Test Of Mediation And Moderation Processes

Emotional Intelligence

Discuss about the Test of Mediation and Moderation Processes.

In the organizational context, leadership is a fundamental and essential prerequisite that aids in optimization of efficiency thereby accounting for achievement of organizational goals and objectives. The leader posses the necessary attributes for driving the team towards attainment of the common agenda and fulfilling the projected goals in an appropriate manner. Further, a leader exerts strong influence over the behaviors of the employees. They set a clear vision, shares the vision thereby guiding the employees to follow a suitable path for carrying out the work process satisfactorily. Integrity in actions renders credibility to leadership quality (Nahavandi 2016). In the following sections, discussions will be made with respect to my strengths and weaknesses in relation to leadership practices through critical reflection.

Emotional intelligence has been reckoned as an essential attribute in today’s times as possession of this skill accentuates the chances of success of a particular event. A person having this skill is likely to be in charge of his own emotions thereby allowing for adept handling of a demanding situation without losing self-control. The key components that govern this virtue encompass self-regulation, self-awareness, motivation, empathy and social skills. Ability of understanding and management of emotions plays pivotal role in achieving positive outcomes in organizational sector (McCleskey 2014). As per my evaluation, I believe that emotional intelligence level is quite a bit high for me. I do not let anger get into my way and try to be calm and patient as much as possible in times of adversity or challenges. I try to be humble in my approach so that my co-workers do not encounter any issues in interacting with me. I prefer flexibility in work culture to allow enough scope of improvement alongside emphasizing on the superior quality of work. I am very much finicky about diligently performing a task to suit the purpose and constantly strive for excellence. Further, I respect values and opinions of others and try to comprehend a situation from other’s perspective. Moreover, I put in by best efforts to provide change management and resolve conflicts. Hence, all these endeavors on my part add to my emotional intelligence quotient helping in harboring of optimal outcomes.

Assertive communication refers to standing up for one’s opinions and beliefs, but carrying it out in a manner without trespassing other’ rights or disrespecting their values. In leadership practice, assertiveness is considered as a crucial skill that has the potential of driving success for the organization (Hackman and Johnson 2013). In my professional pursuit, I try to be assertive in firmly standing in favor of what I strongly believe. Moreover, I try to safeguard rights of others in my own way so that everyone gets their fair share.  I try to convince others about my thoughts politely and at the same time pay attention so that their sentiments are not hurt. I refrain from exhibiting aggressiveness in my attitude and remains aware about the passively accepting what are wrong. I exercise my own rights without neglecting the rights of others.

Assertive Communication

Competitiveness in leadership forms the foundation for streamlining the organizational efficiency towards attainment of the common goals. Skills of leaders must be in sync with the core organizational values that strive for adhering to the principles of innovation, performance excellence, social responsibility, worker involvement in addition to enhancement of quality of work life. Leadership style often influences the outcomes specific to competitiveness (Vargas 2015). In my professional practice while working with my teammates, I try to incorporate necessary adjustments that might be indicative of management of complexity of diverse people. I always try to handle situations tactfully so that there occur no resentment on the minds of my teammates and pay attention to listen what others have to say with respect to the organizational operation. I prefer dynamic approaches that might steer positive outcomes rather than adopting conventional methods that might actually interfere with the process of achieving maximal organizational efficiency. I feel I attain a certain degree of personal development by means of acquisition of this skill. I feel oneness with the topic and extremely passionate about driving positive changes. Therefore, I make efforts to invest in creativity and innovative skills for coping up with the challenges and ensuing situations relevant to the workplace so that competitive advantage may be gained over others.

As per my personal experience, what I have noticed that I suffer a lot from anxiety and lack coping skills at the workplace. This increase in anxiety and lack of coping skills can be consider as one of the principal drawback in my path of leadership. Whenever I am asked to take any significant steps in the strategic planning, I feel a bit panicked, my heart races, I fret, I lie awake late in night and I sweat heavily. All these symptoms are markers of anxiety (Mortensen 2014). Anxiety arises when I feel a strong sense of threat to a particular value. In this case, anxiety comes in terms of my work, fear of hampering company’s face in the market or encountering huge loss.

I feel that anxiety is not good for my leadership skills because, anxious leaders are less likely to take strategic risk than the less anxious leaders. This is because they fear of encountering loss. Job related anxiety also reduces the attractiveness of big strategic bets of the company despite having high level of potential to drive significant financial gains (Sherman et al. 2012). For being anxious, I frequently encounter poor relationship with the cow-workers. Moreover, high level of anxiety and lack of coping skills have charged me in the sectors of lower job performance and always nurture a reluctant attitude to take risk.

