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A transformational leader is one who encourages others to find ways to grow and change. Although you might think of it as a strategy for business leaders, transformational leadership can be useful even beyond the corporate world. In education, this leadership style helps educators, from teachers and administrators to counselors and coaches, motivate each other to improve and innovate within their classrooms. It can even help educators find solutions to conflicts within their educational organizations.

We discuss the many applications and rewards of transformational leadership in education below.

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Traditionally, managers simply ask employees to complete assigned duties and expect compliance. A transformational leader, though, pushes team members to get creative.

Transformational leadership became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, following the publication of James MacGregor Burns's Leadership. The book, according to Sage Publishing, "is still considered the seminal work in the field of leadership studies. [Burns's] theory of transactional and transformational leadership has been the basis of more than 400 doctoral dissertations."

In any field, transformational leadership helps teams improve their performance. Here are some specific advantages of this leadership style in education.

Encourages Differences

Consider the following situation. An elementary school hires three math teachers. Each instructor uses the same lesson plans and curriculum. But each of them is different in an important way: each holds valuable knowledge and a perspective about the world that's unique to them. One was a statistician at a top government agency before deciding they wanted to help students understand math. Another recently worked with underprivileged children in the Peace Corps. And the third was an actor and performer before deciding to become a teacher.

A transformational leader wouldn't ignore these new math teachers' diverse skills and abilities. Instead, a transformational leader would encourage these new instructors to share their unique insights. This leader might encourage the former statistician to find engaging ways to teach statistics. They would motivate the Peace Corps volunteer to share their experiences abroad. They would ask the actor/performer to use their creative skills in the classroom.

Any organization is made up of a diverse group of individuals. Some of these individuals may follow unique religious or cultural customs. Others may have valuable skill sets and professional experiences. An organization that embraces differences enables staff members to use their diversity to the benefit of all. This also includes parents and families, who can benefit from the unique education their child is receiving. This approach lends itself to education as well as to the corporate world.

Fosters Participation in School Decisions

How does transformational leadership affect decision making in schools? Suppose a superintendent is considering adjusting the start time for middle schools. They have heard that starting school 30 minutes later leads to better educational outcomes for middle schoolers, and wants to try this in their district. The superintendent could simply make this decision without any teacher input. Instead, they hold a forum on the topic within the school district so educators, parents, and other family members can share thoughts.

The superintendent is showing transformational leadership by encouraging individuals to participate. Participants appreciate that their concerns are being heard and acknowledged and are willing to contribute their ideas.

Emphasizes Morals, Communication, and Authenticity

Over the front entrance of a high school hangs a banner that reads, "Speak your mind. Be part of the school community." But educators and students at the high school, as well as students' families, don't believe the banner actually reflects their school's real attitude toward speaking out.

How would a transformational leader change this view? The leader could use traditional methods to encourage educators, parents, and students to share their feedback. But these traditional methods might not work in actual practice.

For example, the school could create a suggestion box where students, parents, and educators share their thoughts and concerns. But the suggestions might never be addressed, or even collected, by school leadership. Another traditional method is asking educators directly about their concerns. In this case, educators may mention specific problems-for example, the period between classes is too short to give them enough time to prepare for the next class. But when educators point out the problems they see, leaders often don't follow through with solutions.

Whether suggestions come in the form of anonymous notes in a suggestion box or directly from polling educators about their concerns, administrators at high schools like this one often fail to address the complaints raised.

Suppose the high school used transformational leadership. Transformational leaders would understand the importance of authenticity and practicing what they preach. Encouraging, listening to, and responding to feedback shows the school cares about the concerns of teachers and students. Also, it communicates the message that the school has strong morals, such as trustworthiness and respect, and sticks to them.

Allows Students to Make their Own Decisions and Have Autonomy

Here's another case illustrating transformational leadership in education. In this scenario, two science instructors are teaching physics and engineering basics. Each has assigned the same activity- students build toothpick towers and notice the results. The first instructor gives students an extensive set of guidelines for completing the class project, such as how many toothpicks they can use. Their students follow the guidelines and achieve the expected results. The other teacher encourages students to find new approaches to the project on their own. Their students experiment with alternative materials and find innovative ways to design and build their toothpick towers This is possible simply because they, a transformational leader, allowed students the freedom to make their own decisions.

Teachers can't always give students choices in the classroom or grant them a voice in every aspect of their educational experience. But when they get an opportunity to give students autonomy, it allows both educators and students to thrive.

Transformational Leadership in Education

Educators can choose between two leadership styles: transmissional or transformational. A transmissional instructor focuses on conveying information to students, without inviting their participation. A transformational leader, on the other hand, finds ways for students to share their viewpoints. This open communication then improves student understanding.

Educators who are transformational leaders get positive results, including higher student engagement with their course material and other school pursuits. "Subordinates of transformational leaders have less role conﬂict, higher task performance, and higher satisfaction with a task than subordinates with non-transformational leaders," according to an article published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology.

For example, suppose a history instructor wants to teach a lesson about the 2019 protests in Hong Kong. They encourage their students to participate in a classroom discussion regarding the protestors, how the United States should help or respond, and if actions by the Hong Kong government are justified. The lively discussion sparks student engagement. And their engaged students end up doing better on their assignments and showing a deeper understanding of current events in context.

This type of leadership can also positively impact parents of students. For example, an educator may be concerned that the Hong Kong protests are too divisive of a subject to cover in class. That educator could reach out to parents and families to gauge their thoughts on how the topic should be covered.

A component of transformational leadership is celebrating the unique elements that make individuals different. Suppose an elementary school teacher plans a lesson on the holiday Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindus as well as members of other faiths. Merely explaining the customs of Diwali could lead to low participation or engagement. But if a student in the class celebrates this holiday, a transformational leader will encourage that student to share their personal experiences with the holiday. Again, students are engaged and end up doing better work and understanding more as a result.

Professionalism vs. Direct Leadership

Even though transformational leadership is more dynamic and its counterpart, direct leadership, is more rigid, both are equally appropriate choices for educators. Educators who are dedicated and professional can choose either path if they understand that transformational leadership doesn't mean anything goes and direct leadership doesn't mean an authoritarian stance that kills student enthusiasm.

In fact, in education, transformational leadership might actually promote a more professional atmosphere. This is because direct leadership can stir up conflict in classrooms, with students and teachers alike pushing back against strict rules and formulaic directions. It can also encourage parents and families to voice their opinion about their child's educational process. So by encouraging transformational leadership and embracing differences, educators can achieve greater progress and a more positive school and classroom atmosphere. Despite not using a direct style of leadership, educators can still maintain a high degree of professionalism, leading students by modeling trust and respect.

Discover How American University Inspires Educators

Transformational leadership motivates educators and students alike to share insights and opinions that can change the classroom. Graduates of American University's Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership program understand how to empower others without overpowering them. They know the importance of helping students to make their own decisions. They can attest to how transformational leadership can help schools evolve. Graduates of this program are prepared to land distinguished positions with competitive salaries in the education field, all while making the educational landscape a creative and inspiring place to bring about exciting changes.

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Transformational Leadership in Education | American University

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A transformational leader is one who encourages others to find ways to grow and change. Although you might think of it as a strategy for business leaders, transformational leadership can be useful even beyond the corporate world.

