Compare and contrast any two theories of leadership
In the following essay I will look at leadership, its definition and compare and contrast two theories behind it. I will firstly see if there is a distinction between leadership and management as suggested by John
Kotter(1990) who goes on further to stress that organisations require both a leader and a manager but the function can be provided by a single individual. I will then look at some definitions of leadership such as that by Bryman(1999), “The process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal attainment”. The two leadership theories which I will compare and contrast are transactional and transformational. I will also
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Transactional leadership relies on the workers behaviour being influenced by means of reward by the leader.
There is co-dependency between the leader and the worker, one has to offer the other something for a desired outcome. A real life example of transactional leadership is the use of commission in the sales industry. Performance to the leader’s requirement or expectation is rewarded. This could be seen as one of the advantages of this type of leadership, that is it provides a clear idea of what is required. Watch any episode of the BBC television programme ‘The Apprentice’ and this theory is clearly demonstrated throughout. The main disadvantage becomes clear, the assumption is everyone is motivated by monetary rewards and this is simply untrue.
In contrast transformational leadership is the infusion of motivation and inspiration into the workers to do the work by their leader as suggested by Anita(2008)“You have to look at leadership through the eyes of the followers and you have to live the message. What I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organisation.” The election campaign that was run by the now US President,
Barak Obama, was transformational. Obama influenced the voters with his charisma and motivated them by addressing issues that appealed to them. This highlights
The three leadership practice of Dr. Cliff Roberts of Nebraska CHI delegated leadership, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership is a type of leadership where the leader does a lot of communication with the staff, they identify the change needed, create a plan to change through inspiration and executes the change while developing the follower into a leader. The leader is always generally energetic, enthusiastic and passion about their work. They are always inspiring positive changes into employees, focus on helping the staff succeed well, always challenging employees to take greater ownership in their work and understand the weakness and strength of each person and align each with the task that optimizes their performance.
Transformational leaders encourage group work, as they connect each follower’s identity and self to the project and collective identity of the corporation. They are role models for other staff and this inspires them and makes them
Leadership is a facet of management. It is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this managers must undertake the four functions of management: planning, organization, leading and controlling. In some cases leadership is just one important component of the leading function. Predpall (1994) said, "Leaders must let vision, strategies, goals, and values be the guide-post for action and behavior rather than attempting to control others". In some circumstances, leadership is not required. For example, self-motivated groups may not require a single leader and may find leaders dominating. The fact that a leader is not always required proves that leadership is just an asset and is not essential.
5. Transactional leadership includes a deal between the leader and his/her followers. The workers are basically doing tasks for the organization, in order to receive some kind of benefits, money, etc.
Much has been written about the difference between management and leadership. In the past, competent management staffs ran effective companies. In light of our ever-changing world, however, most companies have come to realize that it is much more important to lead than to manage. In today's world the old ways of management no longer work. One reason is that the degree of environmental and competitive change we are experiencing is extreme. Although exciting, the world is also very unstable and confused. In an article entitled What’s the Difference between Your Hospital and the Other? Gary Campbell states that the difference between a manager and a leader is that the manager “finds himself quite willing to
Transactional leadership on the other hand was first described in 1947 by Max Weber; he first coined "rational-legal leadership — the style that would come to be known as transactional leadership — as the exercise of control on the basis of knowledge” (Spahr, 2014). According to Spahr (2014), characteristics of transactional leaders include: focus on short-term goals, favor structured policies and procedures, thrive on rule following and doing things correctly, revel in efficiency, left-brained, inflexible, and opposed to change.
Compare and contrast two theories of leadership. Do these theories offer practical guidance for managers?
“Transactional leadership is a style of leadership focused on contingent rewards of followers” (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006, p.180). Goals are set, directions are given, and rewards are used to reinforce employee behaviors associated with meeting or exceeding established goals. Followers are manipulated and controlled with rewards of praise and recognition, merit raises, and promotions, which can be given or withheld according to the employee’s performance. The outcome of such behavior is enhanced role clarity, job satisfaction and improved performance (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006).
Organizational leadership builds on traditional theories in order to form new and exciting directions. Transactional leadership is a traditional theory, which has been used as a platform to understand leadership and further develop techniques for higher organizational performance. The three components of transactional leadership help shape and define the style, but are not always strictly adhered to. There are many advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership. Knowing how and when to apply this style will prove useful for most successful organizational leaders. President Dwight Eisenhower was a good example of how transactional leadership could be used successfully.
The theme of leadership is relevant today for many areas of life. After consulting the dictionary, one can construe the leadership as an inner force that manifests in the ability to influence and to control others. A person possesses this quality when he/she can guide masses and move them to the goal, take the consequences and realize the responsibility for himself/herself and others. Shakespeare once remarked that to be a good leader, first of all, one should serve faithfully and loyally. Otherwise, leadership is a destructive force: either you succeed, or it destroys you. “Macbeth” and “Lord of The Flies’ are epitomes of both leadership patterns and worth.
Two different leadership styles, which were first identified in 2004 by a noted scholar named Burns, are transactional and transformational leadership (Marquis & Hutson, 2009). Transactional leadership is a more traditional style of leadership and it is where the leader sets goals, gives directions, and uses a reward system to motivate employee’s behaviors related to
The essay classifies leadership into four key approaches: (1) trait approach, (2) behaviour approach, (3) the
Classical organisational theorist defined leadership in terms of achieving a group’s objectives R.C Davies (1942) referred to leadership as “the principle dynamic forces that motivates and coordinates the organisation in the accomplishment of its objectives.” Similarly, Urwick (1953) stated that the leader is “the personification of common purpose not only to all who work under taking, but to everyone outside it.” K. Davies (1962) defined leadership as “the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards goals.” Cattell (1951) took the extreme position that leadership is whatever or whoever contributes to the group’s performance. To measure each members Leadership, Cattell noted, removed him or her from the group, one at a time, and observe what happens to the group’s performance. Calder (1977) and Pfeffer (1977) “stated that leadership is mainly influence and is even attributed to participants after the fact.
Leadership is a process of influencing activities of a particular group of people with the aim of attaining certain stipulated goals. In defining leadership there is need to consider a particular group, the common goals and the duties that are allocated to specific members of the group depending on their abilities (Fiedler 1976). Leadership therefore cannot successfully occur unless members of the group are given different considerations in terms of personality, traits and responsibilities. In considering leadership, it is important to look at the leader, the group or organization they are leading, the members as individuals and the situation; these are
Transactional leadership theory encompasses contingent reward, active management-by-exception, and passive management-by-exception (Harms & Credé, 2010). Yuhl (1999) states that a distinct impersonal exchange