Organization Leader

An Organization Leader is a leader who performs organizational leadership tasks (such as creating incentives, processes, systems, and roles) to operate efficiently and achieve strategic goals.

• Context:
  • It can typically establish Organizational Strategy through vision development, mission articulation, and strategic planning processes.
  • It can typically design Organizational Structure using reporting hierarchy, role definition, and responsibility allocation.
  • It can typically manage Organizational Resources through budgeting processes, talent acquisition, and asset management.
  • It can typically develop Organizational Policy with governance frameworks, compliance procedures, and operational guidelines.
  • It can typically measure Organizational Performance using key performance indicators, performance dashboards, and metrics tracking systems.
  • ...
  • It can often navigate Organizational Dynamics, managing organizational conflicts and balancing competing priorities to maintain a productive environment.
  • It can often be responsible for setting Long-Term Goals and aligning organizational resources to achieve them while managing both internal stakeholders and external stakeholders.
  • It can often foster Organizational Innovation through idea generation processes, experimentation culture, and change readiness.
  • It can often build Organizational Partnerships with external organizations, stakeholder groups, and strategic alliances.
  • It can often address Organizational Challenges including market disruption, competitive pressure, and organizational crisis.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a New Organization Leader to being a Seasoned Organization Leader, depending on its leadership experience.
  • It can range from being a Small Organization Leader to being a Large Organization Leader, depending on its organizational size responsibility.
  • It can range from being a Tactical Organization Leader to being a Strategic Organization Leader, depending on its decision scope.
  • It can range from being a Specialized Organization Leader to being a Generalist Organization Leader, depending on its functional expertise breadth.
  • It can range from being a Hierarchical Organization Leader to being a Collaborative Organization Leader, depending on its leadership style preference.
  • ...
  • It can have Leadership Styles, such as transformational leadership, autocratic leadership, and servant leadership, that influence its leadership approach.
  • It can have Organizational Influence through decision authority, resource control, and communication channel access.
  • It can have Strategic Responsibility for organizational outcomes, stakeholder value, and organizational sustainability.
  • It can have Public Visibility through media presence, industry recognition, and stakeholder interaction.
  • ...
  • It can be Accountable for organizational performance including financial outcomes, operational efficiency, and employee wellbeing.
  • It can be Influential in organizational culture by establishing organizational norms, organizational values, and organizational behaviors.
  • It can be Challenged during organizational change by resistance dynamics, implementation barriers, and stakeholder concerns.
  • It can be Developed through leadership coaching, executive education, and leadership experience.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Organization Scale-Based Leaders, such as:
    • Small Organization Leaders for small businesses, local nonprofits, and startups.
    • Medium Organization Leaders for regional companies, multi-site operations, and growing enterprises.
    • Large Organization Leaders for multinational corporations, government agencies, and global nonprofits.
  • Sector-Based Organization Leaders, such as:
    • Business Organization Leaders for corporate enterprises, private companies, and commercial ventures.
    • Nonprofit Organization Leaders for charitable organizations, foundations, and social enterprises.
    • Public Sector Organization Leaders for government departments, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises.
  • Function-Based Organization Leaders, such as:
    • Technical Organization Leaders for technology companies, research institutions, and engineering firms.
    • Administrative Organization Leaders for service organizations, support departments, and operational units.
    • Creative Organization Leaders for media companies, design studios, and entertainment enterprises.
  • Notable Organization Leader Instances, such as:
    • Satya Nadella (2023), with Microsoft leadership focused on cloud transformation.
    • Mary Barra (2022), with General Motors leadership driving electric vehicle transition.
    • Tim Cook (2022), with Apple leadership expanding services business.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • A Team Leader, who directs a small group with specific task focus rather than managing an entire organization with diverse functions and strategic responsibility.
  • A Project Leader, who leads a temporary initiative with defined scope rather than guiding an ongoing organization with permanent structure and continuing operations.
  • A Subject Matter Expert, who provides technical knowledge and domain expertise without having organizational authority or strategic decision-making responsibility.
  • A Community Leader, who guides an informal group based on shared interests or common characteristics rather than a formal organization with defined structures and business objectives.
  • An Individual Contributor, who performs specialized work without having leadership responsibility for organizational direction or team management.
• See: Leadership Style, Leadership, Social Influence, Peer Support, Executive, Strategic Management, Organizational Development, Change Management, Organizational Structure, Corporate Governance.

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References

2020

• (Willink, 2020) ⇒ Jocko Willink. (2020). “Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual.” ISBN:1250183863
  • QUOTE: ... Leaders should never be satisfied. They must always strive to improve, and they must build that mind-set into the team. They must face the facts through a realistic, brutally honest assessment of themselves and their team’s performance. Identifying weaknesses, good leaders seek to strengthen them and come up with a plan to overcome challenges. The best teams anywhere, like the SEAL Teams, are constantly looking to improve, add capability, and push the standards higher. It starts with the individual and spreads to each of the team members until this becomes the culture, the new standard. The recognition that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders facilitates Extreme Ownership and enables leaders to build high-performance teams that dominate on any battlefield, literal or figurative. ...

2005

• (Giberson et al., 2005) ⇒ Tomas R. Giberson, Christian J. Resick, and Marcus W. Dickson. (2005). “Embedding Leader Characteristics: An Examination of Homogeneity of Personality and Values in Organizations.” Journal of Applied Psychology 90, no. 5
  • ABSTRACT: The authors (a) investigated trait homogeneity in organizations by examining within organization similarity among members' personality traits and personal values and (b) tested the relationship between the top leaders' personal characteristics and organizational profiles of personality and values. Results replicate and extend B. Schneider, D. B. Smith, S. Taylor, and J. Fleenor's (1998) hypothesis of the homogeneity of personality in organizations. Using data from CEOs and 467 employee participants from 32 organizations, the authors found evidence of within-organization homogeneity of both personality and values. Results also suggest initial empirical support for assumptions presented by E. Schein (1992) and B. Schneider (1987) about leader-follower congruence. Some implications regarding leadership and organizational behavior are discussed.
  • QUOTE: ... In all cases, the organization's leader (president, CEO, or owner) was contacted ...

2000

• Evans (2000)
  • QUOTE: THE 11 PARADOXES OF LEADERSHIP THAT HANG ON THE WALL OF EVERY LEGO MANAGER
    • To be able to build a close relationship with one’s staff, and to keep a suitable distance.
    • To be able to lead, and to hold oneself in the background.
    • To trust one’s staff, and to keep an eye on what is happening.
    • To be tolerant, and to know how you want things to function.
    • To keep the goals of one’s department in mind, and at the same time to be loyal to the whole firm.
    • To do a good job of planning your own time, and to be flexible with your schedule.
    • To freely express your view, and to be diplomatic.
    • To be a visionary, and to keep one’s feet on the ground.
    • To try to win consensus, and to be able to cut through.
    • To be dynamic, and to be reflective.
    • To be sure of yourself, and to be humble.

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