Leadership: Creativity, Change and Innovation

Introduction

Contemporary business organizations face a lot of challenges in their operation. This makes it necessary for various disciplines to be applied in the day-to-day running of the organization. Leadership, creativity, and change are interrelated concepts that play a vital role in the life of any organization. Organizational success is dependant on the kind of leadership prevailing at any given moment. However, leadership is shaped by various disciplines that take place in the organization. Change is an inevitable factor in the life of the contemporary organization. As a result, there must be ways in which the organization responds to change. Creativity and innovation also play a crucial role in the success of the organization. The purpose of this paper is to analyze several readings about leadership, change, and creativity. This will be done in the context of contemporary business organizations.

Leadership

The concept of leadership has been subject to many discussions and reviews. However, it has never been exhausted. As a result, the definition of leadership remains elusive in many kinds of literature concerning the subject (Ebert et al, 2001). The most constant assertion in all the reviews is that leadership plays a pivotal role in the endeavors of the organization. In discussing leadership, the role and qualities of leaders come into focus. First and foremost the question often asked is the characteristics of leaders. Many leadership theories have been advanced. The theories have attempted to explain the origin of leadership and the various types of leadership. Examples of leadership theories include trait, behavioral, contingency, and transformational. Each theory focuses on a different concept and approach to leadership. For instance, the traits theory focuses on the personal attributes of a leader which lead to success (James, 2007). According to this theory, leadership is determined by personal qualities. The behavioral theory on the other hand insists on the behavior and conduct of the leader which determines the nature of leadership.

Creativity, Innovation, and Change

Creativity and innovation are the driving forces of any contemporary organization. This happens both at the leadership level and also at the ordinary employee level of the organization. When creativity and innovation prevail in the organization success follows. It becomes easier for the organization to fulfill its goals (Grint, 1997). However for creativity to abide in any organization there must be certain conditions fulfilled. There must be an enabling environment for it to happen. Several strategies have been designed to foster creativity and innovation in the organization. How to create innovative people has been the main focus of any organization. This has led to several studies most of which have revealed that an innovative atmosphere is necessary for enhancing creativity and innovation in the organization. Modern organizations cannot escape change. Changes, therefore, are synonymous with the contemporary organization (Kramer & Messick, 2005). This has led to several theories of change. The most common one is organizational development. OD involves a step-by-step guide to change; the stages include unfreezing, movement, and refreezing. However, the success and viability of the OD model of change have been under scrutiny due to cultural limitations of the same. Under normal circumstances, a model of change ought to be universally acceptable.

Conclusion

The three concepts of leadership, change, and creativity plays an important role in the success of contemporary organizations. Various pieces of literature have explored these concepts. Scholars and philosophers have discussed the above disciplines with the aim of providing more clarity on the same. The aim of the paper was to review several readings which explore the three aspects which are of great significance to the existence and success of contemporary organizations. The paper has analyzed the three concepts with special reference to selected readings on the same. The paper has thus concluded that many discussions have been accorded to the concepts but more understanding is still necessary.

References

  1. Ebert et al (2001). Behavioral sciences: Pre-Test self-assessment and review. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.
  2. Grint, K. (1997). Leadership: classical, contemporary, and critical approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  3. James, W. (2007). The Principles of Psychology, Vol.1. Washington: Cosimo Inc.
  4. Kramer, M. & Messick, D. (2005). The psychology of leadership: new perspectives and research. New York: Routledge.
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