Leadership Theories: Transformational Leadership (Essay Sample)

LEADERSHIP THEORIES
By Student’s Name
Course code + Name
Professor’s Name
University’s Name
City, State
Date of submission
Leadership Theories
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is the leadership style that brings about change. The leader positions his or her min-frame in a visionary course and then inspires other people to follow. A transformational leader sets the pace for his or her subjects; he sets goals: ‘walks the talk’ and ‘walks the walk’ (Winkler 2010 p114). This kind of a leader demonstrates to his or her subjects how to handle situations and perform duties. For instant, he or she does not only tell the subjects what to do like an autocratic leader, but demonstrates to the followers how to handle tasks. In this manner, he or she motivates the followers (Palestini 2009 p39). The followers feel part of leadership and positive changes and effective management dynamics are always associated with transformational leadership. In my life experience, I have identified transformational leadership qualities in me. I have been in leadership positions and the traits of a transformational leader are evident in my actions; defined by my successes and victories. Though there have been challenges in the process, I have always managed to come to a reasonable and proper solution that have enhanced my success rates.
First Experience
I one held a position as a class prefect after the previous one had been demoted by the administration following complaints from classmates. Well, rude and arrogant students existed in the class and it was had shaping them to fit and conform to the proper school and academic behavior. I restored glory to the class by enacting rules that made them feel energized and recharged; rejuvenated and restored. I restructured sitting patterns alternating seating positions where males would alternate females to reduce unnecessary peer influence. I developed a time table that provided discussion times between classes that are not limited to academics to make everyone feel contented and part of the classroom without limitation, discrimination and prejudice. Later on, after they had all felt the sense of belonging and part of a common fraternity, I gradually transform the moments into pure academic discussion sessions. Everyone conformed to administrative demands; everybody complied with my transformational rules. My strategies vividly rings a bell to me that I’m a transformational leader.
Second Experience
I was once a part of the team from my class assigned the task of constructing the longest tower possible and I automatically rose to the leadership positions because of my traits and charisma. It was to be constructed within a limited time frame given that there were other teams assigned the same work. Of course there were challenges associated with management but I applied my leadership skills to ensure my team won. I motivated and inspired them. I demonstrated how the work was to be handled and arranged my workforce appropriately. Through emotional engagement incorporated with inspiration, my team work tirelessly, in fact, they reported to their duties in time and did their best. Eventually, we snapped the victory.
Third Experience
Its crystal to identify my transformational leadership qualities as was portrayed in a Business Simulation event held on a particular weekend in Bramely’s lake, UK. The event entailed intense mental and physical activities. It required intelligent strategic planning. I was one of the CEO’s of the different groups. I applied my abilities like intellectual simulation, inspirational motivation, and individualized consideration and idealized influence to effectively and efficiently drive my team. Eventually, we got the award of being the most improved performance group
Benefits of Transformational Leadership in Business
Business as a venture, an income generating activity, a way of life and as a social domain requires proper leadership skills. As much as management is good for businesses, leadership is the most essential as businesses involve dealing with people, who are subjects of mistakes and imperfections (Tichy & Devanna, M. A. 2000 p49). People require leaders more than they require managers to work at full potential. Management is as well indispensible in businesses but it should incorporate leadership. Leadership inspires and a transformational leader would drive employees within the business organization or set-up toward attaining their utmost productivity (Tichy & Devanna 2000 p47). A transformational leader:
Sets high expectations
Provides recognition and support
Establishes clear goals
Is a model of fairness and integrity
Encourages others
Stirs people’s emotions
Inspires people to reach or work toward the improbable
Inspires people to look beyond their own interests
These characters motivate employees both intrinsically and extrinsically, which makes them happy and jovial at work, hence, proper customer treatment and attraction of both employee and customer referrals. Transformational leadership also ensures that the a business activity keeps abreast with the changes that are prone in the business domains in terms of customer tastes and preferences, market changes and employees’ demands (Lussier & Achua 2010 p 28).
Benefits of Transformational Leadership
Inspiration
One of the benefits of transformational leadership is that it inspires or instills morale in employees. This creates favorable working environment that enables employees to work tirelessly without boredom, hence, resulting in high productivity levels (Tichy & Devanna 2000 p50).
Vision
Another benefit associated with this form of leadership is that it encourages inner construction of vision (Lentz 2012 p 68). A transformational leader is a visionary leader who while living carefully at the present, is interested in the future, which he or she pursues with courage, determination and diligence.
Loyalty
Followers of transformational leaders are usually loyal to them. An organization can go through challenges that would require employee understanding and support, which is guaranteed in transformational leadership. The leader arouses emotions toward followers that ensures they work even under financial strains (Goleman 2011 p72).
Creation of Future Leaders
Transformational leaders, through inspiration, enhance the creation of other leaders from followers. Many followers of a transformational leader usually admire his or her qualities, which makes them develop the will of being such a leader (Nohria et al 2010 p 37).
Limitations of Transformational Leadership
However, transformational leadership, like any other form of leadership, has its share of limitations:
Disguising Reality
A transformational leader operates through emotion, inspiration and motivation. Followers succeed by convincing them to work hard and train a lot. This is sometimes practiced in an assumption that all people have the ability while the truth about people is possession of different skills and capabilities, hence, might result in employees delivering shoddy work (Northouse 2010 p164).
Straining of Employees
The employees of a transformational leader are emotionally attached to his leadership that they engage in tasks beyond their energies. They would do anything to please the leader, which might endanger their health and family lives without noticing (Meindl & Schyns 2005 p 121).
Lack of Detail
A transformational leader is normally efficient and effective at rallying and motivating his subjects behind a single vision, but often lacks the power to the detail required in order to create a stable corporate structure or abide by the system’s policies (Sims & Quatro 2005 p82). The leader is most time prepossessed by the overall big visionary picture while neglecting the daily operational requirements.
An example of a transformational leader is Donald Trump, who has transformed his businesses to great extents . He is one of the richest businesspersons in the world and does this by influencing his employees through transformational leadership theory that reflects on how his employees manipulate his wealth efficiently and effectively handling resources and with utmost loyalty (Komives & Wagner 2012 p82). The United States president has applied both transformational and charismatic leadership theories to manipulate Americans. He engaged emotionally through the sad jouney America has come from and even had an inspiring viewpoint that he would bring change through his campaign slogan ‘yes we can’ (Stutje 2012 p53).
Charismatic Leadership
Most of the world’s most influential leaders are charismatic. They are usually very skilled communicators and intelligent. They are full of charisma and very ‘easy-to-like’. Charismatic leaders demonstrate to his or her followers of how to attend to tasks through great sacrifice and taking visible personal risks (Maxwell 2002 p 91). In this way, they manage to gain deep trust from their followers; making them feel passionate about the vision of an organization and will even go to an extent of making personal sacrifices as well. A charismatic leader uses charm to motivate followers. Other characteristics of this leadership theory are the beliefs that people follow and become loyalty to the leaders they personally admire, self belief is a significant requirement for leaders and grace or charm are all that leaders need to acquire followers. The primary style of this leadership theory is that a charismatic leader gathers loyal followers by dint of charm and personality, rather than any kind of external authority or power (Kouzes & Posner 2010 p 104).
The president of the United States of America positively app...