Leaders get into trouble far too often simply because they don’t have good decision-making power. What are the characteristics that a leader must poses while making the decisions for the organization?

September 23, 2018

Leaders need to deal with various factors in organizational environment, either these factors belong to internal or external environment. In organization even for a simple problem, commonly there exist few norms and systems. The role of leaders becomes eminent when decisions have to be made on important matters. In organization to deal even for a simple problem few norms and systems are followed. Because for smooth sailing of the organization the norms and developing systems are important. As the traits of a leader, while a long list can be drawn, but in reality how leader perceive and take up the issue is very important. That in turn depends upon the prevailing social, political, economic situations as well. Understand the current reality and take the right decision is what makes a leader level 5 leader. The real life situation is quite different in the organization. Definitely charismatic and instrumental behaviors of leaders help to make them success. Although for making the effective decision analysis of situation, experiences, expertise, charisma and right decision are crucial. Because analyzing the situation and making right decision make leader successful in practical life. Literature identifies various different type of decision making and divided it in various categories. As decision making has various different criteria. So anyone can find many ways to categories decision making processes and decision as itself or he/she can make just own types according to the purpose of his/her mind in which way they want to understand, classifies, or what are characteristic due to which they can identify and divide it for make batter their understanding and their responsibilities related to their job.

Gary Yukl (2006) has set up a general list of recommendations that are useful for leaders who want to develop their own skills. These include: 1. to develop a personal vision for what you want to accomplish in your career. 2. To search for a viable supervision. 3. To seek challenging tasks and work assignments. 4. To improve self- monitoring. 5. To seek relevant feedback. 6. To learn from your mistakes. 7. To see events from different perspective. 8. To avoid facile answers.

Here are some more characteristic decision maker leaders in detail which are important in decision making process. And by keeping them in your mind you can identified different type and understand different procedures leader come to decision making.

1. Goal – oriented activity: it is very important ability. Sometime leaders have to takes some decision which contain to attain a specific goal. Leader must know what decisions to make and keep the interest of all stakeholders involved. Because having a clear sense of purpose and commitment towards attaining is one important quality for a leader to be successful. Alongside with this leader must have the drive to influence and lead the staff towards that purpose.

2. Self-confidence and clear vision: A most important element of decision – making is self-confidences and clear vision. A leader must have self confidence in order to gather and process information and solve problems. A leader must have a vision, must be firm in decision making and must be a person of strong character. For them a person riddled with self-doubt would never be able to take necessary actions nor command the respect of others. Followers will be less committed to the team if the leader doubts their decision. Therefore they must show followers that they are able to acknowledge when they are wrong and move forward to a better solution. A leader must also have courage and a motivator.

3. Analytical power: If leader are confident in their mental capabilities and how they envision the world around them, then they will have no problem in analyzing a situation and making a decision in which they can stand by for better or worse. That leads into the next important component, the ability to be analytical. The value of analysis cannot be overstated because it allows a person to systematically break down a situation and see its individual parts for what they are, thereby, providing a thorough overview.

4. Critical thinking power: A major part of decision-making is the ability to think every aspect of decision critically. The great value of critical thought can be traced all the way back to the philosopher Socrates (b.399 B.C.) of Athens, who advocated that critical thought and self –reflection are major components of what it is to be human.

5. Alternative courses of action: It is important and critical skill for leader to have for make a decision when they have alternative way to perform a task. Before selection of one alternative way, leader must have to gather all the information and completely reflected on selective alternative way to perform task for gain desire outcome of their decision.

6. Positive or negative: Some decision can be identify as be positive one or negative one and the understanding , explanations, interpretation of this type decision depend upon the outcome of the decision through which people get involve and experience, they would called that decision a positive one or negative one. So leader have the aptitude to face this critical situation bravely.

7. Deferment: Some time leaders face a situation in which they cannot decide anything. Because there is need to take more time and reflect before taking any decision. In that type situation leader defer the event and talk till then, when they did not reach a final decision for take best desire outcome. This state of mind is called deferment. Which is may be a part of decision itself and it is very important skill to have for effective leader to handle situation in effective manner and achieve desire goal for betterment of all.