Anxiety and problem in coping skills

However, I need to channelize my anxious nature into a positive way. Base level of anxiety actually aids in performing. The alertness, edginess and unsettled feelings can act as a driver of energy helping to deliver the best under pressure (Mortensen 2014).

Since am new to this profession, another significant drawback, which I think affecting my leadership is lack of proper conflict management skills. Here lack of conflict management is inability to resolve conflicts among the employees (Kim, 2014). One of the prominent leadership quality is helpfulness and guidance but since I lack proper conflict management skills, I fail to guide my fellow collogues in a proper direction. This lack of conflict management is taking a toll on the productivity of my employee as most of the time they remain engrossed in conflict and am too scared or rather say unable to resolve their issues (Schlaerth, Ensari and Christian 2013). In a team, it is just a matter of time of how differing opinion clash, giving rise of conflict (Maria-Elena and Laura-Filofteia 2016). Whatever might be the source of the conflict but I as a leaders fail to address the conflict head on and work it through. This prevalence of conflict in my organization is hampering the peace of work. This issue further interferes with the effectiveness and the cohesiveness of the department. 

According to the organizational experts, unresolved conflict prevailing in the workface leads to the overall decline in the morale of the employees (Gelfand et al.2012). None of the employees wants to work under an environment of conflict. It is the managers; or rather say the leaders who must come forward in such scenario. They must also simultaneously develop necessary skills and help resolve the conflict among the workplace. Irrespective of the organization, proper conflict resolution training can help to reap of highest possible benefit in shortest amount of time (De Wit et al. 2012).

Creativity is the core of the business. I lack the ability to create something new and innovative business plan. I do not consider myself as a creative thinker when it comes to business. An innovative leader does not significantly describe a creative thinker who designs or gives birth to any creative idea. An innovative leader is a one who quickly identifies innovative ideas generated by any members of the team. However, one can only be an innovative leader when he is himself innovative (Aryee et al. 2012).

Lack of Innovative Behavior

This lack of innovation in my thinking approach is affective my leadership quality negatively. I fail to recognize when my project is not working in harmony as per the financial demands. Even if I recognize that the project is not working, I get perplexed of putting down the project all together and introduction a new project as a fresh. I fail to introduce new project on time as my arsenal of thoughts lack the innovative skills to come up with a new plan. Even in rare cases, I come up with a new plan, I get scared of implementing the same because of my high anxious nature. Obviously one team or rather say a company on the large scale cannot keep going over the same business plan over and over again (Park et al.2014). There must be certain innovation in order to put the market competitors in a challenging situation and hence innovation is what important in the leadership quality and which I lack.

S= Specific	M= Measurable	A= Achievable	R= Realistic	T= Time frame
The goal must be clear and specific regarding the objective that needs to be achieved, importance of the objective in terms of achievement and resources which are involved in achieving the same (MacLeod 2012)	Goals need to measurable otherwise the path of achieving the objective becomes complex or misleading. Measurable also helps in tracking the progress and this helps in motivation for achieving better in future (MacLeod 2012)	The goals need to be realistic and achievable. However, at times it may challenge the capacity of the performer but at the end it must remain achievable (MacLeod 2012)	Realistic or relevant means the goal is of utmost importance and it really needs to be achieved (MacLeod 2012)	The time frame discuss the time limit of achieving the concerned goal (MacLeod 2012)

Under the specific criteria of the SMART test analysis, I would like to mention that I want to accomplish the goal of reducing my tendency to get anxious without any possible reasons. The goal is important because, being anxious or being tensed in crucial business situation is hampering my leadership quality and at the same time affect negatively to the company. While I am anxious, I fail to undertake in significant decision, which may be beneficial in the long run. Measurable: I will accomplish my goal of reducing my unwanted anxiety via joining a meditation class. Mindfulness meditation not only helps in reducing the stress and anxiety but also change the overall functioning of the brain via regulating the release of the stress hormones in blood during tensed or crucial situation (Marchand 2012). After completion of the necessary meditation training and practicing it regularly at home, early in the morning for one month I will be successful in coping up with my unwanted anxiety disorder. It will provide off-the-job diversions and will act as a mood booster (Eberth and Sedlmeier 2012; Mortensen 2014). Meditation will also channelize my nervous energy into pleasant direction and this will reflect good things career. The goal undertaken by me in the field of reduction of anxiety is indeed realistic. Developing proper decision-making skills via reducing the level of anxiety is one of the determining features in leadership. Via coping up with my anxiety, I will project myself as a better and confident leader in the future. The goal of reducing my anxiety is worthwhile because it will pave my path of leadership carrier in the future. I think this is the right time for undertaking such correctional goals because reduction of anxiety is extremely crucial at any stage of leadership carrier. I think I am the right person to achieve this goal because I have the tenacity to stick to one goal and achieve the same in the future. The time that will be required in achieving the goal is one month. However, regular practice of meditation must be maintained for the further refinement of gaining control over the nerves.

