Leadership Approaches and Change Management
With no warning, the unique coronavirus catastrophe struck the whole planet. Initially originating in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 soon spread throughout the globe, unleashing havoc on people’s lives and wreaking havoc on the economy. Lockdown measures were implemented by governments all around the globe in an effort to slow the spread of Covid19 and limit the number of people who died as a result (Fong et al., 2020). Every facet of the business was affected by the virus, from supply chain management to human resources. As other businesses were confronted with similar problems, they grew increasingly creative. Technology plays an important part in keeping the virus’s chaos and confusion under control, according to those who have seen it in action. It was a major issue that corporations were instituting work-from-home policies. When a global epidemic struck, it was even more difficult to make the shift to remote employment. Mental health issues are hurting the productivity and effectiveness of employees. ‘ Social isolation has been shown to be a risk factor for mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and economic insecurity.
Leadership is a kind of social influence that enables people to work together to accomplish a common objective. Findings from studies show that great leaders have clear goals, develop their team members, manage their staff and grow their organization’s capabilities (Leithwood, Harris, & Hopkins 2019). In a crisis, leaders must act swiftly and wisely, but they must also consider the choices they make and the consequences and side effects of their decisions (2020). To be sure, there is no way to know exactly what the wisest course of action will be during this crisis. No one can foresee what the ramifications of any given decision would be. In the case of a pandemic, there are no rules for conducting a company. Anticipating events and putting contingency plans in place were critical leadership skills during the coronavirus epidemic.
Leadership and change management are briefly explained in the paper, along with modern leaders’ approaches to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts. The paper then examines the role of flexible leadership and the strategies taken by leaders in managing the pandemic’s transformation. Finally, the report analysis is important since the pandemic problem is strategically significant in assessing leadership techniques and their effect on stakeholders, as well as providing suggestions. A shift may be influenced by the pressures of internal and external causes at play. To succeed in Covid-19, a company leader must be able to handle crises and changes. In these volatile times, running a successful company will need more than normal problem-solving. When it comes to crisis and change management, all company leaders will need to be continually engaged, which will need the involvement and collaboration of all workers, (Adair, 2020).
In business, leadership refers to the capacity of a company’s management to define and accomplish demanding objectives, take rapid and decisive action when required, outperform the competition, and encourage employees to work at their best. If you want to do anything with the aid of other people, you need to be a good leader (Chermers, 2001). Leadership isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you learn. To put it simply, a process is a series of events that lead to a given conclusion. Leaders may learn from a variety of views when it comes to how to improve their own skills and those of others. Using the qualities of both successful and failed leaders, the trait approach to leadership forecasts leadership effectiveness. As a general principle in trait theory, leaders have certain traits which make their firms function more efficiently and raise their own prestige. (Van Wart & Suino 2012)
Role of Leadership during COVID-19 Pandemic
Behavioral leadership theory focuses on leaders’ behaviors rather than on their mental characteristics or emotional sentiments. According to this view, people may learn to be leaders via instruction and observation of others. Recognizing that businesses need leadership in both production and people was one contribution made by adaptive leadership theory (Boin & Hart, 2013). According to the situational leadership theory, the leader’s success is contingent upon dynamic loading conditions in the form of subsidiary, task, and/or group elements. The effectiveness of a certain leadership style is influenced by the circumstances in which it is used. There is no one idealized leadership characteristic, according to the contingency approach, and leaders must adapt their traits and talents to meet the needs of the scenario as well as the organizational culture, as well as the organizational setting.
As a direct result of COVID-19, workers now have a greater sway in the business. Because COVID-19 poses a threat to the health and safety of workers, companies must conduct a risk assessment of their workforce. A shortage of workers necessitated that companies ensured the safety of their customers and employees, at times at the expense of shareholder earnings, throughout the outbreak. A crisis does not give rise to a new character. It makes it clear. Strengths are shown in a genuine leader when they are put to the test. This means that leaders have to change quickly and learn new abilities in order to deal with the problem at hand. As a result, it’s reasonable to say that corporate leaders everywhere have had months that were very tough. Leaders are expected to prioritize the safety of their employees, but research has shown that they often have to consider the financial and organizational costs of assuring the best possible safety. Unforeseen catastrophes create a climate of fear and uncertainty, making it difficult for those in charge to exercise effective leadership during times of crisis. (Brandebo, 2020)
When it comes to dealing with difficult issues, there is often a reluctance among employees to do so, leading to uncertainty. One of the most important effects of leadership in times of crisis is the ability to quickly improve a company’s socioeconomic and health condition while also enhancing employee well-being (Dirani et al., 2020). A crisis necessitates the use of a variety of leadership styles, but not all are equally successful. In order to accept your defects and maximize on your talents, you must first know who you are and what you can do.
