Examine Situational and Transformational Leadership Theories a Case Study
Key Learning Outcomes
By the end of the case, students should be able to:
- Understand the meaning of leadership, the several leadership approaches that are used by management in an organization, and their impact on employee welfare
- Understand the meaning of Situational and transformational leadership, their various approaches, and the similarities and differences between the two
- Learn how to apply the various leadership models to any organization
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Leadership is defined as a process of leading an organization or a group of people toward achieving a common objective. The leadership of an organization is the ability of the management to safeguard the company’s welfare by realizing its employee’s wants and the company’s targets by providing a safe working environment so that they can both achieve their goals and objectives. This paper will analyze both situational and transformational leadership, two of the most influential theories of leadership in the field of management.
Situational leadership is based on the idea that different situations require different styles of leadership. According to this theory, leaders should adapt their behaviour to the level of maturity and competence of their followers, as well as the demands of the task and the environment. There are four main styles of situational leadership: directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. Each style corresponds to a different combination of task-oriented and relationship-oriented behaviours.
Transformational leadership refers to a leadership style that transforms individuals through its strategic influence and technique that empowers and enhances employee self-worth through changing their values, norms, and attitudes, to be compatible with the vision developed by the leader which is believed to eventually enhance their overall wellbeing. As its name suggests transformational leaders aim at changing and transforming employees therefore it is concerned with trust, emotions, values, standards, and long-term goals. According to this theory, leaders should exhibit four dimensions of behaviour: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. These behaviours help leaders to create a shared vision, foster trust and respect, challenge and encourage creativity, and provide support and feedback.
It is believed that transformational leadership greatly boosts the motivation, morale, and performance of employees through a number of mechanisms such as the employee’s sense of identity, being their role model, challenging them to take greater responsibility for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses so as to align them with tasks that improve their performance.