what is leadership? why should we focus on this topic within an organizational behavior course?

by Cordelia Bogan 5 min read

In organizational behavior, leadership is an adaptable force that is constantly in motion. When the behavior and culture of an organization changes or shifts, the leadership changes along with it. 3 Often this is because the leadership was the catalyst of those changes and not adapting to the new sets the group up for failure.

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What is the importance of studying Organizational Behavior?

The importance of studying organizational behavior At its core, organizational behavior analyzes the effect of social and environmental factors that affect the way employees or teams work. The way people interact, communicate, and collaborate is key to an organization’s success.

What is the role of leadership in Organizational Behavior?

In this sense, it's rather easy to see that leadership would have an integral part in organizational behavior as one of the primary controlling forces in a business. Leadership has changed throughout history and not all leaders lead in the same way.

What is it like to study Organizational Leadership?

Professionals who have studied Organizational Leadership are unique in that they combine business acumen and analysis skills with valuable leadership abilities. This major aims to develop individuals so that they can effectively lead organizations with an innovative, problem-solving,...

What determines which leadership style fits your organization best?

The culture and goal of an organization determine which leadership style fits best. Some organizations offer different leadership styles within an organization, depending on the necessary tasks to complete and departmental needs.

Why is leadership important in organizational behavior?

Leadership is very important in a firm as it leads to higher performance by the team members, it improves motivation and morale within the members, and helps to respond to change. Leadership facilitates organizational success by creating responsibility and accountability among the members of the organization.

What is organizational leadership and why is it important?

Organizational leadership is a management approach in which leaders help set strategic goals for the organization while motivating individuals within the group to successfully carry out assignments in service to those goals.

What is organizational leadership and why is it important in education?

Organizational leadership communicates the mission and vision, establishes the strategic plan, and inspires individuals to put forth their talents to fulfill the goals aligned with the strategic plan and, ultimately, the leader's vision. Traditional management fulfills only part of that overall vision.

What is the meaning of leadership in organizational behavior?

Article Shared by. ADVERTISEMENTS: Leadership is essentially a continuous process of influencing behavior. It may be considered in context of mutual relations between a leader and his followers. The leader tries to influence the behavior of individuals or group of individuals around him to achieve desired goals.

What does organizational leadership teach you?

Organizational leadership coursework teaches aspiring leaders exactly how to motivate their employees, improving their ability to keep them working productively. One way leaders can motivate their employees is through positive communication.

What is your definition of leadership?

Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization.

What is the relationship between leadership and organizational behavior?

Leadership in an organization is one of the most significant determining factors of both organizational culture and values. The relationship between leadership and organizational behavior refers to the manner in which the type of leadership in an organization affects the behavior of the individuals working there.

Why is organizational leadership important?

Why Organizational Leadership is Important in Business. The wings of a business don’t flap about themselves , but must be geared up by the leadership. Lack of organizational leadership can nullify even the soundest of organizations. Therefore, the importance of organizational leadership cannot be underestimated.

Why is it important to study organizational leadership?

Therefore, studying organizational leadership is very crucial if you want to qualify for and sustain a leadership position.

What are the functions of organizational leadership?

The following are functions of a leader that reflect the importance of organization leadership: Goal setting: A dynamic leader offers guidance by setting and inferring the objectives of the organization to their followers. They clearly communicates organization, ...

What is the purpose of a dynamic leader?

Motivating employees: Every organization needs a dynamic leader who breathes life into the employees and makes them eager to work towards the attainment of the business goals.

What is the disciplinary power that maintains discipline and inspires voluntary cooperation among followers?

Maintains discipline: Leadership serves as the disciplinary power that maintains discipline and inspires voluntary cooperation among followers.

What is the role of leadership in a team?

Leadership serves to unify individual efforts and acts as the cohesive force that holds the group intact.

How do leaders build confidence?

Building confidence: Good leaders build and sustain enthusiasm and self-confidence among their followers. They provide guidance by which their subordinates can identify their capabilities and qualities. Facilitates coordination: Effective leaders foster Team Spirit and mutual understanding among their followers.

Why is organizational leadership important?

