Not because it is a known and studied aspect, the leadership issue is over, much less from the point of view of strategy. In my opinion, it continues to be in full force, while the functions of management continue to be decisive for the success or failure of organizations. The importance of the leader for the organization, specifically for strategic planning, the relationship he has with the boss, mistakes and the qualities of a leader, will be the aspects that this article tries to address, for which much of the knowledge has already been used. accumulated about it.
Introduction
Since men began to live in community, it became necessary for some of them to assume the responsibility of combining interests, setting objectives, and controlling the incipient results obtained in their process of natural organization. Development demanded it.
The organization is unproductive, anarchic and even chaotic when it lacks a figure capable of providing coherence. It can even happen that, having a certain group of individuals, the organization does not exist as such, if certain necessary conditions are not met to be considered as something more than a simple sum of individuals.
In practice, the importance of the leader in organizations has been proven, whether in the military or civil spheres. Its role is essential due to its ability to convene, unite and unite.
In politics, the economy, sports, the army, etc., the figure of a leader who is capable of defining objectives, establishing a strategy and organizing and directing actions is essential.
There are many examples of organizations of various kinds that have achieved remarkable results guided by an individual, without the importance of the group in achieving the objectives being ignored, since they will be in charge of materializing the expected results.
However, despite the importance of the leader, there is consensus that this figure is not made, but is born. Undeniable that natural gifts must be rounded through education and training, and even experience will also play its role, but always based on the existence of the bases to support it.
Unfortunately, not all organizations - whatever the organization, regardless of its size and scope of action - have a leader, even if they have a person to direct them, which is the difference between the leader and the hierarchical boss.
II.- The leader and the strategy
Economic growth is largely conditioned by rivalry between economic actors, each seeking to achieve a better position in the sector in which they develop. This rivalry gives rise to competition, which works as a process of natural selection in the business environment, where those who are best prepared to face their rivals and the environment, will be the ones who will survive.
In the current context of what has been modernly called globalization, the opening of national economies to the outside world, Free Trade Agreements or regional integration processes, competition has intensified its internationalization process, not only of financial and technological capital, but also human resources. The company's environment has now become much broader and even unpredictable, so staying in the sector and therefore in the market is a highly complex task that demands a new vision from entrepreneurs, from the point of view of view of direction and strategy.
Figure N ° 1: Competition Sector
Surplus are the examples of producers that have been seriously affected by the arrival of similar products from countries with high labor density, such as the Southeast Asian nations, led by China, in which their low labor costs they lead national producers in the West to a crossroads.
In the same way, the processes of acquisitions or mergers have acquired a new dimension, to which must be added foreign investments, tremendously necessary for less developed countries, lacking sources of capital to sustain their potential development, but which at the same time constitute a threat to small and medium-sized businesses.
The process, in our view, is extremely complex and contradictory, but without a doubt necessary. Practically no country in the world escapes the effect that has been created with the new economic scenario. Countries as economically powerful as the United States or regional groups such as the European Union, have had to put restrictions on the import of Chinese textile products. Toyota has become a fearsome competitor for car manufacturers in the United States, reaching not only to settle in its own territory, but to consolidate itself. No strategy has been effective so far to neutralize the impetuous advance of Asian competitors.
Large groups develop strategies not only for integration, but also for diversification, so it is not surprising that Adidas is partnering with Microsoft for the production of video games.
In this way, getting to define an adequate strategy to face the competition in the sector or simply adopt an aggressive strategy that allows not only to consolidate the position of the company, but also to advance in its level of positioning, requires people Entrepreneurs, with a high level of knowledge and creative initiative, but at the same time capable of leading the group in achieving the objectives set. The commitment of the group is only achieved when it is considered an active entity, which will depend on the capacity of the leader.
The implementation of the strategies involves all the functions and people of the company. It is a complex process in which it is not enough to define a good strategy based on the internal potential and the favorable situation of the environment. It is also required to make the strategy work properly, for which it will be necessary to evaluate and lead the three essential elements of this process: strategic change, the formal and informal structure and the culture of the organization. Due to the foregoing, it is considered that the role of leadership is decisive in this phase of strategic management, since the results depend on it.