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Companies that claim to be transforming seem to be everywhere. But stories of successful change efforts are exceptionally rare. A study of S&P 500 and Global 500 firms reveals that those leading the most successful transformations - creating new offerings and business models to push into new-growth markets - share five common characteristics and strategies: Transformational CEOs tend to be "insider outsiders;" they use culture change to drive engagement; they strategically pursue two separate journeys; they communicate powerful narratives about the future; and they develop a roadmap before disruption takes hold.

Companies that claim to be "transforming" seem to be everywhere. But when you look more deeply into whether those organizations are truly redefining what they are and what they do, stories of successful change efforts are exceptionally rare. In a study of S&P 500 and Global 500 firms, our team found that those leading the most successful transformations, creating new offerings and business models to push into new growth markets, share common characteristics and strategies. Before describing those, let's look at how we identified the exceptional firms that rose to the top of our ranking, a group we call the Transformation 10.

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What the Best Transformational Leaders Do

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Companies that claim to be transforming seem to be everywhere. But stories of successful change efforts are exceptionally rare.

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The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.

So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

Keep a journal. Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability.

So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

Hold yourself accountable. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

Practice being calm. The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Re-examine why you're doing your job. It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic.

How can you improve your empathy?

Respond to feelings. You ask your assistant to work late - again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social Skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior.

So, how can you build social skills?

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Emotional Intelligence in Leadership - Learning How to Be More Aware

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Relating to others is vital in today's workplace. Learn how to build your emotional intelligence (EI) with this article.

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5 Brilliant TED Talks That Will Boost Your Emotional Intelligence

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5 Brilliant TED Talks That Will Boost Your Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional intelligence is more than a hot topic or trending hashtag. The term describes an extremely important concept: a person's ability to recognize his or her own and other people's emotions, to understand the powerful effect of these emotions, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior. This quality greatly enhances your efforts to achieve success--in many areas of life.

So how do you develop emotional intelligence? As with any skill, you must study and practice. Here are 5 TED Talks that will help you increase self-awareness and start targeting areas for improvement.

1. Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend

In this open and honest talk, psychologist Kelly McGonigal admits a fundamental change in her thinking regarding stress. She recounts that for years she taught others what sounds like a completely reasonable theory: Stress makes people sick. But then she shares the research that got her thinking differently: Stress may only be bad for you if you believe that it's bad for you.

McGonigal encourages us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to the resulting benefits in doing so. She also teaches us how reaching out to others--either when we're under stress or when they are--helps build resilience.

2. Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep

You know Ms. Huffington as the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, as well as an accomplished author and businesswoman.

In four compelling (and very funny) minutes, Ms. Huffington shares a personal experience that led to a personal discovery. In doing so, she urges us to take a closer look at the benefits of getting enough rest--and gives new meaning to the phrase "sleeping your way to the top".

3. Laura Trice: The power of saying thank you

There are few phrases in the English language that match the power of these two words: thank you.

In a simple (yet profound) three-minute talk, Dr. Laura Trice shares with us the potential of those two words to change relationships, along with the reasons why we don't hear the phrase as often as we should, and why we shouldn't be afraid to ask someone else to say it.

4. Daniel Goleman: Why aren't we more compassionate?

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and award-winning author who greatly contributed to the popularity of EQ through his 1995 best-selling book Emotional Intelligence.

By brilliantly mixing scientific research and absorbing anecdotes, Goleman delves into the theme question with gusto. In doing so, he inspires us to think about the society we've created, what influences our perspective, and how we can do better. (His concluding story is eye-opening, to say the least.)

5. Mandy Len Catron: Falling in love is the easy part

I almost didn't include this one, but in the end I couldn't resist. It's true, the title might not speak to an audience of entrepreneurs and business owners. But the insights Ms. Catron provide go much further than finding romantic love.

In exploring the differences between falling and staying in love, Ms. Catron teaches important lessons about how we get to know others on a deeper level. Even more importantly, she raises thoughtful questions that each of us would do well to ponder. When we do, we are reminded of what it takes to maintain our most important relationships.

Upon reflection, we realize that developing emotional intelligence may not be easy--but it's definitely worth it.

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5 Brilliant TED Talks That Will Boost Your Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional intelligence is more than a hot topic or trending hashtag. The term describes an extremely important concept: a person's ability to recognize his or her own and other people's emotions, to understand the powerful effect of these emotions, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior.

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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

Trait Theory of Leadership Rationale

According to Carlyle, history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This ability to lead is something that people are simply born with, Carlyle believed, and not something that could be developed. Carlyle's ideas inspired early research on leadership, which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits.

Carlyle's theory of leadership was based on the rationale that:

Certain traits produce certain patterns of behavior.

Patterns are consistent across different situations.

People are "born" with leadership traits.

Even today, books, and articles tout the various characteristics necessary to become a great leader, suggesting that leadership is somehow predestined in some (or is at least more likely) while unlikely, if not impossible, in others.

Since the publication of Carlyle's thesis, psychologists have examined and argued about the trait-based theory of leadership. From the 1940s to the 1970s, psychologist Ralph Melvin Stogdill suggested that leadership is the result of the interaction between the individual and the social situation and not merely the result of a predefined set of traits.

Soon after in the 1980s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner posited that credibility was a key indicator of leadership skills, characterized by such traits as being honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent.

Leadership Traits

While the list of leadership traits can vary by whoever is drawing up the list, a recent study outlined behavioral traits that separated lower-level supervisors from higher-level supervisors.

According to the researchers, the traits most commonly associated with great leadership include:

Adaptability and flexibility: Effective leaders don't get stuck in a rut. They are able to think outside of the box and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Assertiveness: A great leader is able to be direct and assertive without coming off as overly pushy or aggressive.

Capacity to motivate people: A great leader knows how to inspire others and motivate them to do their best.

Courage and resolution: The best leaders are brave and committed to the goals of the group. They do not hide from challenges.

Creativity: Perhaps most importantly, great leaders not only possess their own creativity, but they are also able to foster creativity among members of the group.

Decisiveness: A great leader is capable of making a decision and is confident in his or her choices.

Eagerness to accept responsibility: Strong leaders take on responsibility and don't pass the blame on to others. They stand by their success and take ownership of their mistakes.

Emotional stability: In addition to being dependable overall, strong leaders are able to control their emotions and avoid overreactions.

Intelligence and action-oriented judgment: Great leaders and smart and make choices that move the group forward.

Need for achievement: Strong leaders have a need to succeed and help the group achieve goals. They genuinely care about the success of the group and are committed to helping the group reach these milestones.

People skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are essential for leading effectively. Great leaders know how to interact well with other leaders as well as with team members.

Perseverance: Strong leaders stick with it, even when things get difficult or the group faces significant obstacles.

Self-confidence: Many of the best leaders are extremely self-assured. Because they are confident in themselves, followers often begin to share this self-belief.

Task competence: A great leader is skilled and capable. Members of the group are able to look to the leader for an example of how things should be done.

Trustworthiness: Group members need to be able to depend upon and trust the person leading them.

Understanding their followers and their needs: Effective leaders pay attention to group members and genuinely care about helping them succeed. They want each person in the group to succeed and play a role in moving the entire group forward.

Controversy on the Trait Theory

Early studies on leadership focused on the differences between leaders and followers with the assumption that people in leadership positions would display more leadership traits than those in subordinate positions.