8. Decision making process as a science and an art: it is very important for leader to have decision making requires knowledge of method, and rules or principle concerning the issue or problem. Because it is about the way to taking a decision, just link center kind of principle and rules into decision making process. Leaders must have the skill to match their decision according to the policies, benchmark, specific organization rules and regulation. They have to compare their decision how much they have or haven’t gone far away. Whatever leaders have authorities, if leader keep in front of them these rules and regulation they did not try to break them. With these rules they have to go by book then actually they are following a path way which already in a structure in very positive and scientific manner. When leaders have all requires skill for making the decision then he will gain superb outcome of their decisions.

9. Situational decision making power: It is very essential skill for leader to make different decision for the same problem under the different situations. Because sometime according to the situations apply the same set of rules and regulation can be damage the organization goal. Therefore flexibility in decision making process is very important skill to have for leader to gain better result in organization, especially when it related to the matter of human management.

10. Voluntary or induced decision: It is very important for leader that while they get involve in decision making process they take decision without any pressure at all. Leader takes decision with full freedom, peace of mind and with the feeling that they have complete authority, ability and have choices. And leader makes a decision according to his own will, perception and ability. Because when leader feel pressurized, either by individuals or by the situation, the decision becomes induced. The induced mean in which the leader takes decision due to certain forces or critical situation without leader own will. Leaders have ability to deal such type of decisions making characters.

11. Ongoing activity: To involve in decision making, become a member, either to lead and follow this process is part of everyone life. It is ongoing process of everyone life. Therefore every time leader keep him/herself ready for take decision and don’t be panic while dealing with any type situation. Self-motivation is very important for leader as well as their followers. Because where there's a will there's a way.

Q2: As a head of a school, what are the characteristics that you will demonstrate as a transformational leader?

Answer:

Transformational leadership “A leadership style focused on effecting revolutionary change in organizations through a commitment to the organization’s vision” (Sullivan & Decker 2001). Transformational Leadership is an inspirational and caring process in which both the leader and follower learns from each other as they progress in their moral development (Burns, 1978). Bass (1995) states that transformational leaders “work to change the organization’s constraints” (p. 293)

Educators usually have higher academic qualification than the average people in their society. They are expected to be intelligent while playing roles as moral models. Leading an institution that is mainly formed by a group of educators to fulfill the missions of education requires a value – driven approach (Colin Latchem & Donald E. Hanna, (Eds.) (2001)). Principals as transformational leaders have taken on new exciting roles as they continue to deal with the ever-changing face of education. These principals use their knowledge and skills to work both internal and external to the school organization to map new directions, to secure and mobilize old and new resources, and to respond to present challenges and perceived future challenges. Excellent principals are sense makers of schools that help create a sustainable school climate that will enhance student’s and teachers’ productivity. Hence they are not only the Chief executive officers (CEOs) but also the in the instructional leaders and motivators for their teams.

Ø Generally define characteristics of transformational leader as a head of the school:

1. The leadership characteristics of an excellent school principal are that the principal demonstrated characteristics outlined by literature and used a variety of educational strategies and situational leadership styles.

2. Principal’s transformational leadership is the key to prompt school development. It can help the school solve problems pertinently and obtain various degrees of improvement on different stages. They behave in such a way that allows them to be role models. They give the expression to their followers that they have extra ordinary capabilities and determination to face any type situation and in return they normally admired trusted and respected by their followers.

3. As the process of forming transformational leadership includes: embryonic stage, basically formative stage and mature stage. The transformational leadership skills of principal can be seen in forming the ideas, building shared vision, power sharing, gaining credence and experiencing success. Therefore enhance transformational leadership is the principal’s duty.

4. The biggest challenge for school leadership is the handling with different kinds of people, various interests and goals. A school head transformational leader has to ensure that students are following curricula, excelling academically, and becoming outstanding member of society. In comparison teachers are focused on meeting curricula deadlines and ensuring that students keep up with class work. The principal must confront student deviance, as well as teachers’ possible cynicism and lack of motivation.

5. Transformational leader as head of school, have the ability to motivate the whole organization and make the follower see an appealing future and offer them opportunities to see meaning in their work. Thus they challenge their followers with high standers and also encourage them to be part of organizational culture and environment. They clearly communicate what they expect from their followers and therefore the followers become able to demonstrate commitment to goals of the organization in education sector.

