The question: Is leadership the outcome of a person’s characteristics and actions or is it a role of the social psychological structure that leaders and followers interact (Hrivnak, 2009)?  The quality and value of the relationship between leaders and followers, Hrivnak (2009) suggests, “ is a function of both. Researchers interested in leadership recognize that as a process, leadership has reciprocal and indirect effects within the context of these relationship that are likely to vary over time and across levels of analysis… The key to effective leadership does not lie with the characteristics or behaviors of an individual leader, but the efficacy of the relationship among leader and followers” (P.114). In this case, leaders and followers that ready to accept and become accustomed to the nature of their relationships and conditions are more expected to achieve their individual and organizational objectives (Hrivnak). LMX theory is centered on the interactions between leaders and followers, and it lets the dyadic relationship between leaders and followers as the major point of the leadership process (Northouse, 2007).

Franki

References

Hrivnak, G. (2009). Extending a model of leader-member exchange development:

       

 Individual and dyadic effects of personality, similarity and liking.

Retrieved on May 22, 2009, from ProQuest database.

      

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Yuki, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th edition). New Delhi: Pearson.

 

Leadership article review:
Goal interdependence and foreign ventures in China
                                             Copyright (c) 2009 & all rights reserved.
Article Citation:
 


Yifeng, N., & Tjosvold, D. (2008). Goal interdependence and leader-member  

     relationship for cross-cultural leadership in
foreign ventures in China.

     Leadership & organization development Journal, 29 (2), pp. 144-166.


Summary:  The authors’ main objective in this article is to analyze and examine the effect and influence of goal interdependence and leader-member relationship on cross-cultural leadership in joint ventures in China (Yifeng & Tjosvold, 2008). As increasing of joint ventures, overseas productions, international subsidiaries, and trading in China with many other nations  (e.g., Japan, South Korea, U.S.A., Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, etc.) in recent years, China becomes the world’s factory.  Many international companies are developing foreign productions or joint ventures in there not only want to increase profits or returns, lower costs, and also would like to capture the benefits of global trading or open up the new and giant of local Chinese market (e.g., General.Electric., General Motor, Home Depot, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Toyota, Samsung, and IKEA, etc.).  At long last and about two centuries afterward, today China follows and practices the “open-door” policy in trading and business, and allows most of the countries in the world and their organizations set up joint ventures, productions or subsidiaries in there.
      For the issues: Why was the article written? As there are different cultures, dissimilar traditions, and different value and belief systems (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism) between China and the West that may build up many misunderstanding, misinterpretation, disagreement or distrust and could create poor cross-cultural leadership with employee frustration and lower job performance. The key research question in this leadership article is how to facilitate, communicate, assist or make easy and possible leader-member relationships involving overseas or foreign managers, executives, and supervisors with Chinese employees in joint ventures in China. Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) claim their study directs and utilizes “the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX [Leader-Member Exchange model that describes how leaders develop mutual exchange relationships with their followers or employees] to develop responses to the research questions. Completed survey questionnaires were analyzed on a valid sample of 199 [from 55 firms, consisting of 100 copies concluded by employees who had Japanese managers and 99 copies completed by those who had American managers]” (p. 144). This study got great support by the top and middle management of joint ventures, and as the above figures showed, it focused mainly on Japanese managers and American managers with their Chinese employees and senior staffs in the organizations that located from various cities (e.g., Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Fuzhou, and Xiamen) in China. The title of this article, therefore, should change and indicate that the study primarily examine and concentrate on Japanese and American managers and their Chinese employees in the issues of goal interdependence and leader-member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in joint ventures. 
         For all the employees that respond this study, Yifeng & Tjosvold (2008) stated, “112 [or 56.3%] were male; the average age is 34.2 years, and 136 [or 68.3%] of them have worked with their managers for more than one year; 124 [or 62.3%] of them have Bachelor's degrees and 39 [or 19.6%] of them have Master's degrees or doctorates” (p.150). The findings of the study supported and held the concept that “cooperative goals [but not competitive or independent] between managers and employees can strengthen their leader-member relationships, which in turn facilitate cross-cultural leadership. The results also extended this theorizing to cross-cultural settings. Although the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX were developed in the West, they could be useful in Chinese contexts for understanding cross-cultural leadership. Foreign managers working in joint ventures in China who develop strongly cooperative goals may be able to develop high quality relationships that in turn promote employee commitment and performance” (Yifeng & Tjosvold, p.144). It is very true. The results of this study suggest, as Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) claim, “Chinese employees, despite their different cultures and unequal status, can develop cooperative goals with their foreign managers. These goals are a foundation on which Chinese employees can overcome their cultural distance and develop a strong leader-member relationship with foreign managers” (p.159). In North America, as it highlights on the individual, most people lean to accredit or recognize achievement or success to their own talents and efforts. In the Chinese belief and custom, on the other hand, “individuals are expected to give credit not only to themselves but also to their family, colleagues, or even the whole society for [personal] success. To the Chinese managers [or employees] in joint ventures, [personal satisfaction] may have a smack of selfishness or an unbecoming lack of modesty]” (Yifeng & Tjosvold, p.2).  At any rate, over 80% of all the respondents in this research in fact were university graduates (e.g., higher education may get better learning, logic, communication, knowledge, and perception with more open-minded or good judgment, and most of them were in the positions of senior or management levels in the joint ventures), these were reasons and causes why there were more cooperative goals with their  foreign managers, and better leader-member relationships that in turn help and assist cross-culture leadership.   
       Overall, for those Chinese employees, including staffs, supervisors, managers or leaders in joint ventures or overseas subsidiaries, they will do their best and take pride in their work with cooperative goals, especially in the cases of working with foreign managers. In many situations, they may feel that they are representing their culture, custom, society and the whole country (Confucianism plus collectivism and socialism or the CCS Theory), as they pride themselves on their great tradition, culture, civilization, nationality, development and improvement or growth.