What researchers found, however, was that there were relatively few traits that could be used to distinguish between leaders and followers. For example, leaders tend to be great communicators.﻿﻿ Leaders also tend to be higher in traits such as extroversion, self-confidence, and height, but these differences tended to be small.

Some have suggested that this may due to situational variables in which leadership skills only emerge when an opportunity for leadership arises (such as in war, during a political crisis, or in the absence of leadership).﻿﻿

Meanwhile, others have taken a contingency approach to leadership in which certain traits can be more effective in some situations and less so in others. Opinions vary on what those traits are and to what degree they can predict success, if at all.

Leadership in the Internet Age

More controversial yet is the contention that some people don't have the traits to become leaders.﻿﻿ Such a belief inherently overlooks social and economic inequities that limit, if not entirely erase, a person's potential to lead.

It also overlooks the changing economy and how leadership is defined when connections are today made both online and offline.

A Word From Verywell

While these traits are often linked to effective leadership, it is important to note that few leaders possess all of these traits. Generally, a strong leader will have many of these qualities.

But aspects of the situation also play an important role in determining if people are able to lead well. In many cases, it is the interaction between these traits and the situation that determines leadership quality.

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Do Great Leaders Share Certain Traits? See What the Research Says

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

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Successful leaders are the power and intellect behind their organizations. They are the visionaries charged with steering their brand around pitfalls. They must know when to seize opportunities and how to rally employees to work hard toward their company's goals.

Effective leaders transcend the title of "manager" or "boss." They have found a way to achieve the right combination of charisma, enthusiasm and self-assurance, probably with a healthy dose of luck and timing.

It may seem like some people are just gifted with these skills, but the truth is most leadership traits can be learned and sharpened with time and practice. You can begin building your success by developing these 11 must-have traits of a powerful and successful leader.
1. Self-Managing
It's hard to manage others effectively if you can't manage yourself. Self-managing means being able to prioritize your goals and being responsible for accomplishing those objectives. As an effective leader, you must be able to regulate your time, attention and emotions, while remaining aware of your strengths, weaknesses and potential sources of bias.

Exceptional leaders are adept at handling stress and balancing their personal and professional lives. But you must also remember the importance of compassion and be able to respond to people and events in an appropriate way. Remember to maintain self-control and discipline in your actions, though you should avoid becoming overly reserved or inflexible.
2. Acting Strategically
A forward-thinking, open-minded approach is necessary for today's leaders. According to a Harvard Business Publishing report, Leading Now: Critical Capabilities for a Complex World, "Leaders must always be prepared to adjust their strategies to capture emerging opportunities or tackle unexpected challenges." Thinking strategically is an ongoing process that involves assessing your business environment. You can cultivate strategic thinking by:

* Being curious and genuinely interested in your company and wider business environment,

* Being flexible in your mindset and trying new approaches and ideas,

* Focusing on the future and thinking about your company's operational conditions, and

* Maintaining a positive outlook.
3. Being An Effective Communicator
Powerful leaders know when to talk and when to listen. They are effective communicators and are able to clearly and succinctly explain to their employees everything from organizational goals to specific tasks. If people don't understand or aren't aware of your expectations, they will fall short, so the more specific you can be, the better.

You need to be able to communicate on all levels: one on one, to the department and to the entire staff, as well as via phone, email and social media. Communication is built on a steady flow of verbal and nonverbal exchanges of ideas and information, so work on being approachable and involving people from different levels.
4. Being Accountable And Responsible
Successful managers know how to use power and authority appropriately without overwhelming or overpowering employees. Effective leaders hold themselves accountable and take responsibility for their own mistakes-and they expect others to do the same. They can work within established procedures, and be productive and efficient in their decisions.

They appreciate the importance of supporting and encouraging individuality while also understanding organizational structures and the need to follow rules and policies. They are able to balance different perspectives while taking appropriate action.
5. Setting Clear Goals And Persisting In Achieving Them
Here is a boiled-down version for acquiring charisma: Set clear goals and be determined and purposeful in achieving them. Back it all up with unshakable self-confidence. If you radiate enthusiasm and are truly excited about what you're doing, people will be naturally drawn to you.

Remember that writing your goals down is key to the success of both you and your company. But accomplishing those goals takes time. If you give up, so will everyone around you. To be a successful leader, you must be willing to keep going when others are tempted to throw in the towel.
6. Having A Vision For The Future
Exceptional leaders have the ability to look into their company's future and make clear, concrete goals that will benefit their organization. They are confident and optimistic, inspiring enthusiasm in those around them.

Being a visionary is about managing change while striking a balance between stability and growth. You must incorporate new approaches without getting distracted from the main goals.

Being a visionary means understanding that continuous change is occurring all around you, so what worked in the past may not always work now. Practice being adaptable and agile as you implement new strategies and allow your business model to evolve over time.
7. Managing Complexity
Leaders must be problem solvers who can make decisions under rapidly shifting circumstances. Learning to lead in a complex environment is a vital skill for any leader. Even before any definitive information is available, effective leaders must assess a situation's complexity and choose appropriate courses of action.
8. Fostering Creativity And Innovation
According to a Harvard Business Publishing report, that means being able to scan the environment in search of subtle trends and indicators of disruptive change, and establish practices that allow your organization to respond swiftly.

Leaders must have the courage to risk experimentation and encourage creativity. Doing this will foster the innovation that will steer your organization to new destinations and around the twists and turns of a changing business landscape.
9. Team Building And Promoting Teamwork
The key is to always be persistent in pursuing your goals, and open minded and flexible in how you get there. Encourage the people around you to spend at least 15 percent of their time exploring new ideas through brainstorming and prototyping.

Successful leadership is built on the people around you. Team building is essential to leading a diverse and unique group of people with distinct personalities, motivations and skills.
10. Creating Lasting Relationships
Strong teams and teamwork are key to achieving many of things on this list, such as fostering innovation, effective communication and achieving your organization's goals. If you recruit and develop the right team, you will be creating an unstoppable force that will drive your organization's success.

Compelling leaders do more than just inspire others to follow them; they know how to motivate their employees to strive wholeheartedly for their company's goals. Employees who feel valued and appreciated, who feel like what they do makes a difference, will feel invigorated to push harder to achieve success for their company.
11. Learning Agility
Outstanding leaders also understand that they need to be effective at networking, not just to advance their own careers, but for the benefit of their organization. By creating a vast and varied network of people, leaders establish impactful relationships with customers, clients, partners and even competitors.

Truly great leaders know that the strength of their leadership is built on their ability to adapt to suddenly changing circumstances and to know how and when to seize on opportunities amid a changing landscape.

Having an insatiable curiosity will fuel your desire to constantly learn and grow. Learning agility hinges on developing critical thinking skills, being accepting of uncertainty, having social and emotional intelligence and always having the desire and determination to push forward.

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11 Powerful Traits Of Successful Leaders

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Successful leaders are the power and intellect behind their organizations. They are the visionaries charged with steering their brand around pitfalls. They must know when to seize opportunities and how to rally employees to work hard toward their company's goals. Effective leaders transcend the title of "manager" or "boss."

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The charismatic leadership style relies on the charm and persuasiveness of the leader. Charismatic leaders are driven by their convictions and commitment to their cause.

