The objects of leadership management together with the subjects make up the entire process of the whole of leadership management activities. They are an important component part that is only secondary to the subjects of leadership management.
Concept of the objects of leadership management. Leadership
management objects are those which are managed by the subjects. This includes everything involved with and changed by the the subjects of leadership management, and is a generic term for all the people and
things led by their subjects. People are the main component and the direct foundations and objects above whom the subjects of leadership management implement their leadership. In theory it can be seen as a major factor determining leadership behavior and has been directly involved in the leadership management process as a fundamental part.
In leadership management relations, people as the objects refer to all subordinates in the position of being led and managed. It includes managers being directly led, managers being indirectly led, the main body of employees, and the majority of the public. Due to an organization’s hierarchy, the people in the middle level will become the objects for the upper level and the subjects for the lower level, so they have a dual identity. For the upper level, the leading managers are those being led; while for the lower level, those being led are also leading managers.
The objects of leadership management are the people and objects being acted on during leadership management activities, including the deployment of leading managers and part of the leadership management objects, namely those being led. These objects of leadership management are in a subordinate position within its structure.
Since the objects of the leadership management are people, and people are never passive objects, they will have a dynamic reaction to the influence exerted by their managers. If the reaction is positive, the effectiveness of the leadership management activities will undoubtedly be greatly enhanced; if the reaction is negative, it will be difficult for leadership management activities to achieve their desired goal. This will definitely increase the difficulty of leadership management work, and will demonstrate the necessity for higher requirements. The main role of the leading managers also lies in how to maximize the potential of those being led, and how to mobilize enthusiasm and initiative in their work, in order to continuously improve the effectiveness of leadership management activities.
Any successful leaders are bound to do two things to the objects of leadership management. On one hand, he should have a deep understanding of the object in question, he should show a high degree of respect, and have mutual coordination. On the other hand, he should recognize the dignity of the personnel being managed and have a deep understanding of their needs and aspirations. Historical practice has proved that for those who fail to act on these two points, their leadership management activities are bound to fail.
The characteristics of leadership management objects. Influenced by
their position and role, leadership management objects have the following basic characteristics:
1. Being in a subordinate position. With respect to direct relations and forms, leadership management objects take orders from the subjects. With the improvement of standards within socieity, the extent of this dominance is expanding and strengthening. But on the other hand, the dominance over leadership management objects cannot be understood as just a coercive force. This domination is not a force with a single aspect but is a two-way interactive process. Leaders cannot issue orders to objects without understanding the various conditions required in order to dominate them. It is incorrect to regard the dominant force over leadership management objects merely as coercive power.
2. Inherent regularity. Everything has its own specific regularity. As leadership management objects, both people and things have their own specific regularity in the process of leadership management. The main responsibility of the leading managers is not to simply issue orders, but to try to understand and explore this inherent regularity, to recognize and control it, and to use intelligence, inspiration and creative thinking, in order to prevent the violation of the objective laws in leadership management activities.
3. Functionality. The internal energy contained in leadership management objects of different classes is varied, and fully developing and applying this energy has become the core of the leadership process. The release of internal energy by the leadership management objects depends on the following three elements.
The first is the state and trends of internal factors of the leadership management objects. The material of objects is represented by characteristics, structure and the interaction of molecules and atoms. Objects of things are represented by characteristics, structure and the interaction of component elements. People are represented by their nature, organizational form and social structure. Since these contents are represented by the internal conditions of the development of people and things, they play a basic and decisive role.
The second is the effectiveness of the power of the leadership management subjects. It is mainly represented by whether the leadership management subjects can ultimately have an influence on the objects reaching an ideal level through a deep understanding of the objective laws, combined with moderately strong measures. The emphasis on the initiative of the objects is not to deny the important role of the leadership management subjects. People as leadership management objects need to know the laws governing themselves and the objective material world. During this process, the guidance and advanced role of the leadership management subjects become absolutely essential and highly significant.
The third is a superior and simple survival and development environment for leadership subjects and objects. Political, economic and social environments which people face during their development are clearly distinct. The leadership subjects and objects will exhibit different psychological, behavioral and developmental forms in different survival and development environments. It can be said that an object without a dominating force is not only confronted with a large environment for survival and development but is also directly restricted by the small environment of the leadership management subjects.
4. Time and space. The states of the leadership management objects shown at different times, places and environmental conditions are different. The leadership management objects in different states will also reflect different laws. The leadership management subjects must keep on making a serious and purposeful exploration and study of the specific laws followed by leadership management objects at certain times and places.
5. Final conclusion. Generally speaking, leadership management objects have an objective existence, while the representation of leadership management subjects is, after all, a subjective kind of will and behavior. Therefore, though the subjects of a leadership management body can bring about the accelerating and slowing management of objects through direct dominance, it cannot change the fundamental laws which the objects follow. Once there emerge significant conflicts between leadership