Leadership: Key to Organization Direction & Success - Essay Sample

Introduction

Leadership is the most important elements in an organization or an institution because it provides a sense of direction. Having a sense of direction is important because it will help the stakeholders to understand what they have to do and at a specific time. Therefore, when there is a leader the stakeholders of the organization will have a proper sense of direction. There are different type of leadership that can be used. However, the model of leadership used in an organization varies depending on different factors. Various styles of leadership are associated with different outcome. One such form of leadership is the transformation style of leadership. According to Banks, McCauley & Gardner (2016), the transformational style of leadership is a form of leadership that motivates the followers to go out of their way and accomplish more by focusing on the values of the followers as well as helping the follower to ensure that these values align with those of the organization. Transformational leadership has been used in various organization, and it has several impacts on the organizational as well as personal incomes.

Impacts of the Transformational Leadership Style on Organizational Outcomes

Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Performance

One of the effects that transformational leadership has on the outcome of the organization is development of organizational citizenship behavior/performance (Banks, McCauley & Gardner, 2016). The organizational citizenship behavior/performance is termed as a non-obligatory voluntary behavior that an employee develops that is beyond his or her normal work duties, and no reward is provided in the end. This outcome is beneficial to an organization as well as the personnel working within the organization (Banks, McCauley & Gardner, 2016). The second benefit that this impact has on an organization is that results in positive as well as selfless behavior since the employees can focus on their roles themselves. Lastly, the benefit of this impact is that it increases the performance of the employees.

Culture

Culture is the second impact that transformational leadership has on the outcome of the organization (Hoch, Bommer & Dulebohn, 2018). Transformational leadership will help to develop a certain culture within the organization. In this case, the culture of an organization refers to values as well as the unique behavior which helps to develop a unique social as well as psychological environment for business. It is essential when an organization develops a unique culture in the sense that it will help the employees to be committed in their work hence increase productivity as well as performance(Hoch, Bommer & Dulebohn, 2018). Also, having an organizational culture is vital in the sense that employees will always be compelled to work in a particular direction that will bring benefits to an organization.

Vision

According to Ding et al., (2017), the third impact of transformational leadership on the outcome of an organization is that it will influence the vision. The main four components related to transformational leadership include inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individualized consideration, as well as intellectual stimulation (Ding et al., 2017). These components entail motivating people, developing a foundation for leadership as well as develop a shared vision for the future. Transformational leaders are required in every organization. The main purpose of these leaders in the organization is to change the structure that is present in an organization as well as inspire employees to believe in a new vision that would help in creating new opportunities for the organization as well as that of an individual.

Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Personal Outcomes

As much as transformation leadership has several impacts on the organizational outcomes, it also has some impacts on person outcomes on the people working within an organization.

Empowerment

According to Ng (2017), the first personal outcome of transformational leadership is empowerment. Transformational leaders use strategies and behaviors that will empower their followers as well as motivate them in their duties. When the transformational leadership has empowered the followers, they will have the power to think their ways of developing strategies to approach different task. Also, when the followers are empowered they will have the ability to participate in various activities within the organization thus helping to achieve the goals that have been set. The third characteristic of this personal outcome is that helps in self-efficacy (Ng, 2017). Since the employees are empowered, they will be efficient in their duties.

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is the second personal outcome of the impact of transformational leadership. Job satisfaction entails the positive emotional state or the pleasurable state that develops; as a result, job experience as well as appraisal (Turnnidge & Cote, 2018). Transformation leadership will have a positive impact on job satisfaction in the sense that it will help the employees to be responsible in the tasks that they have been given. These tasks will then help the followers to increase their level of satisfaction as well as accomplishment. Also, transformational leadership will result in job satisfaction in the sense that it will impart a sense of mission among the employees (Turnnidge & Cote, 2018). Furthermore, intellectual stimulation will be fostered whereby the employees are capable of developing their critical thinking as well as problem-solving skills.

