Leadership plays an essential role in individuals lives, which is shaped by different aspects and factors in an individual live. Effective leadership is essential not only for organization purposes but also for an individual live growth and development. The success of an individual in personal life as well as in the working or business environment is largely influenced by decisions made by such individuals. There are various approaches and theories used by different leaders in the global economies. However, the preferred style of leadership is the win-win innovation and creativity approach to leadership (Durr 2013). This approach to leadership is also strongly related to transformational style of leadership, which is based on improving all people within my influence.
There are various features that are integral in the style of leadership adopted such as the need to ensure a visionary approach. The approach adopted must not only be beneficial and healthy to the organization, but also should encapsulate the individual and team perspectives. This style of leadership is based on servant style of leadership, where the working is directed towards serving different individuals within the organization. Transformational leadership has been a key catalyst of innovation in various organizations as well as facilitating change in individuals (Weinstein Williams & Wagner 2004). Transformational leadership has been defined as the transforming style of leadership that causes a change in individuals and society, in general.
Transformational style of leadership that I choose to adopt as my personal style of leadership is based on motivating people, through the use of energy, selling a vision with enthusiasm to my followers. This style of leadership is based on improving the followers producing positive changes in their environment. This is due to the fact that it involves developing a vision, objective and mission towards achieving an organization’s objectives (Bass & Riggio 2012). As the leaders adopting the transformational style of leadership, there is a need of understanding that implementation of the leadership style, requires the creation of a vision, which will the base for the creation of the needed change.
Elements of Servant Style of Leadership
Servant style of leadership is the basis of my leadership and will base on various elements, which will be essential. These elements include the ability to communicate effectively through enhancing the ability to listen to various stakeholders such as the employees, directors and customers among others. The ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders, in the organization is essential as well as the ability of reflecting upon such conversations and interactions. The other element is based on the ability of the leader to understand the uniqueness and worthiness of followers within the institution. Understanding the unique values of different individuals in the organization ensures acceptability of the individuals even though their ideas are rejected. My leadership is also based on providing opportunities of growth to different individuals within the institution (Nayab & Edwards 2011).
In addition, when there is an emotional hurt within the institution there is a need to provide a healing process and ensure the growth of such individuals. As a servant leader, there need to ensure awareness of the surrounding environment and open to new discoveries and changing according to changes within the areas of operation. There is need to embrace the art of persuasion in the style of leadership, where as a leader I will be in a position to persuade the followers into a certain direction of various activities, rather than exerting power and authority on followers (Farnen 2013). There is a need for dialogue and building of agreements and consensus within various teams of the organization.
As a servant leader, I understand the need for foresight and ensure visionary leadership, through focusing on various specific goals within the institution. Specific ideas are essential in developing ensuring straightforward and follow through programs that facilitate achievement of the organizational objectives. As a servant leader, there is also need to embrace the aspects of being a steward, as well as working for the good of all stakeholders within the institution, such as the community and workers among others (Durr 2013). There is also need for mentoring the followers enabling them to grow ensuring their fulfillment and satisfaction in their work. As a servant leader, I understand the need leading through mentoring rather that controlling.
As a leader, there is a need to develop personal values, mission, vision and objectives that will facilitate my style of leadership. My basic values as a servant leader are ensuring the integrity and honesty when dealing with every person within my influence. My personal mission is to oversee the progress of every person within my influence of leadership ensuring their personal growth in terms of skills, as well as financial growth. My mission is the transformational of the organization through adoption of my style of leadership. This has been due to the fact that, servant leadership is based on all round growth of the organization and the people operating within the institution (Lang York). My vision is spreading the use of servant leadership in various organizations, which is essential in ensuring comprehensive growth of the society.
Transformational Theory of Leadership
As a servant leader, the most appropriate theory of leadership is the transformational theory of leadership since the basis of the theory is embedded in the values of servant leadership. Transformational leadership can be adopted in various platforms such as in the organization, parenting, as well as in business among other applications (Gilbert 2012). This theory is based on ensuring transformational changes in the organization as well as personal development. Other theories are essential for ensuring the leader is influential but are associated with little changes in the organization. However, transformational leadership is essential in ensuring positive changes in the organization (Hacker & Tammy 2003). Transformational leadership is based on various diverse elements which ensure its operations and operation.
Application of transformational leadership involves the process through which the organizational behavior, culture and leaders in the organization are transformed. This leadership is based on the introduction and articulation of new visions that exhibit new passion and confidence in the organization. The theory is based on pressing importance on the need for ethical behaviors and value system that ensure an organization is operating efficiently. The leadership theory is also based on development of accountability standards for the operations of the organization. As a transformational leader I endure to be charismatic, which will be essential in ensuring that I have influence on the people who are following me (Shelton & Shelton 2012). This will enable me to have an exceptional influence on those who look upon me as their leader.
