Introduction
According to Thomas in 2005, no single firm or organization can exist alone (James H. Stronge, 2008, p. 65). Firms that want to compete successfully ought to engage both clients and employees in order to develop the necessary skills and practices for the achievement of the organization goals. The interaction of all the parties in the organization can help in opening up new markets. Creativity and innovation are the main outcomes of good leadership style. A leader creates confidence, admiration and commitment with their junior staff. The leaders are bound by the decisions made by their subordinates (Rubin, 2002, p. 99). On the other hand, effective management is required to ensure that an organization attains its goals.
Leadership
Leadership is referred to as the process of social influence. In leadership, one person provides support to the other people with the aim of execution of a universal task. The leader may possess formal or informal authority. In order to provide good leadership, a leader should possess distinct skills. The leader should have good traits, acceptable behavior, intelligent, situational interaction and visionary. On the other hand, a leadership style refers to the style used by a leader in the provision of direction, motivating the staff and implementation of plans (Bonnici, 2011, p. 115).
There are different leadership styles which can be applied by a leader. The authoritarian leadership style, also referred to as the autocratic leadership style, is where the leader is strict and keeps close management over his supporters. Leaders who exhibit this type of characteristic maintain only professional relationship with their followers. The leaders maintain close and direct supervision in case the employees are unproductive. A supervisor ordering his junior to clean the work place is an example of authoritarian leadership style. Democratic leadership style is another type of leadership style (Mehrotra, 2005). Under democratic leadership, the leader involves his subordinates in the decision making process. The leader recognizes the interests and social equality of the group members. According to researchers, democratic leadership style is the most effective leadership style than all other leadership styles in improvement of employees’ productivity and motivation (Lawrence J. Gitman, 2008).
Other leadership styles include the laissez-faire leadership style. Leaders who exercise this type of leadership style allow their followers complete freedom in decision making on how to conduct their duties. There is a high degree of autonomy. The style is applicable where the employees are highly skilled and experienced than other workers in similar organizations. In addition, it can be used in situations where the workers have pride in their occupation. Narcissistic leadership style is where the leader considers his personal interests only with little regard over his followers. The aim of the essay is to examine the collaborative leadership style in relation to the special education administration.
The paper will be broken down into various parts in order to incorporate all the vital parts of the discussion. The first part involves the definition of the collaborative leadership style and authoritative leadership style. Similarities and differences between the two types of leadership would be discussed thereafter. The third part will involve a discussion of the collaborative leadership style in the special education administration. The last part will be the steps required to develop a culture collaborative leadership style in schools and the effectiveness of the leadership style in promoting achievement for students with special needs (David Ahlstrom, 2009, p. 176).
An effective and efficient leader should have the following characteristics; the leader should be of good personality, intelligence, have self confidence, enthusiasm and have the courage to accept responsibility. It is also important for a leader to be physically and mentally stable. A manager should be steady, persistent and have thoughtful determination. Leaders have a high degree of balanced motivation. The leaders have the desire to add to the public value regardless of how they work. The leaders possess a wide range of skills. They possess quantitative skills, stakeholder management skills and strategic planning skills. The leaders have deep empathy or contextual intelligence between various sectors. Intelligence regarding the key performance indicators is essential in running a business.
Leaders prepare in advance on how they will handle issues and have strong courage to act upon the issues. They cultivate for strong associations at all levels in the business. They find ways of simplifying complex and difficult situations, and they are able to manage their confidence in delivery and building interaction with all the stakeholders in a business set up (Cejas, 2006).
Management
According to Henry Fayol, management is the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts of all organization members using all other resources to achieve the stated organization goals. Alternatively, management is the act of getting things done through the peoples, managers and other stakeholders. Management is characterized by the following characteristics. It is universal. This implies that the basic principles of management are universally applicable. Management applies to all levels of the organization. Management is considered to be an integrative process. This implies that management aims at reconciling personal goals into the organizational goals.Management involves all the organization activities. It is undertaken at all levels of the organization.
There are five main essential elements of management namely planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling. Planning involves determining what needs to be achieved in the future and developing a plan of action for accomplishing the goals. It is a system of developing plans. Therefore, planning entails developing in advance what should be accomplished and how it should be realized. Organizing involves the provision of materials and human resources to carry out the organization activities. Some of the activities involved in organizing include delegation of authority, developing plans through people, group prescription of formal relationships among people and resources so as to accomplish the organization goals(Bonnici, 2011).
Directing involves maintaining activity among participants, getting the optimum returns from all the employees in the interest of the whole organization. Directing involves motivation, leadership and communication, coordination and all other aspects of organizational behaviour. Controlling is the process of verifying that everything is in accordance with the plans, instructions, established rules and principles, and established commands. Controlling, therefore, is a systematic process by which managers ensures that an organization is achieving its objectives, and it is carrying out the associated plans in an effective and efficient manner.
