Question

You are a management consultant who has been commissioned by an organisation to produce a report that investigates management and leadership needs to support the organisation’s business strategy. The organisation has recently identified extensive changes in technology and business dynamics in the markets it serves. There is a need to plan for and manage this situation.

Task 1: The senior management team want you to assess its current and future leadership requirements and produce a realistic leadership strategy and development plan for future leaders of the organisation.

Task 2: The strategy will be based on your review of the organisation’s management and leadership needs and must be supported by your findings from research of relevant theories and models

Create a leadership strategy, using selected theories and methods of management and leadership, to support the organisation’s future direction.

Use appropriate methods to review the current leadership and management within the organisation in relation to the skills that they may require for future situations or challenges that the organisation could face.

Answer 1

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SUPPORT THE BUSINESS STRATEGY

Leadership is not directing power, but about influencing .Whereas Management acts as a guide to a group of people working in the organization and coordinating their efforts, towards the attainment of the common objective.

Leadership requires throughout an organization's business units ,functions and in operation.

Technology changes day by day bring new surprises every second. With the Internet and the rise of social media, taste and preference of consumers have changed a lot. In these volatile, uncertain and often controversial times, effective leadership and management skills are critical. As Harvard’s John Kotter observes: “Leadership is very much related to change. As the pace of change accelerates, there is naturally a greater need for effective leadership.”

A good management team defines organisation’s vision and mission statement that will guide employees about the long term business strategies and business. The dynamism and leadership integrates and influence all the business units to achieve the common mission of the organisation.

· Today’s practice of Democratic leadership style will help employees to share their opinions and ideas but reduces confidence required to tackle what management invites as new challenges

· These are some of the key skills and attributes the leaders of tomorrow will need to thrive.

Diverse leaders should be born since workplaces are becoming more diverse as hiring the best. Successful leaders and managers will be those who step outside of their safe zone and call for challenges and risk. Leaders and managers of the future will be innovative and creative, with good communication skills .posses with adequate soft skills

In order to support the organisation’s future direction the best direction style could be contingence style as Leadership is not a “One-Size-Fits all” approach to managing and developing changing cultures ,technology and taste . Organizations need to develop leaders at every level of an organization. To challenge people at every level of an organization. No one trait was common to all effective leaders. No one style was effective in all situations. Situational or contingency approaches obviously are of great relevance to managerial theory and practice of future.