Transformational Leadership

A lot of research has gone into the subject of leadership skills as seen from a number of several different perspectives. As a matter of fact, from the early years of 1900 onwards, analysis on the types of leadership and their models have been going on, and initially the point of concentration was on the leader, and his followers. Researchers of the time, however, came to the conclusion that no single characteristic or trait could be taken as being fully explanatory of any particular leader's abilities and his capacity, and thereafter researchers began the process of analyzing and examining the situation and its influences on a leader and his abilities, and also made several attempts to try to distinguish effective from non-effective leaders. The purpose of such analysis was actually to determine which leadership behaviors were exactly exemplified by effective leaders, and which were not. (History of leadership Research) Therefore, in order to better understand why some people were effective leaders and some were not, researchers used the so-called ‘contingency model' in order to analyze and to conclude the various connections that must exist between personal traits, situational variables, and the effectiveness of a leader. In later years, especially during the 1970's and the 1980's, the point of concentration for studying effective leadership qualities in an individual shifted to the individual characteristics of a leader which served to make him a better leader, and which brought his company immense profits. The research more often than not concluded that leaders and leadership are important and in fact crucial and vital components of any organization. (History of leadership Research) In fact, the basic notion of leadership and its influence process has been a very important one through the years, especially when taken in the context of human relations and public relations within an organization. This is the framework, then, upon which much research on the various models of leadership have been carried out through the years and it is often considered to be the more useful one upon which to conduct analyses. This is because of the widely acknowledged fact that the very social process through which one individual tries to exert his own influence on others in his own way is actually demonstrated in a large number of inter personal relationships between a number of people anywhere in the world. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Some examples of these are the relationship between the ‘superior and his subordinate', the staff with the line, the salesman with his customer, the consultant with his client, a teacher with his student, the husband with his wife, a parent with his child, and so on and so forth. These are the normal relationships that always occur in the context of groups, and within organizations, and also within a set of cultures, and are in turn influenced by the organizations and cultures themselves. Therefore, it can be stated that when one desires to understand leadership better, then one would have to try to gain a deep insight into the very nature and character of a personality or of a group or of an organization. Thereafter, one must attempt to analyze the various cultural variables that would invariably be present in any one group of several different individuals, and then analyze the various interrelationships between them and the variables that are seen in a system of influence of this particular kind. The two most important elements in such a framework of leadership analyses are, primarily, the so called ‘social sensitivity' or what is also known as 'empathy', and ‘action flexibility', or what is also known as ‘behavioral flexibility'. Both these variables are of extreme importance when analyzing leadership, and its effectiveness and its causes. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) It must be noted that the word ‘leadership' as such is a very widely used word indeed, and social workers, political activists, orators and scholars and of course numerous others all utilize it in their speech and in their writing. However, what must also be noted is the fact that not everyone agrees about its actual and true meaning; among the social scientists, leadership has come to represent something that will always constantly shift and change, and transform its primary focus first on one thing and then another. There is a lot more work to be carried out before it can be truly stated that there is indeed a systematic and a basic theory for leadership, and a full fledged framework developed upon which to accurately measure effective leadership. When taken through history, leadership studies have been effectively showing the shifting focus on theoretical orientation of leadership studies; whereas early studies concentrated on the study of the leader as a person, to the exclusion of various other variables, later studies laid emphasis on isolating the physical and the psychological characteristics of the leader, and these were considered to be traits which were in fact differentiating the leader from all the other members of the group. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Likewise, the concept of spirituality in leadership is a relatively newer idea, and one that researchers have started to analyze only recently, having been ignored as a concept for the past hundreds of years before today. However, one must not forget that throughout our social history, man has been able to identify his own inner moral as well as spiritual standards, and seen them for the influence they tend to cast upon human actions in general. In fact, it can even be stated that it is man's inner sense of spiritual wholeness that defines mankind as such, and also determines man's inner values, his sense of morality and justice, and therefore tends to direct man's actions and the various decisions that he makes in his daily life and also in his working life. (Fairholm, 1997) Therefore, it must be remembered that spirituality plays a very important role in a leader's various actions and in his process of decisions making, as well as in the followers' lives. Every single individual has an innate sense of who he is, what he is doing, and where he is going, and all these various concepts are guided by his inner spirituality. As a matter of fact, it can be stated that it is this true inner self that actually guides man in general and a leader as well. Spirit is therefore an inseparable part of the leadership of an individual, and it is this that guides him in his various actions. In today's fast paced world, the workplace in fact becomes a central part of one's life, and this means that one would have to relate one's own personal spiritual values with his workplace vales, and this in turn becomes the most important and central part of leadership. (Fairholm, 1997) There are, to date, numerous models of leadership, that have been found to be effective after intensive research conducted through many years, and the interest in what exactly makes a good and effective and efficient leader is still an extremely interesting topic. Some of the better leadership models are, according to research, the following: the participative styles of leadership, which, according to studies conducted by Hawthorne and Kurt Lewin and Likert, invariably lead to an enhanced job satisfaction, and also to a better performance. Another is the ‘contingency theory', which argues that the proper or the right or the most effective leadership style is something that constantly changing accord to the present context. One example of this model is that explained by Blake and Mouton's managerial Grid, according to which organization developmental practices can be easily analyzed. (Leadership Theories, 1) Another is the ‘instrumental theory', according to which a lot of stress is placed on the task, as well as on the person oriented behavioral patterns, like, for example, delegation, and participation on the part of the leader in order to gain better effectiveness from the others in his team. Inspirational leadership theories are based on the fact that a single individual, with his inspiring personality and way of life and method of thinking, be able to influence his team into better performances. These leaders are, more often than not, inspirational persons, and they are at times called transformational leaders too. This type of leader would appeal to the inherent value and visions of the team of followers around him, upon whom he would be able to cast a great influence. He would not only be able to inspire and instill confidence among them, but also be able to motivate them to change wherever and whenever necessary for the progress of the organization. (Leadership Theories, 1) The ‘informal leader' is the person who has not exactly been appointed to leadership, but would be able to, in general, assume leadership in manifold other ways. Another leadership theory is the so-called ‘path goal theory', according to which the expectancy theory of motivations comes to the fore, wherein a leader is responsible for motivating his team well, and into giving better performances in general. This theory draws on the following four different styles of leadership: supportive, directive, participative, and finally, direction oriented. The actual choice of style finally depends on the task to be performed, and the individual who is expected to perform the task. For example, a routine task would need a more supportive style of leadership, while a complex and tough task would need a directive type of leadership. (Leadership Theories, 1) Compare and Contrast Leadership Models: It is now quite evident that one of the predominant themes as far as management studies is concerned is the most important role that an effective and an efficient leader would play in the effective running of an organization, of any kind, and, as a matter of fact, the position of the leader has been elevated to someone of heroic proportions, and he is termed as someone who is the prime determinant of his organization's success or of its failure. The model leader is, therefore, an individual who is in possession of a set of known and researched set of behaviors and patterns, as acknowledged by researchers all over the world, and who would be able to effectively motivate his team of members in such a way that they would be able to give their optimum bets performances for the benefit of their organization. These are some of the better known and accepted leadership models, which some of the very bets leaders in the industry have been known to follow and emulate for the betterment of the firm. One model is the ‘Contingency Theory'. (Chapter 12, Leadership) It must be stated here that for as long as there have been research on leadership, there has been a widely acknowledged claim that for every different situation there is, a different leader and a different leadership style would be suitable. Weber, for example, in the year 1946, in his research on the bases of legitimate authority in the state as such, has managed to identify three entirely different types of leaders: one type is an individual who would base his authority on tradition, another who would base his authority on rationality, and a third who would base his authority on exerting his own charismatic influence onto others in his team. Each leader would achieve success in one type of situation, and not in others, thus showing that one type of leadership would not suffice for all kinds of diverse situations. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Fiedler, in the year 1996, has identified some of the more important aspects of the contingent view of a leader. First and foremost, the relevant literature does not offer any clue about the existence of certain universal traits, or behavioral patterns, or characteristics that can be associated with a good leader and effective leadership qualities. Secondly, it has been stated that the effectiveness of the leader depends on how well and how quickly he would be able to match the situation in which he is expected to operate. Thirdly, the most important mediating factor between a leaders traits and the situation in which he operates is the way in which the leader is able to cope with stress within the situation. Equally important is what exactly the leader thinks is a stressful situation, according to him, and how he is able to motivate and engage his team into coping and facing the stress in a positive manner so that the organization does not get affected in any manner whatsoever. Furthermore, it has often been noticed that most organizations generally tend to adapt and become more internally complex so that they may be better bale to respond to the external complexities, according to Lawrence and Lorsch in research conducted in the year 1967. According to Galbraith, in 1994, the best way in which an organization would be able to effectively deal with stress both outside and within the organization is to organize the entire effort around the team of members. This would also mean that the team would be responsible for conducting and carrying out the basic work of the organization, and since teams are more often than not staffed with differing levels of permanence, they are often responsible for bridging historic line organizations. The contingency theory also stresses on the fact that different periods of either planned or unintended organizational change would most definitely need effective leaders with particular attributes and characteristics, so that he may be able to help the organization to handle the difficult change process effectively. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Situational Leadership is another style of leadership which is a widely acknowledged and recognized leadership model. When taken in simple terms, a situational leader is an individual who would be able to quickly adapt his thinking and his methods of leadership to the present situation at hand, and can even change his style wherever and whenever necessary. Ken Blanchard, the well known ‘Management Guru', and the author of the ‘One Minute Manager Series', along with Paul Hersey, created a model for situational leadership during the 1960's. This model would allow the leader to analyze the needs of the situation that he is at present involved in, and then adopt what he thinks and knows would be the very best and effective management and leadership style to solve it. This is a leadership model put in a simple square grid, that has retained its basic popularity over the years, because of the fact that it is very simple to comprehend, and also because it can easily be used in the most difficult of situations. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) According to the model, the ‘directing leaders' are the individuals who define the tasks and roles of their followers, and also supervise them very closely. All the major decisions to be taken would be declared by the leader, and this means that communication would generally be one-way. ‘Coaching leaders' on the other hand, would define roles and tasks, in the same way as the directing leaders would, but would look out for any suggestions or ideas form his followers, while a ‘supporting leader' would more often than not typically pass on the several day to day decisions within the organization, like for example, task allocation, and processes, to his followers. Here, although the leader does indeed take part in the decision making processes, most of the control remains with the followers. A ‘delegating leader' would remain involved in the major decisions and in the problem solving processes within the firm, but he would be involved only upon the discretion of the follower; it is the follower who decides when and how the leader would have to become involved. An effective leader would have to have the capacity and ability to be able to move around the simple grid easily, according to the needs of the situation, and thus become a situational leader. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) Yet another leadership model is Bruce Tuckman's ‘Forming Storming Norming Performing leadership model'. According to this model, it is as the team within an organization begins to develop maturity and ability that they would be better able to establish relationships with each other, and because of this, a leader would be able to change his style as the team grows and matures. This type of leader would at the outset start with a directing style, after which he would move on to a coaching style, after which he would adopt the participating, and then the delegating and finishing styles, and finally on to the almost detached style. At this particular point, the team may be able to produce a successor leader, and the previous leader can move on to another team. Therefore, the progression of the leader from one stage to the next, according to Bruce Tuckman, would be from forming to storming, and then to norming, and finally, to performing. (Bruce Tuckman's 1965 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development Model) The Effectiveness of Leadership Models: The effectiveness of any particular model depends on the leader himself, and on the various traits and the charisma that he is in possession of. A leader, in general, tends to be identified by position, as they belong to a virtual hierarchy. They are the people to whom the team in the organization looks to for help or for answers, and the leader, with his vision and his efficiency and his ability, would be able to provide the answers wherever necessary. They are also people who have certain special qualities and traits that tend to