Question

Explore how leadership is formally evaluated in different organizations. Examine and analyze the process used to evaluate leaders in an organization.

Obtain a copy of a leadership performance appraisal form from an organization from an organization’s human resources department or Internet search and provide a summary and overview of the form and evaluate any gaps in the knowledge and skills assessed.

Compare the form to the different techniques used to measure leadership effectiveness. Identify what the organization could do to improve the leadership evaluation process and make recommendations for improving the process.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Leadership is a trait that develops over a period of time, based on different circumstances and the personality of the individual. Most firms reflect the leadership traits that are shown by their leaders and the same is evident in the approach towards different markets and situations. The first and foremost method to evaluate leadership is to check the performance of the firm. If the firm is doing well, it would usually mean the leader is in sync with the firm`s objectives. One typical example of this is the approach by Apple under Steve Jobs. The firm moved ahead aggressively and it was a true reflection of Jobs`s personality and leadership. But in the current corporate scenario, all leaders are evaluated critically to ensure the firm is heading in the right direction. There are a few ways by which the leadership effectiveness is formally evaluated in the organizations. The first as already mentioned is the firm`s performance. The next measure is how the leader inspires and leads others to follow the mission, vision, and objectives of the firm. Leadership often means motivating the staff to perform beyond the allotted roles and this is another measure for checking the leadership in a firm. If we were to summarize, the following parameters are used to evaluate leadership roles in firms:

• Firm`s performance
• Ability to inspire and motivate others to follow the vision, mission and company objectives
• Ability to embrace change and risks
• Employee growth, development, and retention
• Maintaining mutually beneficial relationship with all partners to succeed collaboratively

For this assignment, I managed to obtain a leadership review form (through google search) which is used in a Petrochemical MNC  based in Asia. The form was designed in such a way that the ratings were provided by both the individual, his team and other department heads. This corresponds to a method that is similar to 360-degree feedback. The firm, in this case, chose to get a complete view of the leader`s performance and interaction by taking inputs of all the relevant stakeholders. The report that was finally published as a review document shows the leader being evaluated was measured against the following parameters.

• Employee growth
• Firm`s growth
• Training and development
• Respect in work-place
• Ethical behavior in work-place

The form obtained from MNC shows a simple questionnaire based format along with free text fields to explain relevant areas. The form chose to focus more on employee growth rather than the firm`s performance and this shows a positive approach towards growth by the HR and leadership positions. The firm shows a lot of faith in employees and the leader was only giving inputs where required rather than being completely involved in the day-to-day running of the firm. Comparing this with the standard measures for a leader we can see that the approach to measuring the leadership effectiveness is different in this case but this is a true testament to the leader and the progressive thinking of the firm.

On comparing the method used by the selected firm against different techniques used to measure leadership effectiveness we can see that there are few areas that can be improved. While the firm is forward-thinking and progressive, there is no measure against the positive relationships the leader forms with others. In the current business landscape, building long-lasting relationships are crucial to sustainability and collaboration. There should be a renewed focus on this. Another area that can be improved is the ability of the firm and its employees to embrace change and risks. This is vital to succeeding in the long term. The role of a leader in the firm is to ensure the firm sustains well in the long term and this can be done only when the employees embrace change faster. If the firm can include these measures too in the evaluation of leadership, the leadership evaluation will be complete.