What You Need To Become A Leader

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

Set expectation

Set goals

Monitor progress

Provide feedback

Receive feedback

Reward performance

Conclusion

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5-6

6-7

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Question 2

Introduction

What you need to become a leader?

Traits that make the person a bad leader

Conclusion

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10-14

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References

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Question 1

Assume that you are the Training Manager of ABC Hotel. You realize that your staff are not performing well and also unable to understand properly in receiving information and complete their task. What kind of method or approach that you can use to overcome this issue? Explain your view. To express you view you need observe a hotel nearby you, meet the Training Manager and review their way in preparing their staff.

Introduction

I’m the Training Manager of ABC Hotel and notice that my staffs are not performing well and unable to receive and execute instruction. Therefore to enhance their performance, I did a study on Bsuite Hotel and met the training manager and manage to get his opinion on the matter. He gave me a day tour on his organization and imparts his knowledge on the matter. Staff training is a very essential part Human Resource Management (HRM). This is where a hotel will train their employee to their full potential and become an asset to the hotel.

Set expectations.

In almost every industry, workers who are hired spend several days or weeks in training to learn the ins and outs of the particular job. When they become comfortable with their daily tasks, they can become complacent or work slower. By setting expectations for their performance, you can keep track of each individual and the group as a whole. The expectations must be clear, measurable and realistically achievable.

For example a waiter job scope. When the management hire a waiter, the manager needs to explain to the waiter his duties. If that person is not train, therefore the captain of the restaurant is required to train him hand on. The captain must value his co-workers work and give advise if need to improve on performance. There is time frame to complete their task. This to ensure the flow of the business runs smoothly.

Set goals

Once employees know what is expected of them, name objectives for them to meet. If you are a manager at a hotel where employees at marketing department work on commission, give each individual a sales goal, and then do the same for the group. Try to set the goals at a level where your employees can have room for growth.

For example marketing department, they are required to sell a hotel member ship to public. They have to go and promote the business by opening a booth in a shopping mall. They have to highlight the service available at the hotel. The more member ship they sell, the higher the commission they shall receive. They employees are given training on selling technique and sometimes are told to give coupon to the public as gifts for joining the member ship. The higher commission the employee receive, the more motivated they are to achieve the goals that set by marketing department.

Monitor progress.

Employees will find motivation in your concern. They want to know that you care about their performance. Without breathing down their necks, track their progress for the goals they have set. Place a chart in the break room so everyone can see how well they're doing.

The management can make pie chart or bar chart of what is expected of each department. Therefore the management could see at a glance, how the departments fare each month. The manager than could give motivation or change the structure of the organisation to enhance the performance. The employees that show good performance are promise bonuses or promotions or better salaries.

Provide feedback.

When employees are given long-term goals, it is important for the supervisor to let them know how they are doing. Give weekly progress reviews or hold departmental meetings. Questions can be asked and employees who are on the wrong track can be given assistance.

For example the management can have weekly meeting for each small division but monthly meeting for the higher management. The employees that are below performance are given motivation and sometimes are required to go for second training. This is because some of the employees slack in their performance due to team work or unable to process instruction.

Employees must submit report every week to the management on their performance and suggest to the management ways of how to improve their department. For example, marketing department can suggest to management department a new slogan and a new budget to launch a new product that has been created by the marketing department.

Since the marketing department are the people that are in contact with the public, therefore the marketing department could do a survey from the public on what the public look for in a budget hotel, or five star hotels.

Whatever information that the marketing department collect from the survey, they should do the comprehensive report. The management therefore take step to improve the service that they have. For example, restaurants have four waiters and therefore the service is slow. The management can take initiative to employ more waiters.

Receive feedback.

As a manager or supervisor, you are in charge of many people who expect different things from you. Your actions, words and mannerisms can spark motivation in one person and intimidate another. This is why it is beneficial to ask your employees for feedback. Ask them to be honest about the things they enjoy about your managerial style and those that they would like you to change. This requires a certain level of humility, but in the end, you will create a positive, open environment where the workers feel safe and challenged. When they feel like their opinions are heard, they will be more likely to perform better.

One of the ways a manager could get an honest feedback from the employees regardless of their position is by putting suggestion box in the meeting room or staff room. The management has to find or employ a manager who had track record and a person that have well received by the employee. Therefore the manager and the employees must have good relationship, for them to work together and achieve the goals that are set by the management. If the manager and employees that does not have good communication, there will be a gap between them.

Reward performance.

When employees work hard to fulfil their goals, reward them with something special. This could translate into several things, from bonuses to a new coffee maker to a departmental dinner. By showing them that there are tangible rewards for solid performance, they will be motivated to continue working hard. You will also establish a sense of camaraderie when collective goals.

The management could give yearly overseas trip to the employees that have outstanding track record and the ones that achieve the goals that set for them. The management could send them for overseas training that for a time frame for few weeks to months.

For the underperformance employees, will be retrained or given time frame to improve their performance. If the employees fail to meet the goal that was set, the management has no choice but to let go the employees.

Conclusion

The employee are the core of the management, therefore the success of the organisation depends heavily on a well train staff. Most successful organisation in the world for example the Hilton chain of hotel has good management and they spend a good portion of their income on training their employees from time to time. This is because hotels are heavily dependent on their employees for their success. Hotels are service oriented and the failure or success depends on the level of service provided to the customers. To the customers or hotel must deliver efficient services like housekeeping, front office, food and beverage. The more service available in the hotel, the more successful the hotel become.