Role of flexible leadership and individual perspectives in relation to leaders managing change of the pandemic
While organizations must have flexible crisis management processes, leaders must also show their capacity to adapt. Flexible leaders are more adept at navigating the uncertainty and misunderstanding that sometimes accompany crisis situations (Moynihan, 2009). While adjusting to the Covid-19 epidemic, it is vital to exercise flexibility while processing data for decision-making. When the changing world and formerly traditional leadership techniques are considered, it becomes evident that workplace concerns and the challenges associated with changing styles of leadership are intrinsically tied to a need for adaptation. Flexibility increases a leader’s readiness to engage in conflicts and other situations that need a course correction. Additionally, it has a significant role in determining a person’s drive, feeling of purpose, and personal progress. Flexibility allows a leader to act more successfully and properly in a range of contexts during a crisis.
Role of Flexible Leadership and Individual Perspectives in Relation to Leaders Managing Change of the Pandemic
Communication: It may not seem like a big deal that a leader’s communications make a difference, but they do. Workers are worried about the uncertainty. Frequency, clarity, and conciseness should all be hallmarks of effective communication. It’s impossible to stress the significance of telling the truth. As a result, workers’ trust in management is lost. Having a defined set of fundamental principles may help keep individuals focused on the long-term goal as they deal with the day-to-day challenges (Klann, 2013).
Decision-making: In order to lead effectively, one must quickly define and communicate a position on the best course of action. Effective leaders are also able to change direction and embrace fresh, more promising ideas in the midst of a crisis (Leschke-Kahle, 2020). Allowing employees to make choices and rewarding them for doing so is essential. Leaders that exclusively communicate with their followers in the event of a crisis fail.
Innovation: Whether the crisis affects the company’s product or service line, the company’s management must consider if they need to change their business model. During the coronavirus outbreak, the relationship between change and innovation was clearer than ever. Adapting to working remotely has been made easier by technology. It is also critical in helping the world find a solution to this predicament.
Reflection is not just a solo endeavor; it is also a collaborative one that entails identifying, comprehending, and enquiring about the ambiguity of some experiences, as well as evaluating the reflections with other persons. Reflection results in a clear grasp of the problem, and subsequent actions and modifications generate other questions and therefore additional reflection, which finally results in ongoing progress.
A typical error made by management during a crisis is to wait until all data are gathered before deciding on the best course of action; this may result in significant losses since it may be too late by then. As a result, leaders should constantly collect data and change their responses appropriately. This entails periodically pausing the management plan, reassessing and analyzing the situation from a variety of perspectives, anticipating events, changing the plan as appropriate, and resuming execution. While leaders may sometimes be required to make rapid judgments based on intuition, a smart leader will ultimately stop and consider before proceeding, (Avolio, 2015).
A reflective management views growth as a critical instrument and typically relies on the organization’s teams’ common aptitude and intelligence capability. Reflective leaders need an open work atmosphere and often deviate from their routines to investigate and learn from their subordinates. Additionally, leaders should sometimes dispute their own expertise in order to assess if it should be updated or eliminated. This enables leaders to draw on their prior experience while also accepting fresh ideas as they emerge, (Ferdman, 2013).
The epidemic, which is first and foremost a human catastrophe, is causing devastation on many sectors, companies, and industries all over the world. Businesses face enormous challenges if they do not take the proper strategy and choose a strategic path. A strategic leadership approach is urgently needed to address the difficulties. When it comes to making better judgments, a leader’s style and attitude are crucial. The business environment has been fundamentally altered by innovation, competition, economic recessions, and pandemics like covid-19, necessitating the appointment of strategic executives with extensive knowledge and a proven capacity for dealing with change. It is strategic leadership that characterizes today’s modern leaders. Organizations want their leaders to be proactive and predict problems before others do. (Adair, 2010).