set them apart form others, and this is very useful because it defines the gap essential between a leader and his followers. This is a view of leadership that is generally taken as being the best explanation of a leader, and it is followed not only in businesses but also by the government and by the armed forces. A leader may be participative or directional or transformational, but he still would have his own style, and it must always be remembered that a leader is a man who would possess a great amount of power, and one must be careful that there is no misuse of this power. (Classical Leadership) Evaluate the supporting research contributing to development of leadership Models It is during the past few decades that a lot more attention has been given to the concept of analyzing various leadership styles and finding the bets one, which would be able to improve the leadership style of an individual within an organization, so that the leader would be able to lead his tem better, and goad them into giving better performances. Theories about transformational leadership, in particular, have become even more important today than they were yesterday, and more and more evidence of these theories have been amassed for all the different levels of the organization. (Bass, 1993) Transformational leadership, it can be stated, has today become almost an obsession with researchers on leadership styles, and why the model is so very appealing is because it is the actual antecedent of a true hero. He is an individual who seems to have circumvented all his weaknesses, and he is also a person who holds great promise of bringing about great organizational changes. Bernard Bass is a very active campaigner for the cause of a transformational leader, and he is of the opinion that research on the subject had literally boomed in the past few decades. In fact, a transformational leader is today, an individual who makes up the ‘New leadership' types of the modern world. Transformational leadership is so very popular because of the fact that it effectively overcomes every shortcoming that a hero of yesteryears may have possessed, and even though they do have their own flaws, they seem to be better leaders than any others. Typically, a transformational leader seems to tempt his followers with the ‘carrot and stick' approach, wherein he can control them with a positive approach. (Gronn, 1995) A transformational leader can also put a lot of passion and energy into everything that he does, and he is able to inspire others with his development of a vision and a view of the future that will inspire his numerous followers. He has to be able to create trust in his followers, and this then will inspire them to follow him. He is a leader who will seek to transform, and he can eventually become a person who would have been personally responsible for saving his organization form ruin. (Transformational Leadership: www.changingminds.org) He is a leader, who is able to recognize as well as exploit a certain need in his followers, analyze their various motives, and engage the complete person of the followers. Some examples of transformational leaders through the years are: Rousseau, Madison, reformers like Alexander and Grey, revolutionaries like Lenin, Castro, Luther, Mao, heroes like Kennedy, Joan of Arc, and Muhammad. (Boje, 2000) Evaluate the impact of environmental factors on transformational leadership: A transformational leader would through his charisma and his vision for the future can inspire his followers into transcending their own self-interests so that they may work for the betterment and for the profit of their organization. He is an individual who uses with regularity, contingent rewards to positively impact and influence his followers, and he at times takes the initiative himself only if he feels that there are problems, and things are not progressing as well as he thought they were. A transformational leader today is extremely important and relevant in today's workplace because of the traits that he possesses, which are that he is flexible, and he is original and innovative. In fact, a transformational leader is one individual who can be said to be the essence of creating, developing, and ultimately maintaining the so important competitive edge in his organization. (Leading: Management Modern BMGT 1301DCCCD) According to Jan Carlzon, in 1987, an individual who was a very effective transformational leader for SAS Airlines, a leader must be able to both encourage and also to facilitate the formulation of an organizational vision, wherein the numerous stakeholders of the organization may feel that they have participated in. He must also be able to create and maintain an environment in which the employees of the organization may feel able to accept and execute all their various duties and responsibilities with a certain ease and confidence. The leader must be able to communicate what he wants to these employees, and teach them the company's vision, and ask them for inputs about how to turn the vision into reality. He must be able to inspire his followers with his vision, and this is the essence of a transformational leader. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership) Visions may be either positive or negative, and when the vision is indeed positive, then it would also be an idealized design, which would in turn impact the environment. The operational viability of this positive design must be therefore designed in such a way that it would be able to survive if it came into existence in the present environment. Therefore, since a transformational leader is driven by visions and ideas, and not by others' expectations of him, he will be able to effectively beat the system and the environment, and not surrender to it in any way, and this in essence is what a transformational leader is all about. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership)