Be Good with People: Essay Sample on Key Leadership Skill in Global Economy

Situation #1

According to the CEO of General Electric, Jeffrey Immelt, the three skills which people need to be leaders 10 - 20 years from now are; being curious, being good with people, having perseverance, hard work and having a thick skin. Of these leadership skills, the leadership skill which overrides the importance of other capabilities in the current global economy is being good with people. Current aspects of globalization affect the economy and performance of businesses in different ways. Globalization has led to diversification and expansion of markets; leaders need to make sure that they work well with people so that they can be able to explore new markets and also work with people from diverse backgrounds. Leaders should guide the people they lead, and they need to understand them and their differences so that they can offer proper guidance.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

From the leadership traits presented by Immelt, my strongest attributes are; being curious and being good with people. The leadership trait that I need to develop is having perseverance, hard work, and a thick skin. To develop this trait, I need to maintain optimism, focus on the different goals that I have set as a leader, and set achievable goals. This way, I will be able to set develop this leadership trait in me.

Having a thick skin leadership trait in international business means that one can positively take criticisms. This trait is essential for leaders as they will not be taking things personally, and they will not be stuck in sticky situations. Leaders of international business with the thick skin leadership trait can focus on developing the business by working on the various criticisms that the business has received. This way, the business will be more successful.

Situation #2

Poor management styles from bad managers affect the efficiency of employees and will, in most cases lead to the failure of business organizations. Some examples of the lessons that I have learned from bad managers on how not to manage include: Using fear to motivate people. Employees or people who are too afraid when doing their work are more likely to look for alternative places to work. Fear also demotivates workers; it lowers their efficiency and productivity. Another example is ignoring the excellent performance of the members of the team. Ineffective leaders fail to identify and reward the unique achievement or abilities of the team and specific members of the group (Kreitner & Cassidy, 2011). Failing to motivate and reward excellent performance kills the morale of the workers or team members, lowering productivity.

Another example is not being emotionally connected to the project being carried out. Effective leaders are engaged to a particular project; this engagement makes the team members on the project too and work towards achieving the objectives that have been set. Bad managers also conduct meetings which are inappropriate and ineffective; sessions are meant to allow managers get information about particular projects; however, some unproductive meetings might be used to shame team members making them useless in their team.

To turn the bad managers into inspiring leaders, the bad managers need to stop micromanaging the project activities and the team that they are leading. As a leader, one needs to believe in the abilities of the members of the team that he or she leads. For example, the leader needs to delegate duties to some members of his or her team; some of the members might be proficient in handling the responsibilities which the leader delegates to them.

Situation #3

Working in a family business has different pros and cons. The advantages, in this case, include; as an individual, I will have a stronger incentive to work hard in the running the different operations of the family business. Working for a family business as a family member, one feels obligated to work harder to achieve the set objectives as compared to when an individual is running other businesses. Another pro of working in a family business is, one understands what he or she is getting from the business. In such a business, one works with people that he or she understands well making it easier for an individual to collaborate well in the team, and the process of making decisions is also more straightforward. In such situations, work schedules can be adjusted, and the work environment is more relaxed. The cons of working in a family business include; it is quite challenging to separate home-related issues from work-related issues. The business is more vulnerable as it is tied to the events of the family; for instance, if there is a divorce, the business might fail. Individuals holding leadership might lack the necessary skills to help in making sure that the business achieves the objectives that have been set.

From the viewpoint of an individual who is not a family member, family businesses have pros and cons. In this case, the advantages for the family businesses include; saving of time and money; this is because the workforce is mainly composed of family members. There is a shorter learning curve; this is because family members are familiarized with the business earlier enough. Having a conducive working environment is also another pro of working in a family business, this is because a majority of the workers are members of the family and they understand one another. The cons of working in a family business include; reduced productivity, this is because the working environment is more relaxed as compared to other working areas. The family affairs might distract the way the business is being, and some of the rules might bend to favor the family members.

Situation #5

Sustainability is an enduring concept; this is because through the different efforts which have been made to achieve sustainability across sustainable growth is being fulfilled. Concepts of environmental conservation have been emphasized to make sure that sustainable development is being delivered.

To promote sustainability, there is a need to make sure that the environment is conserved. Through such conservations efforts, resources which are used for development will be made available for current growth and the development of the future generations.

Managers need to make sure that they follow the guidelines and policies which have been established to preserve resources for future generations. This includes making sure that the environment is conserved as it offers different resources that are used in the development of society and for future generations.

In the past, things were handled in the wrong way. To address this, global organizations such as the United Nations need to develop policies and guidelines which will conserve the environment and protect the available resources for future generations.

Reference

Kreitner, R, and Cassidy, C. (2011). Management. Mason, OH: South-Western.