Leading Organization And Change For Strategic Leadership – Microsoft Corporation

Leading Organization and Change: Strategic Leadership

Leading Organization and Change: Strategic Leadership

Organizational background of Microsoft Corporation

Discuss about the Leading Organization and Change for Strategic Leadership.

In the growing complexities of the human resource management issues, the strong link between change management and strategic leadership is essential to provide an appropriate organizational direction toward growth. The strategic leadership and change management will provide a framework for the achievement of the organizational goals and objectives(Aitken and Higgs2010). This report will develop a broad understanding of the main topic ‘Leading organization and Change’ by emphasizing the linkage or alignment among strategic leadership, change management, organizational direction, and management skills to support the organizational strategy.

This assessment will describe about how change management and leadership styles can be applied to the organization in different situations and impact of these leadership styles on organizational strategic decision-making will also be evaluated. The leadership strategy will be developed by using appropriate theories and methods of leadership and change management to provide an appropriate future direction(Adair 2013). This assessment will also review the current change management and leadership strategy in order to develop the skills that may be required to face future challenges. Along with this, a future plan will be prepared to develop leadership skills in order to deal with the future challenges and potential problems. On the basis of above findings, the references will be made related to the relevant change management and leadership theories.

Organizational background of Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation is a USA-based Multinational Computer Technology Outsourcing Companyhaving the main headquarters In Redmond, Washington, US. It is a leading software development company in the world that was originally established by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1975. Microsoft has been enjoying the high market share and huge revenues for the last couple of decades in the global industry. Microsoft Corporation has its own product development, manufacturing, and licensing units to sell the computer software applications and windows programs to the global users. Microsoft has high brand recognition and customer loyalty by offering the Computer technological applications of the value-added and high performanceto the users (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson2008).

The company believes in empoweringeveryone and every business organization on the planet to achieve more. The product lines of Microsoft include Windows versions (Window 95, Window 98, Window Vista, Window XP, Window 7, Window 8, and Window 10), MS office (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power point, MS Access), and MS DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).It also offers mobile phones, windows phones, surface tablets, Skype, Xbox, visual Games, and server applications. It provides the services includingBing, MSN, Skype, MSDN, Xbox, OneDrive, and TechNet. Satya Narayana Nadella is the present CEO of Microsoft Corporation, who was appointed on 4 Feb, 2014. Microsoft has employed app. 120,000 employees worldwide at different business divisions (Johensen 2012).

Evaluation of adaptability of Change Management and Leadership styles and impact of these styles on strategic decision making

Main Body

Different types of change management and leadership styles are adapted to different situations within the organization of Microsoft which are following discussed as:

Participative or Democratic style- This leadership style could be effective for the leader to take an appropriate decision by allowing the participation of the employees in the decision-making process of the company. In this style, the leader follows two-way communication processin order to provide freedom to the employees to share their views and ideas with the leader. This leadership style is adapted in the situations when decisions are taken collectively with the corporation of the subordinates or staff members. Each employee has equal opportunity to participate in the decision-making process and liberty to keep their views and opinions(Longo and Cristofoli 2008). The views, opinions and suggestions of the employees or participant are considered as inputs for the final decision making.

Autocratic or Authoritative leadership style- This leadership style is adapted to a situation where the leader takes decisions unilaterally and independently without involving the participation of the employees for the company’s decisions. The opinions and views of the employees or subordinates are not considered for the decision-making process. This leadership style works best in the situation when the leader directs the employees for executing the tasks or projects assigned to them. The leader doesn’t get the advice of the followers for the company’s meetings or decisions. In this style of leadership, the leader directs and motivates the followers or employees by providing persuasion and feedback on their performance(Luis 2010). This leadership style is adapted to the situations when the leader takes decisions in the critical situations or emergencies without involving others in the decisions.

Delegative or Laissez-faire leadership style- This style of leadership is adapted to the situations where the leader gives freedom for the followers or subordinates to make the decisions ownselves without intervening their activities and decisions. The leader provides the necessary resources for the followers or subordinates and gives them an opportunity to take decisions with little guidance.

Bureaucratic style: This leadership style is adapted to the situations when leaders are skilled, educated, and experienced. The leader takes decision with own judicious after assessing the organizational situations or risk factors. The leader takes decision for the interest of the organization by using the available sources in the given conditions.

Charismatic style: This style of leadership is adapted to the situations where the leadertakes decision after observing the current organizational situations and estimating the risk factors. In this leadership style, the leader encourages the followers or subordinates to give their best performance for the achievement of the organizational goals and objectives(Lussier and Achua 2012). This leadership style works best in the positive work environment where the leader motivates the subordinates or followers to work hard and strive to succeed in the goals-accomplishment.

