Have you ever analyzed your leadership style? Each person has an
approach to leading that feels right.
But is your natural way of leading producing the best results for
you? After years of studying the history of leadership and the
various leadership modalities, I wanted to know the answer to that
question for myself.
My conclusion surprised me. I’d like to share some revelations
about how you can create the best version of yourself by
intentionally crafting your own unique style of leadership.
Leadership styles run the gamut from autocratic, top-down versions
at one end to charismatic, visionary folks at the other end. But I
found a distinctive combination of attributes that work well for
me. I invite you to choose your own blend of leadership methods
that work for you. Here are a few to consider.
Transformational leaders bring out the best in everyone.
Leadership does not reside exclusively in an individual but,
rather, in the relationship between individuals, and it is oriented
to social vision and change, not organizational goals. This model
focuses on changing the human condition.
Transformational leadership results in enabling followers to rise
to a higher level of performance than anyone thought possible. In
the process, the leader is also elevated to a higher level.
As the name suggests, this style actually transforms the individual
which, in turn, transforms a team or an organization to a higher
level of functionality. Transformational leaders focus their
attention on the strengths of their followers. They fan the flames
of potential in each person, resulting in a new, vibrant version of
each person.
Transactional leaders can bring a sense of stability.
This type of leadership refers to the exchange relationship between
leader and follower to meet their own self-interests. It often
takes the form of contingent reward whereby the leader clarifies
for the follower what needs to be done to achieve a reward.
Alternately, the transactional leader may monitor the follower’s
performance and take corrective action if the follower fails to
meet certain standards.
Some people prefer a transactional leader because expectations are
clear and performance is either rewarded or corrected. Either way,
employees know exactly where they stand. Transactional leadership
is a barter — an exchange of specific wants between leader and
follower. This is very different from the goal of
self-actualization, which the transformational leader
inspires.
Both styles have their merit.
Most leaders feel naturally drawn more to one of these leadership
styles than the other. Each of these styles can appear
independently of each other. However, the best leaders typically
display both transformational and transactional leadership. Finding
the right combination for yourself is critical to being an
effective leader.
Actually, you may find yourself choosing a different style
depending upon the situation. The best leaders are able to switch
between various leadership approaches depending on the needs of
their followers.
This is often referred to as situational leadership. You may find,
for example, that your optimal style of supervision changes as the
level of the follower’s maturity increases or decreases. You may
lead differently in response to diverse settings or organizational
cultures.
According to the case, evaluate which leadership style is better for organizations.
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