In this sense, a good organization should not do without a good leader. However, it is something that is not always achieved, because the leader is not formed or does not have to coincide with the hierarchical position, with power. This raises the difference between the leader and the leader, even when the leader and the leader have the charisma to carry out their work, the difference is radical: the leader's charisma is highly personal, and therefore non-transferable, and that of the leader is institutional, and is automatically transferred to the relay in turn.
Leadership is a trade, and leadership an art. When someone adopts a leadership role within an organization, much of their style depends on how they handle their skills, both technical, human and conceptual. Many good individuals, with a very high technical qualification, endowed with a prodigious intelligence and a good creative capacity, are incapable of uniting, of being followed by the rest of the people around them. In these cases, there is no empathy between professional and leadership qualities.
Good professionals, good workers, will not always be good leaders, at least from the point of view of making the group work under the work dynamics necessary to achieve goals and objectives. In this sense, technical skill will be lacking, the one that establishes the ability to reverse the collective's potentialities in its favor or that of the organization, seen as the total sum of all those who comprise it.
The other element is his human ability through which he influences people, based on motivation and an effective application of group leadership to achieve certain purposes. This ability becomes so important that, when used for a good cause, it will bring immeasurable benefits, but in the same way, when used for a negative cause, it will cause devastating effects. Hence the importance of the power of persuasion, motivation and leadership of the leader.
The third and last element corresponds to the conceptual ability, that ability to understand the complexity of the organization as a whole, and understand where their personal influence engages within the organization, where efforts must be directed, intelligence and creative ability. To some extent this aspect determines the management method to be used, which will be referred to later.
The leader must contribute to creating a dynamic organization, capable of adapting to changes in the environment, for which it is necessary to prepare the group, both managers and line workers, since fear of change continues to be a key factor in the attitude of many people, not only workers and officials, but also executives and managers.
Knowing these elements thoroughly, the leader can act more optimally.
Each individual in practice is perfecting, or where appropriate, deteriorating these skills according to their position and results within the organization over time, and is shaping their own leadership style, which can oscillate between the extremes of the leave to do without intervening until you control everything.
Figure N ° 2. Challenge of the leader
The eternal relationship between authority, responsibility and decentralization, is well defined in the role played by the leader or the manager in an organization. To the same extent that greater decentralization is guaranteed, greater participation of the collective will be achieved in decision-making, which should guarantee the generation of a greater number of ideas that should condition greater and better results, in addition to serving to commit a greater number of members to the project. But this is not always achieved, because it is not by decree, it is by conviction. It is not by instruction, it is by vocation.
III.- What the leader must face
Many are the challenges that a leader will have to face, especially in terms of achieving staff motivation, this being perhaps their fundamental task. Once the strategy to be followed has been defined, the plans have been drawn up and the goals have been established, materializing them will constitute the verification of the result. The best outlined strategy in a bureau or in a meeting room or in the office of a consulting company will fail completely if at the time of implementation there is no clarity or understanding of what to do, especially on the part of the direct actors, which in general always remain anonymous.
Not all labor groups behave in the same way, which will depend on multiple conditioning factors. From objective factors such as working conditions and remuneration, to subjective factors such as the level of belonging to the group, the management style, the degree of motivation, and so on. Similarly, the level of qualification and experience must be considered.
Unfortunately, although human resources have always been defined as a priority in the process of generating goods or services, since they are the most abundant they are the least appreciated. Having highly qualified groups, with a good level of experience, is an aspiration of any entrepreneur, but for the lowest possible cost.