For the organization of Microsoft, the participative or democratic leadership style will be most suitable which has been currently using in the organization of Microsoft because this leadership style will help Satya Nadella in taking decisions effectively by allowing the participation and involvement of the followers or subordinates in the decision-making process of the company. This leadership style will be effective for Nadella to get the opinions, views, and responses of the employees while taking the final decisions(Wheelen2012).

The change management and leadership styles affect the organizational decision-making to the great extent because these styles influence the mindsets of the leader to make effective decisions. In the participative or democratic leadership style, the views, opinions, and recommendations of the employees are considered by allowing them to participate in the company’s meetings and decision making process. This leadership style is effective to take accurate and right decisions because the decisions are taken collectively by getting advice from the followers or subordinates(Thompson and Martin2010).

In the autocratic leadership style, the decisions are taken individually by the leader without involving the participants in the decision-making process. Sometimes, such types of leaders take decisions in the emergencies that reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of the decisions. The bureaucratic leadership style affects the strategic decisions because the decisions are taken after assessing the contingent situations and risk factor. The leaders are well educated, knowledgeable, and trained who take effective decisions for the interests of the organization. In the free rein or laissez-Fair leadership style, the decisions are taken by the followers or subordinate themselves without much intervention of the leader (Stringham 2012). The employees have authorities and liberty to take decisions in their own way. So, different leadership and management styles affect the organizational decisions.

An effective leadership strategy is required for moving the organization toward the achievement of future goals and objectives by linking the leadership strategy to the extensive changes. It will be good from the perspective of the organizational growth to create a leadership strategy for the development of an effective leader. The leader can provide the organization of Microsoft an appropriate direction toward growth through performing his duties, responsibilities, and authorities in an effective manner. The leadership strategy and management knowledge are affected by the use of the change management and leadership theories. By using the management and leadership theories, the impact of the situational factors (competition level, high job stress, job structure, diversified workforce, and changing environmental conditions) on the leadership behavior and strategyis identified (Smillie and Hailey 2001). The theories of leadership and change management include Great Man theory, Transformational theory, Trait theory, Transactional theory, Situational theory, Leadership-Member Exchange theory, Contingency and charismatic leadership theory that significantly affect the leadership and change management strategy. For the organization of Microsoft, the leadership theories including contingency or situational theory, transformation theory, and behavioral theory can be used.

Transformational theory- This theory will assist in developing an effective leadership strategy by encouraging the leaders for the attainment of the long term goals, objectives, strategies and vision. This theory will be supportive to transform the leader in order to bring innovation and creativity for enhancing the performances and productivity of the workforces by influencing the behaviors and attitudesof the individuals (Olson and Simerson2015). By using this theory, the leader can share the job skills, knowledge and experiences with the organizational members in order to attain the organizational goals and objectives effectively.

Situational or contingency theory- This theory will be effective for the development of the future leadership strategy. This theory will influence the behavior of the leaders to take effective decisions according to organizational situations(Finkelstein, Hambrick and Cannella 2009). This theory assumes that the leadership behavior should be contingent based on situations for influencing the motivational level and commitment of the employees for accomplishing their tasks effectively. After observing the situations, the leaders should make change in the change management and leadership strategy.

Behavioral theory- This theory affects the behaviors, attitudes, perceptions and values of the leader which in turn influences the leadership strategy for encouraging the employees for the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Napoleon and Abell 2008). This theory is effective to win the loyalty and confidence of the team members by allowing their participation in the decision-making.

On the basis of above findings and assumptions from the theories of leadership and change management, an effective leadership strategy will be developed to support the organization’s future direction by linking the strategy with the attainment of the future goals, vision, and objectives. The leadership strategy will assist to lead the workforce effectively by managing the performances of the individuals for the accomplishment of the tasks or projects assigned to them as per their skills, roles, and knowledge.

Microsoft is one of the leading computer software development companies in the world which is known for high market presence and corporate global identity. It has employed around 120,000 employees to handle the overall business operations of Microsoft. SatyaNarayanaNadella is the CEO or leader of Microsoft. Microsoft Corporation has been facing complex problems and potential challenges for the last few years due to ineffective leadership strategies and policies in Microsoft. It has been difficult for the leader to manage the external business operations of Microsoft while working at different environmental conditions. After the acquisition of Nokia by Microsoft in 2014, the challenges and responsibilities for Nadella have been increased. So, it has become necessary to develop a leadership strategy to prepare the leader for the potential challenges and future responsibilities (Riggio and Tan2013). For developing aneffective leadership strategy, the current leadership strategy is reviewed in order to identify the strong and weak points of the leadership. After assessing the current leadership strategy, the current leadership skills and abilities are compared with the future leadership skills and abilities that will assist in identifying the skills gap for the development of the future leadership strategy.