Organizational leadership is important because it: Motivates team members. Team members respond in kind to the leader. They will be motivated to mirror the growth mindset for their teams and themselves and consider how they can personally contribute to the forward momentum of the organization as a whole.

What is the role of an organizational leader?

The highly emotionally intelligent organizational leader communicates in all ways that every employee's contributions are respected, as every role is vital to the organization's forward movement as a whole. The leader shares the organization's values and models the communication, ethics, inclusion, and respect expected of each individual.

Why is continuous development important?

Continual development will not only help you achieve an organizational leadership job , but it can also help you continually improve your performance and impact.

What degree do you need to be a leader?

However, plenty of smaller organizations and levels of the organization would not require those same degrees. For instance, a Master of Science in Human Resources may suffice for a mid-tier leadership organizational role or a higher role in a smaller organization. Many experienced professionals pursue a part-time degree, certificate, or executive program to fill in any gaps as they move into leadership roles.

What motivates team members?

Motivates team members. Team members respond in kind to the leader. They will be motivated to mirror the growth mindset for their teams and themselves and consider how they can personally contribute to the forward momentum of the organization as a whole.

What are the skills of a leader?

The above skills are predicated on the leader's expertise, learned managerial skills, growth mindset, and developed emotional intelligence. They allow the leader to be aware of oneself, their impact on others, and the motivation of others, within the context of furthering the organization's singular mission.

Why is it important to have a psychologically safe environment?

Allows for a problem-solving and decision-making mindset. In a psychologically safe atmosphere where people are not afraid to speak up, great ideas can emerge. When a leader entrusts the individuals hired into their roles to develop solutions and make decisions , exponential growth is possible.

When an organization needs to make changes within itself, that is internally, that is the participative leadership style?

When an organization needs to make changes within itself, that is internally, the participative leadership style helps employees accept changes easily as they play a role in the process. This leadership style meets challenges when companies need to make a decision in a short period of time.

What is organizational behavior?

Organizational Behavior - Leadership. Leadership can be defined as the ability of the management to make sound decisions and inspire others to perform well. It is the process of directing the behavior of others towards achieving a common goal. In short, leadership is getting things done through others.

Why is participative leadership important?

It values the input of team members and peers, but the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the participative leader. Participative leadership motivates employee morale because employees make contributions to the decision-making process. It accounts to a feeling that their opinions matter.

How does transformational leadership affect employees?

Transformational leadership has the ability to affect employee's perceptions through the returns that organization gets in the form of human capital benefits. These leaders have the ability to reap higher benefits by introducing knowledge management processes, encouraging interpersonal communication among employees and creating healthy organizational culture.

What is transactional leadership?

Transactional leadership style is formed by the concept of reward and punishment. Transactional leaders believe that the employee's performance is completely dependent on these two factors. When there is an encouragement, the workers put in their best effort and the bonus is in monetary terms in most of the cases. In case they fail to achieve the set target they are given a negative appraisal.

How does a participative environment help an organization?

It helps in flourishing organizational innovation by creating a participative environment or culture. It promotes a culture where the employees have autonomy to speak about their experiences and share knowledge.

What is the autocratic leadership style?

The autocratic leadership style permits managers to make decisions alone without the input of others. Managers access total authority and impose their will on employees. No one opposes the decisions of autocratic leaders. Countries like Cuba and North Korea operate under the autocratic leadership style.

What is the role of leadership in an organization?

In organizational behavior, leadership is an adaptable force that is constantly in motion. When the behavior and culture of an organization changes or shifts, the leadership changes along with it.3 Often this is because the leadership was the catalyst of those changes and not adapting to the new sets the group up for failure.

What is the most common leadership style?

The more common styles of leadership that are found in organizational behavior and business include: Autocratic-A classical leadership style, autocratic leaders are fairly common.

What is an autocratic leader?

Autocratic-A classical leadership style, autocratic leaders are fairly common. It fits the general idea that people have for a leader: an authoritarian, decision-based, powerful, and solo-operating force.4 These are the leaders that guide the business based on their own abilities without seeking input from others.

Why is communication important in leadership?

By this point, you should realize that good communication skills are a vital component to organizational behavior and business success. Being communicative is a hallmark of leadership, and leaders who cannot convey their guidance will cause more problems than they solve.

