Control Over Decision Making

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

630 Leadership

Assessment One: Mini Essays

Alok Gohil

A263

In an autocratic leadership style, the person in charge has total authority and control over decision making. Democratic leadership style involves a team guided by a leader where all individuals are involved in the decision-making process to determine what needs to be done and how it should be done. Laissez-faire phrase means "leave it be," and it describes leaders who allow their people to work on their own. Task-oriented leaders focus only on getting the job done and can be autocratic.

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, a very challenging and aggressive cricketer from India in form of a democratic and laissez-faire leader in form of a classy bats man, good fielder, handy bowler and all sporting spirit. He is mild mannered in his heart, good looking and pleasant appearance. In 1996, he was rewarded for his performance and perseverance and was selected for India’s tour on England. Later he became the first captain for India to reach in Finals of world cup after 1983. The world cup 2003 did not start on a happy note for Indian team, but later they did not lose a single match to any team except in the final. He became the most successful captain after India won the test series against Pakistan. He also let India to win against Australia in a historic test series.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the autocratic and task oriented captain of Indian Cricket Team has been swashbuckling with his vision, assertiveness, temperament and his clarity of thought which has fetched him consistent results in all formats of the game. The evidence of all this is his presence on the list of Time's 100 most influential people in the world! His meteoric rise and his leadership skills made him one of the most successful captains that India has ever witnessed. Lovingly known as "Mahi" Dhoni, not only brought home the first ever T-20 World cup but also quenched the thirst of 1.21 billion Indians for ICC World Cup this year, after a long gap of 28 years.

Gangly always took decisions which he felt right without caring for the critics’ sake. It is perhaps this indifference to criticism that led to his omission from the team. Sourav felt that every young player should play two years of domestic cricket before being selected for international assignments. He also said that every newcomer should be given at least five games to prove himself. Perhaps, he being at a receiving end of a raw deal that threatened to ruin his international cricket career enabled Sourav to understand the insecurities of other newcomers in the team better than his predecessors. Sourav backed the youngsters in the team tremendously and thus, gained the love of his teammates. His vision was to win the world cup for India and indeed came very close to win one after a gap on 20 years. He relinquished himself, to make the space for the opening slot to accommodate Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Ganguly will most be remembered though for having forged a winning unit from a bunch of talented boys. He as a captain always believed in replying on the face and responding in an appropriate fashion. Again, the prime example of this is his waving of the shirt violently from the balcony of Lords in 2002 to Andrew Flintoff. He always wanted his players to develop skills for their and the teams’ betterment. For example, He along with Sachin helped Harbhajan and Zaheer hone up their batting skills which in the future has helped India save many matches from the Jaws of Defeat. Similarly, When Sourav was the captain, his persistence on Dravid hone up his skills as a wicketkeeper helped him not just to play an extra batsman/bowler but also won many a matches for India, until the advent of ‘MS Dhoni’.

The best thing I like about MS Dhoni is his Emotional Intelligence. No matter how tense is the situation he remains in total control of it without loosing his composure. That allows his team members to focus on the performance without panicking. The leader’s mood and behaviours drive the moods and behaviours of everyone else. High levels of emotional intelligence create climates in which information sharing, trust, healthy risk-taking, and learning flourish. Low levels of emotional intelligence create climates rife with fear and anxiety.

"I do not believe in taking right decisions, I take decisions and then make them right." – Ratan Tata

Dhoni took a lot of decisions which appeared questionable at first place. For example: Playing Piyush Chawla despite not being – in form, Giving last over to struggling Ashish Nehra during match against South Africa, Playing Ashish Nehra in place of Ashwin in Semi Finals against Pakistan, Playing Srisanth in Finals in place of Ashwin, promoting himself up the order before ’in form’ Yuvraj etc. A leader has to be decisive and he should unwaveringly stick to his decision. The decisions taken under dynamic situations cannot be termed as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. They just have to be taken and they can turn either way. You just have to back your own decisions.

During final when the chips were down he has decided to bat before Yuvraj despite not being – in form. This decision could go horribly wrong as his decision to play Srisanth in place of Ashwin has already backfired. However he took up that challenge and went ahead with his decision. That was a courageous move under the circumstances. He proved that a great leader always roll up his sleeves in times of crisis and steer the team clear of any danger.

"T.E.A.M = Together everyone achieves more." – Unknown

He is not the best batsman. He is probably not the best wicketkeeper India can have. Yet he turned out to be better than all of these - MS Dhoni is the best team builder and hence the most effective leader in the cricketing world. He transformed a team of champions into a champion team.

I do agree with the statement, "Every leader’s succeeds and fails depends on the situation he or she works under" because of the fact that success can always be measured in any field by performance. Also, since success is dependent on the performance it also incorporates the performance of the other individuals in the group/team, simply because Business is also about teamwork. Therefore , the acceptance of the leader by his/her team, the internal and external forces which directly/indirectly affect the business/task, the performance of his colleagues and peers are responsible for the success of the leader.