Saving for wages or salaries is the first way to achieve lower costs, which does not always determine a decrease in the number of workers. Sometimes with the salary of a worker two or three of less qualification or experience are employed, that by the interest in obtaining a job will be able to accept a lower remuneration. Quality is supplanted by quantity, but what explains the fact that there are countries in which men (of both sexes) over the age of forty find it difficult to find employment, when they still have at least twenty years of active life left and are in the best moment from the point of view of theoretical and practical knowledge. Anyway we must point out that a too rationalistic and narrow vision of the problem.
Whether a plan or a strategy has been good or bad can only be corroborated in its application, so that practice will once again be reaffirmed as the criterion of truth.
Rivalry and competitiveness will always be present in all types of organizations, because organizations are made up of people, with feelings, will and aspirations. Even today, scientific-technical advances have not succeeded in replacing man with machines, although this may be the trend.
In an organization the leader will be able to find four types of people with whom he will have to deal, which may have different participation depending on the type of organization in question:
- The winners
They are those who seek to impose their will at all costs. They generally only agree to follow the leader if the leader guides the others toward a goal that matches theirs. Although your spirit of optimism can be good for the dynamics of the organization, extreme triumphalism and disdain for anyone who does not "sign up" in your group can lead to poor results. Because of their drive, they should be taken into account, but the role of the leader will be to try to ensure that their triumphalist spirit achieves synergy with the rest of the group, becoming a dynamic force. They can be difficult to handle, but it will always be much better to have people who must be "put up with" those who must be "pushed".
- The Resigned
Those who, despite disagreeing, accept leadership and act accordingly. They are completely passive entities, but this does not mean that they do not disagree, only that they do not manifest it publicly. The comment in a low voice, at a clandestine level, is what this type of individual likes the most. This type of person assumes negative attitudes and sometimes attacks the leader, manifesting differences regarding their orientations and qualities. Due to their personal characteristics, the work to unite the group under the same cause is very complicated. Its effect is perhaps more harmful than that of the following group, among others because it is not known how they think in each situation.
- The Negatives
They are the antithesis of the former, because they tend to deny everything. They are systematically against any innovation, they openly disagree with the leader and his objectives; They are fatalistic, focus their attention on the negative side of things and prefer to continue as is. For them change is tedious, complicated, difficult. This type of individual is extremely negative and the role of "devil's advocate" is the one that best suits them, only it is not to make us reflect on all the edges of the situation, but to put the "buts".
- The Conciliators
This type of person is positive and generally adds to the leader's work. He always seeks to reconcile his own interests with those of the organization with a view to resolving conflicts and contributing ideas. They will be good, as long as their conciliatory attitude does not enter the limits of the resigned.
Integrating each of these groups of individuals into the same mission is one of the most important tasks of the leader, for which he must use all his qualifications, experience and leadership and leadership skills. Very serious is when they do not act as isolated entities, but tend to identify with each other, creating groups in which it is also possible that a leader or perhaps an anti-leader may emerge, as the case may be.
In one of the recent courses that I have taught, I met a student who, in a subject as open as Strategic Planning can be, usually always raised his discrepancy with the approach he gave to certain topics. He was always on the hunt for anything that allowed him to argue, from a definition to an exam question, which he enjoyed trying to distract the attention of the class. More than once the atmosphere warmed up to later withdraw and enjoy the discussions that were generated in the classroom.
He was the typical controversial student, only that in most cases he lacked a complete analysis of all the aspects to be considered in each case. Several of his colleagues in the group followed him and if something had to be discussed with the teacher, they delegated to him. However, later I found out that he was not the group delegate or offered to be the team leader for class work, but his opinion generally did not fall on deaf ears. When I explained the role of the leader in an organization, I used it as a basis for study material, but as the typical informal leader.
The above just as an example, I continue with the task of identifying the different types of people with whom a leader will have to deal. Integrating them, aligning them according to the objectives and goals, can be a complex task depending on the composition of the group. Combining democracy with decision-making is vital, but in the game of democracy - in the best sense of the word - you can lose perspective in the midst of a complex group. The leader must put to the test all his gifts and the virtues that characterize him.
