Leadership is a vital aspect in implementing organizational change for every institution to survive. As times change, organizations have gained the need to constantly reevaluate and review recent technological advancements to cope with the current technological advances. Creating a high-performing workforce has increased over the past years, with business leaders striving to aspire members to go past their duty management requirements.
Transformational leadership is a new change in the organization’s structure executed to oversee a successful change implementation. The approach emphasizes how leaders can enhance positive and creative change in their subordinates. Transformational leaders are geared towards specific aspects such as intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, idealized influence, and individualized considerations. With such leadership, the organization is guaranteed to succeed in all aspects or endeavors it would undertake in the future.
Transformational leadership theory has been researched for an extended period by different scientists yielding positive performance outcomes, including group, individual, and organizational level variables. The theory was the first to be developed concerning leadership and, over the years, has been validated to emphasize values and morals in guidance (Buil, MartĂnez, and Matute, 2019). The theory has also gained critique where the leaders have been seen using it negatively, creating undesirable traits for the theory. Regardless, the theory has proven to be valuable, practical, and widely used as an approach in studying and teaching leadership.
In some cases, leaders have lacked an adequate understanding of this theory as it has not been presented right. Transformational leadership theory is tested and constructed by focusing on success and examining the failures that arise. With proper motivation, guidance, and support, followers can positively affect a particular change intervention. Still, when these aspects are not provided, they can impact the intended change negatively.
With transformational leadership, a change can be affected positively or negatively depending on the leader overseeing the change implementation. An example can be seen when an organization wants to implement a technological algorithm that will reduce the number of times workers use to transit from one shift to another. The change will induce a system that workers from the previous shift will key in data and records of work done to enable the following staff to know where to start.
An effective leader shows by example while following the progress and asking the workers how the change affects them. Additionally, asking for the views from the staff about the change and any amendments that can be made can motivate the workers towards practical implementation.
Management and leadership are different aspects that can be intertwined and viewed as one but are diverse. Leadership and management work together for the advancement of the organization (Kotter, 2001). The significant difference between leaders and managers is that managers have people who work for them, while leaders have people who follow them. For instance, a leader is on the ground showing how it is done while managers check progress. Leaders formulate ideas that can help the organization and the staff, while managers think of ways to execute the ideas while analyzing the risks that may come with the impression (Kotter, 2001).
Leaders are goal-oriented and focus on future opportunities that the organization may benefit from, while managers aim at achieving the organizational goal by implementing procedures and processes with budgeting protocols, staffing, and corporate structuring.
A leader acts as the force that enhances a proper change implementation. Leadership refers to the ability to modify, impact and exercise control over the behavior of a group or individuals. It also entails establishing and staying in the course of the values and vision set by the organization. When planning for an organizational change, change-oriented leaders ensure the success of the planned change (Eliyana, Ma’arif, and Muzakki, 2019).
For instance, if a leader does not push for the change to be effective, the staff will lack the motivation to implement it successfully. In transformational leadership, the leader urges the followers to outdo their personal beliefs to better the organization. The leader gives morale and motivation in job performance while putting effort into their followers to accept the changes (Kotter, 2001). Leaders voice the change and expectations to their followers. They are aware that if the intended change does not bear the expected results, they will be held accountable, which makes them more aggressive towards the success of the change.
For every organization to develop positively, there is a need to have stable leadership as it helps achieve the set change goal. With good leadership, workers are motivated to accept the desired goal and strive towards the advancement of the organization (Kotter, 2001). Additionally, a competent leader ensures the intended change is successfully implemented while eliminating possible resistance and strengthening the results derived from the change.
The leader communicates the transition to the followers and what the organization requires from the change, and a leader with vision can lead the team towards achieving organizational requirements (Kotter, 2001). For example, when there are problems when implementing change, a leader should guide the workers on appropriate ways to handle the issue while asking them possible solutions to the complication because a leader involves the team.
A visionary leader who can foresee an upcoming change and talk with the managerial staff on how the change can be implemented is vital for any organization. A leader who can speak up when things are out of control when implementing a change can save the organization losses. A good example is when the planned budget for the envisioned change rises, the leader should communicate ways the firm can avoid the extra cost and still make the change process a success.
In conclusion, for change to be effective, the managerial staff and the leaders need to work harmoniously towards achieving the organizational goal. Leaders are at the forefront of a successful change implementation strategy. Transformational leadership should be endorsed by any organization that recognizes the importance of successful change implementation. With a competent leader that knows how to motivate the followers, change implementation can be an easy and profitable task for the organization. Relying only on the managers, the company can encounter resistance and experience losses while performing any amendment.
Reference List
Buil, I., MartĂnez, E. and Matute, J. (2019) ‘Transformational leadership and employee performance: the role of identification, engagement and proactive personality‘. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77(1), pp. 64-75. Web.
Eliyana, A., Ma’arif, S. and Muzakki (2019) ‘Job satisfaction and organizational commitment effect in the transformational leadership towards employee performance‘. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 25(3), pp.144-150. Web.
Kotter, J. (2001) What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 1, pp.1-11.