Total number of words: 1097

Bibliography

Leadership Styles - Leadership Skills from MindTools.com. (2013). Retrieved from MindTools.com: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm

Quote - TEAM -- Together Everyone Achieves More... on Quotations Book. (2013). Retrieved from http://quotationsbook.com: http://quotationsbook.com/quote/38462/

New Zealand is one of the highest migrant receiving countries in the world. The 2001 Census revealed that 10% of the population is comprised of ethnic minority people other than Maori and Pacific peoples. This figure is projected by Statistics New Zealand to be 18% by 2021. The challenges of dealing with multicultural societies may be intensified for us due to this rapidly changing social landscape. The most apparent impact of international race relations incidents on New Zealand is that we have begun to look at the issue of diversity more closely. It is now apparent that Government and communities cannot take for granted the relatively peaceful environment that we enjoy in this country. Nor can we assume that our ‘fair go’ ethos is the experience of ethnic minority communities. A strategic approach for dealing with diversity is vital to the future. There is now an increased focus on the topic of diversity on a number of levels including within communities.

The increased sensitivity to the issues provides an ideal environment for an honest and robust dialogue on the challenges posed by New Zealand’s increasing diversity. In this regard, global racial incidents have presented us with an opportunity to deal with diversity more constructively. An old Chinese proverb states that behind every crisis lies an opportunity. We must actively utilize the opportunity we now have to consider how we should strategically deal with ethnic diversity. There are many positive elements here that we can draw from.

The Treaty of Waitangi is a founding document for this country. For many years, there has been rigorous debate about various aspects of the Treaty, including its relevance to contemporary New Zealand. A long history of debate and reconciliation between the Crown and Maori has taken place and this has impacted on all New Zealanders in a number of ways. Many issues remain and will probably continue to surface long after the Treaty settlement process is completed. However, through these difficult phases New Zealand has gradually acquired experience in dealing with complex issues about relations between the Crown and community and relationships between diverse communities. The journey has provided valuable insights into cultural values, identity and our humanity that we may have taken for granted. This experience is invaluable in navigating our way through an increasingly complex pluralistic environment where ethnicity, religious belief and national origin intersect with citizenship, national identity and trade. In many ways, Maori have paved the way for new minority communities. Their journey illuminates the way for others. We can and must, respectfully capitalize on the existence of this vital knowledge and wisdom. Perhaps it is this context that has led to a history that reflects a willingness to reconcile and make amends for wrongdoings of the past. The Government’s apology to the government of Samoa and the apology to the descendants of the Chinese Poll Tax legislation are positive indications of New Zealand’s approach to diversity. Furthermore, the relatively small size of our population makes it easier to communicate across communities. Public awareness and educational campaigns are more likely to yield faster results because of this. Similarly, community dialogues are able to have wider reaching effects when compared to larger societies. The way we deal with multiculturalism in New Zealand can therefore be quite different from how other jurisdictions choose to respond because of our unique environment. I think we are fortunate that we possess the ‘X’ factor that other countries struggle to cultivate.

As New Zealand society becomes more diverse and the ethnic make-up of our population changes, people in the workplace now, more than at any other time in our history, need to be aware of differences in values, expectations and practices when communicating across cultures. Most guidelines for effective cross-cultural communication stress the importance of communicators increasing their knowledge about other cultures. Maori make up one-seventh of New Zealand’s population, an increase of 21% since 1991 (Statistics New Zealand, 2003). Maori are New Zealand’s tangata whenua (tribal/clan/family), or indigenous population, and make a distinctive contribution to our overall sense of New Zealand’s culture and identity. Many Maori are powerful business, political and social leaders, and Maori input is respected and valued across the spectrum of New Zealand society. For purely pragmatic reasons, no business operating in New Zealand can afford to ignore the specific communication expectations and needs of its Maori stakeholders, whether as customers, competitors, investors, employees, employers, suppliers, distributors or trading partners. In general, indigenous peoples are skilful communicators who have learned and adapted colonial languages and concepts to their own purposes to a far greater degree than colonizing peoples have been able to learn indigenous languages and concepts. However, speaking in colonial language, and therefore on colonial conceptual terms, may still disadvantage indigenous communicators.

Multiculturalism brings the globe within our borders. We can tap into the potential this offers us all. A shift in paradigm may be necessary in order to achieve this successfully. I suggest we consider a strength in diversity paradigm as a new way of approaching the issue of ethnic diversity. Government, civil society, private sector, leaders, families and teachers all have a role to play in realizing this vision. Legislation and policy frameworks can provide frameworks and benchmarks for societal mores, but they cannot dictate human relationships. In order for multiculturalism to be fruitful in New Zealand, each individual must consider his or her relationship to others. It will call for open-mindedness, patience and generosity of spirit from ordinary people. Perhaps, the biggest benefit lies in the enrichment of our human spirit when we choose to open our minds and hearts to new ideas and different ways of doing things. The journey to understanding and accepting others ultimately leads back to understanding one’s self. Multiculturalism offers a path to self-edification – the most basic of all benefits.

