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Novel Research in Sciences

The Significance of Leadership in Sports Organization

Veselinović J*, Habić V and Orcević V

Faculty for Management in Sport, Serbia

*Corresponding author: Veselinović J, Faculty for Management in Sport, Serbia

Submission: June 22, 2020;Published: July 23, 2020

DOI: 10.31031/NRS.2020.3.000585

Volume4 Issue2
July, 2020

Abstract

The ultimate objective of organizing in sports is the realization of sport and business efficiency. This objective is most easily achieved by establishing a relevant sport organization. This means that sport organization is also the result of the organizing process. Sport organization is a complex system which can be defined as an ideal structure of logically connected parts with optimal coordination and defined goals. For sport and sport organizations in general is not enough to just see organization from the perspective of management. Sport is a social, economic, even a political phenomenon, which means that it is very significant for an individual but also for the entire social system as such. If the environment is more dynamic, unpredictable, or insecure, leadership change becomes the most critical aspect of leadership study. Modern leadership concepts focus on the leadership that organizations and individuals need. The idea of a shared leadership, virtual, transformational and one that is based on elements of emotional intelligence, obtains the right of citizenship, and becomes the dominant field of research in the field of modern corporate governance. The process of organizing also provides rules, procedures and activities which define the organizational structure of the sport organization, because it is one of the preconditions of successful management within it.

Keywords: Leadership; Sports organizations; Processes

Introduction

The key leadership skill is dealing with people, the influence among people and the goal setting. Leadership occurs among and with the people, with the help of using influence to achieve the specific goals in sport. Influence means that the relationship between people is not passive, because it is essential to achieve certain goal. Hence leadership can be defined as the ability to influence people toward the attainment of a specific goals, styles and concepts of leadership. Styles and concepts of leadership can be classical and contemporary ones, which all comes from different opinions and statements in research of various problems of leadership [1]. Classical examples of leadership are known from the studies of Hawtom, Iowa, Ohio and Michigen. These studies have shown that leadership has a deep impact on behavior and performances of individuals. Among others there are autocratic or authoritative style, democratic or participating style and laissez-faire or liberal style. Democratic style in leadership, according to personal point of view, is the most useful way of leadership in a contemporary sports organization. Democratic leader is the one who gives a chance to his co-workers and employees to participate in every decision, he allows them to have their own opinions and are free to give any suggestion possible. Process of making a decisions becomes decentralized, mutual, more flexible and according to that with higher performances and more options. Contemporary sports organization is an ideal field for the implementation of such leadership style. If the needs are defined and employees have a desire to satisfy them on a higher level, than the leaders are in a position to fulfill all those needs. Finding different ways is, indeed, setting values on a higher level and creating environment which acts positively on behavior of any member of sport organization [2]. The way which leads to a sport organization definitely starts with defining the organizational process as well as the principles which regulate it. The process of organizing also provides rules, procedures and activities which define the organizational structure of the sport organization, because it is one of the preconditions of successful management within it [2].

Leadership in Sports Organization

In a management process everything that is related to a concept of organization can be very confusing regarding its defining because, as we previously said, organization can be seen as a process but also as an institutional form. Leadership has a special role in the formation, maintenance, and development of individual groups [3]. The leader has the task of determining its goals and needs at the stage of the group formation, whether they are of economic or social nature; in the stage of maintaining the group to work on strengthening the cohesion of the group, moral values and the role of individuals, and to resolve the conflicts that arise and to remove their causes. In the development of the group, the leader has the task of working on changes and adapting the group towards new visions and requirements, as well as to encourage group members to develop their competencies and opportunities. In addition, leadership has a special role in creating effective groups. Difficulties arise because groups are composed of different individuals who have different personal traits, tendencies, and aspirations. Hence, leaders face certain problems, such as aligning different styles of work, depreciating intolerance, and removing barriers in communicating and understanding members of the group [4].

