Styles of Leadership
Leadership is described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". There have been many leadership theories of what produces good leadership involving traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values, charisma, and intelligence, among others. The role every manager must fill in the workplace is being a good leader. Managers often make the mistake of assuming they are good leaders because they are the manager and that their associates will automatically follow. In reality, position only denotes title, not leadership. To be an effective leader, the manager must influence their associates in a positive way to reach the goals of the organization. There are two types of leadership approaches I will be discussing in this paper. First being Transactional Leadership, it focuses on the exchanges that occur between leaders and their followers. Second being Transformational Leadership, a process Process of engaging with others to create a connection that increases motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower. A leader should be attentive to the needs and motives of followers and tries to help followers reach their fullest potential.
Which style is best?
Of the two leadership styles listed, the transformational leadership approach is better for managers and can help managers become exceptional leaders. Transformational leadership is a process of transforming the organizational behavior, the culture and the individuals while simultaneously transforming the leader himself. Transactional Leadership, also known as managerial leadership, focuses on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance; transactional leadership is a style of leadership in which the leader promotes compliance of his followers through both rewards and punishments. Transformational leaders