Latif & Rasheed, 2014).

Qualities of Effective Leadership in Higher Education Context

As per Black, 2015, the qualities of effective leadership could be traced well in the higher education context. It can also be realized that a leader can be more effective if he belongs to a higher education context. This instigates more of the behavioral approach, systems thinking, and transformational leadership style in order to stand competitively at global markets. In this way, it could be effectively realized that higher education institutions make one a great leader by developing them with the greatest qualities needed to become a successful leader. Personal leadership development is a must in order to do well at each possible front (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2008).

Not only, but there could also be a positive impact on the followers that could be more influenced by the way behaviors, attitudes and morals could also be reflected by their acts. It is a must to feel the relevance and importance of higher education institutions and the way it could make leaders more of charismatic and multi-tasking. It would make followers feel positively influenced and are going to perform their job duties with utmost effectiveness (Black, 2015). 

In the words of Copeland, 2014, the 21^st century receives wide-ranging, ambiguous and demoralizing leadership failures. This can be located due to the failure of ethics and morals in the thinking of the leaders. One can very well perceive that the leaders are no more abiding by the values and morals and that makes them unfit as a leader. Even, the followers do not notice them and unable to feel their charisma and potential. It is a must to infuse value-based leadership just to make leaders feel great and grand in their thinking and actions (Northouse, 2009).

There stays great necessity to perceive leadership effectiveness by means of value-based leadership. This comes out to be very much indispensable just to draw in the most promising and favorable returns out of it. At the leader’s part, there has to be an emphasis on three root aspects such as being ethical, authentic and transformational. All these together are going to draw in a favorable response from the part of the followers and help leaders maintain a positive aura all around (Andrews, 2017).

Value-based leadership is perceived to be the key to leadership effectiveness. If it is present, the leader would be able to form up a collective effort amid its members. The team effort can also be maintained and that comes up as the way to grow and excel at an incessant basis. Leadership effectiveness can be very well gained by means of value-based leadership and that serve to be the essence for the organization’s growth and progress. Not only this, it would help in having a motivated and encouraged workforce dedicated towards their role (Copeland, 2014).

21st-century Leadership Failures

In the words of Senge, Hamilton & Kania, 2015, there stays a great necessity for a deep change so as to move with the progress against the society’s most obdurate problem and that looks forward to a unique leader type named as the system leader. It is recognized to be the leader that has the potential to go with collective leadership. There stays great necessity to feel the actual need and relevance of collective leadership (Sims, 2002).

In today’s scenario, the leader has to be systematic enough and should go with the methodical approach to resolve the key issues. There has to be far better knowledge and understanding as to how collective leadership facilitates in reaching the so-called goals and objectives. It is not an easy task to become a system leader rather it involves some key steps to abide by it (Western, 2007).

The key purpose is to understand the worth of learning on the job premises as it helps in developing and growing skills and competencies. Engagement of people across boundaries is also an essential step in order to make system leadership carried out in a pervasive manner. It entails that different people from different backgrounds are going to support one to receive the most tangible results. Not only, building of one’s own toolkit the best way to develop the strategy or the approach to move forward with the best possible changes under the system leadership. It is definitely going to help one carry on with the collective leadership concept. This turns out to be far better and improved enough just to deal well with the ongoing state of affairs (Senge, Hamilton & Kania, 2015). 

The leader’s excellence and competency much rely on the way he perceives the concerning things. It would help him to perform his role with utmost effectiveness and the changes could also be brought forth if necessary. Perception duly impacts on leadership effectiveness and a leader has to put in efforts to improve the perceived leadership effectiveness. As per this part, the leader has to analyze the current situation, the changes needed, and the way motivation could go on to make employees feel energetic to play their roles. These altogether going to make the followers feel good and proud and encourage them to do their best (Sadler, 2003).

Conclusion

Hence, it can be summed up that perception plays a vital role in ensuring leadership effectiveness. If leaders have positive perception, it would result in fruitful resultants in the form of motivated people and that could strive hard for the realization of the goals. Not only this, the challenges could be faced collectively in order to make the business grow without any of the compromises. It sees to it that the leaders should have a wide perspective in order to become aware of its follower’s needs and expectations. It looks forward to understanding the follower’s needs and requirements and to act accordingly. By making them feel pleased, the outcomes are surely going to be highly hopeful and up to the mark. If the leader is there to support his team, the things would turn out to be promising enough. There should be a deep analysis of the ongoing situations in order to make team members act in the interest of the organization. The leader really has to put in efforts changing the perception and also to draw in a positive impression towards the respective areas. The Leader has to work hard on improving the working ambiance and also to receive the most promising returns from it.    

References

Ahmad, F., Abbas, T., Latif, S. & Rasheed, A. (2014). Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Motivation in Telecommunication Sector. Journal of Management Policies and Practices, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 11-25.

Andrews, S. (2017). The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide. Morgan James Publishing: New York.

Black, S.A. (2015). Qualities of Effective Leadership in Higher Education. Open Journal of Leadership, Vol. 4, 54-66.

Copeland, M.K. (2014). The Emerging Significance of Values Based Leadership: A Literature Review. International Journal of Leadership Studies, Vol. 8 Iss. 2.

Dipboye, R.L. (2018). The Emerald Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Emerald Group Publishing: UK.

Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J.W. (2008). Organizational Behavior. (12^th ed.). Cengage Learning: OH.

Long, C.S., Yusof, W.M.M., Kowang, T.O. & Heng, L.H. (2014). The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Job Satisfaction. World Applied Sciences Journal, Vol. 29 (1): 117-124.

Maciariello, J.A. (2014). A Year with Peter Drucker: 52 Weeks of Coaching for Leadership Effectiveness. Harper Collins: New York.

McGarry, A. (2017). Care of Leadership: A Practice for Developing Leadership Effectiveness. Orpen Press: Dublin.

Northouse, G.P. (2009). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (5^th ed.). SAGE: California.

Otara, A. (2011). Perception: A Guide for Managers and Leaders. Journal of Management and Strategy, Vol. 2(3).

Sadler, P. (2003). Leadership. (2^nd ed.). Kogan Page Publishers: Sterling VA.

Seijts, G. (2006). Cases in Organizational Behavior. SAGE: California.

Senge, P., Hamilton, H. & Kania, J. (2015). The Dawn of System Leadership. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter.

Sims, R.R. (2002). Managing Organizational Behavior. Greenwood Publishing Group: Connecticut.

Western, S. (2007). Leadership: A Critical Text. SAGE: California.