Essay Sample on Perspectives of Leadership

Introduction

The success of an organization is determined by the leaders who manage its operation and the skills that they may possess. Efficient and experienced leaders are associated with productivity in a company. Such leaders are associated with having a good understanding of the set objectives so that they can take actions which are in line with them. Also, they have a good relationship with the employees who work under them. Unity among the employees and the junior workers is essential because it increases cooperation among the two parties. It is crucial for the leaders to have proper mechanisms that can ensure that the employees understand the visions and mission of the company. Leaders should have enough knowledge that may be applied in a different situation in an organization. Also, leaders should attend seminars and conferences that would equip their skills in the development and actualization of the company's objectives.

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Different perspectives are applied by leaders to come up with the best leadership styles. It is vital for a leader to have several aspects from which he or she can select from the best that suit a particular company. Also, perspectives may be applied depending on the goals that have to be achieved and the experience of the leader. Some of the perspectives may only be used in instances where the leader is very experienced in the management of different companies. On the other hand, some aspects may apply in a situation where a leader has a lot of knowledge and requires it for practical application. The paper below will focus on three main perspectives of leadership that are broadly used by managers, and they may also apply in many institutions. The perspectives are functional, critical performativity and constructivist perspectives of leadership. Each of the aspects is unique and may be implemented differently depending on the company structure and leader who intend to use it.

The functional perspective of leadership mainly entails a leader having his or her juniors working as a team and only focuses on providing them with the resources that they need to accomplish the goals. The members of the groups are well organized and can lead themselves in the production process (Cragan, Wright & Kasch, 2009). Secondly, the constructivist perspective advocates that a leader should use his or her previous experiences and knowledge to come up with the right solutions in a company. In most the cases the leader remembers what he or she did in a similar encounter or what was learned in class and applies the same on a current issue. Finally, the critical performativity perspective of leadership advocates that leaders should have a lot of theoretical knowledge which he or she should also have the ability to convert to practical actions which may bring development to a company (Lemmergaard & Muhr, 2013). The perspective takes that it is useless for a leader to have too much theoretical knowledge but applies none in the problem-solving process. The discussion below describes the three perspectives and how they are utilized differently. Also, it gives the most appealing perspective among the three that would bring productivity in the company. The discussion also gives the theoretical understandings that are gained after understanding the three aspects. Therefore, any of the three theoretical perspectives enhances leadership and productivity of a company provided it is applied appropriately.

Functional/Managerialist Leadership Perspective

Key Propositions

The functional leadership theory argues that a leader has to ensure that the groups he or she is working with get all that they need in accomplishing the goals set. The theory is majorly focused on ensuring that there is cohesion in the workplace and the leader facilitate the effectiveness of the teams involved (Burtis & Turman, 2009). The functional leadership perspective focuses on how activities in the company are performed rather than who is doing it. Therefore, theory recommended that any member of a group can perform the tasks available without waiting for the formal leaders to authorize or take action (Cragan, Wright & Kasch, 2009).

Assumptions

The functional leadership theory has several assumptions which make it applicable in the workplace. One, the senior leaders will coach and train the junior ones so that they can take up leadership roles in the teams. Secondly, the leaders are assumed to severally check the working environment to ensure that it is in a situation favorable for the productivity of the groups and if any problem exists, they authorize its fixing. Finally, the theory assumes that the people in an organization works as a team.

Strengths

The perspective has many people trained to have the skills and ability to lead and make decisions which may benefit the organization or the team (Burtis & Turman, 2009). Therefore, the individual with formal authority in a particular area does not have to lead the groups since they already know what is required of them (Cragan, Wright & Kasch, 2009). He or she only ensures that the team gets all that it needs to carry out the activities in the firm. Most of the decision ae done by the team members and they do not depend on the formal authority to present the way forward. Thus, it means that an organization will have a bright future even if the formal leaders are absent.

Limitations

The success of the functional leadership theory is depended on many factors which may sometimes make it hard for the benefits to be felt. Lack of shared objectives among the teams may make it hard for the cooperation which is an essential element of functional leadership (Cragan, Wright & Kasch, 2009). Also, progress may be limited if the members of the teams do not have the necessary skills that may be needed to make the right decisions. Additionally, the absence of the essential resources which may be required to facilitate the operations of the groups present may limit the success of this model.