In an organization, there are three main levels of management. Executive or the top level management is responsible for the entire organization, especially in strategic planning. The top level management deals with all elements and forces that affect the survival, stability and growth of an organization. The middle level management is responsible for major departments in the organization. They may also supervise other level managers. They are responsible for interpreting policies and directions set by the top management into specific plans and guidelines for actions. The first line managers are responsible for supervision of subordinates. They are responsible for carrying out day to day activities within the departments.
Management should possess various skills so that they can be able to achieve organizational goals.Technical skills involve having the knowledge, methods and techniques to use the skills accordingly.Human skills involve the ability to work with other people amicably. It involves having patience, trust and genuine involvement in inter-personal relationships.Conceptual skills are the ability to view things as a whole and assisting comprising of various parts and sub-systems integrated into a single unit. Analytical skills enable the management to understand and define situations. The skills enable managers in problem solving(Rubin, 2002, p. 99).
Extent to which leadership, in its different guises, is more effective than management
Strong leadership and strong management are very essential for the organization to succeed. However, strong leadership with minimal levels of management can produce change within an organization. The change may be in any direction. On the other hand, strong levels of management with minimal leadership influence may lead to bureaucracy within an organization. Additionally, this may lead to inability to deal with crucial changes in the organization. This implies that leadership, in its different guises, is more effective than management. It is vital for organizations to understand the distinction between leadership and management.
According to John Kotter, there should be a balance between the level of management and leadership. Good leadership accounts for the success of start-up businesses.Leadership outcomes are often associated with producing dramatic in order to help improve on the competitive power of the organization. On the other hand, management consistently produceswhat is expected by various stakeholders. This implies that leadership is responsible for bringing change in an organization. Managers will be responsible for implementing the changes.
Leaders are responsible for establishing direction. This involves developing a vision and a mission for the organization. This involves developing long term strategies for an organization. In making the long term decision, the leaders take into consideration the risks and uncertainties involved. On the other hand, management is responsible for establishing detailed steps and objectives for achieving the set vision and mission. Additionally, managers are responsible for eliminating the risks identified by the leaders in making long term strategies. Managers are also responsible for allocating the necessary resources. This implies that leadership is more effective than management(Rubin, 2002, p. 99).
The effectiveness of leadership is also shown during execution of their duties. Leaders are responsible for motivating and inspiring people. This involves providing adequate satisfaction to the employees and creating a conducive environment for the development of employees. On the other hand, managers are responsible for controlling and problem solving among the employees. They are responsible for supervision and identifying deviations. Managers can only carry out their responsibilities in a favorable environment. The managers will also require be empowered and satisfying in order to effectively carry out their duties. Hence, effective leadership is required for management to be effective.
Leadership involves decision making. A leader cannot influence the behavior of subordinates without a set of decisions which govern their relationship. This means that the leader is responsible for the results. Regardless of the person making decisions in the organization, the leader or the supervisor is responsible for providing explanation regarding the outcomes of the tasks. Leaders are accountable for the set of norms and moral values that preside over the behavior of the group members in an organization. The leaders in both types of leadership style set the environment atmosphere for the staff members.
The behavior of the group members reflects that of their leader. An authoritative leader who has a negative attitude is likely that the group members in the organization will have a negative attitude towards each other. On the other hand, an authoritative leader who promotes equality in the workplace transfers the same kind of behavior to the employees(Lawrence J. Gitman, 2008, p. 145). The staff or group members will treat each other in a fair manner even in the absence of their leader. Depending on the leadership style adopted by a leader, the outcome will be more effective than management.
Qualitative Analysis Of "Effectiveness as a Leader"
To some extent, leadership is more effective than management. The differences in the level of effectiveness arise from the outcomes of each one of them. Managers are responsible for implementing decisions made by the leaders. Additionally, the differences may be as aresult of execution of duties.In most cases, managers can only carry out their duties in situations where there is functional leadership.
References
Bonnici, C. A. (2011). Creating a Successful Leadership Style: Principles of Personal Strategic Planning. Lanham: R&L Education.
Cejas, D. (2006). Collaborative Leadership in Title I Urban Middle Schools. Lanham: ProQuest.
David Ahlstrom, G. D. (2009). International Management: Strategy and Culture in the Emerging World. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
James H. Stronge, H. B. (2008). Qualities of Effective Principals. Arlington: ASCD.
Lawrence J. Gitman, C. D. (2008). The Future of Business: The Essentials. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Mehrotra, A. (2005). Leadership Styles Of Principals. Philadelphia: Mittal Publications.
Rubin, H. (2002). Collaborative Leadership: Developing Effective Partnerships in Communities and Schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Ullah, P. (2012). Collaborative Leadership in Financial Services (Ebk - Epub). New York: Gower Publishing Ltd.
