Difference & Similarities between Transactional and Steward Leadership (Term Paper Sample)

Analysis on Leadership
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Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to look into different leadership styles namely Stewardship, Servant, and Transactional leadership. The paper analyses the different styles and compares them. The analysis is based on different perspectives attributed to the different leadership styles and where they are most effectively applied. The paper mostly focuses on the ethics involved with each leadership style and the way they relate to religion. The differences will enable the reader to appreciate the diversity in leadership and how God has uniquely created every individual with a different way of managing and caring for what is entrusted to them.
Introduction
Leadership is an integral part of society. An individual's or a group's capacity to affect and guide adherents or other members of an organization is referred to as leadership. Subsequently, different types of leadership styles apply in different situations of life. The following research analysis will mainly focus on three different leadership styles: Transactional leadership, stewardship, and servant leadership. The analysis will focus on the differences and similarities of these leadership styles concerning how they apply to religion. Each leadership has different attributes that make them unique.
Constructs of Steward Leadership
For years, most of the world's religious traditions have maintained stewardship values - yet the bulk of stewardship research since has been rooted in Christian organizations (Spears, (2005). Therefore, steward leadership can be defined from a Christian perspective as a type of leadership that places a greater emphasis on other individuals apart from self, the community, and society as a whole rather than on oneself. Similarly, as the foundation from which every individual holds the belief that all humanity comes from God, and as stewards, according to Wilson, individuals own nothing, therefore the best definition of a steward leader is one who is responsible for what God has given them to care for (Wilson, 2016). A lot goes into making and shaping an individual into a good steward. The individual's character and personal beliefs also contribute to shaping the individual into a great steward. Subsequently, a great characteristic of a steward is shown by Robin, who describes the individual as one who does not wait to be told what to do. He explains that since God has endowed us with care, advancement, and pleasure towards every creation he owns, leaders should take the initiative and obligation to be good stewards in God's Kingdom in both public and private life (Rodin, 2010).
A steward leader is a servant leader who exhibits Christ's nature and cares for people with whom he or she works. A steward leader also recognizes that they are responsible for the care of other individuals apart from themselves and maximizes the potential of the resources under their control. That involves taking a more influential involvement not only in advancing a cause but also in improving productivity so that they may thrive as individuals while working toward a common goal. Similarly, a steward leader is a disciple or an individual who sets an example and then inspires and teaches people to pursue personal growth that is unique to them to replicate that standard for others (Scott and John, 2018).
A similarity between a servant and a steward is that they are both servants to a higher authority. Stewards in the ancient world were usually slaves, albeit the top-ranking slaves. Their masters to do different tasks like collect taxes from their fellow slaves (Commire, 1994) entrusted the steward's responsibilities. In contrast, any individual does not own the steward leader in today’s culture, but he or she is indeed a servant of the owner who is God and leads with a servant's attitude and compassion for the welfare of everyone else. The steward leader is a servant leader, but he or she is also much more. According to Rodin (2010), to care for every possession God entrusts to us, we must always remember that we are just momentary owners of them, and never permanent or absolute owners
Difference between Steward and Servant Leadership
A steward and a servant leader however are two different concepts of leadership and require to be defined separately for easier understanding. The major aims and purpose of a servant leader are to be of service to other individuals, to ensure that individuals' primary needs are addressed as they grow and mature in Christ. A great servant attributes many positive characteristics. Consequently, a servant leader is someone comfortable in helping other individuals in their journey of faith and even life generally. In addition, a servant has strong principles and understanding of various issues, listens to others' concerns and questions, is ready to offer empathy and healing when it is needed, is engaged in the process, and is heavily committed to serving and empowering others in their communities. However, despite the similarity between the characteristics of a steward and servant, according to Wilson, all stewards are servants, but not all servants are stewards (Wilson, 2016).
The difference between a steward and a servant is that a servant requires guidance and leadership from above for the individual to work. However, a steward can generally be a leader who does not quite rely on any authority above themselves apart from that of God. The fact that a steward is only required to be responsible and manage the items or work they have been entrusted to, means that, unlike a servant who is required to be empathetic, the steward does not quite have to exhibit this character for the individual to be termed as a great steward. Subsequently, another difference between a steward and a servant is that a servant is required to portray a positive and quality that can be emulated by other individuals that they work with, while a steward is required to have a faithful character that they can be entrusted property to be in control of and care for. (Caldwell, Hayes, & Long(2010). Therefore, stewards recognize that all of their wealth, skills, and gifts belong to God and are entrusted to them by Him so that they may do the work He has assigned them to do, they retain a tranquil and serene attitude in God while they allow the Holy Spirit to fashion and mold their character. According to Brinckerhoff (2004), Steward Leaders are beneficiaries of God's grace who are entrusted with stewarding vital resources given to them and ensuring their long-term viability.
Transactional Leadership
Transactional leadership is attributed to the oversight, organization, and presentation of a unit. Front-runners who employ this approach mainly concentrate on detailed duties and encourage their groups through rewards and punishments (Natalie, 2017). Consequently, individuals frequently describe themselves in terms of the organization(s) in which they participate. The basis of organizational identification is the impression of unity with or connection to an organization, which shows the extent to which social identity is assimilated into the self-concept. According to Wilson Kent (2006), only God allows for ownership therefore, everything that all humanity owns, comes from God. Similarly, stewardship can be linked to transactional leadership in the fact that ownership entails being a good steward of one's belongings, and it necessitates both conviction and physical accountability for what has been entrusted.
A transactional leader can be attributed to the fact that they value direction and organization. The individuals are more likely to hold leadership positions in military operations, major organizations, or international bodies that require guidelines and procedures to meet targets or transport personnel and supplies in an orderly manner. Max Weber, a German sociologist who is attributed with developing transactional leadership in the context of reasonable leadership, focused the advancement on trade rulers, with the ideal leader possessing consistency, sincerity, and integrity in the workplace (Houghton, 2010). However, from a biblical perspective, a transactional leader can be entrusted by God to be in the care of a large group of individuals who require the individual’s skills. For instance, in the bible, God entrusted Israel in the hands of leaders who were capable of leading the Israelites in battle and bring them victory. Individuals like David, Saul, and Moses in the bible, are great examples of transactional leaders. Subsequently, when leaders impose suffering on those they lead and cause people to feel disappointed, transactional leadership and ownership seizes to allow for growth; rather, it can lead to ruin. According to Wilson (2016), Ownership strategy is dependent on personality pragmatism and material gain, with little concern for whom and how the process adversely affects individuals.
Similarities between Steward and Transactional Leadership
The comparison between transactional leadership and stewardship is critical since most researchers consider transactional leadership to be a predecessor to stewardship leadership. Both stewardship and transactional leadership are essential in organizational units because they are concerned with the eventual attainment of common goals and the management of the institution of leadership to achieve positive results. Transactional leadership is linked to stewardship as for an individual to be termed as a great leader and entrusted to head an institution or organization, one has to portray attributes of a good steward. It is, therefore, true to state that for an individual to be termed as a tran...