3.2.- Virtues or attributes
No human being is chemically pure, so to speak, however, generally to be a leader you must have a group of attributes or qualities that protect your leadership status. These include the following:
a) Qualification: the leader must be technically trained, without necessarily being the person who knows the most about the activity. The most capable are not always the best leaders. This without detracting from the need for adequate knowledge and qualification.
b) Command capacity: must be able to make timely decisions at the right time, issuing clear, guiding and precise orders, without ambiguities or background, without fear of the reaction it may generate. The leader must be aware that responsibility is not delegated and that insecurity only leads to loss of confidence, in addition to being a sign of fear of change. Only those who play have the option to lose or win. The decision makers are the ones who can be wrong or right.
c) Communication skills: this quality should be vi directional, in the sense that not only should they have the ability to communicate with subordinates, but they should also be able to listen to others.
d) Honesty and humility: not feeling above others, due to the faculties that a position or responsibility provides, is one of the most outstanding and recognized virtues of a leader. Knowing how to listen, even when criticized, is vital to a good leader.
Far from making him lose position, it makes him great. No human being is exempt from making mistakes, making mistakes, or simply working independently. The accumulated knowledge is very broad, the development is very incessant, as if to aspire to master everything.
3.2.-The most common mistakes of the leader
It is appropriate to pause to clarify the following: if we stick to the concept of a leader, without claiming perfectionism in human beings who reach such a condition, it is impossible to assume that such mistakes can be attributable to a leader. It cannot be denied that in practice a leader makes any of these errors, only that from that moment on, his position will begin to fade before the group he directs or represents, remaining at the mercy only of his position or hierarchy, which may in some cases In some cases, they are supported by the economic power that sustains their position, rather than by their leadership skills or qualities. Several of the errors that are attributed with some frequency to leaders will be pointed out below:
1. Tax attitude.
It is a mistake not to accept suggestions from others, imposing your own ideas above those of the rest of the group. The participatory character strengthens the group and allows all its members to be involved in the work to achieve the goals.
2. No one knows more.
Typical trait of self-sufficiency, perhaps even a certain inferiority complex, rather than preparation and experience, this error can unleash others.
3. Work leaves no time to listen.
A leader can never forget that their work will depend on a group, so listening to their criteria, concerns, opinions and suggestions will be important to them. However, it will not be enough to listen to them in order to fulfill a simple formality.
4. Block potential leaders.
The idea of rising to the position of leader or in a management position for life, leads to a very harmful sense of belonging, by avoiding the possibility that other individuals can show their potential in the fear of promotion, putting their position.
5. Assume dictatorial attitudes believing that only he is right.
There is a close relationship between this error and the first two. Others are not listened to, or if they are listened to, it is purely through process, since decisions are made based on what the boss thinks. Any divergent opinion or criteria will be disregarded or even disapproved.
The power conferred by a position or the condition of owner, can protect the adoption of this type of attitude, to the detriment of the positive climate that it must instill in the group.
"Speak your mind without fear of retaliation." This may be the vision of an authoritarian leader, with which he will never be able to hear from a subordinate anything that differs from his position.
6. Seek your own glory.
The good results will always be as a result of the good management, the dedication and the wisdom of the boss. Only sometimes this is not the case with failure. In that case it can happen as the saying goes: “victories have many parents, but failure is an orphan”.
7. Don't learn from your own mistakes.
Self-reliance, complacency, a sense of superiority, lead to the inability to recognize mistakes. To admit it would seriously call into question his superiority.
8. Don't delegate.
When the ability of subordinates is mistrusted, when it is intended to centralize decisions, when there is fear that others will not be able to do what is due "because nobody can do it better than me", when the group has not been taught to working independently, when there is fear that they will learn and it is exposed that it is not as essential as it is wanted to be seen, it cannot be delegated.
9. Not keeping your group informed.
One of the reasons that leadership is lost is due to the lack of information towards the group. When those led are unaware of the leader's activities, management and results, they tend to mistrust him.