The Core Leadership Principles and the Crisis
Strategic leaders build and maintain contacts outside of the organization, and they also represent the company’s image to the outside world. As a consequence of COVID19, it has become more challenging for leaders to satisfy the needs and expectations of all stakeholders. The firm and its stakeholders benefit from the influence of strategic leaders. Stakeholders’ interests are taken into consideration when most company decisions are made. Strategic leaders may balance the current operational and financial needs of the firm with potential long-term strategic opportunities. Vision, creativity, and innovation are combined with practical expertise to create a long-term strategy that is sustainable. Organizations have a strategic edge over their competitors because of their core competencies; these are the things the company possesses or does in order to stand out from the competition. To keep the association’s core competencies relevant, top management should guarantee that they are safeguarded, invested in, and enhanced over time. High-ranking executives should also make sure that the company’s talents are crucial for the organization’s serious process and that they are properly employed while putting this strategy into action, (Brandebo, 2020).
When it comes to growing human resources, employees are a valuable asset that should be reinvested. For many, “individuals are perhaps the only true economic wellspring of upper hand” in today’s globalized and dynamic serious landscape. As with the support and funds required from upper management, building human resources necessitates a desire for training and growth. It’s true that HRM exercises have a big influence here, but they wouldn’t be nearly as impactful if senior management didn’t provide the dynamic sponsorship they need. An organization’s style of life may provide it an advantage. Just as important, it helps shape employee behavior as well as the mentality of the organization’s management. As one example, pioneering activity may be encouraged or stifled by a culture of hierarchy. Organizations with strong, well-established cultures may have an advantage over their competitors and make it easier to carry out their agreements. Because of its temperament, culture cannot be managed in the same manner as, example, a machine cycle, (Chemers, 2021).
Leaders in the digital transformation model must implement a technical technique that satisfies employee expectations and reduces operational constraints by implementing a digital conversion in the organization’s operations. The digital age began in the twenty-first century, and worldwide technology is fast transforming and revolutionizing the way business’s function. With the advancement of digital marketplaces, businesses must digitally transform their operations. One approach is that businesses are now linked to their customers digitally and remotely via the use of virtual tools and Big Data, cloud computing, and other creative technology. This also applies to workers, particularly during a pandemic, when work-from-home procedures are used, (Christensen and Overdorf, 2020).
Conclusion
The global COVID-19 epidemic has created significant challenges to leaders at all levels in a variety of industries throughout the world. The global economy, like most enterprises, is now in a perilous state. What to do, what may be expected, and how to behave are all questions that leaders are asked about. The need of calm, competent, and trustworthy leadership is more than ever under chaotic and uncertain events. We need leaders with new ideas as the virus spreads further to help governments and businesses get through the crisis and emerge unscathed. Understanding different ideas and approaches can help you better understand how you react in different circumstances. When contemplating the global pandemic of COVID-19, the leadership behaviors anticipated and experienced may be unlike anything ever seen before.
When faced with a crisis, certain leadership styles are better than others, according to study, as a result of the financial crisis, organizations that used transformational and participatory leadership approaches fared better. Even though people all around the globe work remotely, executives must understand that there is a big opportunity to improve employee engagement at this moment in time. When leaders work from home, they have a significant impact on their employees’ attitudes and productivity. Re-inventing oneself and helping others adapt to changing circumstances is essential during times of crises. Remote working makes it more difficult for people in the workplace to adapt to new technologies, but if you show them how it works in advance, it may help them do their tasks more quickly and more efficiently. As an example, meetings are conducted online using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, etc. because of the social distance. Employees should not be caught off guard if they break the rules when working from home. Businesses benefit from enabling staff to work from home when required, but this also raises cybersecurity dangers. A company’s security might be jeopardized not simply by remote workers, but also by those workers. You can’t expect your employees to be cyber-savvy without proper training.
This landscape-scale disaster has forced all of the world’s leaders to rethink their leadership styles and to include more flexibility into their management strategies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. No one had anticipated this, and no one had planned for it. This was critical in order to ensure that the businesses continued to be profitable and that production did not suffer. In order to have a good influence on their staff, successful corporate executives adopted a more humanistic approach to their leadership style. The most effective leaders demonstrate empathy and compassion toward their workers, demonstrate knowledge of the human tragedy that their colleagues are experiencing, and ensure that their people work in a safe and healthful atmosphere. In addition, executives who practice reflective leadership, which involves continually improving on the decision-making process, have been able to effectively navigate the crisis so far, according to the research. The five-style leadership model and its variations have been shown to have a significant influence on businesses, particularly those that are exposed to Covid-19. And, since the pandemic has become a motivating force for management and leadership to change their approach and style, they have worked to create a mentally, emotionally, and physically safer required to work environment and culture in order to make sure that their staff members continue to deliver their greatest result.
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