Charismatic leaders also are sometimes called transformational leaders because they share multiple similarities. Their main difference is focus and audience. Charismatic leaders often try to make the status quo better, while transformational leaders focus on transforming organizations into the leader's vision.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a charismatic leader who used powerful oratory, an engaging personality, and unwavering commitment to positive change in the lives of millions of people.

Read on to discover more about charismatic leadership:

What sets charismatic leaders apart is that they are "essentially very skilled communicators, individuals who are both verbally eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level," said Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College, in his Psychology Today article "What is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership?"

Charismatic leaders are often identified in times of crisis and exhibit exceptional devotion to and expertise in their fields. They are often people with a clear vision in business or politics and the ability to engage with a large audience.

A charismatic leadership definition is incomplete if it does not focus on the leader personally. More than other popular leadership styles, charismatic leadership depends on the personality and actions of the leader - not the process or structure.

Differences between charismatic leadership and other styles

"Charismatic leadership is a leadership style that is recognizable but may be perceived with less tangibility than other leadership styles," writes Mar Bell in "Charismatic Leadership Case Study with Ronald Reagan as Exemplar."

Charismatic leadership is similar to other styles. Both it and transformational leadership rely on the ability of the leader to influence and inspire followers. Transformational and charismatic leaders motivate the individual or those around them to be better and to work for the greater good of an organization or society. Other similarities include:

Leaders rally those around them in service of a common goal

Initiative and boldness are encouraged

The differences between charismatic and transformational leadership styles lie primarily in how the individual is viewed.

The personal vision of a charismatic leader has a great deal of influence over his or her audience

Charismatic leaders speak about their moral compass or passion rather than an existing method of doing business

Democratic and charismatic leaders compared

When compared to democratic leadership, similarities to the charismatic style include:

They both place considerable responsibility on the leader

Leaders guide employees, team members or volunteers in a particular direction

There is often a spirit of collaboration

The differences between charismatic leadership and democratic leadership include:

In democratic leadership, workers must have high-level skills in addition to the desire to work

Democratic leaders are highly rational and deliberate in their style

Charismatic leaders appeal to the emotions of the audience

In the charismatic leadership style, working toward a greater good is emphasized

Comparing autocratic and charismatic leadership

Likewise, charismatic and autocratic leadership styles share some traits. Both leaders often increase employee productivity. The key difference: The charismatic leader typically inspires employees to perform. The autocratic leader uses their authority to demand high performance. The short-term result is identical, although the long-term consequences may differ.

Charismatic leaders structure their organizations as they see fit. This is another example of a crossover between charismatic and autocratic leadership styles. The intensity of both styles may also generate early burnout of their leaders (and followers).

History of charismatic leadership

German sociologist Max Weber first published his book "The Three Types of Legitimate Rule" in 1958. In it, he sets forth a tripartite classification of authority for organizations and governments:

Two forms of order: authority and norms

Weber suggests that there are two fundamental forms of order: norms and authority. In organizations with authoritative order, people follow rules set by their leader. Transactional and bureaucratic leadership styles fit into this form of order.

Institutions that use norms depend on the appeal of their mission and vision to inspire allegiance in employees or followers. Charismatic leaders use norms to build a strong emotional relationship with the people who work for them.

Charismatic leaders are from all walks of life. In addition to business, this leadership style can be found in religious institutions and political and social movements.

Religious examples of charismatic leadership

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Born in 1929, Dr. King followed in the footsteps of his father as a Baptist minister. He started his civil rights career as the leader of the bus boycott the night that Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King's powerful speeches and belief in peaceful protest put energy into the civil rights movement. In January 1957, he and several others founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1960, Dr. King gained national notoriety for his arrest at a lunch counter sit-in, which came to the attention of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. He was soon released and went on to have even greater influence in the fight for civil rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches ignited smaller movements for equal rights through the American South and beyond. Dr. King is best known for the August 28, 1963, march on Washington that drew more than 200,000 people. At that march, he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The following year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.

Mother Teresa

Born in Macedonia (now Yugoslavia) as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910, Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic nun best known for her work with the poor. Mother Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto when she was 18 and moved to India in 1929. As a novitiate, she was sent to Calcutta and taught at St. Mary's School for Girls.

In 1946, Mother Teresa abandoned teaching to follow what she considered her calling, founding the Missionaries of Charity to live and serve in the slums of Calcutta. Over the course of the 1950s and '60s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing home, a family clinic and a string of mobile clinics.

In 1971, she traveled to New York to open her first U.S.-based house of charity. In 1985, she spoke at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly. By the time of her death, the Missionaries of Charity numbered over 4,000 sisters with 610 foundations in 123 countries. Her inspiring, devout persona and devotion to a singular idea make her a good example of a charismatic leader.

Pope John Paul II

In 1920, Pope John Paul ll was born in Poland as Karol Józef Wojtyla. Under Nazi occupation, he began his theological studies in a secret seminary in 1938 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1946. John Paul became the bishop of Ombi in 1958.

Well regarded for his work in the church, John Paul was made a cardinal in 1967. In 1978, he was elected pope, a role he occupied until his death in 2005. Pope John Paul II was instrumental in examining the Roman Catholic Church's role in the modern world. He traveled to more than 100 countries and was a vocal advocate for human rights.

Political examples of charismatic leadership

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in 1911. He gained fame as an actor after signing a seven-year movie contract with Warner Brothers in 1937. During World War ll, he made training films for the military. Although he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, a labor union, Reagan's political views shifted from liberal to conservative in the 1950s.

He began giving motivational talks to businesses and moved to the national stage in 1964, when he gave a well-received televised speech for Barry Goldwater. He ran for president beginning in 1968 and won in 1980. President Reagan was able to articulate his political vision in ways that appealed to his followers. Along with Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, Reagan is recognized as one of the most charismatic American presidents of the 20th century.

Sir Winston Churchill

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born in 1874. Although he is best known for being the prime minister of England during World War ll, he honed his communication skills as a war correspondent in World War l and crafted legislation for Parliament as a member. He was a powerful orator who used radio speeches to buoy the British people's resilience during Germany's World War II bombing of England.

Lee Iacocca

Lido Anthony Iacocca was brought to Chrysler in the late 1970s to rescue the automaker from impending bankruptcy. Those who saw Iacocca "work the room," ultimately persuading Congress to guarantee a huge loan to Chrysler, observed a charismatic leader working his magic.

Iacocca, an automotive executive with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering, was not blessed with natural charisma, but he developed the talent. A memorable example of his charismatic style is his signature slogan, "If you can find a better car, buy it!"

Jack Welch

John Francis Welch was born in 1935 in Peabody, Massachusetts. He grew up playing sports and used lessons he learned as an athlete throughout his life. After college, Welch went to work at General Electric as a chemical engineer in 1960. He rose through the ranks to become the youngest CEO in GE's history in 1981.

As a CEO, Welch went out of his way to develop positive relationships with GE employees and customers. He talked informally with workers, making them feel as if they might receive a note or a visit from him at any time. Although Welch didn't hesitate to cut costs and lay off employees he viewed as poor performers, his leadership style engendered a sense of value and pride in the company.

Mother Teresa: "Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."

Martin Luther King: "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."

Pope John Paul ll: "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought."

Ronald Reagan: "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."

Winston Churchill: "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Lee Iacocca: "Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people."

Jack Welsh: "The essence of competitiveness is liberated when we make people believe that what they think and do is important - and then get out of their way while they do it."