Total number of words: 979

Bibliography

13. Multicultural New Zealand – The New Zealanders – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from http://www.teara.govt.nz: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/the-new-zealanders/page-13

Diversity Issues New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2013, from http://issues.co.nz: http://issues.co.nz/diversityissues/New+Zealanders+value+a+strong+multicultural+society

http://www.nzfmc.org.nz. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from http://www.nzfmc.org.nz: http://www.nzfmc.org.nz/portals/35/files/Background%20to%20Office%20of%20Ethnic%20Affairs%20work%20with%20communities%20on%20Multicultural%20Policy.pdf

Multiculturalism a strategic imperative - National - NZ Herald News. (n.d.). Retrieved 2013, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10395188

A business moves into a leadership position when it begins to work to affect change beyond its borders. For instance, it may work to affect change in its industry, within its supply chain, or how its employees behave at home, or work to involve others in protection of the planet’s vital resources and in tackling key social challenges such as poverty. It may even work with government, whether local, provincial or federal, to help advance government policy on the environment or social conditions. There are some aspects which influence a leader’s ethics and ethical practice, social responsibility, stakeholder responsibility and social or political change are a few of them to name. Some of these factors can influence a leader in many ways that can be positive, negative or neutral.

Michael Hill - the man behind the global jewellery empire - is one of New Zealand’s most successful businessmen, credited with revolutionising retail selling in Australasia.

From the time he opened his first shop in Whangarei in the north of New Zealand’s North Island in 1979, Michael Hill’s jewellery business grew rapidly, developing into an empire that now spans four countries. Today he’s a household name in New Zealand and, in addition to his business achievements, has become a best-selling author, raconteur, accomplished violinist and passionate golfer with his own internationally-rated course.

Michael Hill is a New Zealand Businessmen and Entrepreneur, founder of Michael Hill Jeweller. Michael Hill Jeweller is one of the most successful retails companies in New Zealand History, which revolutionised the retail industry in New Zealand. Michael Hill opened its first store in Whangarei in 1979, and within just eight years it expanded its operations to eight stores. In 1987 Michael Hill took his company public at that time it was having 10 stores, including one in Brisbane. At present it has got 250 stores in countries like New Zealand, Australia, The United States and Canada. By 2024, Michael Hill Jeweller wants to be truly Global with 1000 stores across the globe. At the age of 16, he left school and went on to pursue a career as a violinist, but he soon realised that music may not be the right choice for his career. He then started working for his uncle at a jewellery store. He performed exceptionally well as a salesman; this influenced him towards jewellery industry, which will later serve as his field of choice for starting and developing a business, a business which will change the course of retail jewellery selling in New Zealand.

One of the main factors which influenced Michael Hill was that, he realised his social responsibility. He realised that to develop New Zealand economy, there is a need to develop new entrepreneurs who will shape the modern New Zealand economy. At that time when he opened his first store (1979), New Zealand economy was quite small and less globalized as compared to other developed economies. He was of the view that developing new business empires will provide new opportunities to many New Zealanders. Opportunities like new jobs, development of economy, investment opportunities. All these factors and views influenced him to start off with a new business plan. These all can be classified under social responsibility factor.

Hill recognized the changes that he will need to make for succeeding in NZ market, and this helped him to develop strategies which became a benchmark in NZ retail industry. The strategies and policies developed by Hill proved successful not only in New Zealand, but in all the leading markets of the world. He recognized his social and ethical responsibility not only towards economy, but also towards the people of New Zealand and mostly toward his employee’s. Michael Hill is known as the one best company to work with, not only in New Zealand, but also on the global scale. It provides its employees career opportunities which can rival any other global brand. Employees are treated as a valuable asset at Michael Hill and Hill personally acknowledges that employee satisfaction is one of the most vital factors contributing toward the success of an organization.

In terms of business success and general public recognition, Michael Hill is considered as one of the most successful business people New Zealand has ever produced. On 31st of December 2001, Hill was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit. He also received the honour of Knight Companion of the New Zealand order of Merit in December 2010. He is very popular among New Zealanders. He is also known for his other activities.

His influence form artwork has resulted in some remarkable achievements by him such as the Hills Golf course. He bought a run-down farmland in "Arrowtown". Soon after buying the land his interest grew significantly in the Golf and he ended up building a 18-hole golf course on that land named The Hills. On the golf course he also built a unique two thirds underground clubhouse. That clubhouse was designed by Auckland architects Patterson Associates. Hill’s clubhouse won the Supreme Architectural Award from New Zealand Institute of Architects. It was also a finalist at the World Architectural Festival in 2008 at Barcelona. His Golf course hosted the New Zealand open golf tournaments three times (2007, 2009, and 2010). His super luxury yacht VvS1 also won three awards at 2008 World Yacht Awards in 2008. Hill was also named the Ernst & Young New Zealand’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2008. This was to celebrate the contribution that he is making to New Zealand economy and to acknowledge his achievements as an entrepreneur. Michael Hill has become a motivational speaker with a strong and practical message on how to achieve success in business and personal life.

Total number of words: 1012