Management and Leadership Quality: Ways to Influence an Organization

Robbins and Judge note, “in the early part of the twentieth century, a French industrialist by the name of Henri Fayol wrote that all managers perform five management functions: They plan, organize, command, coordinate, and control. Today, we have condensed these to four: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling” (2007, Management Functions).

Skills in management and leadership are limitless; and vary based on an individual’s personality traits, or, transactional or transformational leadership styles. While some can contribute groomed “technical” skills to influence an organization, some may be practitioners of “conceptual” techniques. However, these skills do not necessarily define a sense of effectiveness that can sway an organization’s mindset; and ultimately, dwells on the ability to realize, or put to use simultaneously, the aforementioned, condensed four, “management functions.”

Influential quality can only be achieved by planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Relating these functions to an individual in an organization, planning and organizing portray a significant impression on the orderliness of management activity. From “defining an organization’s goal” to “grouping tasks” in lieu of optimal decision-making, without these functions, an individual would not be able to perform the following, “leading and controlling” functions. Leading, as Robbins and Judge state, direct and coordinate people; whereas controlling, monitors performance and ensures “that things are going as they should” (2009).

For example, addressing the “four I’s” or the needs and wants of an organization, subordinate personnel will appreciate the support of recognition, and, understand that their actions will be the outcome of reward or penalty - "rewards in an organization do not only pertain to material prizes." Proper coaching provides the opportunity to strengthen an organization’s proficiency; thus, creating a sense of security, in addition to, individual or organizational dependence, upon the completion of goals. How is this so? The information exchange amongst a management force and personnel becomes “idealistically influential,” and communication exchange, “inspirationally motivating and intellectually stimulating.” In turn, the quality received from individual managers can be “individually considerate,” in significance that when personnel or the organization poses concerns, they are given a considerate response.

While that was a mouthful, please bear with me. Overall, combining these functions to skills of management and leadership, will birth a compelling and more flexible, individual; and not to mention, a more influenced organization.

References:

Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2007). Organizational behavior. Chapter 1: What is Organizational Behavior? (12th Ed.). [Electronic Version].

University of Florida (2009). Solutions for your life. Transformational Leadership: The Transformation of Managers and Associates. Available from the University of Florida IFAS Extension Web Site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/