Creation of Leadership Strategy

The leadership strategy of Microsoft will include the leadership skills, managerial abilities, specialization of fields, commitment, unique traits, and managerial competence that will be required for performing the leadership role, tasks, and responsibilities effectively. The leadership strategy will also include the commitment and orientation of the leader toward the organizational vision, mission, future goals, objectives, strategies, and vision statement. The leadership strategy will also contain the roles, duties, authorities and responsibilities ofeach employee that will be determined by the leader.  The leadership strategy will also include the self-leadership before committing to lead others. It will also include the risk assessment and management, future tasks or projects, potential challenges, and required experience and knowledge(Samson and Bevington 2012). The leadership strategy of Microsoft will also include the participation of the team members or subordinates in the team meetings. The leadership strategy will also contain the development of the professionalism, trust, belief, respect required for determining the future direction of the organization. This strategy will include the changes required for the leader after assessing the organizational requirements and contingent situations.

For reviewing the current organizational leadership and change management of Microsoft Company, several methods such as SWOT analysis, self-assessment, Life Mission Statement, and Qualification gap and Performance analysis can be used. The Self-Assessment is a method that can be used to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the leadership of Satya Nadella through assessment of the current skills and future skills required for the dealing with the complex problems and future challenges. Creating a life mission statement through a life mission statement worksheet will provide the leader future insights by encouraging the leader to lead and guide the organizational members for the achievement of long-term goals and objectives(Finkelstein, Hambrick, and Cannella 2009). This method will define the future leadership skills and change management requirements by assessing the current management strategy and leadership in the organization of Microsoft.

The qualification gap and performance analysis is a method that can be used to assess the current leadership skills, managerial abilities, and change management strategy of Microsoft.This method will help in analyzing a gap between the current leadership skills and change management strategy and future leadership and change management requirements. This tool will help in comparing the leadership performance and strategic change management level of the current year with the previous years of leadership performance and change management strategy(Flevy2014).

SWOT analysis is an important tool to review the current leadership and change management strategy of Microsoft by identifying the strength and weakness of the current leadership of Nadella and further leadership and change management opportunities and threats for the leader in the future. From the SWOT analysis, it is identified that listening, writing, managerial, andcoordination skills are the strengths of the leadership of Microsoft. This method also shows that the leader also has weaknesses, such as motivation skills, communication or representation skills and decision making inability. As per SWOT analysis, the opportunities include time-management skills, problem solving skills,creative thinking and innovative ideas that will be required for dealing with the complex problems and potential future challenges (Fullan2011). According to SWOT analysis, the threats include diversified and inexperienced workforce, cultural diversity and management challenges, growing competition level, changing customers’ needs and growing market demands, different environmental conditions, fast changing technology, growing demand of the corporate social responsibility and ethical behavior are several issues that create potential risks for the leaderof Microsoft.

After reviewing the current organizational leadership and change managementof Microsoft by using the appropriate methods, it is identified that the current leadership skills, managerial qualities,and change management strategy of Microsoft are below the expectation level and requiremore efforts to prepare the leader for the future goals and potential challenges. The leader of Microsoft is required to develop extra leadership skills that may be required for dealing with the complex future problems and potential challenges becauseit will be effective to lead the workforce effectively by managing their performances for the future tasks or projects and potential challenges facing while working at different environmental conditions(Jung 2011). The development of extra leadership skills and managerial competencies will also assist the leader to attain the organizational vision, mission, long-term goals and objectives and targets within determined timelines and estimated budget.

It will also be effective for Microsoft toorganize long-term training sessions and coaching and development programs for developing the future leadership developmentthat may be required for dealing with the future situations or challenges. Along with this, the job rotation, mentoring, use of case studies and learning programs, group discussions, and e-studies will be effective for developing the future leadership and management. For ex- for the introduction of the new services, such as smartphones, windows phones, tablets, and Xbox (new products which were introduced by Microsoft after the acquisition of Nokia), the new advertising strategy, marketing plans and objectives will be required for the success of these new products(Kavanagh and Ashkanasy2006). Identifying the new customer segments, determination of competition level, creation of new market plan and strategy, and growth prospects will be future challenges for the Leader of Microsoft while dealing with the new product line.

