Transformational Leadership - Research Paper Example

Transformational Leadership The nature and definition of effective leadership has been a source of discussion for centuries. Everyone from Sun Tzu and Machiavelli to P.T. Barnum and Donald Trump have weighed in on the subject. Theories on what makes an effective leader are almost as diverse as the types of leaders that exist. After careful examination, I have realized that the style that best illustrates my personal leadership philosophy is Transformational Leadership. An excellent fictional example of a Transformational leader is Sergeant Apone, better known simply as Sarge, from the film Aliens.

He is the first one out of stasis with his feet on the floor, a stogie in his mouth, and a smile on his face, crowing, “All right, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed? Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps!” (Cameron, 1986)With his relentless enthusiasm and gentle ribbing, all under his command feel that they are safe in his capable hands, and he motivates by example.

Through this, he demonstrates Idealized Influence and Inspirational Motivation, two of the four components to Transformational Leadership, often referred to as the 4 I’s. Through Idealized Influence, the leader becomes an ideal representative of all of the traits that he or she would like the group to exhibit, promoting themselves as a good example to follow. Through Inspirational Motivation, the natural enthusiasm and charisma of the leader radiates to those under their command, and makes them want to not only do their best, but enjoy it as well.

(Riggio, 2009) Just ask Snow White, sometimes it helps to whistle while you work. As the troops are busying themselves, readying equipment for the mission, Ripley, an outsider asks; “I feel like kind of a fifth wheel around here, is there anything I can do?” Sarge replies, “I dunno, is there anything you CAN do?” Ripley surprises him by sharing that she is licensed to run a mechanical loader, and he sets her to work. (Cameron, 1986) That line has always stuck with me. If you allow people to play to their strengths, they will remain more consistently happy and motivated than if you force them to do things they are not good at or dislike.

This demonstrates both Individualized Consideration and Intellectual Stimulation, the other two of the 4 I’s (Riggio, 2009). Sarge did not ask Ripley, a non-military outside consultant, for assistance in hauling gear until she offered it, which was considerate, but when she offered, he asked her to challenge herself within her existing skills. In the end, everyone was pleased when she helped the job go faster by operating a mechanical loader rather than dragging everything by hand. The main difference between Transformational Leadership and Transactional Leadership, is that in Transactional Leadership, it is assumed that people will only perform well for the possibility of reward or avoidance of punishment.

Under Transformational Leadership, it is assumed that if you get the right group of people properly motivated to the same goal, they will want to succeed under the leader’s direction, because they all wish to do their best and excel in any way they can. A Transactional leader provides rewards for those that do their best. A Transformational leader inherently inspires people to do their best, and then, maybe even do better than that (Cox, 2007). In order to be an effective Transformational leader, one must be able to, through a combination of tangible and intangible reward, charisma, and genuine interest actively challenge their followers to a higher level of motivation and skill than they previously thought possible.

If a Transactional leader says, if you give me this report by Monday, you will get a bonus, you have no incentive to get it done by Sunday. If a Transformational leader tells his team, the faster we can all do this, the better, and this is why, and they believe that leader, it is surprising to see what people can do when they are performing to capacity, not merely requirement. The thing that makes Transformational Leadership unique is that it is not just one person instructing a group on how to follow their vision, but sharing that vision.

When everyone is on the same page, and has the same goals, a more inspiring level of leadership can be met, prompting people to excel beyond what they originally thought possible. When a person feels like a valued member of a team, not simply a cog in a machine that someone else is running, they tend to pay more attention to the quality of their work. Personal initiative instills personal pride in a job well done, and if you personally came up with a solution that your superior approved, you are much more likely to have a vested interest in seeing that it succeed as well as possible (Bass, 2009).

A Transformational leader realizes that without the specialized skills and unique perspectives of everyone on his or her team, the effective plans and solutions that were implemented could not have been reached. They also realize, that while every individual person matters, sometimes everyone, including the boss, needs to make sacrifices for the greater good. Also, a Transformational leader is not afraid of getting their hands dirty. They would no more expect an employee or team member to do a task that they would not personally be willing to do, presuming they were qualified (Bass, 2009).

By becoming both ‘of the people’ and ‘above the people’, a Transformational leader demonstrates not just what their subordinates should be doing, but could be doing if they apply themselves. By driving all on their team to succeed as wildly as they deem possible, a Transformational leader truly brings out the best in everyone, both in the short run, and for posterity.ReferencesCameron, James. (1986) Aliens. IMDB, Memorable quotes for Aliens. Web. 20 February 2012.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/quotesRiggio, Ronald E. Ph.D. (2009) Cutting-Edge Leadership; Are You a Transformational Leader?

Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, LLC. Web. 20 February 2012. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200903/are-you-transformational-leaderCox, Richard (2007) The Transformational Leadership Report. Transformationalleadership.net.PDF. 20 February 2012.http://www.transformationalleadership.net/products/TransformationalLeadershipReport.pdfBass, Bernard M. (2009). From Transactional to Transformational Leadership:Learning to Share the Vision. Organizational Dynamics,Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Inc. Pg 19-31. PDF.

ftp://papers.econ.mpg.de/IMPRS/SumSchool2009/priv/Giessner/3%20charisma/Bass.pdf