Friday, 9 November 2012

Strategic Leadership- Remain and Innovation


Strategic Leadership- Remain and Innovation

LEADER AND LEADERSHIP

When we are talking about leader we are actually talking about the person whose incharge an organization. The person who become a leader must be clear where the organization want to go which is named as a vision and how or what kind of strategy should be used to catch the goal. In the other words leader is a person who influences the group of peoples towards the achievement of a goal. To be more understand about leader there are a simple mnemonic that can help us to give an easy explanation about leader.  A mnemonic for this definition would be 3P's - Person, People and Purpose as illustrated by the following diagram.
The diagram has shown a link between a leader (person) which is committed to use any strategic purpose to achieve the strategic goal. A group of people which is known as a staff also using the strategic purpose that leads and influences by the leader.  A leader by its meaning is one who goes first and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him. This is a basic requirement. To be a leader, a person must have a deep-rooted commitment to the goal that he will strive to achieve it even if nobody follows him. It would be called as a challenge as the reality of the world especially on civil service nowadays. As a leader, writer believes that we should lead by an example. We must be first be a role model to our staff if we wish to lead and influences them to do the task. The important thing that the leader must do was to get the heart or believing of their staff by giving them the inspiration and motivation. The good leader must be able to reads materials, individuals, situation and patterns.  The lecture that writer has been attend was giving the big picture about leader. Everyone is a leader. Since they were born they are leader. Leader is not built but born. To be a father and a mother was such wonderful feeling and taught experience to be faces by the parents. The phrases ‘Children see, children do’ is what the reality of how the children leads by the environment and life practice by their parents. That was what we called lead by an example. There were 4 phases of value method process which is shown by the below picture:-
What is leadership? In the Ancient worlds of Greece and Rome, leadership meant rank position not role. Leadership was a right and responsibility attached to man by birth, marriage or adoption. Leadership is also defining as organizing a group of people to achieve common goal. After having a class on module Integration Leadership, writer would describe leadership as individual process that would be practically using when giving a better service to their organization. There were many aspects to be practice beside the nature of personality of the leader which is depends on their family background and what they have seeing and follow during their children world.
As an Administrative and Diplomatic officer (PTD), writer also plays a major role to her below staff. As a new officer, writer believes that a 3 year experience is not enough to be a good leader. It was a process where writer should be able to learn how the environment and the time changing influence the leadership.  Back to the 4 phase of value method process, young leader see what their leader does and will follow what their leader do (lead by an example). Leader must be show a good leadership to make sure the situation when leader talk to leader they are using the same language. The Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) has required civil servants to be innovative in their thinking. The civil servant must think out of the box or thinking differently to success. Leadership and innovation would bring the transformational leader. Transformational leader will using the strategic approach such as modeling, multiplying, mentoring and motivating. By using that approach, leader will manage the organization and their staff in the strategic way and finally it will help below staff to gain knowledge besides helping them to improve their skills. Edmond (1978) said that victory of the organization is depends on management leadership. On the other word, victory is around the corner if there was achievement cooperation between management and staff on multi operation.
World now are changing parallel to the environment, technologies and policy of the government. Innovation wills outburst the transformation and with the transformation itself can help our country to become powerful. The innovation can make sure that strategy that we are taken relevant with the world changing. Now, there are ministry and department which are maintaining using the same management and fear to try new approaches. When the new officer come and trying to make an innovation, they are warn not to change the habit of their ministry/ department. For example, invitation letter of the meeting are still sending by hand and this action will contribute to the time and paper waste. At the same time it will cost on telephone bill because the officer need to follow up whether the letter yet receive by targeted person.

Strategic Leadership

Strategic leadership process through Tichy and Sharman (1993) is divisible into 3 processes as below:-
      i.        Awakening – Improvement of existing working system
    ii.        Envisioning – Giving a clear explanation about the operational organization to the staff so that will helping them on doing their task accomplish and achieve the target
   iii.        Re-architecturing – Develop new management with concern to the staff needs.
Strategic leadership needs the leader have an ability and strength to foresee the matter from multi angle to help the organization to reach the goal.  That was what the writer has been learned on the Integration Leadership module. After finished her DPA course, writer will trying to adapt the environment at her department with all knowledge that she have on that module. Writer believes that interaction between her below staff and her bosses as well as her stakeholders also play significant tools that can make writer settle all her task more easily and finally achieve her department goal.
Each consulting assignment has its own special aspects and challenge, often related to the client, size, officer, and management style and organization structure. The good leader will focused on resolving “people problems” that always occurs at the workplace. There was 4 ways that we all want to be treated namely as Golden Rule principles. First, treat people with respect, second show fairness, third display honestly in both words and deeds and embrace the diversity. By the list rule that was clear that the opinion the PTD as a leader cannot get too close with the below staff is not appropriate. Writer believe that the leader should have a better relations with their below staff because it will help generate an effective cooperation between them.

