When I am placed in an organisation, I would like to attain a leadership position where I am provided with a chance of showcasing my talent and skills. I want to lead a team using my leadership skills. Analysing my personality and skills, I have realised that I possess the qualities of a ‘transformational leader’. Khan and Ahmad (2012) stated that the transformational leaders motivate others and aim to take change initiatives to ensure improvement and enhancement. While working in teams, I have always emphasised on taking the lead and ensuring the implementation of innovative and creative ideas. I believe in change as it is one of the key factors that influence the success and development of organisations and individuals in this competitive and continuously growing environment. Analysing my self-assessment results, I have realised that I also possess the qualities of a charismatic leader. Selvam (2015) reported that a charismatic leader aims to transform the beliefs and values of the followers by setting examples and using the revolutionary power. They influence the followers positively by becoming their ideal (Bozer & Joo, 2015). …show more content…
As it was analysed that my better others believe that I am in introvert and shy person, I believe that I need to work on enhancing my communication and interaction skills. I will focus on improving my communication skills by learning how to express my feelings and thoughts in an effective manner. I plan to engage with my colleagues so that I can learn their needs and requirements so that I can deal with them accordingly. Effective communication assists in building long-term and effective relationships. It is one of the ways to develop positive relationships while avoiding conflicts and disputes. Communication can help in creating understanding and aid in building a trustworthy relationship (Ahrens, Cox, Burris, & Dykes,
Bass (1990) states that transformational leadership is identified by different patterns of behavior. Firstly , transformational leadership delivers the charisma to be a leader in order to gain respect and trust. Secondly, the characteristics of a leader show efforts to change a purpose of the transformation process and to effectively communicate. Finally, transformational leadership proposes that leaders treat employees individually to show them attention and provide them coaching and advice to show that you care about your employees. However, Wang and Howell (2010) claim that transformational leadership is in every individual.This means an individual can develop their potential to enhance their abilities and skills to improve and overcome any weaknesses. In relation to group work transformational leadership helps to grow common values and beliefs, and to inspire group members to reach their group goals. In this type of situation, leaders treat equally towards members and to make them feel comfortable. However, on occasions problems occur during team work which puts a leader into a situation to overcome the condition. For example, if one of my team members has no belief in me to lead the group, my attitude towards the group and the member will change as they have shown a lack of confidence and interest in teamwork. According to Novicevic, Harvey, Buckley, Brown & Evans (2006) explains that authentic leadership is when a leader shows their individual responsibility in what they were responsible for in their organization. Novicevic, Harvey, Buckley, Brown & Evans (2006) discusses a particular style of leadership which is the matrix of executive leadership. This style of leadership occurs when a leader has lost confidence in them self. The
Leaders will act as role models to inspire their followers. Besides, the leader will challenge the followers to take a greater ownership of their work. Transformational leaders normally understand follower’s strength and weakness so that the leader will not affect their performance when allocating task for them. Nevertheless, transformational leadership can inspire or motivate followers to achieve a better result compared to originally planned (Mihhailova, 2014).
The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner (2007) is the result of twenty years of research on the factors that influence and create great leadership. Through studies and stories from leaders with various backgrounds throughout the world, the practices and characteristics that create great leadership are delineated. Leadership is viewed not as a group of inherent characteristics, but as learned behavior that anyone can achieve. The goal of Kouzes and Posner’s book is to inspire and educate leaders through transformational leadership. As such, leadership is about mobilizing others to become and do extraordinary things.
There have been countless books, lectures, and and trainings, and retreats constructed around the idea of cultivating leadership in an individual. However, cultivating individuals’ ability to follow great leadership has received far less attention. Who are these people leading if each person within an organization is being trained to be a leader? The word follower has negative connotations, evoking the images of a weak, uncreative, milquetoast personality. However, Jimmy Collins, in his book, “Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness”, suggests that the ability to be led brings as much creativity, consciousness, and indeed leadership to an organization or team as the leader himself. Great followership is a reflection of great leadership. In this, the follower is just as important as the leader in the relationship. Many great leaders have asserted that a leader with even a modicum of understanding of what drives their subordinates can take their organization to previously undreamt-of heights in creativity and productivity. Collins does not disabuse us of this notion, he does however add that the follower is indispensable agent in this interplay between leader and follower.
Leadership has been studied and defined since the beginning of times. Throughout history, the leadership theory was characterized by the idea of leaders being great men who were brave and sources of authority and Justice (Marsiglia). However, leadership theories have changed over time and new ones have been developed. Similarly, in today’s time, a leader’s leadership style is defined as the way a leader approaches action towards followers to accomplish a mission. Despite the fact that leadership styles are vital, it is concluded that the essence of leadership is actually an individual’s personality and what provides the motivation, purpose, and direction to lead efficiently towards accomplishments. Personality types are known to be important in leadership because they help a leader develop followers accordingly, make valuable and timely decisions, and have a different perspective to accomplish a job. Personality shapes leadership and therefore also leadership styles. Without personality, there would be no leadership styles. Personality types provides the base for leadership development, style, and the foundations for qualities needed for any leadership position.