Critique:  The question: Explain how this article impacted your understanding of the research topic and how it compared to similar information gathered from your text.  Leadership, Northouse (2007) in our text examines, “is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p.3). In style approach of leadership, Northouse (2007) claims, it is a useful way to understand the behaviors of leaders, and it “reminds leaders that their impact on others occurs through the tasks they perform as well as in the relationships they create” (p.78). In other words, it is a logical action and reaction; in fact we all impact by one and others, especially toward the same common goals and under the same organization, condition or environment. In the issues of cooperative objectives, Northouse (2007) analyzes human skills and argues, “allow a leader to assist group members in working cooperatively as a group to achieve common goals… [Leaders] create an atmosphere of trust where employees can feel comfortable and secure and where they can feel encouraged to become involved in the planning of things that will affect them” (p.41). All these approaches and actions not only can build up their leader-member relationships, but also make easy and assist cross-cultural leadership. Leadership skills are identified “as the ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals or objectives” (Northouse, p.40).  The above notions and situations correspond and go with the findings of Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) that claim, “Foreign managers working in joint ventures in China who develop strongly cooperative goals [but not competitive or independent] may be able to develop high quality relationships that in turn promote employee commitment and performance” (p.144). With positive mindset and great leadership approach, foreign manager would build up supportive, collaborative, and cooperative objectives with excellent employee relationship and great job accomplishment. In practice, foreign managers that usually hold management and leadership functions in joint ventures (e.g., most foreign managers are those highly trained managers with great or distinguished management skills and experiences that selected from home management and offices) certainly would work together with their Chinese managers or employees to achieve the common goals of their organizations. Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) assert the findings of the study supported and held the concept that “cooperative goals between managers and employees can strengthen their leader-member relationships, which in turn facilitate cross-cultural leadership” (p.144). It is very true. Both our text and this article were examining and evaluating the issues of leadership and leader-member relationships, and they both get the same findings: building up strongly cooperative goals would develop excellent employee relationship and improve job performance.
        As the whole survey questionnaires were examined on a compelling sample of 199 from 55 firms, consisting of 100 copies concluded by employees who had Japanese managers and 99 copies completed by those who had American managers (Yifeng & Tjosvold). This study got great support by the top and middle management of foreign-owned joint ventures that primarily managed by Japanese or American managers in different cities in China. The title of this article as we discuss earlier should change and indicate that the study mainly examined and focused on Japanese and American managers in joint ventures in China.  Moreover, for all the staffs or individuals that respond this study, Yifeng & Tjosvold (2008) reported, “124 [or 62.3%] of them have Bachelor's degrees and 39 [or 19.6%] of them have Master's degrees or doctorates” (p.150). This study therefore was focusing on senior employees or staffs, supervisors, managers, or middle to upper management levels with higher education (e.g., at least over 80% of all the participants graduated from university levels) and not general employees or workers in the production lines. The authors, however, did not clarify this control or limitation in their study.  In all, this article helps me understanding greatly the notions and subject matters of leadership, goal or objective interdependence and leader-member relation for cross-cultural leadership in joint venture in China. This article strengthened and supported the reading from the texts and discussion in the classes I have been exposed so far on this topic and the subject matters of leadership.

Application:  The questions: Is this an article that can be used in your own practice of leadership?  Do you think the article will change the way you approach a situation, project, or discussion related to this topic at work?  Could you share information in the article with your colleagues or supervisor?
       Absolutely, nowadays, as our labor force is so diversity with increasing cost of human resources, operations management and production in a highly competitive marketplace. The concepts of cooperation, leader-member relationship, and cross-cultural leadership or the theory of LMX (as in the article and the above examinations) are very important in our modern management and leadership.
        After study the article and examine the findings, it will certainly change the way I approach a situation, project, or discussion related to goal interdependence and leader-member relationship with cross-cultural leadership at work. I consider and agree that cooperative goals (but not competitive or independent) between managers and members of staffs, especially in a diversified labor force with different culture or value and belief systems, not only can support their leader-member relationship, but also make easy and smooth the progress of cross-cultural leadership.
         In order to increase cost effective and efficient, improve the values of stakeholders and advance customer services and management excellence, as in the role of an executive in a storefront and service company, I would share information and analysis in the article with my colleagues and managers immediately. In the business world, as people always state: survival of the fittest. The company must keep leadership and management approach up-to-date with opening communication and open-minded. Effective leadership is the key to success in the slow economy and competitive market.

Conclusion:  The article of “Goal interdependence and leader-member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in foreign ventures in China,” from Leadership & organization development Journal, and by Nancy Chen Yifeng, and Dean Tjosvold was relatively easy to understand, read, and informative with a lots of great research data, tables, diagrams and references.  The article did live up to its study and goal with my expectations; however, the title of the article should changed and indicated more specific that the study was focusing on Japanese and American managers and joint ventures (e.g., all 199 valid copies of questionnaires in this study were completed by those who had Japanese or American managers) in China. Last but not least, as the above examinations and discussions, in order to understand more in the issues of cooperation goals, better leader-member relationship and cross-culture leadership with the objectives of increasing cost effective and efficient, improving the values of stakeholders and advancing customer services and management excellence, I would recommend the article to all my colleagues and managers to help them understand the significant of diversity, different culture with modern management and leadership.

References

Northouse, P. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Yifeng, N., & Tjosvold, D. (2008). Goal interdependence and leader-

     member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in
foreign ventures in China.

     Leadership & organization development Journal, 29 (2), pp. 144-166. Retrieved May 13,

         2009, from
ProQuest database.

         

 

      Within the structure of F. E. Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership (e.g., a leader-match concept, or it attempts to match leaders to right situations or setting), leadership styles are expressed as task motivated (e.g., leaders are concerned with reaching a goal) or relationship motivated (leaders are concerned interpersonal relationships) (Northouse, 2007). In order to evaluate leader styles, Fiedler built up the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale to assess the different between task motivated leaders and relationship motivated leaders. As leaders who achieve high on the LPC scale, they are considered to be relationship motivated; and those who get low on the scale are believed as task motivated (Northouse).

     Under the contingency theory, there are three main situations that a leader would involve: 1) leader-member relations which is established on the group atmosphere and the level of confidence, loyalty, and magnetism that the teams consider for the leader; 2) task structure which is built on “(a) the requirements of the task are clearly stated and known by the people required to perform them, (b) the path to accomplishing the task has few alternatives, (c) completion of the task can be clearly demonstrated, and (d) only a limited number of correct solutions to the task exist” (Northouse, 2007, p. 114); and 3) position power that is based on the total authority a leader has to hire and remunerate or to discipline and penalize employee.  

     Overall, the best situations or rating for organizations are those involving excellence leader-follower relations, clear and definite task with well-built and strong leader or executive position power; on the other hand, the least favorable situations or rating are those have deprived leader-follower relations, undefined tasks and frail leader position power; and at last, situations which are ranked or valued moderately favorable plunge between these two ends (Northouse).

     As a senior executive in this company, my job was to lead a task force (a team of managers) to plan the long term (five to ten years) marketing strategy for the organization. Since our management recognized that traditional planning mainly reported financial outcome or results and mostly seldom or could not capture value generated from the organization’s intangible assets (e.g., customer relationships, human resources, improvement, innovation, procedures, and skills), we decided to utilize “balanced strategic planning” by approaching tactic from four outlooks: financial (traditional view), customer (buyer satisfaction metrics—a major indicator of firm current performance), internal process (daily activity), and learning and growth (organizational culture, training and development, communication, and information management (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008). In order to succeed and achieve our objectives, we ensure to apply five common approaches when employing the balanced strategic planning: a) Translate the plan and tactic into action or operational terms, phrases, or expression (e.g., our company mottos are: “we care customer services and we provide 24/7 storefront emergency services.” In this case, we would like to illustrate the cause-and-effect relationships that demonstrate how intangible assets are converted into value for clients and all stakeholders—this gives a common support of reference and suggestion for all members and staffs of the firm); b) Support and align the firm to strategy (e.g., ensuring all divisions, functions and efforts are coordinated—e.g., every six months, all departments’ managers will meet together in a full day conference, and evaluate the balanced strategic planning); c) Make strategy or plan everyone’s everyday job (e.g., taking action and not just talking); d) Make strategy or plan a continual process (e.g., assessing and reviewing the results regularly, and ensuring in the right direction and strategy); and finally, e) mobilize change through executive leadership (e.g., in order to ensure our management has energetic leader who can stand up for the strategy, and the balanced scorecard, the leader of the task force must renew every seven years (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008).

     Overall, we experienced all three main situations of the contingency theory with the most favorable category; leader-member relations (e.g., confidence and loyalty) in our task force was great and soaring—there were almost 100% attendance in all our task force meetings; our task structure variable was well defined with long term balanced strategic planning; and finally, as a senior manager and the leader of the task force, I have the position power to reward, hire or discipline employee. In all, our long term balanced strategic planning has succeeded, and our customers and businesses keep growing steadily even in this slow economy.

 

References

 

Ferrell, O., & Hartline, M. (2008). Marketing strategy (4th edition). Mason, OH:


     Thomson Higher education.

 

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
     Publications Inc.

 

In the issues of team conflict management and team effectiveness, Somech, Desivilya, and Lidogoster (2009) claim," Results revealed (77 intact work teams from high-technology firms) that at high levels of team identity, task interdependence was positively associated with the cooperative style of conflict management, which in turn fostered team performance" (p.1). In other words, positive action gets positive reaction. High qualified employees and professional can work together and achieve great result even the task structure of the leader is low.

Reference

Somech, A., Desivilya, H., & Lidogoster, H. (2009, April). Team conflict management

     and team effectiveness: the effects of task interdepence and team identification.

     Journal of organizational behavior, 30 (3). Retrieved on May 22, 2009 from

     ProQuest database.

