Transformational Leadership

A leader is someone who has the ability to influence followers that have the same determination and outcomes for change as they do. Not all leaders are famous people, or people in high positions of power. There are leaders all around us. They are just ones that possess leadership qualities that not all people have. This does not mean though that they are born leaders. This also doesn’t mean that all leaders are good leaders. They can also harm society, like Hitler. People build their leadership qualities through life experiences. Great leaders are able to effectively influence their subordinates. This influencing is usually done by using their authority. Most people tend to believe and trust in people in authority because they have reputation and rapport. Another source of influence that leaders use to influence others is expertise. “If subordinates believe that their managers have more knowledge or technical skill than they do, they will accept the manager’s view more easily” (Hellriegel et al). Lastly, charisma can also be used to influence others. “A charismatic leader is a person who has the ability to influence others because of his or her inspirational qualities, and have the power to obtain cooperation and devotion of their followers” (Hellriegel et al). Effective leaders know that they need to do more than simply convince others to follow them. They need to effectively communicate their goals along with the goals of their followers to make sure that they are both heading in the same direction. When a leader and their subordinates share the same goals, they help each other work harder in achieving that final common goal. Good leaders are great at making change happen. They see the need for change and work with their followers in making the change happen in the future by setting real goals. The purpose of this paper is to describe what type of leadership style I have at the moment, whether I would like to become a transformational