Summary
In this work, the importance of the measurement of leadership in organizations is mentioned, in the same way it is intended to promote carrying out these measurements with the aim of developing human resources. Possible aspects to consider when measuring leadership are mentioned. On the other hand, mention is made of why it is important to develop leadership within organizations and that this is carried out continuously in search of raising the potential of companies.
Measurement and development of leadership in organizations
Introduction
This work is developed with the purpose of creating awareness in organizations about the importance of measurement and continuous development of leadership within companies. It is important to know that leadership can be measured, however, most companies do not carry out these measurements or simply do not give it due importance.
With an increasingly globalized world, the demand is increasing in organizations and for these to be sustainable it is necessary that there be a significant change in the strategies used for the development of human resources, in terms of knowledge and leadership. Currently, companies are requiring people who, in addition to a level of qualification appropriate to the position, develop their intellectual capital, in this way with the help of leadership development and measurement allows them to be more flexible and make timely decisions. Even measuring leadership can find people with potential to be leaders, in this way it will be beneficial for companies to have and continuously develop leaders who raise the potential of the company.
Background
For some time now, companies have used measurement as a mechanism for improvement and have made use of the results to develop and carry out strategies that increase the potential of the organization. Measurement is a "process by which numbers or symbols are assigned to attributes of entities in the real world in such a way that it describes them according to clearly defined rules" (Fenton and Pfleeger, 1997, p. 5), cited by (Fernández, 1998). Based on this definition, it is important to know how to measure and then interpret the results obtained and thus be able to improve. Companies today live and are managed with measurements, that is, you can measure practically everything or most of things, for example quality, productivity, profit measurement, sales, audits that serve as a measurement parameter, times,processes, the organizational climate, etc. However, leadership in many organizations is not taken into account or does not have in mind the benefit of measuring leadership. Leadership is understood as "the interpersonal influence exerted in a situation, directed through the process of human communication to the achievement of one or several specific objectives" (Chiavenato, 2007). Based on this definition, leadership is the whole process of influencing people to try with good will and enthusiasm to achieve the goals of the organization. At present, the demand is greater since we live in a globalized era and companies need strategies so that they are sustainable and competitive, for this, it is important to have,develop and discover leaders in organizations with the help of measurement and also promote their development.
Development
The lack of talent in terms of leadership is an obstacle for companies to potentially grow, that is why it is important that this aspect be measured and taken into account, since good leaders are needed who lead an entire work group in the same direction in search of achieving the objectives set and of course that are aligned with the philosophy of the company. Peter Drucker mentioned that "Anything that can be measured can be improved." Based on this assertion, it is established that if things are not measured there is no way to improve them, therefore, results must be obtained with the help of indicators that serve as a basis for improvement.
Hence the importance of being able to measure things in this case leadership. It is important to know how to differentiate the leadership skills between two people. How can we differentiate this? Implicitly we do it since we identify who is a good leader with the help of simple indicators of quantity and quality. By quantity we mean that we can measure how much leadership there is in someone by evaluating the influence they exert on other people. This cannot be transformed into a number, but if influence is used as a parameter, we can at least compare how much difference in leadership there is between two or more people. On the other hand, with quality we refer to the extent to which the leader is leading a work group in the desired direction, that is, according to the objectives and philosophy of the company. Thus,A quality leader is one who influences other people in a way that is aligned with the vision, mission and strategy of the organization.
When leadership is of good quality, it must be encouraged and developed in order for it to grow. Whereas poor quality leadership should be cut or removed from the organization quickly as it can contaminate the organization to a great extent. With the measurement of leadership we can identify potential potential leaders, knowing how to lead and welcome them in their growth and development will be important so that within our organization we have people capable of making timely decisions and who have the appropriate knowledge to do so.
On the other hand, if leaders cannot be identified, strategies can be implemented for the development of leadership skills and thus create leaders within the organization. The role of the leader is fundamental and on many occasions the question arises as to whether the leader is born or made? The answer to this question is that the leader is not born but made. That means that we are talking about leadership accessible to many people, not reserved for a minority. It is a leadership that is assumed, that results or that appears in the lives of many people: in the company, in the family, at school, in the university, in the church, in the government, in politics.
It can even be a situational leadership, linked to certain circumstances and to a type of relationship. Therefore developing and fostering leadership is important in organizations, imagine having leaders developed within our own company, this would benefit us by having people who have the knowledge to make better decisions in favor of the company, innovative, creative ideas, teamwork, etc. As long as they all pursue the same objectives and follow the same path of the organization in terms of its philosophy.
There are leaders who are born by virtue of the responsibilities they acquire and the influence they come to have on other people according to the exemplarity they give to others in terms of their behavior, it helps in achieving established objectives and in the capacity of drag.
