Addressing Concerns of Leaders

In the business realm, it is not uncommon to find differing styles of leadership. Certain situations call for specific types of leaders, but leaders none the less. Often these leaders are faced with demands that appear to be almost impossible to meet, but with some effort can and will be achieved. Leaders in (international) business are faced with three common concerns and how to address them. Those concerns are "satisfying stakeholders, unifying organization [through] goal-oriented teamwork and to contribute towards the solution of significant global problems."

The most imperative of these concerns is satisfying stakeholders. The primary objective of any business is to be profitable; therefore, to satisfy stakeholders in the business they must achieve this goal. Stakeholders can be shareholders, who hope for a sizable yearly dividend check. A major stakeholder is often the business owner, who will reap the majority of the profits. Lastly, in some cases the employees could be considered stakeholders in a firm, who at the very minimum desire to stay employed, but could also hold a stake in enterprise as either a shareholder or as a business owner.

Turning a profit is done predominantly by meeting all deadlines; in whatever sector of business one operates, deadlines are critical. Finalizing contracts, finishing analyses and concluding restructuring plans are just a few common deadlines faced in the workplace. This introduction leads to the next topic, unifying organization through goal-oriented teamwork. Unifying the operation of a business organization will most assuredly help facilitate smooth completion of goals in a timely fashion.

The question now is how to organization the operation of the business. There are industrial psychologists, for example, who are posed with this very question, and it is their job to answer it. In addition, leaders in business are also constantly trying to identify new ways to improve productivity and output of their workgroups. Those, who hold certain leadership qualities, will be able to answer this question.

The first task of any business leader should be conscious awareness of the cultural characteristics of a workgroup and, subsequently, examining them. A knowledgeable business leader should then be able to implement a policy that will work in that particular situation. Familiarity with the four Corporate Culture Archetypes presented in the February 18, 2005 Lecture would be a starting point in creating the most productive atmosphere for the workgroup. Awareness of these archetypes can be made through business seminars at local colleges or universities, or by corporate seminars held "in-house" or for the business so that each employee is educated on the topic. Encouragement to attend these seminars, if needed, is vital to productivity.

After determining the archetypes by which the group or business operates, then a leader in business would be able to address the type of leader they need to be. Leaders need to be dynamic, to step into a situation and change their style so that it best corresponds with the type considered necessary for the group. If this is not possible, a new team leader may need to be chosen, letting the current leader step aside or put into a more suitable position.

Now, as for recognition of awareness the next step is to take action; this brings up the third concern of business leaders. How can one contribute towards the solution of significant global problems? The first step in approaching this problem is to ask what problems need to be assessed. Generally these are external problems, those which might be found in doing business with or in a foreign state. One must be aware of the affairs of said state, to understand what one is facing. One set of common problems is "peace versus war, injustice, terrorism and [other] unethical behaviors." The second deals with "maldistribution of living standards."

It is sometimes hard for a business on a small scale to contribute to the first set of problems, but a larger scale business could contribute by helping a country to industrialize or work towards building an infrastructure, in the less developed countries. These sort of large-scale contributions are key ways for businesses to demonstrate their ethical and honorable intentions towards a country and its citizens.

As for the maldistribution of living, a business can work within their own ranks to provide equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race or gender. If they enter a market with these problems, then they can use their hiring standards to begin to educate the population. In this case, they could lead by example and help the population to see what gainful contributions the discriminated individuals can make. Health standards for employees could be improved with the creation of housing for employees, or housing allowances. Employer benefits could be extended to healthcare and other necessary areas, such as those made available to employees within the United States.

Lastly, a more general way to contribute is to give charity donations to groups dedicated to these causes are also important ways to aid in these areas, and more importantly, they often entail a tax deduction. Donations can be monetary, standard business equipment or any other needed materials. A proactive way to do this would even to start a fund within your own business organization for a certain cause. Volunteer work is sometimes encouraged by companies; for instance, a business could adopt a park or highway and take a weekend out once a month to help improve the environment and allow for social relations between co-workers outside of the office place.

There are many concerns for leaders, and this paper touches on only a few keys ways in which they can approach these problems. Please remember that satisfying stakeholders is paramount, but can only be optimized through proper organization and teamwork. Charity work and other means of donation to improving upon significant global problems is a great way to facilitate employer-employee relations, as well as those within a new country. Hopefully, these are steps that current organizations are taking in their plan for success.

Lecture. International Business Leadership (I B400). Bradley University. Dr. James Goodnow. (January 28, 2005).