Abstract

This study examines the role of effective leadership in achieving organizational goals, with a specific focus on Kumba Council as a case study. The research method used in this study is quantitative, and data was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to employees of Kumba Council.

The study found that effective leadership plays a crucial role in the achievement of organizational goals, and that there is a positive relationship between effective leadership and employee motivation, job satisfaction, and performance.

The study found that the majority of Kumba Council workers agreed that effective leadership motivates them to work hard in achieving organizational goals. Most workers also agreed that they are paid their salary on time, their leader ensures proper time management, and delegates, empowers and inspires them to achieve goals.

However, there was disagreement regarding the leader’s involvement in fieldwork and the effect of employment burden on the council’s autonomy. The study found that most Kumba Council workers agreed that they like setting up goals and targets, can work under pressure, receive extra remuneration for their hard work, and make sure to attend to all clients to avoid penalties. Additionally, a majority agreed that they respect all company rules and regulations.

However, there were still some respondents who disagreed or strongly disagreed with these statements. The study concludes that organizations must prioritize the development of effective leadership as a critical factor in achieving their goals, and that Kumba Council should continue to invest in leadership development programs to sustain its success.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The classic model of the good organizational leader is the top executive in the organizational management who directs and who is in control of all aspects of the operations of the organization. This top executive leader operates through a hierarchy of management and the organization had a fairly well defined structure. This type of leadership has some good points and it survived throughout most of the 20th century.

The organization of today does not have the luxury of stability since it faces an ever increasing change in markets, customers and technology. It needs to accept, adopt and implement changes in the business model according to changing trends, technologies, customer preferences and future concerns. Further, the core business of the organization is constantly under threat today from the newcomers to the marketplace who are having a different business paradigm.

Hence the organization cannot afford to depend upon the leadership of individual or/and a small team of senior executives to meet this challenge. The organization needs to harness the ideas, skills, energy, and enthusiasm of the entire team for success. For meeting of new challenges, this new concept and practice of leadership has evolved, where line managers have taken over the leadership role along with the top executive and his small team of senior executives.

Leadership is an important factor for making an organization successful. It is the art or process of influencing people to perform assigned tasks willingly, efficiently and competently. Without leadership a line manager simply cannot be effective. Leadership of the line managers transforms potential into reality.

When good leadership is in place in the organization, it can be felt throughout the entire organization. With good leadership, organizational culture is not forced but developed. Communication is effective and open. Everyone understands the vision and goals of the organization, and everyone has input into how they can be improved. People feel that they are an important part of the organization and they give their best for the success of the organization.

The leadership in the organization is to meet the three challenges. The first challenge is to provide a shared vision of where the organisation is heading and what its purpose is (the mission). The second challenge is to set objectives, that is, to convert the strategic vision and directional course into specific performance outcomes for each key area which leaders deem important for success.

The third challenge in providing strategic direction is to generate and develop a strategy that will determine how to achieve the objectives. Strategic direction is imperative in identifying a systematic intervention that will provide the most leverage to the organisation, as an organisation cannot focus on everything all of the time.

Line manager leaders are a key human resource in the organization. These leaders develop better people under them and the two together develop better products which can compete effectively with the products offered by the competitors. We generally think of organizations competing by means of their products, but today organizations probably compete more by means of the quality of their line manager leaders than their products.

High performance of people in the organization is the focal point for achieving success. This high performance can be secured only if there is effective leadership qualities available with the lines managers. As group efforts and teamwork are essential for realizing the organizational goals, leadership becomes vital for the execution of work. Through leadership, line managers can influence people under them to adopt a cooperative and wholesome attitude for successful work accomplishment. Their leadership motivates the people to a higher level of performance through their strong human relations.

Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve organizational goals. In fact leadership is an essential part and a crucial component of effective management. Remarkable leadership behaviour stresses upon building an environment in which each and every employee develops and excels.

It has the potential to influence and drive the group efforts towards the accomplishment of goals.  Line managers must have traits of a leader. They must possess leadership qualities. With leadership qualities line managers can develop and begin strategies that build and sustain competitive advantage.

There are differences between leadership and management functions. Leadership provides direction, encouragement and inspiration to motivate a team to achieve organizational success. Management is primarily an organizational role, coordinating the efforts of the people and the allocation of resources to maximize efficiency in achieving identified goals. Leadership and management are closely linked functions. Both the functions are complimentary to each other. Without efficient management, the direction set by a leader risks being unsustainable. Similarly, management exercised without effective leadership perpetuates current activities and directions, without adaptation to meet strategic goals and without optimizing the performance of the organization.

Leadership and management operate hand in hand. To be a good manager, line managers require leadership skills, and an effective leader depends on the management skills for achieving the goals and objectives. Leadership determines excellent organizational performance.

Leadership success in the implementation of the strategy is manifested in a conducive organizational climate, a reward strategy that is linked to strategic objectives, flexible structures that support business demands, and an effective organizational culture that influence behaviour in the right direction. The ultimate desired end results manifest itself in aligned individual and organizational performance.

1.2 Research Problem

Managing people in Organizations is parts and parcel of administration Process. Therefore, administrators should realize, that people are the critical elements in organisations and that they should be recognized as being synonymous with the organisation.

But the problem is, to what extent do Leaders and administrators recognize this fact that employees are synonymous with Organizations’ and that they should be adequately motivated so that they can give their best to ensure the achievement of the organization’s goals.

Again the leadership behaviour/style in most organizations which believe that workers could be treated anyhow as a result of unemployment situation in the country which makes job switch difficult has resulted in the hardship workers face in their places of work in Cameroon.

This leadership style has an influence on organizational culture change and/or development, which has an impact on organizational performance and commitment. Furthermore, some researchers are of the opinion that the most common problems affecting organisational performance  in Cameroons businesses  and other institutions are poor attitude  to work among the workforce, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of leaders in most places, others  still belief that organisations in Cameroon are managed through leadership styles

1.3 Research Questions

This study gives rise to the following pertinent questions as regards to the above-mentioned problems. The questions are divided into Main research question and Specific research questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the significance of effective leadership in the achievement of organisational goals?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What role does effective leadership play in the achievement of organizational goal?
2. What impact does the leadership role have on the employees’ utilization of capability?
3. What leadership traits and the best climate would enable the leaders to achieve organizational objectives?
4. What factors or problems affect the role of efficient leadership in the achievement of organizational goals?
5. What other possible ways would be recommended in the realization of these goals?

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