10. Not foreseeing for the future.
When the important thing is the present, to comply with what is today because that will be why they will measure us and "we will see what happens tomorrow", future vision is lost. Lacking a vision of the future is putting development at risk.
IV.- Leadership or management styles
The basic function of a leader will be the direction, although the other functions of the management are implicit.
Much has been written about management as an activity, based on the importance attributed to it for the proper development of organizations, ultimately each boss or leader prints their own nuance, determined by personal characteristics, regardless of the knowledge you have about the activity.
The styles that are described in the literature, more than attributable to leaders, are typical of management. We do not conceive of a leader making use of some of the styles that are indicated below, which I enunciate because of the importance they represent to add the members of an organization to the strategic objectives of the same, some of which are based on a centralism extreme and in the application of the authority, with a low coverage for the participation of the group. Among the styles of management the following are defined:
a) Coercive.
This is the least effective style in most situations. The coercive style affects the climate of the organization by its inflexibility.
Decision-making unilaterally means that new ideas never come to light. People feel that they are not respected or in the best of cases that they are not taken into account; in turn, the sense of responsibility disappears, since people, not being able to act on their own initiative, do not feel "owners" of their work, and do not perceive that their work performance depends on themselves.
b) Orientative.
It is a much more effective leadership, notably improving communication. The guiding leader is a visionary, motivates people by clarifying how their work fits into the organization as a whole. People who work for leaders with this guiding style fully understand that their job matters and know why, so that commitment to the objectives and effective strategy of the organization is maximized.By framing individual tasks within a grand vision, the mentor leader defines the standards that make his corporate vision work effectively in reality. A guiding leader describes your end point effectively, but generally leaves people plenty of scope to effectively figure out their own path. Mentoring leaders give their people the freedom to innovate, experiment, and take calculated risks in the vision. In fact each individual is forced to assume a responsibility to the leader and to himself.
c) Affiliative
If the coercive leader forces a person to "do what I tell you," and the counselor asks the person to "come with me," the affiliative leader tells subordinates, "People come first." This leadership style revolves around people; those who use it value the individual and their emotions above tasks and objectives. The affiliative leader works hard so that his employees are always happy, and the relationship between them is as harmonious as possible. Manages through the development of affective ties, and then collect the results of this approach, mainly because it generates strong loyalty. The affiliative style also has a very positive effect on communication. People who are comfortable with each other talk a lot, share ideas and aspirations.The affiliative style progressively increases flexibility; colleagues trust each other, allowing innovation and risk-taking habits to fully develop.
Flexibility also increases, because the affiliative leader does not impose unnecessary restrictions on how the employee has to do his daily work. It gives people the exclusive freedom to do their jobs in the way that seems most effective to each. Affiliative leaders are masters of the art of cultivating a sense of belonging. They are relationship developers, which is always beneficial, for the achievement of a favorable work climate.
Disadvantages: the affiliative style has disadvantages that should be observed by the leader. For example, it should never be used uniquely. Your praise-based approach may allow poor job performance to go uncorrected. Employees may mistakenly perceive that mediocrity is tolerated. Since affiliative leaders feel limited to criticism, employees have to figure out how to solve their problems on their own, as opposed to the guiding style. When people need clear guidelines to face new challenges, the affiliative style can leave them aimless, from which it will lose its effectiveness, since the important thing is the achievement of objectives and goals.In groups with problems this type of style can be considered by subordinates as a weakness, so its characteristics, composition and results should be evaluated at the time of applying a given style.
This style may not allow the leader to recriminate incompetent, non-compliant, or simply not performing tasks as established. From this moment on, the strategy and the fulfillment of the objectives can be in serious risk.
d) Participatory.
By spending time getting ideas and support from people, a leader builds trust, respect, and commitment from his group. By letting employees have a voice in the decisions that involve their goals, and the way they do their daily work, the participatory leader greatly increases flexibility and responsibility. By listening to employee concerns, the participatory leader defines what needs to be done to keep morale high. Finally, given that they have a vote in setting their goals, and the parameters to measure their success, people who work in the participatory environment tend to be much more realistic about what they can and cannot do in the context in the one they perform.