Transformational leadership also facilitates shared vision, which is essential in ensuring that people take actions beyond the specification of their responsibilities. As a transformational leader, I always endure to exhibit good organizational skills and abilities, which will facilitate alignment of the individual aspirations and motivations to those of the organization. My leadership is based on two diverse components, which include charismatic leadership and stewardship or servant leadership (Singh & Bhandarker 2000).
Elements of Transformational Style of Leadership
As a transformational leader, I understand that my leadership is the base on the basic elements of transformational leadership theory. These include aspects of idealized influence, which states that the transformational leaders always act as the role models in the organization, through displaying charismatic personality, which influence the followers, desire to act as their leader. Therefore, as a transformational I understand the importance of following the core values ethical principles and convictions that guide the day to day activities of the organization (Wolinski 2010). This enables building of trust with the followers hence followers develop confidence in my leadership.
The other element of transformational leadership is the inspirational motivation, which is based on the ability of the leader to inspire motivation, sense of purpose and confidence to the followers. Therefore as a leader I have, I have set various inspiration actions and programs to ensure that my followers are always motivated, have a sense of purpose and confidence in their work. There is a need for effective communication skills due to the need to communicate various messages affecting the teams in the organization with precision power and sense of authority. As a leader, I have endured to ensure that there is continued optimism characterized with enthusiasm and positive mind sets (Schieltz 2013).
The other element of the transformational leader that has shaped my leadership is intellectual stimulation. This is based on the ability of the leader to ensure autonomy and encourage creativity among the followers, which is essential in the decision is making the process. As a leader, I involve the followers in the process of making various decisions affecting their performances. The process is aimed at ensuring stimulation of creativity and innovativeness as a measure of ensuring proper decision making and formulation of transformative solutions to the organization problems. The decision making process is characterized with challenging various assumptions and soliciting of ideas from various followers without critic (Cherry 2013). This enables mutual understandings in creating of solutions affecting the organization enabling the followers to perceive the big picture of the issues affecting the operations of the organization.
The final aspect and element of transformational leadership is individualized consideration, which involves focus on the specific needs and desires of different individuals in the organization. Individualized consideration aspect of transformational leadership enables focusing on the individual desires and needs of different people operating within my sphere of leadership. There are various approaches, which I adopt in ensuring individualized consideration. This includes aspects of one-on-one coaching and mentoring, which facilitates customization of the training sessions. This is essential in the creation of confidence, motivation and individual satisfaction on the work and duties they perform (Gupta 2009).
Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory in Practice
As a transformational leader, I cannot assume that I am an ideal transformational leader. Rather there are various issues that arise within the operations of the organization, which lead to a mix of approaches of leadership. For example, when dealing with non responsive workers, in their transformation, as a leader there are various other approaches that are adopted. In addition, it has been difficult to implement the aspect of individualized considerations, when I am dealing with many followers. This due to the impracticality of individualized approach, when the numbers of followers involved is many.
In addition, there are some cases when as a leader I have to intervene in the decision making process of the followers when the decisions involved could affect the operations of the organization. This moves away from the ideal notion that an ideal transformational leader should facilitate and involve the followers in the process of decision making.
My Personal Leadership Plan
My personal leadership plan is based implementation of the transformation style of leadership in the organization. The aspect of impracticality of the individualized approach to transformational leadership is an issue that is essential in dealing with. This can only be possible through the creation of small teams of leadership, which will facilitate an individualized approach and practicality of the element. This will enable closure of the gap existing between the leaders and followers. In addition, it will facilitate focus on different individuals within the organization as well as ensuring each and every person is involved in the process of making a decision.
In addition, I have enrolled to various leadership training programs, which will facilitate improvement of the skills and practice of leadership. Through the adoption of transformational leadership in management of the organization, it will facilitate the transfer of such knowledge to the followers, hence ensuring the smooth growth of the organization.
References
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Gilbert, K. 2012. Transformational Leadership. New York: Xulon Press.
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Schieltz, M. 2013. Four Elements of Transformational Leadership. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-elements-transformational-leadership-10115.html
Shelton, E. J., & Shelton, E. J. 2012. Transformational Leadership: Trust, Motivation and Engagement. London: Trafford Publishing.
Singh, P., & Bhandarker, A. 2000. Corporate Success And Transformational Leadership. New Delhi: New Age International.
Weinstein, S., Williams, C., & Wagner, L. 2004. Transformational leadership: vision, persuasion, and team building for the development professional. Virginia: Jossey-Bass.
Wolinski, S. 2010, June 3. What is Transformational Leadership? Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Leadership: http://managementhelp.org/blogs/leadership/2010/06/03/what-is-transformational-leadership/
