Introduction
Leadership is one of the ways of making things to happen. It influences followers and makes them follow the decisions of their leader. Transformational leadership accommodates the followers and involves them in making decisions. The paper will explain and compare this kind of leadership with the other two.
The Model
Transformational leadership is a way in which a leader can involve others to create a working environment. It involves creating connections that can increase motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). It encompasses teamwork and gives the followers a chance to express their desires. It also gives them a chance to listen to the leader and follow willingly (Northouse, 2010). Mohandas Gandhi is a good example of this kind of leadership. He recognized the needs of the society and the raised the hopes of his people. The joined him, and he led them to attain their independence (Northouse, 2010).
Transformational leadership comprises of strong moral leadership. The leader communicates high expectations for his or her followers (Northouse, 2010). It causes him or her to inspire many people to engage in a shared vision. The leader can cause others to be creative and use their creative skills to advance the unified vision (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The leader is also able to listen keenly to the needs of the followers and address their concerns (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
Other Leadership Models
When I look at the other types of leadership, I find some things that make them lose contact with the followers. Transactional leadership only examines the actions of the leader and the follower (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). It rewards and or punishes according to the measures that the leader sets without involving the followers (Northouse, 2010). The leader in this kind of arrangement can promise things because of a foreseeable selfish gain.
The followers may support the leader with the assumption that the leader would do something better for them. But the pseudotransfomational leadership only has the interest of the leader at heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The leader’s wishes and opinions become the laws that every follower should obey. It is self-centered and only seeks to benefit the leader. The example of Adolf Hitler does not shed a positive light on this kind of leadership (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
The Best Choice
Transformational leadership is a model that I would like to apply to my working environment now. It comprises of factors that all individuals can learn quickly and adapt faster (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The examples of this application are awesome because if a leader has good intentions, the results can be unequivocally good (Northouse, 2010).
It has five important practices. One of them is that it models the way. The leader comes up with the vision and prepares the followers for the journey to achieve the goals. It also inspires a shared vision (Northouse, 2010). The people come to believe in the shared vision and work with the leader. The leader and the followers must also challenge the process. It enables other to act and encourages the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
I am now trying to put teams together so that I can lay the foundations of good leadership. The teams can then become focus groups resulting from the main departments of the organization (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The sales team, the human resource team, the production department, the logistics, and the store management department are all part of this plan (Northouse, 2010). There is a timetable that I prepared with the team leaders after meeting with all the teams. It comprises of training that would commence in the next three weeks (Northouse, 2010).
The main goal is to introduce to the teams about the new arrangements for association with them towards the improvement of the firm and their personal development agendas (Northouse, 2010). It would help to make them informed about the process. There could be some who still believe that they can continue doing the same things as they had done. The main work is to be able to convince them and work towards making them believe in the vision.
I would visit their places of work and find out their challenges and desires so that I can come up with solutions (Northouse, 2010). I would also like to engage them in Friday briefings to find out how their week had been and how we can start the following week on a positive note. I would lay down the goals for them and engage them through their team leaders towards achieving greater success (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
In as much as I am working towards building these teams, I would like them to see my hard work at the firm as a good example. They can copy what I am doing by coming to work early and on time, having a timetable for all the day’s activities and ensuring that I complete most of the work. In case of any delays, I ensure that sometimes I willingly extend my working hours for the day or finish it first thing in the morning.
References
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2012). Leadership practices inventory. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.