Leadership Culture and Ethics Research Paper

Abstract

Leadership has become an important and debatable topic in the business industry. It is a significant factor that assists a firm to accomplish short-term as well as long-term goals. A firm cannot be developed in the absence of effective and innovative leadership. This is the reason why numerous scholars have highlighted the importance of leadership. It not just impacts the performance of employees but also impacts the performance of a firm. A successful leader therefore implements and adopts different leadership styles for the firm’s growth. This report will be highlighting leadership styles and traits of two leaders. Further, it will demonstrate the challenges faced by the leaders in today’s emerging markets as well as solutions to overcome those issues.

Leadership Culture and Ethics

Introduction

Business firms around the world are focusing on adopting innovative leadership to increase the efficiency of the firm. Leadership plays a vital role both in the decline as well as the success of any business firm. Leadership is the art of persuading individuals to put their efforts for accomplishing the organizational goals. It can also be defined as causing or motivating individuals to perform specific tasks for accomplishing particular objectives. Effective and innovative leadership assists firms to accomplish its long-term goals whereas ineffective leadership leads the firms towards decline stage. A firm’s leader is one who brings new ideas and takes assists his team in accomplishing firm’s goals. In this report, I will be discussing the two successful leaders i.e, Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber and Nancy Howell Agee. I will be discussing their success stories and their achievements as successful leaders. Further, I will be comparing their leadership styles and the challenges they faced during their course of employment.

Problems/ Challenges Faced by Leaders Today

Following are the challenges faced by the leaders in today’s emerging markets:

1. Managerial Effectiveness

Developing and maintaining managerial effectiveness has become a real challenge for leaders. It includes prioritization, decision-making, time-management, and strategic thinking. This issue need to be resolve by a leader to become a successful and effective leader in life.

1. Developing Employees

Another challenge that leaders are facing today is developing employees including coaching and mentoring.

1. Leading a Team

Team building, team management, and team development are few challenges that are difficult to handle by the leaders today. Some leaders fail to encourage team and instil pride in a team. They fail to lead and support a big team which result into their failure.

1. Lack of Communication Skills

Communication skill is one of the prime quality and attribute of leadership. As business firms around the world are adopting diverse culture at their workplace, some leaders fail to maintain effective communication with their team having diverse cultures.

1. Guiding Change

Guiding change in a business firm is crucial and is a big challenge faced by several leaders.

Solutions

The issues or challenges faced by the leaders in firms around the world can be resolved adopting leadership styles of the successful leaders such as Sultan Ahmed Al Jber and Nancy Agee. Their success stories are full of experiences and accomplishments as successful leaders.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (Road to Success)

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is one of the successful leaders around the world. He is a member of Federal cabinet and a minister of United Arab Emirates state. He is now the chief executive ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) overseeing the growth and operations of the group. Before taking the leadership responsibilities at ADNOC, he was executive officer of energy of Mubadala. He is known as the strategic investment arm of the Emirati government as well as principal agent who plays a significant role in the diversification of UAE economy. He served his duties by enhancing the growth of Mubadala’s strategic energy across two vital portfolio firms, Masdar and Mubadala Petroleum.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a model of leadership for the upcoming generations. He has set examples by striving towards the firm’s success. He established and lead Masdar in 2006 and became the chairman of the board of directors by accomplishing firm’s goals. His leadership assisted Masdar to enhance its growth and earn a stable place in the Middle East’s markets. Besides his accomplishments mentioned above, he also holds numerous advisory positions and leadership roles, as well as counsels on problems linked with strategic communication, energy, sustainable development, economics, and energy. As a chairman of the National Media Council UAE, he tried to highlight the weak points and resolve the issues that were obstacle in the growth of National Media Council. Due to his numerous accomplishments, he was appointed as a leader at ADNOC in 2016. He continues his duties by applying different leadership styles at ADNOC.

Leadership Traits of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Following are the leadership traits or qualities of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber that contributed in his success:

1. Commitment

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a leader of principles. He is committed to his work and duties assigned to him. During his lifespan, he is devoted towards his duties and completes his tasks within the given time period. He makes his team able to complete projects and enhance the firm’s productivity.

1. Ability to Communicate

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a role leader with numerous leadership qualities. He has the ability to get projects and earn respect through his communication skills. He communicates with the legal authorities to resolve issue that are obstacle in the firm’s growth. ADNOC has a diverse culture as it comprises of workers from different cultures. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber maintains a sound working environment by communicating with his team and resolves their issues.

1. Creativity

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a creative and innovative leader. He brings changes within the policies and strategies by considering the current situation of a firm. He suggested creating renewable energy solutions that are economically viable through development and research, innovative private-public partnerships and sound investments. It shows the importance of creativity and innovation in leadership. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber tries to bring new ideas for enhancing the productivity of ADNOC.

1. Strategically Focused

A leader must be strategically focused and work according to the firm’s strategies and plans. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber creates plans and strategies for the growth of firm and work according to those strategies for accomplishing positive outcomes. During his leadership, he organizes marketing strategy as well as product development strategy. Further, he makes clear the firm’s vision to its team and work according to the strategies.

1. Positive Attitude/ Facing Challenges

One of the qualities or traits of a successful leader is to adopt a positive attitude and face challenges. Leaders in firms with diverse culture always face certain challenges. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a leader who faces challenges and turns the weakness of the firm into its strengths. He maintains positive attitude by communicating with his team and resolve issue immediately.

1. Decision-Making Skills

Making right decision at the right time is one of the prime qualities of a successful leadership. Decision-making is one of the crucial factors in all business firms. A leader has to make an appropriate decision for getting competitive advantage in the market. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has a quality of making right decision at the right time.

Leadership Style of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Leadership style has become a debatable topic as it has a huge impact on the firm’s performance. It contributes in enhancing employee’s as well as the firm’s performance. Business firms have been focusing on adopting different leadership styles for increasing growth and getting competitive advantage in a market. Following are the leadership styles of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber:

1. Transformational Style (Leadership)

This style of leadership assists in building trust as well as producing satisfaction among the sub-ordinates. The creation of this satisfaction and trust acts as a motivator for workers for enhancing their productivity and profit. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber adopts transformational style of leadership. He encourages and motivates his sub-ordinate for accomplishing firm’s objectives. He believes that encouraging youth’s innovation and creativity as well as empowering them is significant to the national media’s future. During his leadership in different organizations, he emphasizes on empowering youth for the development of firms and eventually a country. He tries to provide several opportunities to its employees where they can proof their abilities. He believes providing opportunities to employees will improve their skills and can be utilized in a better way. Transformational leaders have qualities to take suitable action for certain conditions and situations. This is the reason why Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber goes beyond his self-interest and work for accomplishing long-term goals of firm.

1. Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership is one of most commonly used leadership styles in firm around the world. It is considered to be one of the significant leadership styles utilized by a successful leader. An autocratic leader is self-conscious who does not have or have little faith in his coworkers. He believes that workers are rewarded salaries for the efforts they put for the growth of firms. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber sometimes utilizes autocratic leadership for enhancing employees as well as firm’s productivity. He encourages his staff to work hard and get more rewards. However, this style of leadership has both advantages and disadvantages depending upon the current situation of a firm. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has skills and knowledge and this is the reason why he knows when to utilize appropriate style of leadership.

Nancy Howell Agee (Leader)

Nancy Howell Agee is the CEO and President of Carilion Clinic. Carilion clinic is an incorporated healthcare firm in Western Virginia. It comprises of eight hospitals, a group of multi-specialty physician, joint ventured Medical School, and Jefferson College of Health Sciences. Carilion is devoted to inspire good health and quality health services throughout the region. Nancy Agee started her career in nursing and took part in different management roles over pas t two decades. She was appointed vice president at carilion in 1996, and steadily assumed enhancing executive and administrative leadership roles. She supports several community and professional activities. She is also a member of the Roanake Gas firm’s Board, Mill Mountain Theatre, and Viriinia Tech (school of medicine). Nancy Agee served on Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association as well as Radford University of visitors having chaired both firms. Due to her accomplishments and achievements at Carilion Clinic, she was asked to serve on Solstas Lab and Boards of HomeTown Bank. After assuming her successful leadership, she became a member of Boards of Commissioners. Her followers are influenced by her leadership traits. She performed numerous social activities and campaigns about public health awareness. She has been a role model for her subordinates as she worked with her staff with a positive and professional attitude.

Leadership Traits

Nancy Agee succeeded due to her leadership qualities and traits. Following are some of her leadership traits that contributed in her success:

1. Honesty

Honesty is one of the prime attributes of a successful leadership. It is also a significant trait of an ethical leadership. She never gave false information to her patients and was loyal to her work. Her followers were influenced and increased due to her dignity and honesty. She never portrays false information of the products as she values her patients and job. She discloses the facts of her organization as well as its products. This quality contributed in her success to become the CEO of Carilion.

1. Communication Skills

Communication is significant for executing strategy and building alignment. It is considered to be one of the most challenging skills in a leadership. Nancy has been working in a diverse culture workplace where employees from different cultures are serving duties. It is hard to communicate with people from different cultures. However, it is essential for a leader to have communication skills if he/she wants to be succeeded. Nancy Agee has communication skills and resolve employee’s issues immediately. Communication skills assist a leader to reduce internal risks of the firm.

1. Humane

One of the qualities of an ethical and successful leader is to recognize and understand the problems of coworkers. Nancy Agee is known as an ethical and moral leader as she understands the issues of her sub-ordinates and tries to resolve those issues immediately. She used to arrange meeting with employees for resolving issues. Further, she arranges seminars and other social activities for the betterment of society. It improves her skills and leadership qualities that lead her towards the success.

Leadership Style

1. Transactional Style of Leadership

This style of leadership demonstrates the exchange systems of affiliation with coworkers after the goals are accomplished. Transactional style of leadership assists leaders in maintaining good relationship with subordinates. Nancy Agee adopts and utilizes this kind of leadership as she wants to motivate people by building sound relationship with people. She encourages staff by assuring them job satisfaction as well as highlighting employee’s interests. She values employee’s and patient’s interest instead of her own. She provides contingent rewards to their employees and emphasis staff to follow the rules and regulations of the firm.

1. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style

In this kind of leadership, leaders allow their subordinates to take their own decisions. Decision-making is a crucial factor is business firms as it can lead to a positive as well as unwanted situations. Nancy Agee tries to empower her employees and take their own decision that will build confidence in them. She believes that empowering employees assist in enhancing the firm’s productivity as well as improves employee’s performance. In this kind of leadership, leaders give employees an authority to take a right decision at the right time by considering currents situation.

Similarities in Both Leaders

Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber and Nancy Howell Ageea are the successful leaders of their countries. Both leaders focus on the communication skills as they prefer to resolve the issues through effective communication. Both leaders are known as ethical and moral leaders as they perform many social activities for the welfare of society. Honesty and humane are the common leadership traits of Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber and Nancy Howell Agee. They believe that empowering employees (youth) will result in the development of the firm. They organize new plans and strategies for the growth of the firm and getting competitive advantage in the market. Customer’s satisfaction is the prime focus of both leaders.

Differences in Both Leaders

Despite of similarities among Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber and Nancy Howell Agee, they have some differences while performing their leadership skills. Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber is sometimes strict to the rules and regulations of the firm and does not go beyond those rules and regulations. Nancy Agee on the other hand is very social and goes beyond the rules and regulations to resolves patient’s issues. Sulatan Ahmed Al Jaber can be called a transformational and autocratic leader whereas Nancy Agee utilizes Transactional and Laissez-Faire Leadership Style. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is strategically focused leader whereas Nancy Agee goes beyond strategies and plans.

Recommendations

• Good leader performes different activities in a firm such as managing risks and resolving conflicts. A leader may adopt different style of leadership if he/she faces failure in any area or project.
• Nancy Agee and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber should implement the concept of competition among employee for the improving their performance as well as for the firm’s growth.
• Teamwork is one of the fundamental attribute for the success of the firm. Leaders must be focused on building effective team who can work according to the goals and objectives of the firm.
• Firms around the world are focusing on adopting creative and innovation leadership. Therefore, leaders must twist the policies and strategies according to the needs and demands of the firm. They must bring new ideas and implement new strategies for the growth of firm.
• Employees working in diverse cultures often feel difficulties. Leaders must communicate with new and old employees in an effective way to reduce internal and external risks.
• Further, leaders must have knowledge how and when to compromise self-interest for the development of the firm.
• There is a difference among leaders and managers as leaders sometimes do not possess a particular title but still people try to follow them. Therefore, leaders must possess ethical and moral leadership qualities.
• Leaders are followed and adopted by the people when they witness qualities in them. Leaders must treat all employees equally and right. They must avoid discrimination among employees as it opposed the definition of ethical leadership.
• Leaders must motivate employees and assure job satisfaction by rewarding them for their good performances.

Summary

Leadership is sometimes controversial but has been a debatable topic since few decades. Leadership is an important factor that plays a significant role both in the decline as well as development of any business firm. Leadership is one of the most interdisciplinary and prolific research domains in the firm’s sciences. However, scholars have constantly highlighted the significance of leadership for the firm’s performance. According to the studies, leadership highly impacts the organizational performance. It is the duty of leader to bring creativity and innovation for the growth by implementing new policies and strategies. The prime duty of an effective leader is to lead the team towards the success in diverse situations. Leader is to build relationship not only with employees but also with the stakeholders. They try to evaluate the current situation of a firm then create and implement new strategies. Some of the common strategies implemented by effective leaders are marketing strategy and product development strategy. They mainly focused on customer’s satisfaction that assists a firm to get a competitive advantage over its competitors in a market.

Conclusion

It can be concluded from the above discussion that business firms have been focusing on effective and innovative leadership for the development of its firm. Leaders such as Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and Nancy Agee are successful leaders who are role models for the future generations. They have set examples for the upcoming leaders by utilizing their leadership skills. However, youth must be aware about the significance of leadership by introducing different training programs and seminars. Leaders must adopt different theories and leadership styles to accomplish firm’s goals.

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