Tunku Abdul Rahman: A Great Leader

Tunku Abdul Rahman was born in Kedah on February 8, 1903. He was son of the 24th ruler of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Hamid. Writer has decided to take Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj as a role of leader whom shows the great leadership that can help writer on her career development. By taken Tunku Abdul Rahman as her role leader model, writer will having a strategy on develops their leadership. That was very important for a young leader like a writer to take a research about the past leader (learn from the past) to help them to gain insight into becoming a better leader. Writer impress with the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman which is known as ‘Father of Independent. Negotiation skills were important tools if writer wish to be a good leader. Negotiation is related with the ability of the leader to deliver message by using the correct language and easy words. Tunku Abdul Rahman plays a major role when he was involved in negotiating for independent. The charisma of Tunku Abdul Rahman and the leadership skill bring our country to the most important goal for Malaya at that time.   
Tunku Abdul Rahman was the first Prime Minister of Malaysia and writer highly appreciates Tunku Abdul Rahman through his contribution to our country. The charisma of Tunku is not only clearly visible on struggle for independent, but it also shown when Tunku lead the United Malay National Organization (UMNO). He firmly held that the principles of good governance enshrined in the political ideal of constitutionalism served as a permanent and reliable guarantee for the stability and the very continuity of the nation. Little wonder that the Tunku was so fondly revered as Bapa Malaysia among Malaysians from all walks of life. This was true not just during the period he held the helm of the country as the first Prime Minister but right up to his very last days. Only a few world leaders can boast of such continuing adulation. We also owe it to the Tunku’s insight in statecraft, sagacious statesmanship and diplomatic adroitness that we achieved political independence earlier than most people expected, and in such a healthy and amicable fashion.
This was all the more creditable in light of the challenges posed in garnering a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious populace into a cohesive and progressive nation that was to confidently take on its role and responsibilities in the international arena. Many a leader from among far more powerful countries was somewhat perplexed over the Tunku’s anti-communist policy stance which was distinctly vociferous even in comparison to the non-communist posture which neighboring Singapore opted to adopt.
No doubt the Tunku’s staunchly anti-communist foreign policy was drawn from historical experiences of combating the internal communist insurgency and the steady spread of communism in the region. His ability to successfully steer the development and progress of our infant nation in the face of serious challenges encountered in the international arena is largely attributable to his enlightened vision, sagacious statesmanship and diplomatic acumen. The leadership qualities, personal skills and gentility which the Tunku personified and brought to bear in the country’s diplomacy and conduct of foreign affairs were in fact a unique feature of the Malay royal families, aristocracy and elite that merit appreciation.
By take Tunku as a writer role model, writer hopes that it will arouse her soul to give full commitment on giving her service to our country. As a leader writer believe that we should brave to make a big change and ready to take any risk from the action that we take.

The Journey of Leadership

To be a good leader the leader first must have professionalism as a leader. It depends on the personality, experiences, knowledge and the action which is influence by humanity and religious perspective. Besides having a good and excellent personality, a leader must also have a good character as well. Character can be defines as a basic attitude such as integrity, loyalty, brave, patients, diligent and others character ethics that can help leader to contribute and improve their leadership skills. Leadership to do getting things accomplished by acting through others. Regardless of your own abilities, there are many important goals that you cannot attain without the help of others. Napoleon Hill discovered an amazing fact from his research that there are no successful individual became successful strictly by himself or by virtue of what he could do by himself. Every single one of the successful individuals that Napoleon Hill had interviewed had become successful through the help of others. These other individuals had a greater talent in some area.
It may have heard that great leaders are born with the characteristics necessary to make them leaders. All of us are either born with these characteristic or not. If don’t have these characteristics at birth, you are out of luck. There is nothing you can do about it. Writer thinks that the theory is absolute nonsense because that leader is made, not born. It is true that people are born with certain characteristics that give them potentials for excelling at certain things. Some people are born with talent. However, learning and developing whatever abilities you have is far more important than the abilities that you were born with.
Writer has to set and having big dreams because it was very important so that it can help her to keep moving towards the tough goals that she have set. Remember that writer was a leader and she must take a first move if she wishes others to move. When leader do move towards a big dream it will help a marvelous effect on those you lead.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, writer may conclude that leadership is the important things to make sure the department/ ministry can reach their common goal. The first things that writer will hardly need to make a changes is her level of confidence because before we are willing to struggle for reach a department goal, we ourselves should confidence with our abilities to move forward successfully. With the high confidence level, we are not afraid to do innovation to our department just to make sure that we are using an exact tool. Others always feel doubt about the ability of young leader to manage people especially when the below staffs are more elder than the person who lead the organization. Writer wants to proof that the view was not accurate because age factor was not obstructing writer to contribute for a good leaderships. From time to time, writer believes life was the learning process. Life to too short and writer will grab all chance that government give to support the development of our country and make sure that Malaysia will recognize by all over the world. Learn through the experience and always remember Allah S.W.T as a creator of this stage of the world. Sincere and honest on whatever we doing and ‘Insyaallah’ we will be a great leader.


Reference

John Adair. 2006, ‘The Inspirational Leader. How to Motivate, Encourage and Achive Success’, Kogan Page Limited, United States.

John Adair, 1990, 2006, ‘Leadership and Motivation’, The fifty-fifty rule and the eight key principles of motivating others, Talbot Adair Press, United States.

Carolyn Barker and Robyn Coy, ‘The 7 Heavenly Virtues of Leadership’, McGraw –Hill Australia Pty Ltd, Australia.

Marlene Caroselli, 2000, ‘Leadership Skills for Managers’, CWL Publishing Enterprise, New York

Ros Jay, 2002, ‘ How To Manage Your Boss : Developing The Perfect Working Relationship’, Pearson Education Limited, Great Britain.

Frances Cole Jones, 2008, ‘How jto Wow’, Ballantine Books, United States

Stephan E. Khon and Vincent D.O’Connel, 2006. ‘6 Habits of Highly Effective Bosses’, The Career Press, United States.

William A. Cohen, 1990. ‘The Art of The Leader’, Prentice Hall Business and Professional Division, United States of America.

Electronic Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership


AA
SIDANG D
DPA 1/2012

1 comment:

Strategic Leadership said...

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Strategic Leadership