According to Yoder-Wise (2015), a leader can be defined as, “an individual who works with others to develop a clear vision of the preferred future and to make that vision happen” (p 35). As employees, we often have our own ideal of a good leader, which may be influenced by experiences and perception of workplace norms. While one’s opinion of an effective leader may vary, there are several recognized leadership theories. The following will focus on the transformational leadership approach.
A Transformational leader would elevate the interests of their employees, they would generate awareness and acceptance of the goal for the group. (Bass, B. M. ,1991) An example of transformational leadership in a hypothetical situation would be if there was a monthly goal set for each individual on the team and the leader finished his goals first then went on to help the rest of the team, taking extra time to see every employee as an individual. Another situation would be if a team member had a death in the family and the leader would provide emotional support for the employee as well as rallying the rest of the team to console the team member. Napoleon declared that an army of rabbits commanded by a lion could do better than an army of lions commanded by a rabbit (Bass, B. M. ,1991). The world is full of transformational leaders but we need more. Transformational leadership can be learned, and it can and should be the subject of management training and development (Bass, B. M. ,1991). Next, we will look at Servant
A person’s title within the organization does not make them a leader. The driving factor which determines if someone is in a leader position is their behavior. This person who is a leader will guide those in the organization by influencing, guiding, giving direction, and opinions (Marquis & Huston, 2012). The culture as well as the climate of an organization begins with the leadership (Azaare & Gross, 2011). Each individual person has their own leadership style. Knowing one’s own leadership style will help them understand themselves and be able to grow as a leader. The purpose of this paper is to look at my own leadership style, including my strengths for leading others. A description of a potential challenge that I foresee due to my leadership style and a plan for my personal leadership development will be discussed.
In this time of transition and uncertainty, research suggests that transformational leadership is highly effective (Straight, 2006). Leadership research has drifted from emphasis on the competence of leaders to “manage change” to the ability to “transform” organizations. Transformational leaders have attributes and behaviors needed to successfully motivate and empower employees. According to Bernard Bass (1990), transformational leadership occurs when a leader transforms, or changes, his or her followers in three important ways that together result in followers trusting the leader, performing behaviors that contribute to the achievement of organizational goals, and being motivated to perform at a high level. Transformational leaders can achieve greater performance by stimulating innovative ways of thinking and transforming follower’s beliefs and aspirations. Maxwell (Maxwell, 2007) articulates that most of the time, influence is more important than formal power or authority. I agree with him. Influence is very important in organizational and co...
Throughout life, there are and have been leaders who have helped change and shape others view of the world by their charisma, strength, morals, and kindness. These particular people can help to create a vision along with intellectually stimulating people to broaden their horizons and to be successful in business and personal accomplishments. At one point of time, there was someone who I considered a leader, who motivated me by applying what is known as the Transformational Leadership Theory. Transformational leaders “inspire and empower” (LugoSantiago, 2016, p. 18) other individuals to become more well-rounded along with helping to achieving overall goals. With the Transformational
The concept of leadership as a whole encompasses different explanations, theories and leadership styles and has been popular not only from the organizational perspective but in the educational and political context as well. This essay aims to address the key concepts of Transformational leadership which belongs to the more recent approach taken towards leadership.
Communication plays a key role to a leader. To have communication skills is to have the ability to express oneself clearly to others. It is extremely important as...
Dubrin, A. J. (2007). Charismatic and transformational leadership. In Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (5th ed., pp. 83-98). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
According to Gorkman’s theory, these four components known as C.O.A.T. are key to leadership assessment which "should be a predominant theme in the corporate environment" (Gorkman, 2009). First, Communication is vital in shaping a message that can educate team members, help members to visualize goals or persuade them of the worth of such goals, increase understanding, and gain respect. “Words coupled with action create energy and momentum to achieve" (Gorkman, 2009). In accordance with the Transformational leadership style, communication is emphasized as the basis for achievement. A characteristic that is additionally emphasized is charisma. Specifically in my personal experience, oral presentations have not been my strong suit. By working to improve my confidence and charisma while implementing better communication in my personal life, I can better convey my goals and persuade others to understand and respect my vision. Second, Opportunity is the ability to use "broad knowledge and perspective to create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans for future sustainability and success" (Gorkman, 2009). Transformational leaders
Communication is one of the most important factors in our lives. It dictates the relationships formed with the individuals in personal and professional lives. Effective communication provides a foundation for trust and respect to grow. It also helps better understand a person and the context of the conversation. Individuals often believe that their communication skills are much better than what they actually are. Communication appears effortless; however, much of what two people discuss gets misunderstood, thus leading to conflicts and distress. To communicate effectively, one must understand the emotion behind the information being said. Knowing how to communicate effectively can improve relationships one has at home, work and in social affairs. Understanding communication skills such as; listening, non-verbal communication and managing stress can help better the relationships one has with others.