Deloris Evans
MBA 525 Professional Development
Term Paper
Professor John Cain
Due 12/08/2013

How A Good Leader Can Improve Work Productivity

A leader is described as a person who can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task or a person in which people follow, or guides and directs. (Wikipedia, 2013) However, within an organization a leader impacts the ability to meet its obligations. (Duggan, 2013) To do so, it takes and affective leader to guide and direct people in a manner to increase productivity. When we think of leadership, we only think of guidance and a symbol of one person to another, but in reality there is so much more to associate with a leader in order to gain the respect and title they receive. To lead a department in a company, it takes many developed skills to succeed and at the same time help the company profit. With that being said, we will look at how a good leader should act in their role to improve work productivity. We look at what makes a leader. We know that a leader is to motivate, manage and make decisions. (Pace, 2006) However, there are many more qualities that need to be taken into account.

Communication and Goals

One of the first things that are very valuable with leadership is communication. Effective leaders need to be able to communicate clearly and frequently to their employees so that they all can obtain the same goal and be able to strive towards that goal. (Duggan, 2013) Communicating with employees and keeping them up to date on all information helps make them feel more involved with the company’s current activities and keeps them focused. Along with communicating, it is important to make sure that employees are aware of any changes that will occur in the future, and to be prepared for those changes. By preparing, an effective leader will provide anything necessary to make sure their team has what they need to make them successful and transition them into changes as smooth as possible.
Other than communicating, giving them a personal goal helps keep them motivated as well. When setting goals for employees, it helps keep them on their path because they know what is completely expected of them and their individual role. (Duggan, 2013)
An effective leader listens to their followers and is able to receive feedback. Another important characteristic of communication, by making sure it goes both ways. Being open to what your followers feel and think is important. Each leader should ensure that group members feel. (Cherry, 2013)

Morale and Praise

Morale in a workplace is definitely not always easy. If there is high turnover or bad management, this causes for a decrease in morale and ineffective workers. The employees will feel less inclined to work effortlessly for a leader who care less about them, and who does not provide the known leadership qualities to be attentive to their employees. When a turnover occurs, this causes a problem with always having to spend the money to search for a replacement and then the extra time used in training the new replacement. When time is taken away, then productivity is lowered, and time is money. For workers to feel motivated and confident in their role makes them feel motivated and confident within the company. It is leadership that has direct influence on an employee’s morale (Anderson, 2013) Praise also makes a person feels good and accomplished. Different forms of praise is also rewarding for the employer, because it makes them feel like their work and efforts are appreciated, along with making them feel like they are an asset to the company.

Respect and Professionalism

Respect for employees is vital because it makes them feel more as a professional. Many times a company limits their employee’s access to using the restroom without asking or taking time off without coverage. This is not exactly a professional career, but more so a job that will eventually end because people feel less