What is the major decision?

The major decisions-the kind that are big, life-changing moves that alter the fate of the group and its members-are reserved for those in positions of leadership. Their actions can shape the entire dynamics of the business, affecting morale, motivation, actions, and the behavior amongst their employees.2 It can be a lot of responsibility, ...

What is the value of leadership?

The Value of Leadership. As stated, leadership is what keeps a business and its employees in motion. It is the leaders that set the tone, keep things functioning, as they are the ones that establish the defining characteristics of a business or organization and tie together all of its components.1 Their actions as a leader set the tone ...

How do leaders build confidence?

Leaders generate confidence in others through their own ability to be assertive and strong in their behavior.11 If you lack confidence, or are unable to display confidence, it's going to translate to the public as a weakness. As a result, they may not respect you as a leader. How to Improve Leadership Skills and Abilities.

Why is organizational leadership important?

Some people are indeed born leaders, but SHRM stresses that “people can learn leadership behaviors.” That’s why degrees in organizational leadership are so valuable; these programs can help shape ambitious people into the leaders they wish to be.

What is the degree for organizational leadership?

In a bachelor-level organizational leadership degree program, you’ll fulfill general education requirements, learn general business and management principles, and then dive into more specific organizational leadership classes.

What is SHRM leadership?

Further, SHRM explains leadership is not a position, but instead, a behavior. This is often what distinguishes managers from leaders. A manager might be at the top of an organizational chart; leaders are found all across, up, and down that same chart. Managers oversee people and processes, whereas leaders might inspire and coach colleagues at the same or other levels as them.

What is the role of leadership in human resources?

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) defines leadership as: The process by which an individual determines direction, influences a group, and directs the group toward a specific goal or mission. Further, SHRM explains leadership is not a position, but instead, a behavior.

Why is democratic leadership called participative?

Democratic leadership is also called participative leadership because these leaders involve everyone’s voice. Teams led by democratic leaders often discuss ideas and equally contribute to decisions and tasks. Democratic leaders often make their team members feel valued; however, one of the cons of this style is that achieving consensus can sometimes be inefficient.

What percentage of companies are not ready to meet their leadership needs?

Deloitte’s 2016 Human Capital Trends report found that 56% of the companies surveyed were not ready to meet their leadership needs. And a 2017 report from The Brandon Hall Group revealed that 83% of organizations say it’s essential to develop leaders at all levels.

What is the ideal leader?

According to SHRM, the ideal leader is: flexible, proactive, analytical, strategic, culturally competent, and adept at competitive positioning. SHRM also references a study by consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, in which the pair interviewed more than 300,000 business leaders.

Why is organizational leadership important?

This major aims to develop individuals so that they can effectively lead organizations with an innovative, problem-solving, and "big picture" thinking mindset. The study of organizational leadership helps individuals to be able to promote growth and profit in an organization while maintaining it's mission and goals.

What is the best degree for organizational leadership?

Individuals who are looking for a major that will instruct them in managerial strategies, employee communication, and organizational structuring will find that a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership is the perfect degree for them. Professionals who have studied Organizational Leadership are unique in that they combine business acumen and analysis skills with valuable leadership abilities. This major aims to develop individuals so that they can effectively lead organizations with an innovative, problem-solving, and "big picture" thinking mindset. The study of organizational leadership helps individuals to be able to promote growth and profit in an organization while maintaining it's mission and goals.

Why do we study business ethics?

Business ethics are also studied in depth to provide students with a moral foundation that is valued in the workplace. CBU Online and Professional Studies is dedicated to providing students with an education that will truly prepare an individual for success in the workforce.

Why is it important to understand organizational behavior?

Leveraging insights from studying organizational behavior can help you understand whether your employees respond better to an autocratic or a supportive model of management. This ensures that you have a firm grasp of the policies, communication channels, and incentives that will best enable your employees to perform well.

What are the elements of organizational behavior?

Organizational behavior describes the behavioral dynamics that occur between groups and individuals in an organizational setting. The following five elements are key to studying organizational behavior: 1 People 2 Structure 3 Technology 4 Social system 5 Environment

Why is organizational behavioral analysis important?

