Topic > Effective leadership within a human services organisation

IndexLeadership models, philosophies and stylesConclusionReferenceLeadership within organizations varies significantly across the public, private and third sectors. This article will examine the differences within leadership in the human services sector, examining the influence the human services sector has on leadership practices and analyzing effective leadership models that lend themselves to the human services context. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Leadership is the role of directing and influencing the trajectory of an organization by guiding employees, stakeholders, and others involved in the day-to-day functioning of an organization to align their daily practice with organizational goals. The concept of leadership encompasses many aspects including organizational, personal, and social processes that motivate management. Effective leadership strives to improve organizational processes to stay abreast of the changing nature of society and become innovative to meet changing demands. Leadership, unlike management, occurs at many levels of an organization and is not a direct top-down approach informed by management. Effective leadership seeks positive change and continuous improvement through a clear vision, process transparency, valuable stakeholder input, trust and an effective organizational culture. Leadership within the third sector: Those whose primary objectives are focused on addressing social aspects over economic return vary from the traditional leadership styles of public and private organisations. The environments in which human service organizations operate have become much more complex over time. This complex nature is evident through the ever-evolving socio-dynamic variations of localities, explained by the occurrence of immigration, resulting in transitory demographic profiles that are dynamic and diverse in nature. The ever-changing nature of these areas means that the human services sector continually adapts its leadership and services to meet the needs of the changing socio-economic populations within the locality in which the organization operates. Leadership Models, Philosophies and Styles Leadership models, philosophies and styles vary between organizations and industries, many leadership models and theories have been developed for corporate and military entities, which have very different goals and processes than human service organizations. The underlying leadership philosophies and styles that work in the corporate sector are often not successful in the human services sector, resulting in poor organizational culture and unmet organizational goals. Key theoretical frameworks of leadership seen in the human services sector include transformational, situational, and service. leadership. Transformational leadership has a business focus, characterized by an emphasis on leaders who encourage, inspire, and motivate their employees to be innovative and generate change to promote growth and influence the future success of an organization. Transformational leadership uses senior-level managers to set an example for subordinates by developing a strong sense of company culture, employee participation, and independence within their practice. Situational leadership proposes that no single leadership style is best for an organization; focuses on direction and the best strategies suited to the task. This leadership style is adaptive and innovative andallows flexibility to adapt to environmental changes. Situational leadership includes four styles that depend on employees' level of knowledge, skill, and willingness to complete tasks. The use of situational leadership allows leaders to read the situation and individuals' skill level and customize a suitable approach for the situation. Provides support and direction depending on the individual's skills. Servant leadership is classified as both a theoretical framework and a set of principles used to help others achieve a shared goal. Servant leadership puts the needs of others before itself and emphasizes the importance of empowering staff to continually develop their skills and perform to the best of their abilities. Leadership styles can be classified into three classes, task-oriented, relationship-oriented and change-oriented. The core leadership styles found in the human services industry span these three categories and include adaptive, distributed, authentic, and servant leadership styles. Due to the complex nature of the human services sector, the suitability of these styles varies between organizations and depends on current social, political and economic environments. Adaptive leadership is defined by DeRue as “leading and following as a complex adaptive process.” This leadership style focuses on bringing different knowledge, beliefs and preferences to the individuals working within the organization. A leader emerges from the group who has the skills and knowledge in a particular area necessary to complete that task. Adaptive leadership is more flexible in application and uses knowledge from prior experience to adapt to changing industry dynamics. Adaptive leadership allows more people within the organization to be leaders when their skills and knowledge are aligned with the task that needs to be completed. Distributed leadership shares some commonalities with adaptive leadership; When using a distributed leadership style, there are multiple leaders within the organization, who are responsible for a specific area. An example of distributed leadership in the human services industry is in an organization where team leaders are tasked with managing their team of employees. Both adaptive and distributed leadership styles have multiple leaders within the organization. Authentic leadership is based on developing an approach that provides consistency in words, actions and values. Authentic leadership requires the leader to have a complete understanding of their own values ​​and not allow the values ​​or beliefs of others to influence their actions regarding leadership decisions. Core values ​​often act as a motivational force that drives decision-making for authentic leaders. This creates a workplace culture that promotes mutual trust, transparency and orientation towards the shared goals of the organization and the well-being and career development of individuals within the organisation. Unlike the public or private sector, leadership in the human services sector is influenced by a multitude of factors. These include but are not limited to: the gendered nature of the industry, the causality of funding, the multiple and complex customer needs, the pressure in service delivery, the high turnover of staff, the relationship with customers and the daily context. In the human services industry, no two days are the same; The challenges and demands that human services employees face on a daily basis are the unpredictable nature of this industry. Because of theunique nature of this sector, leadership in the human services sector focuses on the needs of vulnerable people in communities who depend on developing strong relationships with their communities. A common theme of divided staffing can be seen within human services organizations, between trained human services staff and administrative teams. Having a strong leadership model can be difficult when the goals of these two crucial but distinct teams are opposite. Leadership within human services organizations has two fundamental purposes, assisting their customers and staying in business, one cannot exist without the other. Within human service organizations, a lack of social workers employed in senior administrative roles. This deficiency can be seen as a result of the lack of leadership training incorporated into social work training and continuing professional development in the human services sector. To address this disparity within the industry, the skills of human services practitioners must be expanded to include leadership and organizational knowledge. It is vital that staff understand and appreciate their roles within the organisation. All positions are expected to bring improvements to the organization, bringing skills that add value and expertise to the organization and align with key organizational objectives. In an industry characterized by the complexity of an unreliable and ever-changing environment, human services organizations must adopt an inclusive leadership style, which reflects the industry's core goals and values. Exclusively using a corporate leadership model in the human services sector influences practice methods and organizational outcomes. These styles often undermine human services employees' ability to facilitate positive client outcomes while prioritizing organizational growth. An effective leadership style can be developed by implementing a style composed of aspects of situational and servant leadership theories, incorporating aspects of adaptive and authentic leadership styles resulting in a collaborative, innovative, relationship-oriented and supportive approach. This approach allows for thoughtful and ethical practice to complement and be innovative as often limited funding and resources are readily available in the sector. Implementing a blended leadership model provides organizations with the tools to meet complex customer needs and allows the organization to remain financially viable to continue providing services. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion A crucial element in developing an effective leadership style within a human services organization is the current nature of the industry which is then influenced by the identified target group the organization works with and its needs. Effective leadership in the human services sector should see organizations develop innovative ways to address the changing nature of the sector. Having competent leadership within an organization is reflected in the organization's ability to leverage the changing dynamics of the world. Changing dynamics influence the social and political realms that come together to impact the industry and individuals within a society. Effective leadership should be reflected in the organization's ability to adapt and implement changes, stay ahead of the curve, and meet the changing needs of vulnerable people within society. A, 32(1),.1315-1332.