INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OF ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

ABSTRACT

The setting of organizational goals is the beginning of a great task to be performed in the face of intense competition in a complex business environment. This may not be attained except the organization is headed by a sui generis gem. The study looked into Innovative Leadership as an Effective Tool in Achieving Organizational Goals, a study of Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, as a way of examining the leadership and management needs of an organization. A sample of hundred respondents were drawn from the population using simple random sampling technique and percentages, statistical table and chi square were used to present and analyze the data and test the hypotheses respectively. The result revealed that there is significant relationship between innovative leadership and setting of organizational goals, innovative leadership influences teamwork, there is a significant relationship between innovative leadership and good management and innovative leaders are result oriented. The researcher thus recommends that organizations should embark on regular training and development programmes to help their employees improve their competence, they should put in place internal environment that encourages performance and leaders should not be domineering but influencing.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Innovative leadership is an essential element of effective tool in achieving organizational goals. Without developing the necessary leadership attitudes and skills, it is impossible to manage subordinates effectively. From a managerial stand point, innovative leadership is the process of influencing others toward the accomplishment of goals (Agarwal cited in Yalokwu 2006). Through innovative leadership, employees can be induced in a less threatening and acceptable way to contribute their optimum to the achievement of organizational goals.

Innovative leadership is simply the art of influencing others to direct their will, abilities and efforts to the achievement of a leader’s goals. In the context of organizations, innovative leadership lies in influencing individuals and groups effort toward the optimum achievement of organizational goals. The human relations movement, beginning with the Hawthorne studies in the early thirties, focused on the important role of employee motivation and group norms for organizational goals. This led to the recognition of leadership effectiveness as an effective tool in achieving organizational goals. It is therefore, managers in their leadership roles who have the capacity to stimulate and inspire employees to contribute willingly, co-operatively and zealously to the optimum achievement of organizational goals. Innovative leadership gives directions to the efforts of all workers in accomplishing organizational goals. Hence, innovative leadership is indispensable if an organization is to be successful.