Transformational Leadership
Introduction
Leadership entails the person’s ability to motivate and move other people’s views for the common goal of a certain organization or group. It can also be defined as the ability to modify how other people think and view a certain issue, whether critical or not, which can affect the organization.
As professionals, it is important to acquire the necessary knowledge and competencies that ultimately allow people to practice their profession. Regardless of the type of setting that these professionals work within the organization, each individual professional is responsible for using organizational resources, participating in organizational routine while providing care to other members, using time productively, collaborating with all members, and using certain leadership characteristics to manage others.
Discussion
Transformational leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. Such kind of leadership exemplified by many leaders is referred to as transformational leadership. Transformational leaders are like Sloan of General Motors Company – they have the ability to arouse group-focused motives in followers which is an important aspect of transformational and charismatic leadership.
Transformational leadership came out in the late 1970s. Researchers were becoming frustrated with the limitations of contemporary leadership models in explaining and predicting the powerful impact that leaders seemed to have on organizations. At the same time, increased levels of business competition stimulated interest among practicing managers in ways to improve personal and organizational functioning. Popular interest made it easier for researchers to gain access to top level leaders, and the demand for the findings of the research fueled the work of both empirical researchers and armchair theoreticians ( 1997).
“ (1986) summarized and integrated three theories of human development to explain the origin, acquisition, and development of transformational leadership. Figure 2 provides an overview of those antecedent events and conditions that previously have been linked to the development of charismatic/ transformational leadership. The three theories are the psychoanalytical, the humanistic, and the constructivist. All three theories lean toward explaining transformational leadership as having its primordial roots in childhood. For example, (1960) identified several family factors, such as birth order, sibling relationships, the home environment, parental ambitions, and attitudes toward the child as having a significant influence on leadership development. He also credited peer group relationships and the nature of an individual’s school environment with having an impact on leadership potential.” (1988)
Evidence has accumulated that transformational leadership can move followers to exceed expected performance (1998). It is seen as a particularly powerful source of effective leadership in Army, Navy, and Air Force settings. Transformational leaders like Alfred Sloan motivate others to do more than they originally intended and often even more than they thought possible. They set more challenging expectations and typically achieve higher performances.
The component which most centrally captures the idea of transformational leadership is that of 'inspirational motivation'. This notion is decidedly change-focused. It holds forth the idea of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things through the influence of the leader. This kind of leader reduces complexity, doubt, cynicism and ambiguity by cutting through to the 'essential' elements, and these are expressed in simple, readily understandable language. Moreover, these simple truths are expressed with conviction. The goal-or better still the vision-is rendered clear and it is made to seem both desirable and achievable (2004).
Transformational leadership can greatly increase a group’s performance. I work as an executive secretary in a telecommunications company. The company I work for has a strong sense of moral and loyalty to its customers. My company has been operating since the early 90’s, introducing analogue cellular phones to the public. As the years passed, the company was able to build its name in the industry, with only one competitor. However, in recent years, the company has declined. Bad management left the company struggling to keep up with competition. Even worse, employees no longer seem motivated to do their part in helping the company increase its profitability. Due to the fact that no one was willing to stand up to change the on-going self-destruction of the company, the dilemma went on for two more years.
But just, recently, the CEO was taken out of position due to numerous complaints not only from the senior management team but also from the shareholders. The CEO position was vacant for 3 months. The board decided to hire someone from outside the company because no one seemed fit for the job of a CEO, also, they wanted to bring fresh ideas to the company. So someone outside the company was hired. The new CEO, which was very young, only 43 years old, was someone met with skeptics. However, the new CEO was not taken aback.
He attacked the problem right away. Transformational leadership includes the idea that one must not force his beliefs upon others. Instead, the person has to inspire others to do so. So the CEO worked tirelessly. He held seminar after seminar for the worn-out employees. He also held trainings so that the employees could be updated with the newest techniques in management. Also, having seen that the company’s profitability is sliding, he came up with a new marketing strategy. Due to the CEO’s passion and capabilities, the employees came to give them their respect. Bit by bit the company’s profitability rose higher, and in one year’s time after the new CEO took over, the company was again at par with its competitor. Through the hard work and motivation of the CEO, the company was able to regain its status. No longer was it down in the mud.
The CEO’s strategy, combined with transformational leadership was able to move mountains for the company.
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