Leadership

I disagree with Alvesson that the “leadership craze” is an example of grandiosity that plagues our society today. In my opinion, the study, teaching, and infusion of leadership theories in the workplace has increased employee motivation and productivity, yielding tangible results for employers. Alvesson (2013) states that because of “the greater focus on leadership…the greater the emphasis on ‘non-leaders’ as followers and subordinates rather than autonomous employees capable of operating independently” (p. 183). However, I do not believe that leaders decrease employee autonomy, but rather enhance individual creativity and contribution. As Daft (2014) notes in his book, The Leadership Experience 6e., a leader serves as “change manager,” “facilitator”, and “collaborator” (p. 7) and works to create an environment of shared vision and culture. While Alvesson seems to believe that leaderships puts leaders on a pedestal at the expense of followers and their ability to think freely and have autonomy, I disagree because it has been my experience that successful leaders work to employer people on their teams and help to inspire them to be their best, often working autonomously.

I have been fortunate to work for many great leaders during my career, with each of them displaying different types of leadership styles. Two of my favorites have been servant leadership and transformational leadership, both of which I feel are ultimately committed to the needs of their followers. Transformational leaders seek to lead by guiding their team members and servant leaders focus primarily on the growth and well-being of people on their team members. Each of these leaders have inspired me to grow and develop my skills, to set higher goals for myself than I would have done otherwise, and share my thoughts and ideas in group settings where I normally would not be include to do so because I am so introverted. Never have I felt like my autonomy has been taken away, but rather I have...