Common characteristics of leaders with charisma identified by Jay Alden Conger, leadership expert at the University of Southern California, and Henry Kravis, professor of leadership at Claremont McKenna College, include:

Sensitivity to their environment and the needs of their employees or followers

Articulate and visionary

Inclined toward personal risk taking

Adept at using unconventional behavior

There are many advantages to this leadership style. Charismatic leaders are often a catalyst for social change. They are, however, not a fit for organizations that depend on rigid structures and processes to function.

Charismatic leadership pros

Charismatic leaders inspire people to work together for a common cause

Organizations are committed to a central mission

Management prioritizes learning from mistakes in an effort to succeed in their mission

Charismatic-led companies tend to be cohesive because their workers have a clear purpose

Charismatic leadership cons

Leaders may develop tunnel vision or arrogance, undoing their previous good deeds

Organizations can become dependent on charismatic leaders and may suffer if he or she retires, leaves the company, or dies suddenly

Charismatic leaders sometimes become unresponsive to their subordinates or constituents

These leaders may not learn from their mistakes, compounding them

Charismatic leaders may believe they are above the law, committing financial or ethical violations

The world needs charismatic leaders because they fight for quality of life and a better world. Charismatic leaders have the courage of their convictions. They are willing to stand up to people who have a differing view of society or the organization.

Charismatic leaders tend to be able to see the gaps between what an organization delivers to its workers and what the workers need from the organization. They create visions that their supporters can readily see, and in return the supporters are motivated to contribute to a common goal.

Sources:

Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., " What Is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership?," Psychology Today

John C. Welch IV, "Insights on Charismatic Leadership from the Heroes and Villains"

Brian Evje, " 3 Dangers of Charismatic Leadership," Inc.
Have a question or concern about this article? Please contact us.

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What is Charismatic Leadership? Leading Through Personal Conviction

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The charismatic leadership style relies on the charm and persuasiveness of the leader. Charismatic leaders are driven by their convictions and commitment to their cause. Charismatic leaders also are sometimes called transformational leaders because they share multiple similarities. Their main difference is focus and audience.

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Charismatic leaders are individuals who use their personality and communication style to gain the admiration of followers. Typically, they can communicate effectively, possess emotional sensitivity, put a considerable emphasis on social ties, and can maintain emotional control in numerous situations that may cause stress or troubling emotions.

It is not surprising that many political leaders and activist have been characterized as charismatic. More so than any other leadership style, charismatic leadership depends on the personality of the person who is fulfilling the leadership role.
Charismatic leadership theory is similar to transformational leadership in that it addresses the qualities of inspiring followers to take action and an enjoyment in shaking up the status quo. It also borrows two principles from transformational leadership: idealized influence and inspirational motivation.
Concepts of Charismatic Leadership Theory

Charismatic leaders have a unique talent for being " others-centered," and paying attention to the emotional needs of those around them. Many of them know how to use body language and social cues to make others feel comfortable.
Here is a list of qualities that charismatic leaders employ to persuade people to see and support their vision:

1. Presence

Charismatic leaders exhibit a confidence and healthy self-esteem. Many times, they maintain eye contact with whom they are speaking to and make others feel that their opinions and beliefs matter as they talk to them. This presence also helps charismatic leaders hone their listening skills. Instead of thinking about their next statement, they are zeroed in on what the person in front of them is saying, using active listening method.

2. Generosity

While all charismatic leaders may not subscribe to this principle, many may employ it depending on the circumstance. Leaders who are charismatic that also believe in the principles of servant leadership or transformational leadership feel it is important to put themselves in the shoes of others and figure out what they need. This could be time, contacts, attention, useful information, or respect. In these situations, charismatic leaders believe there is a value associated with giving or receiving.

3. Master Communicators

While not always, but often these individuals are talented conversationalist. Many are effective public speakers, and they are adept at putting the right words together to get a message across whether they are talking to one or thousands of people.

4. Creativity and Innovation

Much like transformational leaders, those who specialize in charisma also see a need to treat every challenge as an opportunity to make things better. They focus on solutions instead of problems, and consistent improvement. It is about seeing what could be and then working to create a solution or future that aligns with that vision.

Advantages of Charismatic Leadership

Increased Employee Loyalty - Because charismatic leaders are adept at motivating and inspiring employees, it is likely that leaders can encourage an increase employee loyalty and commitment. Their goal is to make employees feel that their work and talents matter. Therefore, it is likely that employee engagement will increase and turnover could decrease.

Leader Creation - Charismatic leaders and managers have an infectious personality that can spur up-and-coming employees to become leaders eventually. The qualities of these leaders can take on a trickle-down effect and become a part of an employee's eventual management style.

Higher Productivity - These leaders are exceptionally skilled at gaining the trust and respect of those who they manage. As a result, employees are more likely to adhere to the high expectations of charismatic leaders. The effects of this have a high probability of spurring increased productivity and better-quality work.

A Move Toward Innovation - Charismatic leaders are driven toward change and innovation that makes sense. Therefore, these individuals will always look for opportunities to better the organization and improve processes. This means the company can always stay up-to-date on the latest trends and organizational practices.

Establish a Learning Culture - Major qualities of charismatic leadership are humility, effective communication, and improvement. Because these leaders have focused more on growth then punishment, mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. Employees are encouraged to find another solution to problems when the original plan did not work. This could create a setting where employees feel more comfortable taking a risk and finding better solutions.

Disadvantages of Charismatic Leadership (Mistakes to Avoid)

Wrong Focus - The main difference between charismatic and transformational leadership is the focus on ethics. Charismatic leadership can become more so about the personality and belief system of the individual. Their power to influence others could drive them to become arrogant and shun humility or compassion.

The Creation of "yes-men" - Because the personality of these leaders can turn admirers into followers, it is easy for their big personalities to create "yes-men." As a result, the ideas of a charismatic leader could go unchallenged leading to the implementation of plans that are less than favorable.

The Company Suffers if They Leave - To no fault of their own, a good and effective charismatic leader may have been the backbone of the business. Their tenacity, drive, and leadership could have caused many to depend on their ability without developing their own. As a result, their departure could leave a hole that no one has been trained to fill.

A Lack of Clarity - If a leader has delivered more successes than failures then they can start to rest on their charismatic abilities and forget to employ tactics that are also responsible for success: consulting the team, looking at previous performance data, and remembering the mission and vision of the company.

While there are some cons attached to charismatic leadership, many of the qualities are useful to leaders who want to become influencers and motivate employees to be their best selves.
Charismatic Leadership: Best Practices

Charismatic leaders are skilled in making others feel their words matter, and they employ a lot of dynamic listening techniques: asking questions, pausing before making statements after their response, and focusing on what they are saying without forming a response.

Every leadership style has its benefits and drawbacks, but a valuable takeaway from charismatic leadership is presence, influence, and consideration. Leaders who understand the importance of these three qualities can become efficient and compassionate charismatic leaders.

Effective leadership is all about communicating effectively.

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Charismatic Leadership: The Good, Bad, and Best Practices - Status Articles

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Charismatic leaders are individuals who use their personality and communication style to gain the admiration of followers. Typically, they can communicate effectively, possess emotional sensitivity, put a considerable emphasis on social ties, and can maintain emotional control in numerous situations that may cause stress or troubling emotions.