 

Great project with green concept. It is not an easy job to lead a team of 500 employees for many years, and also work for the same goals. It must take a lot of efforts, strength, and leadership to create, design and implement this green building with limited time and finance.      In the issues of strengths in contingency theory, Northouse (2007) argues, contingency model “is predictive and therefore provides useful information about the type of leadership that is most likely to be effective in certain context” (p.117). From the results of the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale and the descriptions of three features of a situation (e.g., leader-member relations, task structure, and position power), Northouse (2007) claims, “it is possible to determine the probability of success for a given person in a given situation” (p.117). In other words, contingency theory has predictive or analytical strength or power that other leadership approaches do not have, and in fact, as people always state: You cannot not communicate! Contingency theory is very significant in the learning of leadership theory and practice.

Reference

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
     Publications Inc.


 


 


Welcome to the business management school, I was in communication studies, and history, and would not think about business school. I glad that I make the right move; opening new opportunities and searching new challenges and experiences. Don’t worry about the low score of conceptual skill or human skill, as Northouse (2007) examines and analyses skills approach, and argues, “Skills are competencies that people can learn or develop… The same is true with leadership. When leadership is framed as a set of skills, it becomes a process that people can study and practice to become better at performing their jobs” (p.54). This is exactly the American education system about—opening the door of learning, education, knowledge, abilities, skills and leadership or intelligence and wisdom that people can learn or train and develop, and not born (or from classes, families, or connections). How many of us few years ago would think that we have the first black president in the United States of America  in 2009?  Barack Obama won the presidency mainly by planning, organizing or hard-working, and for sure was not just by luck (e.g., most of his funding was coming from $5, $10, $20, and $50, or largely supporting from mass lower, middle, non-mainstream, or working classes).  Overall, we can learn, train, and develop skills, knowledge, intelligence or ability. Yes, hard-working, aim-high, and practice makes perfect, and yes, we can do it.

References

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

It looks like not an easy way for leaders or CEOs to balance their concerns of task and people, and create a good relationship of organizational culture in their businesses,  In the issues of the joint effect of CEO leadership and organizational culture on employees, Song, Tsui, and Law (2009) examine and claim, there are two schools of thought on the relationship between CEO leadership and organizational culture, for examples, for functionalists, “CEOs have a significant impact on the emergence of culture, and they could develop and maintain organizational culture… Yet culture scholars with an anthropological view regard leaders as part of the culture… In this school, the leader may not be the agent who can change the culture but may be the recipient influenced by the culture” (p.1). It is a very interest argument. The same as Northouse (2007) examines and claims style approach is a useful way to understand the behaviors of leaders, and it “reminds leaders that their impact on others occurs through the tasks they perform as well as in the relationships they create” (p.78). Overall, I consider everything is action and reaction, and we all impact by one and others, especially under the same condition or environment.

Franki

References

Song, L., Tsui, A., & Law, K. (2009, Fall). Unpacking employee responses to


        organizational exchange mechanisms: The role of social and economic


        exchange perceptions. Journal of management, 35 (1), 56-93. Retrieved

         May 9, 2009, from First Search database.

     

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

    The style approach highlights the conduct, manners, actions and performance (e.g., behavior) of the leader (Northouse, 2007). It demonstrates how leaders bring both task behaviors (e.g., goal accomplishment) and relationship behaviors (e.g., affiliation, bond, and team-building tendency) together to inspire or affect employees in their attempts to complete tasks or achieve goals. In this case, the leader that I am going to study is one of my former marketing managers, Johnny Brown, in a regional and mid-size equipment company.

        As a division manager and leader, Johnny acted determined, made priorities clear, and was a people person and very open-minded (e.g., at least he hired me as his marketing executive in his business team to open new market areas even I did not have much marketing experience at the time). He often put his new employees and co-workers first and helped them to achieve the goals, and highest commissions or rewards. He built commitment and confidence, followed through, and promoted good working relationship, and stimulated participation, especially to those new staffs and new team members (e.g., great human skills). He was a good team manager and leader.    

