Leadership Styles in Corporations

1168 Words3 Pages

In today’s business environment, corporations must be able to adapt and develop strategies that allow them to remain as competitive as possible within the markets they serve. Leaders within those corporations must be able to fully understand the most effective leadership style required depending on the situation at hand. One style may be effective in one situation while another style may need to be used in another. In this day of environmental dynamism, organizations have had to refocus on organizational capabilities in order to attain a competitive advantage in such an environment. This refocus has led to a break in routines and involves a shift in organizational norms and required knowledge. James Clawson discusses the three levels of leadership in his book entitled “Level Three Leadership: Getting Below the Surface.” This article will discuss some issues that may arise within corporations and what leadership styles may be most effective for differing situations based on Clawson’s text.
Level One Leadership
According to Clawson (2012), “Level one leadership, leadership that focuses on influencing visible behavior primarily, has been the dominant leadership model throughout history” (Clawson, p 211). Level one leadership more than likely began with the hunter-gatherer era and has remained the primary leadership style in organizations to date. In level one leadership, a person gets told what to do and he or she does it. If the objective is met, rewards are offered and if not, the employee can expect some type of discipline. Some people also see level one leadership as more moral because some are uncomfortable influencing one’s mind or personality and also consider it more ethical to focus more on physical behavior.
...

... middle of paper ...

... today, it is imperative that appropriate leadership styles are being used. Different types of circumstances call for different styles of leadership. Clawson’s three levels of leadership are very effective depending on the situation which a firm finds itself. It is important to first understand the conditions that are occurring and then to employ the most effective style of leadership for the situation.

References
Clawson, J.G. (2012). Level Three Leadership, 5th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
Nijssen, M.; Paauwe, J. HRM in Turbulent Times: How to Achieve Organizational Agility? International Journal of Human Resource Management. Sep2012, Vol. 23 Issue 16, p3315-3335.
Torres, David L. AGILity and the Organization: Sensemaking for Organizational Leadership. SAM Advanced Management Journal (07497075). Summer2013, Vol. 78 Issue 3, p10-20.

Open Document