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Transactional leadership, also known as managerial leadership, focuses on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. Leaders who implement this style focus on specific tasks and use rewards and punishments to motivate followers.﻿﻿

This theory of leadership was first described in by sociologist Max Weber and further explored by Bernard M. Bass in the early 1980s. Take a closer look at how the transactional style works as well as some of the potential benefits and downsides of this style.

Basic Assumptions of Transactional Leadership

People perform their best when the chain of command is definite and clear.

Rewards and punishments motivate workers.

Obeying the instructions and commands of the leader is the primary goal of the followers.

Subordinates need to be carefully monitored to ensure that expectations are met.﻿﻿

This theory takes a behavioral approach to leadership by basing it on a system of rewards and punishments.

Athletic teams also rely heavily on transactional leadership. Players are expected to conform to the team's rules and expectations and are rewarded or punished based on their performance. Winning a game might mean accolades and bonuses while losing might lead to rejection and verbal castigation. Players often become highly motivated to do well, even if it means suffering pain and injury.

Unlike transformational leaders who tend to be forward-looking, transactional leaders are interested in merely maintaining the status quo.﻿﻿ Transformational leaders try to sell their ideas and vision to followers. Transactional leaders, on the other hand, tell group members what to do and when to do it.

How Transactional Leadership Works

In transactional leadership, rewards and punishments are contingent upon the performance of the followers. The leader views the relationship between managers and subordinates as an exchange - you give me something for something in return. When subordinates perform well, they receive a reward. When they perform poorly, they will be punished in some way. Rules, procedures, and standards are essential in transactional leadership.

They do not, however, act as catalysts for growth and change within an organization. Instead, they are focused on maintaining this as they are and enforcing current rules and expectations.

These leaders do tend to be good at setting expectations and standards that maximize the efficiency and productivity of an organization.﻿﻿ They tend to give constructive feedback regarding follower performance that allows group members to improve their output to obtain better feedback and reinforcement.

When Is Transactional Leadership the Most Effective?

Followers are not encouraged to be creative or to find new solutions to problems. Research has found that transactional leadership tends to be most effective in situations where problems are simple and clearly defined.﻿﻿

It can also work well in crisis situations where the focus needs to be on accomplishing certain tasks. By assigning clearly defined duties to particular individuals, leaders can ensure that those things get done.

Transactional leaders focus on the maintenance of the structure of the group.﻿﻿ They are tasked with letting group members know exactly what is expected, articulating the rewards of performing tasks well, explaining the consequences of failure, and offering feedback designed to keep workers on task.

While transactional leadership can be useful in some situations, it is considered insufficient in many cases and may prevent both leaders and followers from achieving their full potential.

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How a Transactional Leadership Style Works

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Transactional leadership, also known as managerial leadership, focuses on the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. Leaders who implement this style focus on specific tasks and use rewards and punishments to motivate followers.﻿﻿ This theory of leadership was first described in by sociologist Max Weber and further explored by Bernard M.

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As a business leader, I can see how transactional leadership has a good fit in the right areas. Deploying it in non-transactional environments would be asking for trouble though. Seen as the opposite of transformational leadership, this style lacks a lot of the vision, charisma, and motivational aspects of leadership and feels more like.. Yes, management rather than leadership.

This article will explain the concept of transactional leadership together with pros, cons, characteristics, and how to use it effectively. To give a complete picture, we also describe the history and some science behind the style, examples of famous transactional leaders and typical companies where this leadership style could be a good fit.

Like we always do in our articles on leadership styles, we will set the stage with a short and sweet summary.

What is transactional leadership?
Transactional leadership is built on a clear structure of reward and punishment for different levels of performance. It is focused on results, efficiency, and performance rather than people and relationships. Transactional leadership is often seen as the opposite of transformational leadership.

Now let us expand into a bit more detail on transactional leadership and all its aspects. Remember that transactional leadership is part of a framework together with other leadership styles. I recommend the book Full Range Leadership Development (Amazon) for an in-depth understanding of both transactional and transformational leadership.

(Want to learn more about leadership? Then check out the leadership books I recommend.)

What is Transactional Leadership?

Transactional leadership is based on a system of rewards and punishment with a strong focus on results. This leadership style assumes low or no self-motivation at all among the employees, so a strict transaction-based system with built-in incentives is used instead. The core consists of a clearly set exchange between the leader and the employee. A framework of rules and guidelines stipulate what reward or punishment an employee will receive if he or she performs various actions resulting in different output. At the end of the day, both parties would gain from the same outcome - the employee gets rewarded for good performance and the leader reaps the benefit of good output.

The transactional leadership style depends on the leader's ability to find appropriate rewards and punishments to influence employees to produce the desired results. The leader gives instructions and expects them to be carried out. Employees who don't follow the instructions are punished while those who do are rewarded. (There are many more ways of rewarding than simply paying people, check out this book at Amazon: 151 Quick Ideas to Recognize and Reward Employees.) Keep on reading for examples, and no, we are not referring to physical punishment of any sort. The transactional leader needs to be very sensitive to reactions among the employees and calibrate the system accordingly so that the reward vs performance balance is satisfying all the involved parties.

The three components of transactional leadership

Bass, Howell, and Avolio widened the concept of transactional leadership with their three components or flavors of the leadership style.

Contingent reward is a straightforward approach to rewarding the followers depending on task fulfillment and outcome. Contingent rewards include bonuses, promotions, recognition, and appreciation for instance.

Active management by exception involves controlling and monitoring activities and tasks as well as the performance and outcome in the end. The leader steps in and intervenes at an early stage prompted by signs of problems or failure. This intervention will result in negative feedback, a reprimand, or another type of punishment.

Passive management by exception gives team members more freedom and prompts leadership intervention only when necessary, even if it means that intervention comes later than in the active management by exception case. Similar to in the active case, failure results in a negative reaction towards the failing employee.

A transactional leader can deploy any of the above components and each of them will bring different opportunities as well as requirements.

For instance, the active management by exception gives the opportunity to identify and correct errors at an earlier stage, but the requirement is of course much more time spent by the leader on monitoring and following along, whereas passive management by exception is less time consuming as long as there are no exceptions.

As explained additionally further below in the chapter on what science says about transactional leadership: Carrot is good, the stick is bad. If you use transactional leadership, you have plenty of reasons to focus on the contingent reward component of this leadership style.

What Are the Characteristics of Transactional Leadership?

Transactional leadership characteristics can be grouped into four different areas.

1. Instructions, Rules, Guidelines to create clarity

For transactional leadership to at all work, there need to be clear expectations on what the employees should do and how they should do it. If this is not clear, then how would people know which behaviors are rewarded or punished? Also, the efficiency in transactional leadership comes from the high-level clarity in what to do and how to do it - avoiding waiting times, discussions, solution finding, etc. in favor of hardcore performance.

2. Reward and punishment framework for incentivizing

Incentives are a major part of any transactional leadership approach. Clear rules on how different behaviors and levels of performance result in what type of reward helps in deploying transactional leadership properly. Punishment could be made clear by stating what constitutes breaking the rules and what behavior is unacceptable.
The framework should inform all employees what they need to do to obtain a bonus and how large it will be. The framework can also specify how bad behaviors affect the possibility of a bonus or how many mistakes you are allowed before there are consequences etc. (Here is a comprehensive book on performance and rewards: Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies, at Amazon.)