With many employees now working from home, it’s important for business leaders to create a positive and empowering work setting to facilitate seamless team communication and collaboration.

How can business leaders increase the value of their human capital?

Business leaders can increase the value of their human capital by studying the complex nature of employees and their interrelationships with others. The insights that such a study provides can help drive human resources reforms and strategies, particularly with recent findings showing a collapse of work-life balance (due to more employees working from home). HR personnel can identify struggling groups needing more support and apply motivational tools (uniquely suited to the employees) to help them perform better by improving their workplace experience.

How can social system help business leaders?

Understanding these elements and their dynamic interrelationships can help business leaders achieve short and long-term goals for improving employee productivity and success by informing strategies around training, ongoing development, collaboration, and workforce processes.

Why do employees respond differently to different methods of communication?

Individual employees respond differently to various methods of communication and behave in certain ways due to the structure of the workplace and the organization’s culture, values, and goals. They tend to align better with teammates and managers who mirror their behavioral strengths. As such, a keen grasp of organizational behavior can enable middle management to build more effective teams and communicate better with frontline employees.

What is organizational behavior?

Organizational behavior (OB) is defined as the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work. As you will see throughout this book, definitions are important. They are important because they tell us what something is as well as what it is not. For example, we will not be addressing childhood development in this course—that concept is often covered in psychology—but we might draw on research about twins raised apart to understand whether job attitudes are affected by genetics.

What are some examples of organizations?

Throughout this book, when we refer to organizations, we will include examples that may apply to diverse organizations such as publicly held, for-profit organizations like Google and American Airlines, privately owned businesses such as S. C. Johnson & Son Inc. (makers of Windex glass cleaner) and Mars Inc. (makers of Snickers and M&Ms), and not-for-profit organizations such as the Sierra Club or Mercy Corps, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Doctors Without Borders and the International Red Cross. We will also refer to both small and large corporations. You will see examples from Fortune 500 organizations such as Intel Corporation or Home Depot Inc., as well as small start-up organizations. Keep in mind that some of the small organizations of today may become large organizations in the future. For example, in 1998, eBay Inc. had only 29 employees and $47.4 million in income, but by 2008 they had grown to 11,000 employees and over $7 billion in revenue (Gibson, 2008). Regardless of the size or type of organization you may work for, people are the common denominator of how work is accomplished within organizations.

Why is OB important?

OB matters at three critical levels. It matters because it is all about things you care about. OB can help you become a more engaged organizational member. Getting along with others, getting a great job, lowering your stress level, making more effective decisions, and working effectively within a team…these are all great things, and OB addresses them!

Why is journaling important?

Why is journaling a good idea? Journaling is an effective way to record how you are feeling from day to day. It can be a more objective way to view trends in your thoughts and emotions so you are not simply relying on your memory of past events, which can be inaccurate. Simply getting your thoughts and ideas down has been shown to have health benefits as well such as lowering the writer’s blood pressure, heart rate, and decreasing stress levels.

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Importance of Leadership

  • Leadership is very important in a firm as it leads to higher performance by the team members, it improves motivation and morale within the members, and helps to respond to change. Leadership facilitates organizational success by creating responsibility and accountability among the members of the organization. In short, it increases value in an orga...
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Leader vs Manager

  • A leader is someone whom people follow or someone who guides or directs others. A manager is someone who is responsible for directing and controlling the work and staff in an organization, or of a department within it. The main difference between the two is that a leader works by example, while a manager dictates expectations. If a manager goes against the rules, that will tarnish his …
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Leadership Styles

  • Different leadership styles exist in work environments. The culture and goal of an organization determine which leadership style fits best. Some organizations offer different leadership styles within an organization, depending on the necessary tasks to complete and departmental needs. We find five different leadership styles in the corporate world. They are as follows −
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Traditional Theory

  • Traditional theory is a theory based on different traits of a human beings. It assumes that leaders are born and not made. According to this theory, leadership behavior is the sum total of all traits that a leader possess. Thus this theory gives the profile of a successful and complete leader. According to this theory, there are five human traits. They are − 1. Physical trait− it includes ener…
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