LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 1

Leadership and Management Impacts and Approach

Name:
Date:
Institution:
Leadership and Management Impacts and Approach 2

1. Discuss the impact and implication of subject topics/questions/issues to an industry

that you are familiar with OR plan to be working in

A leadership style majorly results from how leaders or managers instill their personality

to people and decisions under their management. In the retail industry, how a leader manages

can significantly impact the culture for customers and employees.

Leaders in the retail industry must balance two major factors, people and task-direction

management. Autocratic and task-oriented leaders can successfully ensure employees complete

work efficiently and effectively, especially in high volume stores. These kinds of leaders are may

also possess the ability to implement decisions quickly and react to customer dilemmas and

problems. For instance, in stores with seasonal products, leaders should delegate to his associates

merchandising tasks.

If a leader becomes extremely task-oriented, he fails to focus on the people aspect of

leadership. Employees will, therefore, feel the manager is only interested in their products and

services and not them. In the long-term, this results in low motivation, lack of effective

teamwork, and employee. The issue consequently results in high turnover, a factor persuasive in

the majority of retail stores. In retail environments where the majority of workers are temporary,

especially during holidays, a task-oriented leader has difficulty establishing teamwork between

permanent and temporary workers.

Most retail industry leaders emphasize the ability of relationships with their style. They

use most of their time interacting and developing bonds intentionally with the employees. A

participative and relationship-oriented manager, in a retail environment with few employees,

may be successful in establishing a fun and team-oriented culture. Employees working as a team
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have no problem filling in for absent coworkers. A positive workplace will be good for

customers as employees handle customers as their leader handles them.

Retail leaders should balance between employee relationships and task direction to be

successful. Employees deliver tasks efficiently and effectively not only when they feel the leader

cares for them, but also if when the leader maintains performance expectations and

communicates. A leader too much relational-oriented, may not be successful if workers feel little

pressure is felt to work. Also, the business may become too focused on workplace harmony and

less focus on providing customers' needs. Motivated and happy employees can balance between

completing tasks efficiently and serving customers, for instance, cleaning, inventory checks, and

stocking shelves.

2. Explain the approach to leadership- how leadership will be practiced?

As a leader in the retail industry, I will adopt a trait approach to leadership. Trait leadership

is based upon leaders performing natural leadership skills. Using my already born with

leadership skills will inspire employees to be creative since, as a trait-oriented leader, I will

allow employees to micromanage tasks at the workplace, so meet targets. Allowing employees to

micromanage enables them to achieve good results and work hard.

However, as a trait-oriented leader, I am aware of the potential to create a conflict of ideas at

the workplace since trait oriented leaders may exhibit dictatorial traits. That creates conflict due

to the failure to consult other leaders or employees on essential decisions affecting the

organization. In case of an organizational change, a trait oriented leader will be met with

resistance.

Therefore, I intend to balance between trait leadership principles and participative leadership.

Blending trait leadership principles with transactional and transformative leadership styles will
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improve my interpersonal skills. Therefore, I will be able to establish a workforce that is

motivated and meats organizational goals.

I will also need an approach to leadership that is well-aligned to the local industry needs. I

will be expected to revise and review team delegation and objectives. Employees always possess

different motivations, methods that may impact organizational capability. The critical theory on

leadership learned in the course, will help me provide employees with self-creative and

autonomous skills. I will establish communication methods and feedbacks, allowing staff

contribution and involvement. That improves response quality and an opportunity to enrich

approaches to the delegation and team developments in a manner not considered previously.

Another approach I will adopt is to retain a comprehensive people management record. The

retail industry, especially large retailers contain a human resource information system (HRIS)

that stores employee information. I will retain my record of employees and team performance

development records, which will enable me to support my team in ongoing developments and

reflect upon business results objectives related to my leadership style. After going through

leadership coursework, I am convinced a leader is successful if he allows his team to be. I will

ensure my focus is to facilitate achieving business goals through individuals and teams of the

store or brand. In this way, I will accomplish both professional and personal growth and extend

the same to employees.