       Using the Leadership Grid (e.g., leadership behaviors of task and relationship), Northouse (2007) claims, “The 9,9 style (team management) places a strong emphasis on both tasks and interpersonal relationship. It promotes a high degree of participation and teamwork in the organization and satisfies a basic need in employee to be involved and committed to their work” (p.75). In the first phase, Johnny set up different teams in the division to look after various businesses (e.g., interdependence via a common objective). He recognized and empowered each of his team members. As he built relationships of trust and respect with his staffs, most of the employees enjoyed working with him very much, and the division was the best earnings with lowest employee turnover rate in the whole organization. He emphasized business plans, goals and production, and often stated: No plan, and no gain.

     After teams were building up (e.g., good conceptual skills with vision and ideas) and members understood the common objectives and goals of their teamwork, Johnny would slow down a bit and take his management work easy. In this phase, Johnny acted almost like country club management (1,9) style with a great degree toward interpersonal relationships (e.g., ensuring employees’ personal and social needs are met, and promoting a happy, friendly company atmosphere with great organizational culture, positive climate, and business ethics) and a low concern for task achievement. He did not demand or push for high production.

     Once everything was settled after a long time, Johnny became act more like middle-of-the road management (5,5) in the Leadership Grid, he had less aggressive concern for the task and employees as well than years ago. As Northouse (2007) analyzed the leaders in the 5,5 style, “They find a balance between taking people into account and still emphasizing the work requirements. Their compromising style gives up some of the push for production and some of the attention to employee needs… The 5,5 leader avoids conflict and emphasizes moderate levels of production and interpersonal relationships” (p.75). This was why at last, before Johnny retired from the firm and just as markets and organizational strategies were changing, our CEO hired a new assistant manager and advocated more production and better human resource management in the division.

    Style approach is a useful way to understand the behaviors of leaders and it “reminds leaders that their impact on others occurs through the tasks they perform as well as in the relationships they create [--kind of action and reaction, so that leaders must take their responsibilities]” (p.78). Under Johnny’s leadership, he offered structure for employees, and he fostered and encouraged them to achieve the common goal. However, when he was oriented toward production, he was less oriented toward employees (except for the initial stage of team-building), and when he was employee oriented he was less production oriented (Northouse, 2007). In order to achieve the highest returns or goals, and to be an effective leader in a changing environments and marketplaces, Johnny should balance the levels of concerns in task and relationship as much as he could. After all, increasing cost effective and efficient, improving the value of stakeholders and advancing customer services and management excellence are the main goals of organizational leadership.

 In all, in the first phase of leadership, Johnny was in the 9,9 style (team management) of Leadership Grid, and he placed a strong emphasis on both tasks and interpersonal relationship. He was an excellent team leader. In the second phase of his leadership, he was in the 1,9 style and highlighted interpersonal relationship with employees and low concern production. In the last stage of his leadership, he was in the 5,5 style, and stressed moderate levels of production and interpersonal affiliations to avoid divergence and tension. Last but not least, the style approach is a useful way to comprehend and a tool of evaluating the behaviors of leaders, and it is very significant in the study of leadership.

Reference

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
       Publications Inc.

 

       Skills approach, similar to trait approach focuses a leader-centered standpoint on leadership, but it stresses and highlights abilities and skills that can be learned, trained, developed, and acquired (Northouse, 2007). Leadership skills are identified “as the ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals or objectives” (Northouse, p.40). In other words, companies may utilize a standardized set of measures or principles in evaluating the existing ability stages or training requirements of senior staffs, executives, managers or leaders.      My scores on the Skills Inventory in all three skills and aspects are reasonably balanced. My technical skill score was 28, my human skill score was 29, and my conceptual skill score was 30. As an executive and leader of the company, I spend more time in planning or setting future directions or objectives of the organization. I am a conceptual person and good in ideas or innovations with fewer score in technical skill (e.g., less and limited knowledge or expertise to carry out technical matters of physical operation, such as fixing the machines or making the actual products or goods). On the other hand, I supposed my conceptual skill and human skill aspects to be the best (e.g., they both have always been areas of my strong points).  I need good human skills or people skills (e.g., knowledge or know-how about and capability to work with people, and acclimatize my own plans or ideas to those others) that help me to work effectively with employees, sub-trades, general contractors, store owners and investors or broad members to achieve the firm’s objectives and strategies.

