Leadership Blog- Unit 1

After reading Unit 1, I now have a better understanding of how leadership plays a significant role in our daily lives, from decision making to the workplace.  Leadership is more than just taking control and having followers do their tasks, but it involves mastering the interpersonal skills required to work with others in an open leader-follower relationship.  Especially in the work field, understanding and applying organizational behavior within the company is essential in order to be successful. 

 

Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact of individuals on the behavior of an organization in order to learn and grow towards a more effective community.  For a leader, knowing the strengths, weaknesses, compatibility, and personalities of his or her followers is necessary in order to have a balanced, efficient work environment. This determines whether a company is just good versus great.

-->Details of Organizational Behavior, go to:

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadob.html

Studies were conducted analyzing company’s growth and how they overcome challenges, such as absenteeism or deviant workplace behavior, to transform into a great organization.  There are no set guidelines to making a company great, however there are actions that can lead to more successful workplace. Leaders

 of companies that manage change, motivate their followers with a clear vision, and sustain a healthy/friendly work environment are more likely to succeed.

 

-->Jim Collins speaking about his “Good to Great” theory, go to:

http://www.jimcollins.com/media.html

Applying the knowledge that I have learned from this unit will help me in the organizations that I am involved in at Virginia Tech.  For example, being on the Marketing Committee for SGA I get to practice my interactive skills and collaborate ideas with my team.  The leaders of the SGA do a great job encouraging change and motivating the team towards a specific goal.  This reminds me of Nancy Barry, President of Women’s World Banking, and her movement towards change and emphasizing the team versus the individual. 

-->Nancy Barry describes her ideas towards Organizational Behavior, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBVW5y3nVt8