Disadvantages: The participatory style has its drawbacks. One of the most negative consequences can be the endless meetings where apparently good ideas are discussed ad nauseam, while consensus is absent due to the action of some of the entities previously identified, and the only visible result is the fixing of dates. to hold more meetings. Some participatory leaders use this style to avoid crucial decision-making as much as possible, in the hope that if you think about it enough it will eventually become clear. In reality, what is going to happen is that your people will end up feeling confused and missing an effective leader. Such an approach may even end up worsening internal conflicts. The leader cannot forget that although her mission is to unite,.This process must lead to the achievement of certain results, so that decisions cannot be delayed over time, especially those that are important and urgent to address organizational problems.
e) Imitative.
The bases of the imitative style seem admirable. The leader sets extremely high job performance standards and exemplifies them. His great obsession is to do everything better and much faster, and he demands that all the people around him fully comply with these technical criteria. Quickly, it identifies people with low levels of job performance, and demands much more of them. If they do not fully meet your expectations, you will gradually replace them with much more capable people; however, this procedure is not always successful.
In general, the imitative style can create mistrust in the group, making the work environment difficult. Employees can come to feel pressured by the leader's demands for excellence, which undermines productivity and staff performance. The work rules are clear to the leader, but he does not explain them clearly, assuming that individuals should be trained to know what to do without the need for explanations and guidance. The leader seems to say: "If I can do it, everyone else should too." The work will not depend only on the effort that is made to achieve the objectives, but it becomes an exercise in guessing what the leader really wants, since her communication level is not good.The level of trust of people under this leadership style tends to decline, so they become fearful beings from whom entrepreneurial initiatives can never be expected. Being wrong is a risk they are not willing to take, knowing the response they can get from their boss. Flexibility, creative interest, participatory spirit, individual interest based on the goals of the collective, tend to disappear or to diminish significantly. Each individual will be immersed in fulfilling what is assigned to her, lacking time and enthusiasm for anything other than getting her job, without paying any importance to the rest.Being wrong is a risk they are not willing to take, knowing the response they can get from their boss. Flexibility, creative interest, participatory spirit, individual interest based on the goals of the collective, tend to disappear or to diminish significantly. Each individual will be immersed in fulfilling what is assigned to her, lacking time and enthusiasm for anything other than getting her job, without paying any importance to the rest.Being wrong is a risk they are not willing to take, knowing the response they can get from their boss. Flexibility, creative interest, participatory spirit, individual interest based on the goals of the collective, tend to disappear or to diminish significantly. Each individual will be immersed in fulfilling what is assigned to her, lacking time and enthusiasm for anything other than getting her job, without paying any importance to the rest.then lacking time and enthusiasm for anything other than getting his job done, without paying any importance to the rest.then lacking time and enthusiasm for anything other than getting his job done, without paying any importance to the rest.
The imitative leader does not give feedback to the collective or subordinates about the work. When it seems to him that something is not working well or that the risk of non-compliance or failure is latent, he takes the task to himself. He does not waste time in posing how the problem created should be solved. When the leader is absent for any reason, subordinates will feel disoriented regarding how they should perform, since this style of leadership concentrates not only the decisions, but also the information held by the boss. An imitative leader will not lead his group to the knowledge of the goals of the organization, nor will he allow him to know what role each one of them plays in achieving the goals. The sense of individual responsibility for the achievements of the group is diluted or never germinates.It is a centralizing style, behind which the following can transcend: an overbearing personality far removed from the qualities of a leader; a low esteem for people who are subordinate to him or fear of losing his position. Any one of them or several may be associated with this leadership style, which is totally counterproductive in a dynamic environment that requires a wide response capacity to unexpected events.Totally counterproductive in a dynamic environment that requires a wide response capacity to unexpected events.Totally counterproductive in a dynamic environment that requires a wide response capacity to unexpected events.
f) Trainer.
