An Overview of Transformational Leadership

Running Head: An overview of Transformational Leadership

An overview of Transformational Leadership

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Although some people treat the terms "manager ship" and "leadership" as synonyms, the two should be distinguished. As a matter of fact, there can be leaders of completely unorganized groups, but there can be managers, as conceived here, only where organized structures create roles. (Main, 1987) Separating leadership from manager ship has important analytical advantages. It permits leadership to be singled out for study without the encumbrance of qualifications relating to the more general issue of manager ship.

Leadership is an important aspect of managing. (Kotter, 1990) As this paper will show the ability to lead effectively is one of the keys to being an effective manager, also, undertaking the other essentials of managing-doing the entire managerial job-has an important bearing on ensuring that a manager will be an effective leader. Managers must exercise all the function of their role in order to combine human and material resources to achieve objectives. The key to doing this is the existence of a clear role and a degree of discretion or authority to support manager's actions.

The essence of leadership is follower ship. (Haller & Til, 1982)

In other words, it is the willingness of people to follow that makes a person a leader. Moreover, people tend to follow those whom they see as providing a means of achieving their own desires, wants, and needs.

Leadership and motivation are closely interconnected. By understanding motivation, one can appreciate better what people want and why they act as they do. Also, as noted in the previous chapter, leaders may not only respond to subordinates, motivations but also arouse or dampen them by means of the organizational climate they develop. Both these factors are as important to leadership as they are to manager ship.

Defining Leadership:

Leadership has different meaning to various authors. (Bass, 1981) Leadership is defined as influence, that is, the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals ideally, people should be encouraged to develop not only willingness to work but also willingness to work with zeal and confidence. Zeal is ardor, earnestness, and intensity in the execution of work; confidence reflects experience and technical ability. Leaders act to help a group attain objectives through the maximum application of its capabilities. They do not stand behind a group to push and prod, they place themselves before the group as they facilitate progress and inspire the group to accomplish organizational goals. A good example is an orchestra leader, whose function is to produce coordinated sound and correct tempo through the integrated effort of the musicians. (Drucker, 1988) Depending on the quality of the director's leadership, the orchestra will respond. (Koontz & Weihrich, 1994)

CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT LEADERS

Those in LEADERSHIP:

L LISTENS to their followers

E ENVISION a great future

A ANTICIPATE problems - they are prepared

D DISCIPLE their followers

E EXPECT the best from others

R RELY on God and others

S SERVES their followers

H HANDLE the most difficult situations

I IGNITE enthusiasm in their followers

P PRACTICE what they Preach. (Carlson, 2005)

Managerial skill requirements of leaders:

Scholars have expressed a variety of views as to what managerial skills are required of leaders. Kats and khan suggest technical, human relations and conceptual skills. The technical skills relate to the knowledge and expertise in performing managerial duties and responsibilities. The human relations skill deals with the ability of managers to get along with others. The ability to take a total systems approach by relating the goals and activities of one's department to other departments and the organization as a whole is the conceptual skill. A manager must have the ability to see how his decisions affect others and how he and his department are affected by the decisions of others. Not all are likely to be equally strong in these different skills. In one level of organization, one combination may be effective and in another level, another combination may be necessary. For instance, at the top level, more technical skill is required than the other two skills. Human relations skills are equally important at all levels.

Effective leadership:

The possession of the above skills alone will not guarantee the effectiveness and success in undertaking managerial responsibilities. Each individual manager must develop his own strategy to prove his managerial effectiveness. Flexibility is the universal quality of the modern manager. He must try to build a working climate, which makes the subordinate's goals clearer and more personal. Some qualities of effective leadership are

 Consulting members in setting group goals

 Listening to the suggestion of subordinates

 Discussing contemplated changes with subordinates

 Work problems are discussed at frequent meeting

 Supplying workers with good equipment and materials

 Listening to complaints and grievances of subordinates

 Help them to fit into the group

 Shows great interest in the welfare of the group

Who is a successful leader?

After discussing various theories, styles, views and the characteristics of leaders. One question lingers