Abstract

Leadership Simulation uses a problem-based experience to help learners gather experience on issues facing organizations. It seeks to help management in organizations hone their leadership and critical thinking skills. During the course of the Leadership simulation, the students interact with each other in groups under different scenarios. In each scenario, they receive scores on business and leadership goals.

The results help the students to understand how to be effective in communication, decision making, problem solving and how to give both negative and positive feedback.

Introduction

The management of organizations has been criticized for not possessing the relevant leadership skills for forming strategies and guiding organizations to a prosperous future. The education system is often blamed for not developing the leadership skills. Some of the competencies that rated to be important are

1. Decision making
2. Problem solving
3. Collaboration between organizational structures

Leadership Simulation provides a means of strengthening competency of students by allowing the users to practice and learn leadership skills. It also challenges and seeks to improve the performance of the managers in their respective organizations.

Decision Making

Decision making is a critical step involved in every organization. In an organizational set up, decision making occurs at various levels. Specific people make these decisions, which increase in complexity as one goes up the upper echelons of the organization. However to be able to analyze the challenging situations and make critical decisions requires good and sound business tactics. The number of people working together further complicates it. The large number of staff represents a variety of different ideas. It makes it harder to work in a team. Bringing together different people, therefore, is a skill that has to be mastered by a leader who implements the best strategies (Kreitner& Angelo, 2008).

According to Leadership Simulation, in order to have a successful business, a manager will have to cater for the fundamental policies like communication, productive leadership, and teamwork.

In the ABC Company, where I work, strategic decision making has been ignored. Tough decisions are made in our company, for example, those concerning the day to day running of the organization, some have resultedin losses. The leadership simulation emphasizes on leaders to be operational. They perform interconnections between the various functions in a business. They may choose to rely on computer based decisions which focus more on a fact based decision, data analysis and data application. Therefore, it improves on productivity by removing bad wage decisions (Collins, 2001).

The town where I come from faces a myriad of challenges. They include mismanagement of funds, poor planning, and improper development agenda. To some extent, it may be because of the poor qualities of the existing management. The simulation would help the poor state of affairs in the town office by giving hands on experience of the participants. As the leaders analyze financial reports and statements, they develop understanding of analysis, trends and impact of decision making (McShane& Mary, 2005).

Problem Solving

Problem solving in leadership simulations seek to teach the participants about the generic and orderly manner of solving problems that may accost managers in an organization. Problem solving empowers everyone to contribute creatively in finding solutions. The simulation has a laid down procedure of finding appropriate solutions.

At ABC, we always seek the best and practical means of finding solutions to the problems that we face in the world of our business. Many a times, ABC has been forced to outsource and rely on consultants to help us solve our problems. However, leadership simulations have engaged and challenged me to approach the problems (big or small) with the easiest and simplest solutions. It further guarantees that the results will be far much better than that of rushing into the problem without interpreting the situation (Secretan, 2004).

In the town office, which is run by the local council, problem solving methods are hardly employed. The issues, which arise, are dealt with haphazardly. Over the years, it led tothe increment of management problems. For example, the waste collection system has been neglected, which has led to the accumulation of waste in certain parts of the town.

Conclusion

ABC is a private company that can employ qualified and well-trained staff. It can afford to take us for further training to enhance our skills. We, therefore,pose a superior advantage over other organizations, especially the public ones. The public organizations like my town council cannot afford to pay their employees’ salaries matching those of private firms. They thus attract poor workforce some of whom are ill trained. They, therefore, offer below par services to the community they serve (Kolb 1984).

To improve the services of my town council, the workers have to be taken through Leadership Simulation where they will learn through experience how to make decisions affecting the town council, problem solving techniques to employ when approaching a certain challenge, prioritizing and developing strategies. The strategies they would develop will help the town council in improving it services required by residents.

Questions asked to the School Administrator

Solving Problems

When faced with a problem at work, what course of action do you take?

Making decisions

When a decision is to be made how long do you to take to respond?

Who are the people in your staff you consult?

Budgeting

Who do you appoint to handle the finances and plan for the budget of the school?

Leadership

What do you believe to be the major role of a Principal?

What do you see as the first step in initiating change in an organization?

Teamwork

How do you develop a team concept within the school?

Questions asked to the Mayor

Problem solving

What measures do you take to ensure that the state is safe?

Recently Residents have complained about the shortage of water. What measures have been taken to ensure every home gets the sufficient water for their use?

Making Decisions

What criteria do you use in making decisions for the town and are there people who advise you on the way forward?

Budgeting

Where do the funds for running the town come from other than taxes?

Leadership

What are your most difficult moments as leader of the town?

Teamwork

Do you make decisions as a team or individually?

What are the benefits of working with a team as opposed to working alone?

Reference

Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Kolb, D. (1984). Experimental Learning. Experience as the source of learning and             Development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.

Kreitner, R., and Angelo K. (2008). Organizational Behavior. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

McShane, S., & Mary V. (2005). Organizational Behavior. Boston: McGrawHill Irwin.

Secretan, L. (2004). Inspire! What Great Leaders Do. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons