Transformational Leadership, Power and Influence - Essay Example

Leadership

In every gathering, leaders are considered the center of authority and are granted all the attention because of the role they play in making things operational within a setting. In meeting the defined goals, it becomes very easy to cultivate a standard reactionary measure that allows for the development of a system big enough to accommodate the developing strategies within a social outfit. In an organization, leaders must be practical and be ready to create systems that can be used to gauge the developmental levels of their employees within the shortest time possible. They must be an inspiration that can transform attitudes into motivational bits, and encourage all those under them to work towards a common a goal. A leader has to be considered transformational if the progress intended in an organization is to be considered motivational to the present people and those watching from outside. Examining the role of a transformational leader is imperative when seeking to understand the basic approaches that are considered as the changing platforms for employees within an organization. The impact of such developments is based on the realization that the transformational attributes endeared by leaders meet the specific requirements that emanate from such transformational leadership cues.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is an approach that seeks to change the way individuals interact with the systems within the workplace. The aim is to create an ideal form that allows for valuable and positive change amongst all employees with the aim of increasing their motivation, performance productivity and morale (Zaccaro, 2007). The aim of this motivation is the connection it gives both the leaders and the employees as they all seek to expound on a system of operation that allows them to work towards a better managerial system within which they can meet their intended goals. The leaders and the followers seek to make the best of the situations at the workplace and advance their sense of morality, motivation and performance (Judge, Bono, Ilies & Gerhardt, 2002). In meeting these goals, certain characteristics and behaviors are needed to establish a stronger basis for leadership. The leader must be ready to lead and inspire the employees, in the process, get to learn about individual strengths and weaknesses as they apply to the organization. The aim is to strive for change and transform the process in a way that everyone will appreciate the concept of leadership and motivation in the workplace (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007).

The influence of any transformation is based on the influence noted amongst the followers. In most cases, it is visible in the way these employees or followers operate because a keen observer can note the loyalty, trust, admiration and respect that a leader has when making choices that intend to achieve certain goals (Zaccaro, 2007). In meeting the gains within the society, it is imperative that certain skills be considered because employees will seek to imitate the leader with the aim of feeling closer to the goal at hand (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). Leaders then learn the need to motivate the followers so that they can easily challenge them to reach higher heights in their intellectual path, an aspect that should be considered when seeking to diversify the workforce and improve on the basis of leadership as it occurs within the business environment.

Transformational leadership is based on four main elements that drive its intent and make it clear to leaders as they seek to embrace their role in motivating their employees. It allows one to look for a niche that will make the process easier and the intended growth of noted skills as imperative. The first element is based on individualized considerations. This implies that a leader has to some degree been able to attend to a series of needs where he or she acts as a mentor or a coach. He or she notes that the followers need someone that can understand their plight, hence, chooses to be the person that handles that particular issue (Judge, Bono, Ilies & Gerhardt, 2002). The leader must note that all followers have unique concerns, hence aim to provide them with the developments needed to support them. The leader, in this case, has to make the needed changes within the system that will be based on the assumptions and contributions that will build a rapport and create trust between the two parties. This way, a leader can enhance communication skills and openly support employees in personal endeavors (Zaccaro, 2007). This form of inspiration can also lead to self-development where employers seek to provide followers with a strategic development goal within which they can motivate employees to intrinsically develop the needed skills (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). The second element is that of intellectual stimulation. Leaders are responsible for the challenges they offer to their employees with the aim of making better developments and encouraging them to review any skills and methodologies in place. The aim is to show employees that they can challenge their assumptions and take risks through thinking critically. The leader is the only person that can give them that platform because they will learn more about their strengths and limitations (Judge, Bono, Ilies & Gerhardt, 2002). They need opportunities to learn, and only leaders can ascertain the level of involvement these employees can have in such a situation. In making this a reality, it becomes clear that employees can achieve so much more if they are granted the degree of autonomy required for them to feel involved in the process.

The third element of a transformative leader is an inspiration. Leaders ready to motivate and inspire their employees are considered transformational because they articulate the visions needed to enhance delivery of requisite skills (Guastello, 2007). The aim is to provide the needed change that will make employees commit to a higher standard of doing things; an issue many do not understand its role. It improves the way an employee visualizes things within the workplace and places different trends within the system as a basis for communicating the intended goals within that platform. The idea is to move with ease and make sure that everyone understands the role that ought to be played. The fourth attribute of a transformational leader is idealized influence (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). This means that the employees have an ideal way of learning their position in their workplace. They have the working ethics defined, and the leader is the best way of ethically defining the behaviors at hand and instilling pride amongst all employees. They feel part of the system and will protect it every time. They will also learn to respect and follow everything based on the development of trust as a tool for transforming their position in the workplace.

Power and Influence

Power and influence are two important components of leadership that should be considered in any organization. Within the organization I work for, I have realized that power and influence provide the basis of all activities taking place, and that allows one to develop a platform through which legitimacy of leadership can be ascertained. The power accrued legitimately allows the leader to use that as a position or status of influence within the workplace. The position in itself influences people and the person there only acts as a vessel that has to meet the obligations undersigned. In the organization I work for, the manager is respected as a position of influence, and that restricts many people from making bad choices within the society (Judge, Bono, Ilies & Gerhardt, 2002). It allows for an increased utility of the changes within and helps devise a way of dealing with issues taking place. Legitimate power is an important perspective that allows leaders to use their skills to motivate their followers. This has been operation in our organization, an attribute I believe to have been considered as part of the development of the required skills. It becomes very clear that the position of the leader in the organization will define the influential role considered in such a setting, an attribute important in dealing with such skills as may be ideal. The way a legitimate leader uses his or her power is vital, and must consider other ways of making it more influential across the divide. The objective is to underline the needed development of sources and increase influential skills so that employees can be motivated enough to meet their goals (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007).