Question 2

Do you agree if I said that "anyone can become a leader". Is it really possible" Aren’t there people who traits make them unfit to be a leader? Explain your view.

Introduction

Everyone can be a leader? My answer is yes but not everyone can be a good leader because to become a leader, the person must have a positive attitude, high confidence and others. How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader?" There are certain characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where they’re looked up to as a leader.

Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is open for debate. There are some clear characteristics that are found in leaders. These qualities can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality.

Work is most meaningful and satisfying when it gives us an opportunity to use our strengths. Leadership is fundamentally about character. Knowing character strengths enables to find ways to select work environments and work assignments that allow to express and develop them. For example, if one of the greatest strengths is loyalty and teamwork, the person be most effective and satisfied working as a member of a team. If fairness is among the greatest strengths, will be frustrated and dissatisfied without an opportunity to work on issues of justice.

What you need to become a leader

A leader must have an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A leader "walks the talk" and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads. 

A leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. This kind of leader will not be afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty. 

To become a leader, the person must have confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members. 

A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanour.

 

A leader is tolerant of ambiguity and remains calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head.

A leader as well as keeping the main goal in focus is able to think analytically. Not only does a leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. Not only is the goal in view but a leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it.

A leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. The leader not only maintains high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas.

Be Passionate

Would you look to someone for guidance and leadership if they did not truly care about the goals of the group? Of course not! Great leaders are not just focused on getting group members to finish tasks; they have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the projects they work on. Start by thinking of different ways that you can express your zeal. Let people know that you care about their progress. When one person shares something with the rest of the group, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate such contributions.

Serve As a Role Model

Idealized influence is another of the four key components of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders exemplify the behaviours and characteristics that they encourage in their followers. They walk the walk and talk the talk. As a result, group members admire these leaders and work to emulate these behaviours. If you want to become a better leader, work on modelling the qualities that you would like to see in your team members.

Listen and Communicate Effectively

Another important characteristic of transformational leadership involves a focus on providing one-on-one communication with group members. Leaders should express sincere care and concern for the members of their group both verbally and nonverbally. By keeping the lines of communication open, these leaders can ensure that group members feel able to make contributions and receive recognition for their achievements.

Have a Positive Attitude

Transformational leaders have a positive, optimistic attitude that serves as a source of inspiration for followers. If leaders seem discouraged or apathetic, members of the group are likely to also become uninspired. Even when things look bleak and your followers start to feel disheartened, try to stay positive. This does not mean viewing things through rose-colored glasses. It simply means maintaining a sense of optimism and hope in the face of challenges.

Confidence

There may be days where the future of your brand is worrisome and things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain the team morale. Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Remember, your team will take cues from you, so if you exude a level of calm damage control, your team will pick up on that feeling. The key objective is to keep everyone working and moving ahead.

Encourage People to Make Contributions

Let the members of your team know that you welcome their ideas. Leaders who encourage involvement from group members are often referred to as democratic or participative leaders. While they retain the final say over all decisions, they encourage team members to take an active role in coming up with ideas and plans. Research has shown that using a democratic leadership style leads to greater commitment, more creative problem-solving and improved productivity.

Communication

Knowing what you want accomplished may seem clear in your head, but if you try to explain it to someone else and are met with a blank expression, you know there is a problem. If this has been your experience, then you may want to focus on honing your communication skills. Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you want done is extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working towards the same goal.

Training new members and creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy lines of communication. Whether that stems from an open door policy to your office, or making it a point to talk to your staff on a daily basis, making yourself available to discuss interoffice issues is vital. Your team will learn to trust and depend on you, and will be less hesitant to work harder.

Traits that make the person a bad leader

Leaders who can’t see it, probably won’t find it: 

Leaders without vision will fail. Leaders who lack vision cannot inspire teams, motivate performance, or create sustainable value. Poor vision, tunnel vision, vision that is fickle, or a non-existent vision will cause leaders to fail. A leader’s job is to align the organization around a clear and achievable vision. This cannot occur when the blind lead the blind.

When leaders fail to lead themselves:

A leader who lacks character or integrity will not endure the test of time. It doesn’t matter how intelligent, affable, persuasive, or savvy a person is, if they are prone to rationalizing unethical behaviour based upon current or future needs, they will eventually fall prey to their own undoing. Optics over ethics is not a formula for success.

Put-up or shut-up:

Nothing smacks of poor leadership like a lack of performance. Nobody is perfect, but leaders who consistently fail are not leaders, no matter how much you wish they were. While past performance is not always a certain indicator of future events, a long-term track record of success should not be taken lightly. Someone who has consistently experienced success in leadership roles has a much better chance of success than someone who has not. It’s important to remember unproven leaders come with a high risk premium. Smart companies recognize potential, but they reward performance.

Conclusion

It's important to keep track of your own accomplishments. Unfortunately, legal workplaces are notorious for focusing on mistakes and defeats rather than what people have done well. However, leaders develop talent by matching peoples' strengths with work tasks. They recognize contributions and celebrate accomplishments.

Leaders inspire their subordinate to achieve the impossible and work hard to reach the goals set by the management. Leaders usually bring out the best in people and tap the positive qualities that the employees have. Leader will bring an organisation to greater heights and bad leader will be loss to the organisation as he is unable to achieve the given tasks.

Overall, it is not a very easy or simple task to become a leader. Confidences, positive attitude, communicate skills, passionate, focus, commitments are one of main traits to build a leadership in someone, which means, not everybody can become a leader but, only who have the qualities will end up as a successful leader!