Constructivist Perspective of Leadership

Key prepositions

Constructivist perspective entails a leader using his or her previous experiences and knowledge to manage a particular organization. He or she may use the skills and knowledge obtained in school to solve problems that may emerge at his current company (Lambert, 2002). Also, he or she may use the strategies applied in other similar. Therefore, the knowledge and skills of leading other people is greatly influenced by the previous occurrences and other issues that may have affected leaders.

Assumptions

The constructivist perspectives have various assumptions that make it applicable in the leadership process. One, the theory assumes that the leadership skills and knowledge is acquired through interactions made to various people. It makes one share his or her ideas and thus a leader may notes that have been taken by the leaders at different times. Secondly, the perspective has an assumption that leadership is constructed through experience. Thirdly, the theory assumes that each person has a unique interpretation of a situation which makes him or her take note of some ideas that may be applied in future leadership practices.

Strengths

The constructivist perspective of leadership may be fruitful because it is rare for a leader to forget an activity that he or she performs daily. It is through the experience that a leader may be able to solve the problems that he or she may face in the current position (Lambert, 2002). For example, a leader who has ever experienced working with few employees will use the previous knowledge and strategies if he or she is in an organization that faces the same challenge. Also, the theory states every person gains more understanding as he or she interacts with other people and thus a leader may be perfect if he or she associates with other leaders who have a lot of experience (Bennett, Crawford & Cartwright, 2003). Finally, there are very institutions where people can learn about leadership.

Limitations

The perspective is connected to several limitations. One, an individual who has not learned about leadership may have challenges in carrying out the practice or in solving the problems that may be experienced. Also, it may be hard for the perspective to apply for a new person who has for the first time joined leadership. Lack of leadership education and prior education may limit the application of the theory. Furthermore, situations may be different, and thus the action taken in the past may fail to be successful in an almost similar case.

Critical Performativity Perspective of Leadership

Key Prepositions

Critical performativity perspective of leadership calls for the application of theoretical knowledge in practical actions (Alvesson & Spicer, 2012). Some of the leaders may have theories that may be needed in the management process, but they may fail to apply them (Lemmergaard & Muhr, 2013). Therefore, this perspective recommends that leaders should always apply theories they may be conversant with in solving the problems in the organization.

Assumptions

The perspective has several assumptions that make it applicable in the leadership process. It assumes that the leaders have adequate theoretical knowledge which may be applied practically for the running of the organization. Also, it is assumed that the leaders research to acquire more knowledge that can be aplied in the management of an organization.

Strengths

The perspective makes the leaders have an easy time in the management process since they have theories where they reference the best action that can be applied. The critical performativity perspective enhances the practical use of knowledge, and thus the leaders keep learning more theories that may be implemented in their firms (Lemmergaard & Muhr, 2013). Most of the approaches are readily available, and this makes the leaders competent.

Limitations

The critical performativity perspective of leadership requires that the leaders apply theories to practical work in the organization. However, the approach may have some limitations. One, the theories may not be applicable in some cases, and hence experience is needed to know where certain perspectives apply and where they do not (Tourish, 2013). Also, some leaders may not have adequate theories and hence limit their practical problem-solving strategies.

Most Appealing and Informative Perspective

The functional perspective of leadership is friendly to many companies since it always makes the work of formal leaders easy. The leaders who are hired by the management to hold the senior offices do not have to be there for the activities in the company to take place. The organization that embraces the perspective work as a team and the employees can lead themselves (Cragan, Wright & Kasch, 2009). Therefore, formal leaders are not needed to supervise every action taken by the workers. The employees are believed to understand the objectives of the company, and this makes them come up with the right decision in case of any situation. Thus, formal leaders may use their time in laying strategies that may change the firm to be more productive. However, the general happenings that had previously explained to the employees can be left to them since they will do them perfectly. In case of any change or improvements, the formal leaders may inform the team members and train them on the new requirement. It is clear that the managers will have easy supervision work and thus may focus more on creative decisions that may improve the organization.

Enhancement of Continuity

The functional perspective of leadership is the most appealing and effective for an organization. The model ensures that there is continuity in the company even when the existing formal leaders are not in the workplace. The fun...