Training leaders greatly help corporate employees identify their strengths and weaknesses, and link them to their personal expectations. It is linked to some extent with the Orientative Style. They encourage their employees to set clear, long-term goals, and help them create an action plan to achieve that primary goal. To carry out these plans, they establish agreements with their employees regarding their role and responsibilities, and they provide a lot of guidance and use feedback. Training managers are the ones who best apply delegation of authority by giving their employees the ability to take on challenging tasks, even knowing that the tasks will not be done quickly.In this way they are willing to tolerate greater problems in the short term when it means a lasting learning experience. To the worst, not all leaders are willing to spend time on the almost personalized training of their subordinates, sometimes due to the very dynamics of business activity that demands a large amount of time, leaving few possibilities for training, in addition to the fact that Training requires a certain pedagogical vocation.
V.- What the practice says
In the organization work in which we have participated, all in medium-sized companies, also of different types of economic activity, the diagnosis process starts from analyzing, among other aspects, the level of identification that each member of the organization has within it, what place it occupies and how it relates to the other areas. It has even been asked who is the immediate boss to whom he is subordinate. At first it seems to be an obvious question, however, it has not taken us by surprise to observe that there are always workers who do not know how to clearly identify who they are subordinate to, from whom they should receive guidance.
How can an organization function properly if some of those who make it up do not know exactly who they are responding to, what place they have in the company structure?
The deficiencies in the organizational structure of the organization, the shortcomings in the procedures, the lack of a manual of functions by positions, are aspects that unfortunately characterize companies to a greater or lesser extent, especially SMEs.
This is almost always accompanied by a lack of leadership, since those who exercise the leadership function do not go beyond that. However, specifically measuring this aspect has been very complicated, due to two fundamental reasons: first, workers are not willing to “risk” their permanence in the company; while in second place is the fact, no less important, that generally in SMEs are run by the owners or owners.
In the companies under study, taking into account the problems found associated with this issue, 100% presented problems in the organizational structure; 100% lacked a Manual of Functions and Procedures, at least coherent, updated and well structured; 25% of the positions declared that they performed functions for which they had not been hired; 22% declared having more than one immediate boss or confusion regarding the person or position to which they were subordinate; 16% reported problems in leadership skills, associated with different factors, such as:
a) Discrepancies between managers - owners, which generates confusion among workers. In the end they are debated in the dilemma of who should be listened to.
b) The owner always says the last word, regardless of what the boss has said.
c) Workers are not kept informed.
Beyond these styles described, it is possible that there are some others that are not registered in the literature. We have known owner-managers or owner-managers who in their performance as leaders use techniques and criteria that cannot be classified in any style, without being able to say that it is the result of the ability to combine them depending on the type of organization. Bureaucrats, determined to manage based on memos that they send to their immediate subordinates through the intranet, but who find it difficult to dedicate a few minutes to listen to the concerns of an employee; that ask workers more sacrifice to meet the goals without ever identifying how much they represent in monetary terms or how much has been achieved;of those who seek to combine the effort required of workers under socialism so as not to have to pay a penny for time, work or additional results; those who live with the pretense that they have come from nowhere to make some capital, assuming it is a sign of business success that everyone should praise; who prefer less trained staff in exchange for being more obedient and less demanding, especially in terms of remuneration, not caring that quality depends a lot on qualification and experience; of those who demand that customers be treated with a smile, with kindness, while they are unable to say good morning to the workers.those who live with the pretense that they have come from nowhere to make some capital, assuming it is a sign of business success that everyone should praise; who prefer less trained staff in exchange for being more obedient and less demanding, especially in terms of remuneration, not caring that quality depends a lot on qualification and experience; of those who demand that customers be treated with a smile, with kindness, while they are unable to say good morning to the workers.those who live with the pretense that they have come from nowhere to make some capital, assuming it is a sign of business success that everyone should praise; who prefer less trained staff in exchange for being more obedient and less demanding, especially in terms of remuneration, not caring that quality depends a lot on qualification and experience; of those who demand that customers be treated with a smile, with kindness, while they are unable to say good morning to the workers.of those who demand that customers be treated with a smile, with kindness, while they are unable to say good morning to the workers.of those who demand that customers be treated with a smile, with kindness, while they are unable to say good morning to the workers.