3. Results is the focus, not relationships

Transactional leadership is focused on results, not on relationships. If you do not perform, it will not matter how nice you are, there simply will be no bonus and you might experience deductions or other negative impacts. The strong focus on results indicates some familiarities with pacesetting leadership. After all, results can be measured, and this is a requirement for the transactional approach.

4. Directive approach and ready to take action

Since detailed instructions, rules, and guidelines are a core component, the employees are more often told what to do and how to do it. Hence, there are elements comparable to directive leadership. All the instructions and rules are focused on resulting in actions and outcomes - no excess "fluff" is needed since the result is in focus and not relationships. Results are achieved by action, not by sitting around.

What are the Pros and Cons of Transactional Leadership?

As with all leadership styles, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with transactional leadership as well. There is an infographic summary at the end of this chapter for reference.

Advantages of Transactional Leadership

Clarity and efficiency are two obvious potential advantages of transactional leadership. Let's explore those and additional advantages to a bit higher detail.

1. Employees who deliver results are rewarded

Transactional leaders are clear about how they operate. Employees will get rewards if they deliver and they will suffer consequences if they don't. Employees who are willing to work hard and skilled at what they do like this. It also creates a sense of fairness since the better you perform, the better you are rewarded. (Some similarities with Pacesetting Leadership.)

2. Rewards and punishments are clearly defined

Employees know beforehand what is expected and the associated rewards and punishments. Rewards could be salary, bonus, time off, promotion, recognition, and awards. Punishments can for instance be no bonus, being highlighted as a problem somehow, and even termination.

3. Short-term goals can be achieved quickly

Unlike the democratic leadership style where decisions are made through collaborative effort, transactional leaders make decisions quickly and usually with minimal consultation. Additionally, close staff monitoring means that mistakes are spotted early and addressed so that they don't have a ripple effect on the organization. Short-term goals are, therefore, more likely to be achieved quickly.

4. There is order and structure

There are certain times in an organization's business cycle where a strong emphasis on order and structure is necessary and beneficial. Transactional leaders work feverishly to maintain the order and structure an organization needs. Anything that threatens predictability is immediately dismissed. (Refer to Bureaucratic Leadership for order and structure as well.)

5. It can be very productive

The transactional approach can lead to very high productivity if done right. Broken down tasks, repeatability, the right incentives, high clarity - this can be very effective when deployed in the right way in an appropriate area.

Disadvantages of Transactional Leadership

There are some substantial cons with transactional leadership. Make sure you are aware of them before you use this leadership style, that way you can mitigate the effects

1. External motivation works up to a point

Some people are motivated by rewards, others aren't. The strict focus on an approach of concrete incentives to get things done doesn't encourage employee loyalty. If the only reason to stay with an organization is the possibility of getting a reward, an employee is more inclined to pursue better opportunities outside the organization if such alternatives exist.

2. Creativity is discouraged

Transactional leaders are more akin to bureaucratic leadership since they follow strictly outlined goals and procedures. Outside-the-box thinking is discouraged. This stifles the creativity of employees and forces them to work within a rigid framework. Organizations with strong transactional leadership do not handle change well.

3. Employees are blamed for the failure to meet targets

It is expected that employees will successfully complete tasks once instructions are given. Therefore, the leader instinctively casts the blame on employees if the overall goal has not been met. A possible statement this leader would make is, "I gave them clear instructions and they didn't comply. They should learn from their mistakes. There will be consequences." This could result in a punishment culture that is detrimental in so many ways. (Tip, read our article How do leaders influence organizational culture.)

4. Leaders and employees are underdeveloped

Motivation and growth aren't priorities for transactional leaders. They have a laser-like focus on numbers and results. Therefore, there is little room for either the leader or the employees to grow because there are no opportunities for continuous learning and development. (Consider Coaching leadership for an example of the opposite.)

5. The leader becomes a bottleneck.

Consistent monitoring of employee output is fundamental to this leadership style. Therefore, the leader becomes a bottleneck as employees await feedback before they can move on to their next task. The employees will also feel micromanaged at the same time, normally not a good thing.

Transactional Leadership Infographics. Feel free to use the image as long as you link back to this page.

How to be effective at transactional leadership?

Transactional leadership has its place despite how cutthroat it might seem. The punishment portion is often simply the avoidance of rewards, i.e. no bonus if you fail. We are not talking about public flogging here.

To best fulfill the characteristics of transactional leadership and get going, the following enablers can be useful to have in place.

1. Create clarity

A transactional leader should have a clear plan for how tasks should be executed. Instructions and tools should be available to enable transactional efficiency. The leaders should be clear on the resources needed and how rewards and punishments will be distributed. Rules on how to behave, how not to behave, connected to consequences, good and bad must be made available together with additional guidelines and policies. (Check out bureaucratic leadership for additional ideas.)

2. Implement a system for measurement

A system should be in place to ensure that employees know what do to and that they are doing what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it. Employees should, therefore, be closely monitored so that the leader can have as much information on progress and output as possible. Knowing this is essential to ensure the proper and just distribution of any rewards.

Some leaders may even choose a tracking system or a ticketing system, to be able to follow all activities, determine output and when rewards should be issued and when appropriate intervention needs to be arranged to support an employee.

3. Ensure Communication

Transactional leaders should effectively communicate their expectations to their employees. This may mean hosting weekly progress meetings, sharing output and productivity measures on an online platform, or whatever works best for the unique needs and preferences of the business. The whole idea is to create as much clarity as possible and communicate well with the team members, so they know what to do, when to do it, and what to expect as a result of their actions. (Refer to our article 17 tips on improved communication for more tips.)

Additionally, feedback is important to help employees keep on track. This is especially true for new hires who need time to adjust and learn the unique requirements of the organization. Remember: carrot, not stick. (Here is a good book on feedback at Amazon: Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How to Fix It (Amazon).

The overarching and most important thing is to use transactional leadership when it is suitable and to use it for that portion of your operations. If you have a warehouse, a call center, and a product development department, then perhaps you should not use transactional leadership in the last one for instance? When you use transactional leadership, use the good kind, i.e. the contingent reward component. This isn`t the easiest thing, so consider taking a class if you need to develop in this area. The University of Minnesota offers an online class at Coursera teaching you how to set clear expectations, provide feedback and deliver good performance appraisals: Managing Employee Performance.

Furthermore, do not feel bound to use transactional leadership all the time. Remember that the general recommendation nowadays is to use multiple leadership styles and use them appropriately depending on the circumstances at hand.

Transactional leadership - what does science say?

It might not be a surprise, but studies show that there is a negative correlation between a leader's management by exception style mentioned above and employee's extra efforts and commitments. Pretty straightforward - the more punishment in terms of negative feedback an employee gets, the less likely he or she is going to perform beyond expectation or be committed to the organization. The same studies by Bucio et al[1], show a positive correlation between contingent reward type behavior of a leader and extra efforts and commitment by the followers. Similar results have been concluded in other studies as well.

So, in a nutshell: Carrot works, the stick doesn't, it seems. In the long run, this type of punishment is simply the behavior of a bully. This is unlikely to lead to either commitment or loyalty obviously.

Transactional leadership has also been found to result in:

Improved perception of trust, distributive justice, commitment, job satisfaction, and procedural justice[2]

Increased trust in the leader and job satisfaction[3]

According to the literature, most of the positive effects and outcomes are connected to transaction leadership deployed with the contingent reward component. The negative effects of transactional leadership are maximized when any of the management by exception components are used. Again: carrot works, stick doesn't work. Of the two management by exception components, the passive one is associated with more and stronger negative effects than the active version of the exception component.