      Northouse (2007) analyzes human skills and proficiency “allow a leader to assist group members in working cooperatively as a group to achieve common goals… [Leaders] create an atmosphere of trust where employees can feel comfortable and secure and where they can feel encouraged to become involved in the planning of things that will affect them” (p.41). As a senior manager and organizer with people skill, I need to consider and understand the inspirations, motivations, or needs of others, especially in main organizational decision making.

     In terms of conceptual skills, they relate to the abilities to perform, succeed, or bring about concepts, innovations, and ideas. Northouse (2007) examines and claims leaders with conceptual skills are “good at putting the company’s goals into words and can understand and express the economic principles that affect the company… [They work] easily with abstractions and hypothetical notions” (p.42). In this case, it is true, I always use my conceptual skills to construct and create a vision (e.g., adding new product lines or customer services, and find out how to get more returns or profits, and improve the value of stakeholders) or business plans to the company. In order to achieve the organizational goals and build an effective and efficient management team and labor force, I do a lot of psychological works or setting of creating organizational policies and company directions. On the whole, conceptual skills are very significant to top executives, leaders, and middle managers (e.g., to lead the organization or the industry, and deal with governments, public, investors and employees), but less noteworthy to lower management ranks.

     In all, as technical skills deal with things or objects, and human skills relate to group, people, or stakeholders (including employees, managers, investors, suppliers, governments, communities, and consumers), and conceptual skills engage the capability to bring about ideas, conceptions, or innovations. I consider this test of skills inventory is reasonably and fairly truthful. From this measure, if I expect to be a high efficient and effective leader, I must improve my technical skill (e.g., read more industrial, mechanical or scientific magazines, books, newsletters, or information sheets). Under the notion of leadership skills inventory, leaders are made or trained, not born (PSA, 2009). Last but not least, skills inventory (e.g., evaluates and assesses leadership path or skills, and improves a leader’s influence, teamwork, and output or efficiency) offers top executives, leaders and managers with the needed and indispensable criteria or competence to advance their leadership skills (PSA, 2009). Skills, education, training and knowledge are all powers. Skills inventory is very significant in the subject matters of leadership. Increasing cost effective and efficient, improving communication, design, change, culture and business ethics, and advancing values of stakeholders, customer services and management excellence are the main objectives of organizational management and leadership.

References

Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
       Publications Inc.


Professional sales academy (PSA). (2009). Leadership skills inventory and


       assessment.  Retrieved May 9, 2009, from

 http://www.salesacademy.ca/leadership_skills_assessment.html

 

    For the same subject matter or topic, the views and standpoints from leader and manager are totally diverse and not the same aspects. To be effective, organizations therefore need both capable and knowledgeable management and inspired leadership. Management emphasizes the producing order and reliability, whereas leadership is about adaptation and creating change and movement. In all, successful leaders have to be able to differentiate and recognize the really important decisions, and achieve a better result. Hymowitz (2007) analyzed, and argued those leaders that led to the subprime mortgage crisis or disaster, and then became global financial crisis and recession, as Warren Bennis claimed, were “[manic denial of good judgment because there were warning signs everywhere]" (p.1). Without intelligence, innovation, or good business ethics, integrity, and self-confidence, leaders lose their visions or directions, and at the end their organizations may fall or sink. In the business world, you are either the leader, or follow the leader.

References

Northouse, P. G. (2007).  Leadership theory and practice (4th


     edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Hymowitz, C. (2007, December 17). Companies need CEOs to stop  

      spinning and start thinking. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from

      http://online.wsj.com/articleSb119784929145132573.html