Of the styles described, the most important thing is that the leader be able to determine how to use them based on the characteristics of the group he leads. Not all groups or organizations are the same from the point of view of staff composition, technical complexity, surrounding situation, competition sector, among other factors, so depending on the specific situation it will be necessary to adopt the most suitable style. The ideal is to combine the most favorable and positive aspects of the best management styles, thereby strengthening leadership capacity. Knowing how to combine them will depend on the ability of the leader, a capacity that is not taught in any classroom at any university.
V.- Leader vs Boss
At the beginning of this article I pointed out that there will not necessarily be a match between the leader and the boss, even though this would be the ideal. Such a situation is determined because headship is granted, while leadership is acquired.
There are many examples of bosses who do not have the support and backing of their work group, an issue that does not prevent them from satisfactorily performing the functions inherent to their position. In these cases it is assumed that subordinates will have clarity of the tasks that correspond to them and of the functions of their position, despite the fact that there are companies with inadequacies in their organizational structure, which includes the lack of functions by positions and the definition of procedures. In any case, in situations in which the boss has sufficient power to achieve compliance with his or her guidelines, generally the affiliation of the group is low and the level of motivation is insufficient.
In companies where their origin is family, their creators are undoubtedly entrepreneurs, but this condition does not necessarily guarantee that as the organization expands they must continue to play the leading role in terms of management activity. immediate. Without losing decision-making power, they should look for the most capable managers depending on the possibilities of the company. Being the owner, co-owner or shareholder of a company does not necessarily determine that there is leadership capacity or that it is necessarily maintained in the process of evolution of the organization.
In an article I read a while ago, a relatively young woman, a nurse by profession, was described who began working in a very simple position in the company that a few years later managed to lead. Without any business training, her progressive promotion led her to occupy positions for which her intuition was vital, carrying out transformations from the organizational, functional and even commercial point of view. The results were palpable and measurable, enough to rise to the position of CEO of the company.
The owners adopted a wise attitude that is not always observed: they decided to abandon the main functional positions to let go. It is not always the same, but it is an experience to take into account.
VI.- Conclusions
The business environment is highly changing, so that leaders or managers will have to be in tune with the changes in the environment if they are to achieve that the proposed goals and objectives are met. Many examples of successful strategies associated with the role of an individual capable of identifying mistakes and successes, threats and opportunities, combining the creative spirit of a group, are recorded in specialized literature, in the press or in daily life. Being confused in this regard can only guarantee the path to failure in an increasingly changing and aggressive business environment.
Wherever a potential leader is detected, it will be important to explore their real possibilities. A leader is much more valuable in practical terms than the most qualified professional, although this should not be taken as an underestimation of the preponderant role that professionals, technicians and personnel in general have in achieving the goals of a group. I only point out that a group with a good technical level may not reach higher goals when it lacks a leader.
Bibliographic references
• Anthony, Robert and Govindarajan, Vijai: Management Control Systems. Mc Graw Hill. Tenth edition. Year 2004.
• Bueno Campos, Eduardo; Cruz Roche, Eduardo; Durán Herrera, Juan José: Business Economics. Analysis of business decisions. Ediciones Pirámide, SA Madrid. Year Edition 1991, Fourteenth edition.
• Hampton, David R: Administration, Third Edition. Edited by McGraw Hill. Year Edition 1990
• Jiménez, Ricardo: Types of leadership. www.monographies.com. Date of visit: November 2005
• Mintzberg, Henry and Brian Quinn, James: The Strategic Process. Second edition. Edited by Prentice Hall Hispanoamericana, SA Year 1991.
• Saval, Ricaurte: Leadership styles. www.monographies.com. Date of visit: December 2005.
