Leadership is considered vital in the management process due to its direct impact on organizational performance and ability to achieve goals. Experienced leaders clarify the purpose, constantly motivating and leading the organization to the realization of its mission. It is reflected in the definition of leadership, which implies affecting others to translate the shared vision and decide what and how it can be done effectively (Kovach, 2018). Thus, successful leadership facilitates individual and collective efforts to achieve those shared objectives. Moreover, if subordinates (regardless of their positions) understand and value the role of leadership, they can meaningfully contribute to the organizational goals. Leadership is not a new concept in society and has a vast theoretical background and classification. Transformational leadership belongs among them, representing one of the earlier leadership types. In a recent study, Kovach (2018) researched the possibilities of transformational leadership’s impact on different organizational factors. Her article uncovered both positive and negative outcomes, which depend on the managerial decisions and the overall situation inside the organization.
According to its name, transformational leadership implies the subordinates’ transformation to increase organizational performance. Due to the variety of possible transformations, this leadership type provides an invaluable conceptual framework for practice and analysis; it has quickly managed to attract substantial scholarly attention since its inception. Kovach (2018) defines transformational leadership with several following features. The influence leader has on his subordinates is idealized; they are motivated, challenged, and boosted by his example. Through the provision of individual attention, the leader expands their creativity, builds a positive atmosphere, and aims to maintain a high team spirit. This type requires a close bond between the leader and his followers; otherwise, the effect will be relatively small or even absent (Kovach, 2018). The tendency to bond is caused by the main transformational traits of such leaders, such as attractiveness, high initiative, credibility, courage, and reasoning (Kovach, 2018). By being communicative and genuinely empathic, the leader can recognize and foster the potential and talent of individual workers. In this context, to assess the direct effect of transformational leadership on organizational performance, Kovach conducted a study oriented on performance management evaluation.
First, she chose a nationwide healthcare corporation to tell how this leadership style can advance responsible leadership outcomes through leader values, behavior, and follower perceptions. The findings suggest that the major impact can be described as an increased corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the willingness to devote more time and effort to organizational problems (Kovach, 2018). Second, Kovach researched the force of the transformational leadership impact in the case of a “bad” example from the leader’s side. In particular, in the example of a paper-producing company, she evaluated the study of potential harmful implications of leadership on unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Subsequent conclusions implied that the leader’s language and the subordinates’ traits could determine unethical behaviors (Kovach, 2018). These findings showcase one of the possible reasons for such behaviors’ occurrence in the workplace. An important notion is that, in both cases, the organizational culture served as a mediator between the leader and his employees. It amplified the positive effect of leadership and hindered the negative one (at least in the short term) (Kovach, 2018). The reciprocity of leader-follower relationships and organizational culture highlights the interconnection between the two.
Overall, the article provides a well-balanced generalized overview of the transformational leadership topic. Among its main strengths is an organized theoretical and historical background that not only covers transformational leadership but also compares and contrasts it to other leadership types. In addition, the article exceeds the boundaries of business organizations and evaluates the leadership practices in sports; the contrast allows for a better understanding of different leadership types’ possible implications. However, some of the main weaknesses can be derived from the strengths. For instance, the article’s broad perspective sometimes left too little space for concrete details, mainly concentrating on summarizing and generalizing information. Moreover, the undertaken study required a great deal of time and effort invested, which left several referenced pieces of research to become relatively outdated in the context of the overall research conducted in the field. Nevertheless, the article still presents a valuable asset when it comes to understanding the topic of transformational leadership.
According to the various indicators, transformational leadership has a significant impact on the organization and its employees, both positive and negative. Through charismatic and supportive behavior, transformational leaders are capable of changing the people around them, allowing for a better-shared purpose alignment and increased CSR. It ultimately increases subordinates’ desire to genuinely put effort into the organization’s well-being, which positively influences organizational performance. However, if a capable leader decides to omit some ethical issues, employees might follow his example and conduct UPB. Organizational culture plays a role of an intermediate in these relationships, adjusting to the established workplace atmosphere. In summary, transformational leadership’s potential resembles a double-edged sword, which in the right hands can do wonders and wreak havoc in the wrong ones.
References
Kovach, M. (2018). An examination of leadership theories in business and sport achievement contexts. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 11(2), 14.