Specific: I want to achieve the skill of conflict management because; managing conflicts is one of the key criteria of successful leadership. While working as a team time may arises that there is a clash of conflict between the employees. I as a leader need to resolve this so that my teammates work in a peace of mind, without hampering the productivity. Measurable: In order to revamp my conflict management skill, I will undertake the help of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (Johnson et al 2012). It can be defined as a special instrument has been designed to measures person’s behavior in conflict-oriented situation. Under Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, the ability to manage the conflict is measured based on two parameter, assertiveness and cooperativeness (Johnson et al 2012). After taking the test and interpreting the score, I will simultaneously work on my trait and will gradually shape up my conflict management skills. Achievable: In order to achieve the goal, I will diligently give the test via Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and will act accordingly. The goal is indeed realistic as performing the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument test and simultaneously working on it is a achievable task. Relevant: It is the right time to work on this as any problem if it is executed at the neonatal stage then it reduces the complexity of the problem itself. I think I am the right person for this purpose because I nurture certain promising leadership quality like excellent communication skills. Time bound: The period for achieving this particular goal is two months.

Specific: I want to accomplish the goal of ability to generate innovative idea because without innovative idea the skill of leadership quality cannot flow smoothly. Through this goal, I want to gain the insight of generating innovative ideas, which I can implement in the future (Lal, Donnelly and Shin 2015). Measurable: In order to achieve the goal, I will read book that deals with the biography of the innovative leader and centering their ideas and thought process like Steve Jobs of Apple. By doing this will know how this people have reacted in complex situation and have come up with new yet innovative plan to uplift the organization in the financial and global scale. Achievable: The goal is achievable because I will channelize my leisure tie in reading these books and will simultaneously exercise my brain to work accordingly. Relevant: The goal is extremely relevant in the current scenario because, a leader without creative ideas cannot thrive in this competitive. I think I am the right person to reach this goal as I have all other good criteria that is require to a good leader. Time Bound: The time frame for this goal is 3 months as detailed analysis of the book and analyzing of the thoughts are required.

References

Aryee, S., Walumbwa, F.O., Zhou, Q. and Hartnell, C.A., 2012. Transformational leadership, innovative behavior, and task performance: Test of mediation and moderation processes. Human Performance, 25(1), pp.1-25.

De Wit, F.R., Greer, L.L. and Jehn, K.A., 2012. The paradox of intragroup conflict: a meta-analysis.

Eberth, J. and Sedlmeier, P., 2012. The effects of mindfulness meditation: a meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 3(3), pp.174-189.

Gelfand, M.J., Leslie, L.M., Keller, K. and de Dreu, C., 2012. Conflict cultures in organizations: How leaders shape conflict cultures and their organizational-level consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(6), p.1131.

Hackman, M.Z. and Johnson, C.E., 2013. Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press.

Johnson, C.A., Thompson, R.C. and Anderson, M.G., THOMAS-KILMANN CONFLICT MODE INSTRUMENT.

Kim, D.Y., 2014. Conflict management ad leadership.

Lal, S., Donnelly, C. and Shin, J., 2015. Digital storytelling: An innovative tool for practice, education, and research. Occupational therapy in health care, 29(1), pp.54-62.

MacLeod, L., 2012. Making SMART goals smarter. Physician executive, 38(2), pp.68-72.

Marchand, W.R., 2012. Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Journal of Psychiatric Practice®, 18(4), pp.233-252.

Maria-Elena, G. and Laura-Filofteia, P., 2016. Conflict In Organizations. Age, 21(1), p.7.

McCleskey, J., 2014. Emotional intelligence and leadership: A review of the progress, controversy, and criticism. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 22(1), pp.76-93.

Mortensen, R., 2014. Anxiety, work, and coping. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 17(3), p.178.

Nahavandi, A., 2016. The Art and Science of Leadership -Global Edition. Pearson.

Park, Y.K., Song, J.H., Yoon, S.W. and Kim, J., 2014. Learning organization and innovative behavior: The mediating effect of work engagement. European Journal of Training and Development, 38(1/2), pp.75-94.

Schlaerth, A., Ensari, N. and Christian, J., 2013. A meta-analytical review of the relationship between emotional intelligence and leaders’ constructive conflict management. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 16(1), pp.126-136.

Sherman, G.D., Lee, J.J., Cuddy, A.J., Renshon, J., Oveis, C., Gross, J.J. and Lerner, J.S., 2012. Leadership is associated with lower levels of stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(44), pp.17903-17907.

Vargas, M.I.R., 2015. Determinant factors for small business to achieve innovation, high performance and competitiveness: organizational learning and leadership style. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 169, pp.43-52.