Commitment

Another personal outcome that transformational leadership will have a positive impact is commitment. Commitment is vital in the workplace in the sense that it helps the employees focus on their duties and achieve the required goals and objectives (Glaso, Skogstad & Notelaers, 2018). Transformational leadership will ensure commitment in the sense that it creates enthusiasm among the employees. In this case, the employees will develop intense as well as eager enjoyment or interest in the workplace.

Trust

Trust is the other outcome that will be positively affected by Transformational leadership. Trust is one of the important factors that is required between leaders and their followers (Glaso, Skogstad & Notelaers, 2018). Transformational leadership helps to develop a strong relationship between the leaders and their followers. The followers will be able to trust their leaders in any activity because they have helped them to improve their status. The presence of trust within the organization is essential in that it will help to develop a proper organization character as well as influence the structure of an organization (Glaso, Skogstad & Notelaers, 2018).

Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Transformational leadership will result in a positive influence on self-efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy beliefs are the beliefs that the followers have concerning how efficient they are (Mencl & Wefald, 2016). Transformational leadership helps to transform people to become better in their activities. In the process, these individuals develop self-efficacy where they believe that they can undertake any activity effectively. Transformational leaders help their followers to increase their self-efficacy in the sense that they show confidence in them (Mencl & Wefald, 2016). When the leaders have confidence in their followers, they will be motivated in their duties hence they will perform better. Furthermore, when transformational leaders help their followers through their problems as well as their developmental challenges, their confidence will be improved, and they accomplish their duties effectively.

Motivation

Lastly, transformational leadership will have a positive influence on the motivation of the followers. According to Mencl and Wefald (2016), motivation is one of the domains that are related to the domain of a follower. Leaders who use transformational leadership style will be able to motivate their followers. These followers will be motivated to the extent that they will perform their roles beyond their expectations. The followers who are motivated by leaders will exhibit high effort in their roles as well as high energy level in their duties.

Conclusion

Concluding, various leaders have used transformational leadership in different settings, and there are several impacts on the organizational as well as personal outcome. The Transformational style of leadership is positively related to various organizational outcomes. The paper identified that transformational leadership has a positive income on organizational citizenship behavior or performance, the culture of the organization as well, and the vision. As much as transformational leadership has positive impact on the above organizational outcomes, it has also had positive effects on personal outcomes. Some of the personal outcome generated by transformation leadership include empowerment, job satisfaction, commitment, trust, Self-Efficacy beliefs, and motivation. It is recommended that leaders should embrace the transformational leadership style because of the benefits that it has on the organizational as well as personal outcome.

References

Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner, W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2016). A meta-analytic reviewof transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(4),634-652. Retrieved from:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316000163

Ding, X., Li, Q., Zhang, H., Sheng, Z., & Wang, Z. (2017). Linking transformational leadershipand work outcomes in organizations: A social identity approach. International Journal ofProject Management, 35(4), 543-556. Retrieved from:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263786317301679

Glaso, L., Skogstad, A., Notelaers, G., & Einarsen, S. (2018). Leadership, affect, and outcomes:symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships. Leadership & Organization DevelopmentJournal, 39(1), 51-65. Retrieved from:https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/LODJ-08-2016-0194

Hoch, J. E., Bommer, W. H., Dulebohn, J. H., & Wu, D. (2018). Do ethical, and servantleadership explain variance above and beyond transformational leadership? A meta-analysis. Journal of Management, 44(2), 501-529.Retrieved from:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0149206316665461

Mencl, J., Wefald, A. J., & van Ittersum, K. W. (2016). Transformational leader attributesinterpersonal skills, engagement, and well-being. Leadership & OrganizationDevelopment Journal, 37(5), 635-657. Retrieved from:https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/LODJ-09-2014-0178

Ng, T. W. (2017). Transformational leadership and performance outcomes: Analyses of multiplemediation pathways. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(3), 385-417. Retrieved from:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316302375

Turnnidge, J., & Cote, J. (2018). Transformational leadership theory and coaching research inyouth sport: A systematic literature review. International Journal of ExercisePsychology, 16(3), 327-342. Retrieved from:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2016.1189948