If we talk about leadership development, it is important to approach it as a process since it is necessary that growth and construction be constant in terms of the development of skills, capacities, habits, attitudes and virtues of a person. It is a continuous process of improvement, and like any process it needs bases that point to the objectives and that the results can be permanently evaluated.
Opportunities cause leaders to be born, that is, someone who had not been thought of given the situation can take leadership and in this way assume responsibilities and this would only be possible due to the opportunity or situation that arises. Currently, everything is based on results and in the same way you can focus on the results obtained in the measurement of leadership, that is, if it is a person who influences others, it helps in seeking to achieve the objectives, if it is an example to the others and even more important if the leader generates credibility, since in many cases there are cases in which the followers do not believe in their leader.
Throughout history there have been different theories about leadership, from Mc Gregor's X and Y theory and Likert systems; going through the managerial grid of Blake and Mounton; even what Peter Druker in the future leader and Peter Senge in the fifth discipline, write and raise about this phenomenon. Therefore, the researchers began to try to identify the factors in each situation that influenced the effectiveness of a particular leadership style. Together, the theories resulting from these investigations constitute the contingency approach to leadership. (Acosta)
In order to measure leadership, it is necessary to bear in mind that there are several types of leadership styles that we have to know how to identify. Identifying styles can be taken as a basis for measuring leadership.
It is important to know the attributes that a leader has, according to this a series of questions can be elaborated that will help us to measure leadership in people. Leadership requires the following attributes:
- Personality: enthusiasm, integrity, self-renewal Analysis: strength, perceptual criteria Achievement: performance, fearlessness, team development Interaction: collaboration, inspiration, service to others
Leadership skills require:
Leadership skills, vision, team development, conflict resolution, quick and accurate assessment of the situation, training, commitment to employee involvement.
The key factors for measuring leadership are the trust placed in solid leadership, this is a reliable indicator that speaks about the satisfaction of the work team, employed in an organization. Effective communication is important as it helps build trust. A leader must be reliable and know how to communicate a future vision of the organization.
These are aspects that must be taken into account when measuring leadership. Now, in order to measure leadership, it is also necessary to carry out different assessment tools such as surveys, tests, indicators where we can identify the leadership that a person has, for example the type of personality traits or styles, skills, intelligence, etc. behaviors, values, attitudes, motivation, commitment, managerial skills, leadership style, understanding of the environment and the organization, decision-making, knowledge, in how it deals with the different situations that may arise, the interaction it has with other people, teamwork, influence it has on others, qualities, aptitudes, objectives it achieves, whether or not it is aligned with the philosophy of the company,the degree of reliability, etc.
Relevant aspects that can serve as a basis for measuring a person's leadership. You can even carry out evaluations with the same parameters so that the same work team evaluates a person in order to identify if they have the characteristics of a leader. In the same way, the perception that the senior managers have of a person as well as that of the subordinates and workers of the company can be taken into account.
In this way, different perceptions can be obtained that help to more precisely identify a leader or potential leader who meets certain characteristics. The measurement of leadership will be according to the parameters or bases that we set, so it is important to define what we will evaluate in a leader. With the results obtained to be able to identify and improve those aspects that will help develop leaders in the organization. At the end of the day, all or most of things are measurable and improvable, and where leadership is no exception.
Conclusions
Currently all or most things can be measured, it is important that companies begin to take more into account the measurement of leadership since many benefits can be obtained if it is done properly, there are tools and mechanisms designed for the leadership measurement that takes into account the characteristics that a leader must have. Based on the results obtained, the way in which leadership is carried out can be improved. On the other hand, with the help of measurement, potential leaders who need support to develop this characteristic that benefits the organization can be identified. It should be noted that these measurements are not 100% accurate since they are carried out by performance indicators that in many cases may or may not take into account factors for the evaluation of leadership,but coupled with this, if you can get and have a parameter that measures leadership in a person. As we mentioned in the article, a leader is not born, it is made, this means that companies have to develop and empower leaders internally, this would be the ideal but in many cases this is not carried out. If you want to become a sustainable company, it is necessary for leaders to exist and develop.
References
- Acosta, D. (sf). Monographs.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2014, from Monogramas.com: http://www.monografias.com/trabajos46/liderazgo-organizacionalChiavenato, I. (2007). "Human resources management". In C. Idalberto, The human capital of organizations Eighth edition. Mexico DF.: Mac Graw Hill. Fernández, L. (November 30, 1998). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.sc.ehu.es/jiwdocoj/remis/docs/teoriamedicion.htmlYarce, J. (sf). Retrieved on March 23, 2014, from