At Microsoft, it is essential to for the leader to create a plan for the development of the leadership skills and managerial qualities in order to manage the performances of the employees. In order to develop the leadership skills, such as managerial skills, motivation skills, time management skills, and decision-making skills, the development methods, such as training, coaching, mentoring, e-learning studies (e-books, magazines, journals, and articles), case studies, meetings and seminars, group discussions, and promotional events will be used.The coaching programs and mentoring will assist to develop the leadership abilities. The training and skills development methods will assist to enhance the leadership qualities and managerial competencies of the leaders(Anderson and Anderson 2010).

Job rotation is an effective tool that can be used to enhance the leadership skills and managerial qualities of the leader. The leader will be appointed in different geographical regions periodically that will assist to prepare them to face the complex situations and further challenges and to take effective decisions in these situations. Along with this, the case studieswill assist in improving themanagerial qualities, leadership skills, technical knowledge, and decision making ability of the leader. The group discussions will be effective to improve the communication skills, negotiation skills, and decision making skills of the leader. The use of E-learning, such as e-study of the books, blogs, articles, journals, and essays and the leadership histories of the former successful leaderswill be effective to enhance the leadership skills and managerial qualities of the leader(DuBrin 2012).The following table will emphasize the development of the leadership skills through the use of the suitable development methods.

Types of Leadership skills	Objectivity	Time period for development/ improvement	Development methods
Development of communication or representative skills	To communicate with organizational members and stakeholders effectively To correspond the organizational members and external stakeholders through emails, social media, Skype or videoconferencing	2 months	Joining training classes, seminars, meetings or presentation ceremonies Participating in group discussions Reading books, magazines, articles, newspapers, or e-studies
Development of time-management skills	To execute and accomplish the assigned tasks or projectsin the determined timelines	2 months	Through training, case studies, group discussions, and reviewing the implemented projects By reading books, magazines and essays on time management books
Development of motivational skills	To motivate the subordinates and organizational members effectively To encourage the team members for the goals achievement To enhance employee morale and job satisfaction	2 months	Through training, coaching, and group discussions Reading e-books, essays, articles or magazines on motivation theories
Improvement in problem-solving skills	To solve the inter-organizational conflicts and complex problems To prepare them for the future challenges Tofind the best possible solution to the organizational problems	1 month	By reading problem-solving books, articles, essays, magazines and journals Through joining meetings, seminars, training or group discussions
Improvement in decision-making skills	To take decisions effectively in the typical situations or unfavorable conditions	1 Month	By attending seminars, meetings and group discussions By reading e-books, articles or essays, magazines, books, and case studies
Improvement in  negotiation skills	To negotiate the organizational members and external stakeholders effectively	1 month	By attending training, seminars, meetings, group discussions, and learning programs

The above personal development plan will be effective for the leader of Microsoft in developing the leadership skills and managerial competencies required for performing the role of an effective leader in managing the performances of the employees. It will provide a platform for the leader to lead, direct and supervise the project team or staff members effectively. The PDP will also assist the leader to win the confidence, credibility and loyalty of the team members by enhancing the leadership skills and managerial abilities.

The use of development methods will be effective for SatyaNadellato prepare himself for the future challenges and complicated situations. The development methods will be useful for the leader in taking right decisions in the critical situations. These methods will enhance the leadership skills, managerial qualities, and professional competencies of the leader to manage the workforce in an effective manner (Eikenberry 2011). These methods will be useful to develop several leadership qualities, such as change management, risk-taking ability and awareness, customer handling, creativity and innovation, depth understanding, strategic vision, and team working abilities.

The use of the development methods will be effective to develop the motivation skills, communication skills, time-management skills, and decision-making skills as well as improvement in the problem solving skills, creative thinking skills, negotiation skills, and managerial skills of the leader. For ex-the self-assessment method will the useful in providing an assessment of the current leadership skills and managerial abilities by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the leader. Another method, like- job rotation will be useful to prepare the leader for working in different environment conditions by developing the leadership skills and professional competence of the leader(Cliff and Johan2010). The training and skills development programs will be useful to enhance the leadership skills and managerial qualities of the leader. The learning methods, such as case studies and group discussions will be useful to enhance theself-knowledge, depth understanding, and creative thinkingof the leader.

Conclusion& Recommendations

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that change management and leadership are essential to direct the organization toward growth through the development of an effective leadership strategy by using the leadership theories and change management methods. The leader of Microsoft should use different leadership theories in different situations for managing the performances of the employees toward the achievement of the long-term business goals, objectives, and targets of the organization. The change management models and leadership theories will help the leader in designing an effective business strategy as per organizational requirements and changing business environmental trends. It could be effective for the firm to use suitable methods and techniques to review the current leadership and change management so that the necessary changes could be made for preparing the leader to take effective decisions in the complicated situations. The planning was made for developing the future leadership skills in order to deal with the future complex problems and potential changes.

References

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