A leader in power legitimately can also increase influence by learning some expert skills. The combination provides the leader with a strong basis for interaction because he or she can use it to guide and support the team in any endeavor. The objective is to motivate the employees by showing them what to do when faced with certain issues, an aspect important at any given time (Guastello, 2007). This also allows the employees to understand their role and the skills they need to cultivate so as to develop a stronger position in their areas of expertise. I have seen this work well in my organization, and I do not think they ought to change. Leaders that have faithfully sued these two platforms have been able to achieve so much and created a strong following that has been equivocal in making the company realize its goals (Guastello, 2007). It eases the rebellion and makes people understand that they can make choices that manage their functions. The followers are very receptive to this style, and it should continue being harnessed because of the impact it has had in the company over time.

Transformational and Transactional Leadership

As noted, transformational leadership bases its role son the motivation and engagement that occurs between the leaders and the employees. Motivating employees is at the center of this leadership trait and is considered part of the process that seeks to break the boundaries and deal with risk takers. Transactional leadership, on the other hand, focuses on the role of the organization, supervision, and group performances as a basis for maintaining day-to-day activities and progresses as based on the goals needed (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). In my organization, these two forms of leadership are present. The top management is mainly transformational, and most of the supervisors are transactional. The employees are sometimes confused because they think that they are doing the right thing and will only make the choices based on the needed developments. It is important to challenge the current state, an aspect that makes it easier to develop the needed change (Guastello, 2007).

A good example is when the managers wanted to achieve a new target in their market shares. The leaders make sure they talk to all employees and offer them their view of the situation at hand. The aim is to improve on the basis of delivering the noted goal. The supervisors are left to carry out the orders after the managers leave (Guastello, 2007). They insist on following protocols and meeting deadlines they do not want employees to take risks and follow their intuition. They want them to focus on the performance issues. It is always important to develop a strategy that will work, an issue that should be considered when making these demands and handling the structural divisions within the system. Nonetheless, the transformational leadership style is more effective because motivation is an important basis for delivering the required basis for interaction in the workplace (Guastello, 2007).

Effective Team Leader

Leadership is a skill that can be learned. In every setting, it is important to establish a strong feeling within the team that will make it easier to expand skills. An effective team leader has good communication skills (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). The goal is to provide quality explanations that can be used to comprehend a situation and perform optimally. The leaders also learn to listen to views and make up a system that allows for the effective maintenance of order so as to meet the needs and obligations of the organization. Within this period, the leader understands the needed roles to be played and how to do so. An effective team leader is exceptionally talented in organizational skills. The implication is that the leader can make the right choices and maintain order and guide the team members in a way that makes it easier to maintain the needed organizational skills (Zaccaro, 2007).

An effective team leader is confidence in his or her abilities. The implication is that he or she can lead and perform optimally based on the secure decisions needed to stamp authority in any definitive situation (Guastello, 2007). The aim is to control the system and offer the needed confidence even amongst the employees that the leader can handle the situations at hand without feeling indebted to any part of the organization. In the same line of thought, an effective leader shows some form of respect towards the members of his or her team and that empowers the members to feel part of the system that respects their input and opinions. Such an aspect motivates them to deal with their issues critically (Foti & Hauenstein, 2007).

Integrity is also part of the skills that the leader ought to possess. The aim is to provide a good influence that allows leaders to be honest, held accountable, and make decisions without fear or favor of any side. This allows one also to make decisions based on the well-being of all members rather than for selfish interests (Zaccaro, 2007). The influence that comes with the inspiration from leaders is important too. Employees want to work with someone they can look up to and ask for any assistance in case the need arises. The aim is to boost the development of such skills and efficiently consider the need for an organizational plan as may be required to meet personal goals. An effective leader is a good negotiator and also a facilitator. The leader understands the skills needed for certain jobs and can willingly negotiate to get the best out of every situation.

Leadership Support

Any organization that does not have the full support of the management is doomed to fail. The management provides the strategies, creates the policies and establishes the utility of available resources with the aim of meeting company objectives and skills. In our organization, the leaders are keen to get the best from their employees, and that involves learning something from each other (Zaccaro, 2007). The leaders understand that the knowledge possessed in one area is important and can be used to fit into another platform later on. That learning process is imperative and makes the needed change within the company. Employees want change, and the only way of feeling it is by being part of it. This implies learning something new every day, an attribute needed to boost the changes within (Guastello, 2007). This way, the leaders learn how to make things follow the intended path, and success comes from meeting their obligations as effective leaders.

As a Leader

If I would be granted a chance to lead, the change I would make would be about way things are done at the lower levels. Supervisors need to follow the best leadership traits that will make the company better. Transformation looks at going against the status quo, and that is what is needed. Every employee must get a chance to reach the highest possible level, an aspect that should be respected and idealized by al leaders I will make sure that these issues are considered and the change needed is attained as part of the process.