This paper aims to address an organizational issue and illustrate how the situation could be resolved by using three different models of leadership. The work environment will be described, the significance of the issue will be presented and the resolution will be analyzed using the models of servant leadership, transformational leadership and transactional leadership.
In 1989 I was employed by a retail bank and enrolled into an accelerated management training program, the purpose of which was to fast track my progress to management within 4 years, as opposed to the 15 years typically experienced. The premise behind the program was that candidates did not need an in-depth knowledge of routine or front office activities, they could get a fleeting experience of departments, from 2 weeks to 3 months, and progress on to leadership positions elsewhere in the organization. In my local area there were 45 trainees, all in different offices and stages of the program. Each trainee was responsible for projecting a professional attitude, commanding respect from the team, and completing the Chartered Institute of Bankers examinations.
The issue that developed was quite serious. Over 50% of the trainees did not complete the process, generally for one of two reasons; commanding respect or failure to pass the exams. The reason was not apparent for some time, and the bank leadership created the program knowing that there would be some considerable waste of money and resources for those that
Servant leadership isn’t applied or adequate to only one type of culture or even one type of culture. Servant leadership can actually be applied to all walks of life and all parts of the world. For example, the culture of the Japanese and the religion of the Hindu people both embrace a sense of what we call servant leadership. All religions and cultures have their own unique way in which they apply servant leadership, either based on their beliefs, history, or lifestyles. The significance of servant leadership is demonstrated in different ways within each culture and religion even when some cultures are not aware that what they are implying is servant leadership. As religions and cultures change and expand through time the concept of servant leadership is adapted and applied in different ways.
The two theories that I chose to do my self-assessment by are the authentic leadership theory and the servant leadership theory. The authentic leadership theory was chosen due to my desire to stay true to who I am and what I stand for. However, the servant leadership theory was chosen because of my desire to meet the needs of others while doing what I can to help others succeed as well as meet their set goals. Being a servant while being authentic are the traits I want in my style of leadership and are assessed throughout this paper along with my strengths and weaknesses in the area of leadership.
Since the beginning of recorded history, leadership has been one of, if not the most important elements in the success or failure of an endeavor. This is whether it involved a prehistoric hunting party or ruling the Roman Empire. Today, leadership is recognized as a vital factor in an organization’s quest to be productive and profitable. For an organization to be competitive and achieve optimum success in the 21st century, it is vital that they employ effective leaders that will be able to communicate their vision and goals, motivate their employees and develop trusting and loyal relationships with its stakeholders. There is no one or best way to accomplish this mission. There have been numerous leadership theories and styles which have been developed over time which can enable leaders to choose which method would be most effective for them in establishing collaborative working relationships and a respectful team environment in a group setting (Landis, Eric A; Hill, Deborah; Harvey, Maurice R, 2014).
Employees would not only be responsible for completing the training sessions that pertains to their job and department, but also for other areas throughout the company. Employees would specify other areas of interest during their performance review. This would not only broaden employee’s knowledge but also it would give them additional skills making their chances for advancement stronger. No matter which training program an employee participates in, there will be a test given upon completion. Each employee would have to pass the test with a 70% or better to receive credit for the training.
Michelle’s life embodies the idea of a person who has the x-factor, she shows that leadership is something that is developed over time and learned through experiences. The x-factor is when individuals in a society spark creativity, it is a multi-discipline that borrows and synthesis existing intellectual resources to generate new ones and approach causation. (Burns, 2003). Michelle is a prime example of the ideals of the x-factor that crates a leader.
Servant leadership is a style of leadership practices first outlined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. The style of leadership is different than the other styles of leadership in that the focus of servant leadership is to empower others to make change alongside of the leader. Servant leaders believe in the change being made and work with others to make change happen, instead of simply dictating what needs to be done and how it should be done. Additionally, servant leadership also focuses on the growth and well-being of those serving and those being served. Greenleaf described servant leadership as the following: “The Servant-Leader is servant first… it begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve first (Greenleaf Center).” This is different than those who are leaders first, in that a leader first is more driven by power. The principle of servant leadership, beginning with people with care and compassion, allows a strong community to build. This community could take the form of a company, a classroom or a geographic community.
