BM1708

LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE FOR QUALITY

Leadership for Quality

Leadership for quality is based on the philosophy that continually improving people, processes and
products will eventually increase value, productivity, service, market share, longevity, return on
investment and business expansion.
Characteristics of Quality Leaders
The characteristics possess by quality leaders are as follows:
 Sense of Purpose. Successful leaders know their areas of responsibility that will contribute to the
organization’s success.
 Self-discipline. Successful leaders avoid negative self-indulgence and inappropriate displays of
emotion such as anger.
 Honesty. Successful leaders are open and upfront with other members of the organization and
with themselves.
 Credibility. Successful leaders are consistent and fair in adhering to the same standards of
performance and behavior expected of others.
 Common Sense. Successful leaders know what is important in a given situation. They know when
to be flexible and when to be firm in making decisions.
 Stamina. Successful leaders maintain energy, endurance, and good health.
 Steadfastness. Successful leaders are committed to finish a task despite of difficulty.
Leadership Styles
A leadership style is a leader’s way of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people.
The leadership styles which can be observed at different organizations are as follows:
 Autocratic Leadership. It is also called directive or dictatorial leadership. Leaders who take this
approach make decisions without consulting the employees. Leaders always provide orders and
expect that employees will comply obediently.
 Democratic Leadership. It is also called consultative or consensus leadership. Leaders who take
this approach involve the employees in decision making. The leader will only make the final
decision after receiving the inputs and recommendations of team members.
 Participative Leadership. It is also known as open or non-directive leadership. Leaders who take
this approach exerts little control in the decision making process. The leader allows the team
members to develop strategies and solutions to the problem of the organization.
 Goal-Oriented Leadership. It is also called results-based or objective-based leadership. Leaders
who take this approach ask team members to focus solely on the goals at hand. The leader only
gives attention to strategies that make a definite and measurable contribution in accomplishing
organizational goals.
 Situational Leadership. It is also known as fluid or contingency leadership. Leaders who take this
approach selects the leadership style that seems to be appropriate based on the circumstances
that exist at a given time. The leader will consider several factors like his relationship with the
employees when deciding on the best leadership style.

06 Handout 1 *Property of STI

Page 1 of 3
 BM1708

Leadership Style in a Total Quality Setting

The appropriate leadership style in a total quality setting is the participative leadership taken to a higher
level. Whereas participative leadership in the traditional sense involves soliciting employee input, in a
total quality setting it involves soliciting input from empowered employees, listening to that input, and
acting on it.
Employees and Manager on Change
Change is an inevitable circumstance faced by organizations from time to time. In order to respond
effectively to change, organizations must continually apply the following approaches:

 Understand the Employees’ Point of View. Managers must show concern to the employees on a
personal level. Managers must be fair, equitable, and honest with employees and must provide
support to those individuals who will be the primary change agents in the organization.
 Use Incentives to Promote the Change. Managers should promote change by establishing
incentives for contributors to that change. Incentives can be monetary or nonmonetary that
should motivate employees on a personal level.
 Train the Employees. Managers must increase the intensity of training to ensure that employees
have the skills required during and after the transition period.

How to Lead Change

The following steps for change implementation is designed to help leaders systematically overcome the
various factors that inhibit organizational change:

 Develop a Change Picture. Leaders must develop a clear picture of what the organization is going
to look like after the change. They must also be able to articulate the goal of the organization in
implementing change.
 Communicate the Change Picture to Stakeholders. Leaders must deliver the change picture in
writing to ensure that everyone in the organization gets the same message. Afterwards, the
managers must organize a meeting to provide an opportunity for all the employees to ask
questions, seek clarification, state concerns, and vent feelings which is critical in order to achieve
the success of the change initiative.
 Conduct a Comprehensive Roadblock Analysis. Leaders must conduct face-to-face meetings with
the employees in order to identify all potential roadblocks that might impede implementation of
the change initiative. It is important that employees support the initiative so they will participate
in eliminating the roadblocks during the carrying out of change.
 Implement the Change. Leaders must design a plan that contains a comprehensive list of all tasks
that have to be completed, schedule and deadlines of each task, and a responsible party assigned
for each task.
 Monitor and Adjust. Leaders must closely monitor the progress of change implementation and
quickly take any action necessary to remove barriers or make some adjustments to keep the
process moving.

06 Handout 1 *Property of STI

Page 2 of 3
 BM1708

Best Practices in Leadership

Leaders must use the following strategies in order to promote the best leadership practices:
 Keep the organization’s vision and values uppermost in your mind. Leaders must always consider
the core values and guiding principles of the organization when considering a recommendation
from a follower. Every action or step that a leader will take must always be aligned with the
organization’s objectives.
 Encourage, promote, and reinforce truth telling. Leaders must look for advisors who would
honestly tell the truth no matter what the situation is, even when faced with an issue. They may
encourage truth telling by listening to their advisors even if what they hear runs counter to what
they would like to hear.
 Set the right example. Leaders must lead by example in terms of being the role model of what
they profess to believe. They must make sure that all their actions are aligned with the principles
of the organization.
 Delegate duties and responsibilities. Leaders should delegate responsibilities to their
subordinates in order to ensure that all tasks will be fulfilled based on a set timeline. They must
also monitor the progress of the assigned tasks to make sure that they are accomplished based
on the correct and acceptable standards.

Leaders as Mentors
One of the best ways to help people improve is to mentor them. Mentoring can provide a number of
benefits for the employees and for the organization as a whole.

The following are the potential benefits of mentoring:

 Facilitates relationship building and improves teamwork

 Gives employees a stronger connection to the organization
 Promotes communication
 Enhances employee performance
 Improves the organization’s retention rate
 Develops the next generation of leaders
 Enhances employee job knowledge and skills

References:
Hasan, S. (2018). Top 10 leadership qualities that make good leaders. Retrieved May 3, 2018 from
https://blog.taskque.com/characteristics-good-leaders/
Heizer, J., Render, B., & Munson, C. (2017). Operations management: Sustainability and supply chain
management (12th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Stevenson, J. (2015). Operations management (12th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
McClarie Group - The 3 leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln. (2017). Retrieved May 4, 2018, from
https://mcclariegroup.com/the-3-leadership-qualities-of-abraham-lincoln/
Wax, D. (n.d.). How to lead change in your organization. Retrieved May 4, 2018, from
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/how-to-lead-change-in-your-organization.html

06 Handout 1 *Property of STI

Page 3 of 3