Transformational Leadership (Research Paper Sample)

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP INTERDISCIPLINARY FOUNDATIONS Transformational Leadership inspires followers and entire communities to alter their behavior. In its purest form, it aims to cultivate future leaders by inspiring positive change among its believers. Transformational leadership, when practiced effectively, raises the spirits and productivity of those under its sway. Leaders may get the most out of their followers by knowing about their talents and weaknesses and by providing a financial incentive that pushes them to take on additional responsibility at work. However, leaders who can truly improve their teams rely on more than just money to keep their employees engaged. This approach helps improve the team's intrinsic motivation by emphasizing the importance and meaning of their work.[Mark Homrig, “Transformational Leadership,” n.d. https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/Transformationa l_Leadership_B14231894F031.pdf] The term transformative leadership was first presented by James MacGregor Burns in his book Leadership, published in 1978. Specifically, he said that transformational leadership occurs when "leaders and the people they lead raise one another to greater levels of ethics and motivation." Later, Bernard M. Bass expanded on this idea of "transformational leadership." These traits are those of a leader who goes above and beyond, as described in his book Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, published in 1985.[Burns, Transformational Leadership, 2007.] [John S. Burns, “Defining Leadership: Can We See the Forest for the Trees?,” Journal of Leadership Studies 3, no. 2 (April 1996): 148–57, https://doi.org/10.1177/107179199600300212.] [James MacGregor Burns, Transforming Leadership: A New Pursuit of Happiness (New York, NY: Grove Press, 2004) 124-131, https://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=d5r6dul5Mv0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&ots=AI srSuIc-d&sig=AubgrfnhcvVLyJocEX-b5Gszyf8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false.] According to Burns, "leaders and followers help each other advance to a higher level of morale and motivation" when they work together to change leadership. Burns conceded the gray area between leadership and management but contended that telling them apart was a matter of behavior and character. The terms "transformative leadership" and "transactional leadership," which he coined to define two contrasting styles of leadership, are his. According to Burns, people and organizations alike can benefit greatly from adopting a more progressive outlook. It causes a shift in how workers think about their jobs and what they value most. A leader's charm, vision, and drive to inspire followers to action are the foundations of the transformational model of leadership as opposed to the "give and take" dynamic of the transactional model. Because of their selfless commitment to bettering their teams, businesses, and communities, leaders who affect change are held up as moral ideals. Burns argued that transformative and transactional forms of leadership could not coexist. Transactional leaders are more prone to conform to the norms of their organizations, in contrast to transformational leaders. The research of Burns was expanded by Bernard M. Bass who explained principles underlying transforming and transactional leadership, but he used the term "transformational" rather than "transforming." Bass explained transformational leadership’s effects and measured the motivation and performance of its followers. A leader's ability to reshape an organization begins with how much sway they have over subordinates. The followers of a transformational leader have feelings of loyalty, trust, admiration, and respect for the leader. As a result, a transformational leader gives their people a sense of purpose and a direction beyond merely making money for themselves. A leader's idealistic impact, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation alter and drive people. However, it is not easy to grow into a transformational leader. Perception is the key to effective transformational leadership. It must go to the heart of the matter and touch the follower's emotions to be effective. Transformational leaders have a firm grasp of the influence of metaphor and language. Although "transformational characteristics" are covered in leadership programs, whether a leader becomes transformational depends on the leader's work.[James George Ifeanyi, and Ogbonna Odumeru, “Transformational Versus Transactional Leadership Theories: Evidence in Literature,” https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=a44b 2a289a2866ffa714d88e7ee8304b0a4caf5f.] Organizations generally need help when transformational leadership is lacking. Because of how strongly transformative leadership is linked to favorable employment conditions, the converse might be true for businesses that do not use it. One of the first things a principal or dean needs to know when adopting a transformational leadership style is how to affect the way their team sees their work. Transformative molding of routine activities benefits followers by increasing their optimistic outlook.[B. M. Bas, “Transformational Leadership,” Mind Tools, https://www.mindtools.com/alj9lad/transformational-leadership.] Meaningful work is a byproduct of transformational leadership. There is a link between transformative leadership and productivity at work, according to a meta-analysis of the literature. These results show that transformative leaders give employees agency, increasing job satisfaction. The people who follow transformative leaders are dedicated to them because they believe in the value and authenticity of what they do. Employees will feel more in control thanks to the leader's transformational style. Every follower of a transformational leader will feel like they have more control over their lives. People who work for a transformative leader are less likely to be cynical because they are provided with more opportunities for intellectual growth and are pushed to maintain an open mind. Empowering followers has been linked to higher levels of job satisfaction, reduced anger and irritation, and a stronger sense of loyalty to one's organization. Employees may take greater pride in their job when guided by a transformational leader. To motivate their teams, transformational leaders instill in their followers a sense of competence, community, and commitment to the organization's core principles. They inspire those who back the cause to work harder toward its goals. Employees led by transformational leaders are more likely to stay put. However, early studies of organizational behaviors treated cynicism and resignation as more generic features than signs of employee negativity. New research shows that followers' skepticism directly reflects how they view their boss. Ineffective leadership and a lack of input from those affected by decisions contribute to a culture of cynicism. Another adverse reaction of employees to bad leadership is the intent to quit (ITQ). Low wages, dissatisfaction with one's work, and a lack of dedication to one's goals have all been associated with ITQ. When workers' desire for efficacy in their jobs is satisfied, they are less likely to exhibit ITQ toward the company. Highly resilient followers are less likely to quit in the face of adversity and more likely to find new ways to contribute. The study found that the fundamental aspects of leadership that result in exceptional performance are relatively consistent. However, contrasting corporate cultures in the two firm branches were blamed for some noticeable discrepancies in leadership. According to the executives' descriptions of what constitutes exceptional organizational performance, transformational leadership is congruent with a large percentage of the behaviors sampled. Sixty-eight percent or more of the comments included the word "inspire," while others mentioned "visioning,” "intellectual stimulation," "team building," and "coaching." All these characteristics are indicative of a transformational leadership style. It is interesting to notice that "recognizing and rewarding," a component of the transactional style of leadership, was the only non-transformational trait in more than half of the reports. Transformational leadership is universally recognized as an effective method of management.[J. J. Sosik, S. L. Dinger, “Relationship Between Leadership Style and Vision Content: The Moderating Role of Need for Approval, Self-Monitoring, and Need for Social Power,” Leadership Quartly, 18 134-153, (2007).] [William Avery, “What Is Transformational Leadership and Why Is It Effective?,” University of Massachusetts Global, https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/what-is-transformational-leadership#:~:text=A%20 transformational%20leadership%20style%20inspires.] Transformational leadership, although effective, risks distraction from key initiatives since it encourages followers to find their own inspiration. Executives who aim to lead by example and model good employee conduct may find that some staff need additional discipline and supervision. Even if everyone on the team is rowing in the same direction, they will not be able to reach their goals without specific directions. Reduced productivity could result from internal confusion about roles and responsibilities brought on by a disorganized approach. One of the benefits of transformational leadership is a decreased reliance on money and praise from superiors to motivate workers. High levels of intrinsic motivation alone might not be enough to keep employees from becoming overworked, underappreciated, and burned out in the absence of extrinsic incentives. Employees under the leadership of a transformative leader who demonstrates extraordinary passion for the organization may create a challenging work-life balance and risk their mental health. To prev...