Leadership of twenty first century has been affected by various aspects of psychology and behavioral change. Various theories describe the importance that their aspects have in a leader’s life. This article discusses, the theories, their importance and the way they affect one leadership life. The paper’s objective is to discuss leadership and how culture influences the performance of an individual and unit in the organization one works for and talks about transformational leadership and the inter-connection between psychological behavior and behavioral change. The paper would explain whether leaders having improved transformational leadership style demonstrate different psychological reaction compared to leaders whose leadership skills do not
The next step is to have them undergo computer based training where they are shown how to operate the cash register. They are taken through mock transactions where the system evaluates how effective the employee is performing on the tests given at the end of each section. Lastly once the employee has successfully completed the computer based training they are then put on the sales floor or cash register with a senior employee and the active duty manager for that shift. This is where the prior training information is out into practical use as the new employee is shown the ropes of their position. In the case of the managers their training program is different whereas the store associates where only given guidance in the last portion of training. There is a whole training program set up for the managers. The management trainee is sent to a larger store to be trained by the general manager of that store in operations procedures and by the assistant mangers in day to day activities with a manual to study. Over a period of twelve weeks this training takes place with weekly reports to the district manager to assess progression and retention of training. When the employees reach the end of twelve weeks the trainee is sent to a new store to begin work. As thorough as the training program seems to be there are a few issues that come to mind. The main issue here is the large focus on
Proper management of institutions is the key to the success of such a firm. The kind of leadership being dispensed directly affects the motivation of employees and their productivity. The two most prominent kinds of leadership are transformational and transactional leadership. This article seeks to discuss the two kinds of leadership and eventually propose the most efficient kind of management.
I have recently completed a service project at the animal shelter in Bulloch County, Georgia. For four days I rode with my group to the animal shelter to play with the animals. Playing with the animals shows them compassion. We played with many dogs over the course of four days. Doing this service have made myself and my group servant leaders. What is a servant leader you ask, well a servant leader wants to help others better themselves. They want to help even if they do not look like, think like, or talk like us.
Transformational and servant leadership are rooted in the study of charismatic leadership. An early conceptual model of "charismatic leadership" has been closely linked with the work of Max Weber, who described the leader as a charismatic person who exercised power through followers' identification with and belief in the leader's personality. Both transformational and servant leadership are both inspirational and moral.
I will use Servant Leadership theory to evaluate my leadership practices. My three strengths in servant leadership are giving my time to help others succeed, giving patience to others, and being humble. Helping others succeed is my first leadership practice strength. In one of my first leadership roles, I was a manager of a pizzeria. I led a team of five.
The foundation of my personal leadership philosophy can be found in the principles of servant leadership as spelled out by Greenleaf (1970, 1977). Leadership is granted to individuals who are by nature servants. An individual emerges as a leader by first becoming a servant. Servant leaders attend to the needs of those they serve and help them become more informed, free, self-sufficient, and like servants themselves. Leaders and those they serve improve, enhance, and develop each other through their connection. A leader must also be conscious of inequalities and social injustices in the organizations they serve and work actively to resolve those issues. Servant leaders rely less on the use of official power and control, but focus on empowering those they
As written in the lines above, employee engagement has a significant impact on an employee and their engagement. Although there has been many articles and research written about leadership and servant leadership, in this study, it will provide and overview, key traits and influences that servant leaders use in collaboration to address significant problems with strategy and other individuals. Therefore, how do managers and leaders facilitate the engagement of their employees? Leaders do this through their leadership style. In 1970, Robert K. Greenleaf identified servant-leadership, which was different from the traditional views of leadership. According to Greenleaf, “The servant-leader is a servant first. Servant
Transformational leadership taps into the motives of followers in order to reach their goals, while transactional focuses on the exchanges that occur between leaders and followers (Northouse, 2013). The branches of the military in general would be considered transactional leadership organizations. This type of leadership encourages followers to perform tasks at a high level in order to achieve advancement or increase in pay or rank. Conversely, transformational leadership would be focused on creating a connection between the leader and the followers, in order to perform tasks in such a way as to increase the feeling of morality in both the leader and the follower (Northouse, 2013). Panorama did not exhibit any behavior that tried to motivate Bailey to feel a connection to him. Instead, Panorama tried to intimidate, coerce, and punish Bailey to execute the tasks he was required to perform.