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Discussion on: Initiatives leaders can take to seize opportunities within organizations

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ShantaMilan

Initiative means to takes actions to find and solve problems and meet challenges without being told to do so or being shown the way. While taking initiative a person takes decisions independently with the best of their knowledge and is prepared to make the most of any situation. Opportunities are seized by taking initiatives. A good leader understand the value of seizing opportunities by taking initiatives to challenge the process.

Kouzes and Posner (2003) explains that great leaders are able to see challenges as opportunities and by creating an environment for being innovative they create a vision of what can be and how things can be done better. They take initiatives by modelling the way to build stronger teams and enable them to contribute their ideas as well. These ideas form the basis of further initiatives and opportunities and accomplishment of such small ideas encourage the team members to build their confidence to accomplish even impossible tasks. (Kouzes & Posner, 2003)

The initiative does not have to big. Small initiatives, surrounding the five essential principles of a leader as pointed out by Kouzes and Posner, can be taken to seize opportunities. There are some initiative a leader can take which have been mentioned below.

  • Leaders should always strive to be a better version of himself. Doing something each day with consideration of ‘doing good better’ is an initiative a leader can take.
  • Leaders are accountable for both the success and failure. Taking accountability to both the success and failure is a good initiative that can model the way. For example a finance manager in my organization takes the credit to success of work even if he is not who did it and does not take initiation for the accepting the shortcomings.
  • Rules, guidelines are meant to increase work effectiveness and efficiencies and these should in no way be counterproductive so as to hinder the process of work and innovation. Leaders should take the initiative to always question if the things done in an organization makes sense and what can be done better.
  • Taking up new projects shows the readiness for innovation and change. This always challenges a leader and removes the possibility of stagnancy at work by succumbing to comfort zone.
  • Taking feedback is a great way to understand how their work is being perceived. Customers and employees give feedbacks but if the suggestions are not taken into consideration then they will no longer be interested in giving such comments. Taking feedback and implementing change accordingly can be a good initiative for a leader.
  • Staffs engaged in social media or leisure conversations (guffs) in an organization all the time. A leader can take the initiative to design work so that it is intrinsically interesting and so motivates the staff to work without wasting time.
  • Leaders lead by action. Thus a leader should be able to be comfortable with change as being adaptive to change will help in the survival of the organization.
  • Organization functions in a society and its success and failure is closely tied to the way society reacts to the organization culture. A leader must push boundaries by taking initiative to increase network with people outside the organization and encourage others to do the same. This initiative helps to understand the implications of the decision of the organization with regard to the society. This is also an opportunity to increase its network.

Baer and Frese (2003) explains, Frequently, however, initiative is negatively sanctioned by peers or managers because taking initiative ‘rocks the boat’ and is perceived as threatening by those directly affected. In the short run, initiative may not be welcome because it interrupts routines. In the long run, however, a high degree of personal initiative in the workforce leads to new ideas, smoother production and service processes, better implementation of innovations, and ultimately to better performance.

What happens if process innovations are implemented in a company with a low level of climate for initiative? In such a climate, people may feel helpless and victim to the innovation. They may not act when things go wrong. (Baer & Frese, 2003, p. 49)

We understand that innovation is core to the growth of any organization as it is the strategic edge against other competitors. But as pointed out by Baer and Frese innovation without initiation can be dangerous and may not succeed. Furthermore, initiation can be a hindrance in the short term but an asset in the long term management practices. Thus a planned initiation on the manager’s side is important for enabling others to be more initiative generating better out of the box innovation. These innovations are also opportunities that a leader can seize in an organization.

References

Baer, M., & Frese, M. (2003). Innovation is not enough: climates for initiative and psychological safety, process innovations, and firm performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 45-68.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2003). The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. In B. P. Jim Kouzes, Leadership Challenge Workbook (First Edition ed., p. 13). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.