6. Transformational leadership has been shown to predict organizational commitment, capacity development, and performance. Transformational practices show a shift from a type of leadership based on power and control to one centered on the capability to work with others and to facilitate others to act.

7. Transformational leader provide individual consideration and also demonstrate confidences in individuals, innovative capacities, share the responsibilities and risk with team members when they all adopt new strategies and recognize individual contributions to the team (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2005)

Ø According to Tichy Urich, (1986) identified characteristics of transformational Leadership As a head of a school:

· Change agents: It means that transformational leader perform in school as change agents and actively involved in change. They are the person who always welcome every good change and handle any bad effects of change in positive manner. They not afraid from any type of change. They start change from their self, then going toward their team, group and organization. After understanding the basic idea or concept and advantage as well as disadvantage of desire change then at first step they completely turn their self, according to that change for which they are trying and carrying their organization. Then their next step toward their teams and immediate members.

· Courageous individual: It mean that transformational leader is one who empowers and develops the followers/ staff/ students enough that they lead to become leaders themselves and challenges them to bring out their best and take greater ownership of their work. Because Transformational leader today have to be clear and concise at setting expectations and coaching people to meet them. The leader courageous enough to counsel and help the member of staff for see the issue to self-correct. If none of those efforts produce the desired performance, the transformational leader to have the courage to work with the individual on an exit strategy.

· Believe in people: It means that transformational leader as school head own high trust level in their team, students and connected people with the school. They have to confident on their abilities.

· Value- driven: They are influential as they work altruistically and help others to achieve their fullest potential for improving the quality of their lives and work. They share abundant mentality of giving and are hence, considered as trustworthy. They value both the diversity and the unity in the oneness of humankind and use intellect as their core value to address the most pressing challenges facing their societies.

· Lifelong learner: it means that transformational leader like to learn them self, they did not have concept of self-center that they know all and skill about everything, or I am leader and perfect that, I have charisma to influence other rather than believe in learning throughout their life. And use their learning in their practice and gain effective outcome of their learning not only for them self but also for others.

· Ability to deal with complexity: They have ability to deal with complex issue and situation. Transformational leaders deal with a fluid, dynamic and complex area of human development, which needs creative pedagogies in a language that is inspiring and engaging to engender collaborative cultures in their organizations.

· Visionaries: as well as other abilities they also have strong vision.

Ø According to the 4I’s of transformational leaderships characteristics as school head:

Transformational leadership helps school principals’ to frame their attitudes to move their schools forward. And if we see the role of school head as transformational leader according to the 4I’s of transformational leadership. It is considered that principals who demonstrate these major characteristics of transformational leadership have effects on satisfaction among teachers and better performance at school that school principals demonstrate at the school during their administrative practices on daily basis. The characteristics of transformational leadership in terms are:

1. Idealized influence: is defined as leader’s behavior and the follower’s attributions about the leader. The transformational leader is who act as strong role models for followers (charisma). And followers see the greatness of the leader while working because leader is the ideal person for them, and followers have no reason to suspect the personality characteristic of leader.

2. Inspirational motivation: refers to the ways by which transformational leaders who motivate, communicate and inspire followers to become committed to organizational goals. They have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. The leader manages to assist followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill desire goals.

3. Individualized consideration: represents the leader’s continuing effort to treat each individual as a special person and act as a mentor who attempts to develop their potential. They provides supportive climate in which they listen to needs of followers. They involve offer support and encouragement to individual followers to promote accommodating relationships. They maintains channel of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of unique contributions of each follower.

4. Intellectual stimulation: represents the leader’s effort to stimulate followers to be innovative and creative to define problems and approach them in new ways. The leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. Thy supports followers/ staff/ students to investigate new opportunities to learn and new ways of doing things.

Reference:

§ Handouts, Lectures, glossary, important internet link, FAQs of EDU 602,

§ Handouts of principal of management MGT 503,

§ Google, yahoo, Wikipedia research

§ Decision making and transformational leadership article and blogs reading online

§ Foreign school, collages and universities principal transformational leadership case study

§ And

https://uta-ir.tdl.org/uta-ir/bitstream/handle/10106/23958/Boberg_uta_2502D_12324.pdf?sequence=1

http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/7160/Abstract.pdf?sequence=1

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1140974.pdf

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1065746.pdf

http://wallinenterprises.com/blog/transformational-leaders-lead-with-courage