Transactional and Transformational Leadership - Essay Example

? Transactional And Transformational Leadership Strategic Leadership, Mod 4 Case Assignment [Pick the Transactional and transformationalleadership styles came into the lime light after the book “Leadership” written by James MacGregor Burns in 1978 (Burns, 1978). Transactional leadership is when the leader or a boss satisfies the basic needs of its subordinates in return for the work they perform. Such leaders closely follow the principle of theory X and Y and are type X managers. They believe that people will only work if they are given something in exchange and if they are punished if proper work is not administered. Negative and positive reinforcement both are administered by type X managers and those with a transactional leadership style. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, is an extended form of the traditional transactional leadership approach. Transformational leadership is not only based on the conformity of the followers and/or subordinates but it also looks forward to shift the beliefs, the values and the needs of the followers. The attempt of transformational leaders is to become successful in raising colleagues, followers, subordinates and clients towards a much greater awareness of the consequences of the issues. This spreading of awareness requires a leader who is equipped with a vision, internal locus of control, confidence and the courage to put forward what he sees is right (Kuhnert and Lewis, 1987). TRANSACTIONAL LEADER – CHARLES DE GAULLE The main essence of transactional leadership dates back to the World War 1, where leaders gained relative importance and lead the forces of war. French army in the event of the First World War and was amongst the few army generals who led successful armored counter attacks during the battle of France in 1940. What makes Charles De Gaulle a transactional leader? The famous French statesman Charles de Gaulle was a prominent example of the transactional leadership style. He believed that people can only be trained and follow instructions only if they are punished for the wrong behavior and are rewarded for the good one (Cerny, 1988). Charles de Gaulle led the He was the most influential leader of the French history. He followed the transactional leadership style as he established an evident chain of command. He also motivated his subordinates through keeping forward the rewards and punishment process. He was an Army man and so laid out a clear requirement plan in front of his subordinates and the corresponding rewards and it was very evident that in the event of a failure to satisfy those requirements, they will be eligible to receive the corresponding punishment. Was his leadership style appropriate? All these traits qualify Charles De Gaulle as a transactional leader. The approach he had was very suitable for the environment of that era. Politically as well, he had the right vision for that time. He has been very famous for his work in History and many politicians and leaders of today admire him (Qazi, 2010). TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER – MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born into a Baptist minister’s family in 1929, Atlanta, Georgia. He was himself a Baptist minister and was awarded with national prominence as the leader of Civil rights movement in United States and through the Southern Christian leadership conference. He was also one of the bearers of Nobel Prize for peace award in 19 64, his efforts and leadership abilities were the keys to success for his movement which was the ending of the legal segregation of the African Americans in the southern states of the United States. He was never in favor of violence and always wanted to bring about a social change in the status quo of people (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007). What makes Martin Luther King Jr. a transformational leader? He was a visionary. He had a broader vision to bring about a change and had the skills to convert the abstract ideas into an understandable objective and goal making it easier for his followers to understand. He was an inspirational motivator, which is the true quality of a transformational leader and a trait very hard to achieve by many others. Giving a meaningful purpose along with a proper and actual assessment of his subordinate needs is what he was famous for. He articulated a vision which was focused on his personal self concept to translate to his followers; he made social justice his means of living eliminating the boundaries of class race or nation. He not only motivates his followers through political activism but also through the use of social and cultural events (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007). The next main characteristic of a transformational leader is intellectual stimulation which provides the solidity and logically depth to carry out changes in an organization or a society. It also involves creating a connection between the followers’ personal challenges and the overall vision. After connecting followers through both the emotional and intellectual stimulation, transformational leaders create a pool of intrinsic motivation in which people feel energized and motivated, such a trait was found in Martin Luther King Jr. as well. Another trait of a transformational leader that Martin Luther King Jr. had acquired was the individualized consideration. This is to develop close relationships between the followers and the leader he and is very important to bring a change in the followers capabilities. He was very much involved in social events and the day to day church proceedings which made him maintain his charisma and to realize the need for a change. His efforts on a macro level combined with that on the micro level were very important for his civil rights movement. Was his leadership style appropriate? Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to change the unjust practices which entailed the racial discrimination towards humanity. His efforts truly matched his vision and the scenario. He was undoubtedly very just and hard working in achieving his vision with the help of his followers and in turn also giving his followers the proper self confidence which was crucial for them. If Martin Luther King Jr. would have had a transactional leadership approach then his vision would not be properly aligned with his leadership style (Dyson, 2000). WHAT CONDITIONS INFLUENCE TRANSACTIONAL OR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP BEING EFFECTIVE? Transactional and transformational leadership both are effective in different scenarios. For a transactional leadership to be effective, the environment in which it is applied is very crucial to its success, as not everyone in every environment at any hierarchal level of the organization be addressed with this style. This leadership is usually appropriate for manufacturing level labors and goes well with their staff level (Yammarino & Dubinsky, 2006). Transformational leadership is very important for people who are at the senior level. Mostly managers and senior level staff require this type of leadership. It is mostly used by directors and heads to motivate their employees and to work more efficiently. REFERENCES Cerny, P. G. (1988). The process of personal leadership: The case of de Gaulle.International Political Science Review, 9(2), 131-142. Dyson, M. E. (2000). I may not get there with you: The true Martin Luther King, Jr. Free Press. Kuhnert, K. W., & Lewis, P. (1987). Transactional and transformational leadership: A constructive/developmental analysis. Academy of Management review, 648-657. McGuire, D., & Hutchings, K. (2007). Portrait of a transformational leader: the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 28(2), 154-166. Yammarino, F. J., & Dubinsky, A. J. (2006). Transformational leadership theory: Using levels of analysis to determine boundary conditions. Personnel Psychology, 47(4), 787-811. Qazi, A. J. (2010). Transformational Leadership. Liaquat Ali Khan AG Noorani 3 Non Proliferation Jigsaw! Khalid Iqbal 34 Essays A Peace Settlement in Afghanistan Ashraf Jehangir Qazi 73 Transformational Leadership Ashraf Jehangir Qazi 85, 5(4), 85. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership, 1978. Many translations and later editions. Read More