The Art of Leadership and Science
The first part of the book, "The art of leadership and science" by Afsaneh Nahavandi, analyses the building blocks of understanding the whole process of leadership.
Three Common Elements of Leadership
Leadership share three common elements. The first is that leadership must have followers as it is a group of the phenomenon. The second element is that leadership is all about goal direction and is actively applied in groups of people. Last is that leadership must have a form of hierarchy system. It may be either formal or informal. The combination of all these three elements defines a leader as an individual who can influence people or a group of people by helping them in establishing organizational goals and achieving them thus making them useful (Afsaneh, 2009).
The Notion of Effective Leadership
Effective leadership is a subject that is under a lot of research; however, the most common theme in all these studies concerns the overall outcome. The process of reaching that outcome is not the issue, but the end product is essential (Afsaneh, 2009).
Factors Defining Effective Leadership
One of the notions that define effective leadership is that which considers the success of the leader through the success of his group. Additionally, it can be broadly be determined by the productivity of the leader's group. A leader is illustrated as successful if the whole group can function effectively together and they can quickly adapt to the external forces changes. The definition of effective leadership has three necessary factors, for instance, there is the achievement of goals, effective group mentalism and operations, and the adaptation of external factors.
Understanding the Cultural Context
Consequently, for you to understand the concept of leadership, you require to comprehend the cultural context. The culture is the value that exists in the community. It includes the norms and customs that guide the behavior of a group of people. Culture has a significant impact on everybody’s life as it determines what is right and what is wrong (Afsaneh, 2009).
Levels of Cultural Context
Culture has three distinct levels. The first is a national culture which is known as the set of beliefs that exists in a nation. The national culture has a strong persuasive influence as it affects many aspects of people’s life. For instance, it impacts the organizational and everyday activities. The second is ethnic or group cultures. In a nation, different cultures and groups exist, and in this ethnic groups, they have their own set of beliefs, and this known as the second level culture. The third type is known as organizational culture, and it is limited to work-related values. This type of culture is that which a group of people in the organization share the same belief, norms, and values. Each organization has their unique culture and character.
Impact of Culture on Leadership
The three cultures shape the way we see things and even our expectation of leaders and leadership. The United States culture makes the people see a leader as a person who can experience failures. The organizational culture can experience impact from ethnic and national culture. The different corporate cultures might be different from country to country, but its management foundation is the national culture. This style of management is known as national organizational heritage.
Models for Understanding National Culture
Various models help in understanding the national culture. High context and low context cultural framework by Hall is the simplest, and its primary focus is on differentiating communication styles that exist in a culture. The second type of theory is the five cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede. His model has five cultural aspects which include, "power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, and time orientation" (Afsaneh, 2009). The last type of model is the dimensions of culture by Fons trompenaars. This model is complex that aids the leaders in comprehending the national culture and the effects that it has on an organization and corporate culture.
Becoming an Effective Leader
An effective leader has to learn how to take the opportunities available. Becoming a good and effective leader is as easy as the definition. Becoming a good leader requires practice and allowing yourself to learn from your mistakes. However, the organization does not create this type of environment. Various obstacles can prevent a leader from becoming effective. The most crucial is the level and the different skills and talents that prevent the leaders from becoming effective.
Differences Between Leaders and Managers
Both leaders and managers are necessary for a company but have distinct differences. The managers are responsible for the routine work while a leader is a person who is assigned attributes that allow him or her to encourage their followers. An effective leader performs many managerial roles and also external and strategic functions. They also have the responsibility of creating and maintaining an organization culture climate. Leaders can leave an indelible mark on the organization, and this assumption can be passed down from one generation to the other. Most of the organization mirrors the personality of the founder or leader. Leaders make a difference may it be in an organization or a political leader. However, there is also an argument that leaders have no significant impact on the organization.
Conclusion
The first part of the book has essential facts about the different aspects of leadership. The distinct definition of leadership is hard to come by, but the book clearly states the elements that form a leader. The author also talks about the various aspect that contributes to effective leadership. It is not biased in its discussion of the factors that make and prevent a leader from becoming in performing their duties. Some of this duties include managerial and maintaining the organization culture. Organization culture is essential as it affects the way that the people in the company behave. Other cultures can also change the performance of the company. They include national and ethnic culture.
Reference
Afsaneh, N. (2009). The art and science of leadership.