The group is efficient if it is able to achieve satisfaction, interaction, productivity and savings. In order for the leader to accomplish his tasks in the domain of motivation, interpersonal relations, teamwork and group dynamics, it is necessary to possess a key characteristic of the ability to have a vision. It involves anticipating the future and understanding the necessary actions for its realization. Leadership is a process of influence through interaction with followers, but the result of that process mainly depends on leader and his ability to choose the right instruments of influence [5]. Leadership is a very complex management activity of influencing others to work hard on accomplishing organizational goals and tasks. That process requires an enormous amount of trust and enthusiasm between co-workers so that everyone can accomplish their own goals and capability. It is a very complex activity. One of the main characteristics in leadership is a proper vision which determines all future goals regarding one sports organization. Manager without a vision cannot be a leader. He then becomes pure administrator. Beside the vision, leadership involves all other aspects and questions such as motivation, communication, capability of a teamwork and maintenance of interpersonal relationships [6]. All the stages within the process of organizing are interrelated and intertwined, while the four are mutually interactive and interdependent. For example, one cannot imagine nor fully realize the establishment of the organizational structure without including the other three stages. This means that the structure of a sport organization is viewed and understood in different ways regarding the fact that there is no simple and objective definition of the notion. In sport practice, the most common way of representing the structure of an organization has been through an organizational scheme, an outline of units, management, allocation of tasks and authorities, both on the horizontal and vertical levels of the organization. Such an approach would significantly diminish the complete picture of the structure of an organization [7].

The Organizational Structure in Leadership

One of the most important features of the functioning of a sport organization is its management, i.e. proper and successful managing of its functions, processes and activities. Management equally refers to activities and people that are necessary for every organized enterprise and that contribute to the efficient functioning of the organization which is focused on satisfying people’s needs. Management ensures that the whole group does not stray from the path leading to achieving set goals, resolves disputes and harmonizes the differences in views, makes decisions on strategy and timing of activities, and maintains the structure of activities and relations directed towards the achievement of the set goals [8]. Management facilitates human efforts within organized groups and comes to life when people wish to cooperate in order to achieve some objectives. It is difficult to imagine a contemporary sports organization that could last for a long time without leadership.

No organizational structure is complete, and leadership is exactly what fills the gaps that exist, because they cannot be planned in advance and foresee all activities and every decision. In addition, organizations operate in changing conditions regardless of the sports market, technology, legislation, and other forces according to which the sports organization has to adapt. It is the leadership that needs to feel these changes and to make people to adapt to it. Leadership can provide the “will”, this spirit of communion by which an “inspired” group differs from another that is “thrombotic”. Leadership represents the skill of influencing other people in order to cooperate and contribute to achieving the goals of a sports organization [9]. Leadership combines talent with the ability to impact other people individuals, groups and organizations. Like management, the leadership represents the skill to make other people to do their job, with the difference that people share the same values and thoughts about the strategy implementation and about the method which should be used. Leaders create new ideas, approaches and methods and have the talent to get superior results from the average sports team. In order not to stand lonely at the top of the pyramid, it is necessary that leader’s co-workers in the sport organization have the same culture [1]. This is the fundamental for understanding and trust which are needed to successfully overcome all problems encountered in the strategy implementation process.

Conclusion

Future sports organization will face with more and more turmoil, turbulent situations and chaos in businesses. The world of changes in which humanity is now, proceeds with the exponential trend and huge fears for the survival of companies. The world is increasingly confronted with the terrible uncertainty of the future and the changes that are becoming of value. In such circumstances, the survival of sports organizations, that is business, is related to expressing higher efforts, which we call the ability to create new, untested roads and ideas in order to success and achieve adequate sports results. Sport leader is a person who has innovation, vision, mission, goals and strategy as a dominant aspect in any successful sports business. New era and new changes demand of any manager to have leader capability and business spirit. Contemporary leadership is based on capability of a leader to inspire others with his own vision, program and initiative so that everyone can start successful transformational process in sports organization.

Sport and sport organizations cannot be considered merely from the point of view of management, i.e. managing its functions and processes, because sport itself is a social, economic, even political phenomenon. This means that it has a wider significance than sport organization as an entity or a small part of the global social system. Sport organization, regardless of its goals being defined and regardless of its legal status, also represents a public social interest. According to its definition, is satisfies general social and individual human needs thereby producing a powerful social effect.

References

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© 2020 Veselinović J. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.