FREE ESSAY ON THE LEADING EDGE

THE LEADING EDGE

Management in organizations today are trying to capture both quality and productivity
(bottom line results) from their employees, and are spending millions of dollars in time,
capital, and human resources. However, without the proper paradigm shift in leadership
roles, which must include a new appreciation on the importance of principled centered
leadership that recognizes that people are the highest value in any organization, the
investment no matter how great will not accomplish their goals. Managers today have to
become more effective in leading and managing their employees. They have to start with a
new mind set, change their frame of reference, change how they see the world, how they
think about people, and how they view management and leadership. This will bring about
quantum improvements in their organization. (Covey)
Today's authoritarian style puts managers at a higher level of importance than that of
his employees, he makes the decision, gives the commands, and workers conform and
cooperate, perform and contribute as requested to receive the rewards of pay and other
benefits. When managers accept that the old way of doing things is not fundamentally the
right way, and they shift to a new style that puts principle-centered leadership first, a
unique relationship will develop. They will see that people have more creative energy,
resourcefulness, and initiative to contribute when they feel valued and their
accomplishments are valued. When managers begin to work with the whole person and embrace
principles of fairness and kindness and make better use of their talents, than people
have a sense of doing something that matters, something with meaning. (Covey) 
In my organization we are fast paced and deadline driven, each of us has to train and
depend on our employees decision making process. I know which of my employees can handle
which tasks and set goals for each according to their abilities. I usually get them
together in a group to discuss what our immediate objectives are. I encourage input from
every level, including our part time employees, so everyone feels included and when we
achieve goals, everyone wins. We monitor our progress, and meet frequently if a problem
arises, and are very quick to praise each other when we have moved closer to our goals. I
feel including everyone in this process gives everyone a sense of ownership in the
organization. My employees want to contribute, they take great pride in helping in the
decision making process, their sense of meaning and worth are just as great a reward as
any paycheck could be. We celebrate our successes together, as well as recoup from our
mistakes together. I want my employees to understand how I value each of them, and that
my success and the success of our organization lies in the combined effort of all of us,
not in one person, and that my leadership gives each of them the opportunity to
contribute to their greatest potential. This combines for a Win/Win solution. (Covey) 
Managers really have three choices, they can hire winners (they are hard to find, and
they cost money), they can hire someone with the potential to be a winner, then you
systematically train that person to become a winner, then there is only the third choice
left- prayer. (Blanchard) There are very effective ways to be a principle centered
leader, one that I suggest is the The One Minute Manager. This is a simplistic effective
strategy that revolves around three basic practices: First, the One Minute Goal Setting,
understanding what your responsibilities are. Second, the One Minute Praising, help
people reach their full potential, catch them doing something right. Third, the One
Minute Reprimand, we are not just our behavior, we are the person managing our behavior.
(Blanchard) Managers who cultivate a principle-centered leadership paradigm and start by
using simple yet effective strategies that inspire, empower and encourage their
employees, will see quantum leaps in organizational effectiveness. 
Bibliography
Works Sited
Covey, Stephen, R Pricnciple Centered Leadership
New York Fireside, 1992
Blanchard, Kenneth The One Minute Manager
New York Berkley Books, 1982