Transactional leadership vs transformational leadership

The transactional and transformational leadership styles are very different in general as well as in-depth. Otherwise, they would not be suggested in a set of two styles being the polar opposite of each other. This comparison is divided into two areas, one of the more obvious and major aspects, and the other specifically on the incentives connected to the different styles - this is relevant since transactional leadership has such a high focus on rewards.

1. Overall comparison

The table below shows some big topic areas with a comparison between the two styles. For in-depth understanding, I suggest you read our article on transformational leadership as well.

View on people

As performing tasks

An important resource to grow

View on future

Short-term, goal, and result focus

Long-term strategic, visionary

Involving others

Little involvement, very directive

Lots of involvement, very participative

How to motivate

Incentive focused

Inspirational and engaging

2. Incentive comparison

To compare these styles from an incentive perspective, let us investigate two different groups of exchanges that can occur between a leader and his or her followers. That way we can put the finger on the differences in the relationship between the parties that apply for each leadership style.

Low-level exchanges are the simple and non-complex ones that are easy to detail. Concrete to their nature, they can mostly be specified in written form. Salary, days off, work hours, benefits, etc. are considered as low-level exchanges between the leader and the follower.

High-level exchanges would be the more abstract exchanges between the two parties. This could for instance be trust, personal commitments, loyalty, support, protection, acceptance, and similar things. These exchanges are difficult to measure and specify and often revolves around personal relationships.

Transactional leadership revolves around the low-level exchanges whereas transformational leadership is the opposite and focuses on the high-level exchanges. Most seem to consider, as mentioned above, transactional and transformational leadership to be polar opposites, i.e. two different sides to the same coin. However, other literature states that there could be an occurrence of both styles within the same setting and the same leader. The low vs high-level exchanges can be in place at the same time.

The transformational leader, focusing on the high-level exchanges, would likely motivate and inspire his or her team members better, resulting in a better long-term outcome. This would require more investment in terms of time to build relationships of course.

For a deeper analysis on this, refer to our article here: Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership.

History of transactional leadership

Transactional leadership was originally called rational-legal leadership in Max Weber's 1947 study on leadership. James MacGregor Burns expanded on Weber's work and developed the concept of transactional leadership together with transformational leadership in 1978. These two styles were essentially two different sides of a coin and very different in nature. Burns also added aspects of good personal traits such as honesty, fairness, and sticking to agreements to the characteristics of the transactional leader. Both Weber and Burns contributed significantly to the early work on leadership styles. (Weber created the concept of Bureaucratic Leadership, also known as rational-legal leadership. This is claimed to be the foundation that transactional leadership is built upon. Weber also defined Charismatic Leadership.)

The transactional leadership style evolved further in the 80s and 90s when a team of three researchers (Bass, Howell, and Avolio) added three separate components to the model. These components are "contingent reward", "passive management by exception" and "active management by exception".

Transactional leadership companies and business examples

What type of organization or company would transactional leadership work well with? I would say the organization need to meet the following requirements, to begin with:

1. Measurable tasks with measurable outcomes

2. Simplistic tasks or at least not high complexity task

3. High level of repetition

If a company fits these three requirements, it is possible to set up instructions, rules, guidelines, and policies for almost all tasks within operations. Repetitiveness and measurability enable a reward system to be applied as well.

What type of companies meet these requirements? Call centers are one example. In a call center, you have instructions on what to do to handle all calls. There is a transactional nature that can be measured, i.e. how many calls and the quality of those calls. If the topic is high complexity, a typical call center wouldn't be used anyway.

Given a clear set of rules, guidelines, and expectations, it is easy for employees to understand what they need to do and what type of monetary reward they would get for that. The transactional nature enables lining up career paths with potential promotions as well.

A distribution center where picking, packing, loading, and unloading is performed could be another example. Incentives could be set for how many items, i.e. transactions, an employee handles and there could be deductions in the cases of errors or damaged objects for instance. The same could be extended to some types of delivery companies.

A leader's personal experience of transactional leadership

During my many years in leadership positions, I have not encountered that many transactional leaders or deployed transactional leadership myself that much. One of the reasons is probably that I have worked in industries with a less transactional environment, making the style less applicable. That said, there are more transaction-heavy spots that could have benefited from a slightly more transactional approach.

The few transactional leaders I have met, have been misplaced and deserve mentioning as examples of what not do to I'm afraid. Both in support functions by the way.

The first example was a finance manager. Having a bit of an autocratic approach as well, this manager liked to use active management by exception. If there weren't any exceptions, this person did everything possible to find some or enlarge any minor deviations to full-on exceptions. I think that is how this individual identified with the role - finding flaws and problems no matter what. Even though the transactions, in this case, were large and medium-term time-wise, only results counted, and they should preferably be reached in the way this manager preferred.

The other example was an R&D manager that was entirely transactional in his behavior. Regardless of how low the engagement dropped and how much his team members distrusted him, he did not see any problems if his overall goal had been fulfilled on time. He couldn't even understand why he was asked to change his ways - again, he got the job done as he saw it. If his team members did things in a way he didn't like, he would scream, yell and scold.
This behavior was even more devastating in this setting since an R&D department needs innovation and creativity - heavily suppressed by such a manager. (His people would have found the book Verbal Judo (Amazon) very helpful. It is a great book on how to handle difficult people, managers included.)

Even though I rarely use transactional leadership, I'm all about productivity. Read more about what I use to secure high personal productivity here if you are interested: Productivity tools for Managers and Leaders.

Who Are Some Examples of Transactional Leaders?
Charles de Gaulle - World War II French General - (1890-1970)
Charles de Gaulle was charged with the responsibility of leading the Free French Forces in their fight against the Nazis and the French occupation. He was also the French Republic's first president and served in that capacity from 1959 to 1969.

He applied transactional leadership by giving direct orders, expecting full obedience, promoting those who were loyal to his causes, and punishing those who didn't follow his example. This approach suited the context and helped Charles de Gaulle and his troops win their battles.
Joseph McCarthy - Former American Senator - (1908-1957)
Joseph McCarthy's leadership as a senator epitomized the innate characteristics of transactional leadership. He was adamant that Communists and Soviet spies had found their way into high-ranking US government positions. His short-term goal was to eliminate these threats and he needed a team to help him do it.

His team would feed him information about potential suspects for which they would be rewarded. The slightest sign of these unwanted vagrants prompted McCarthy to act accordingly. He became so fixated on his goal (which was never truly proven) that he was eventually censured by the Senate in 1954.
Sir Alan Sugar - Former Owner of British Consumer Electronics Company Amstrad - (1947 to present)
Sir Alan Sugar is probably best known for being the business mogul in the hit British spinoff of The Apprentice. Those who can follow Sir Sugar's instructions are promoted while those who can't are sent home. The show highlights Sir Sugar's heavy dependence on rules, norms, and extrinsic motivation to encourage employees to perform effectively[4].
Tim Parker - Former CEO of AA - (1955 - present)
Tim Parker is an example of how transactional leadership can be used contextually to deal with specific organizational challenges. He became CEO of AA in 2004 and was soon after dubbed the "Prince of Darkness". It is reported that he "pulled up in his Porsche outside [the AA headquarters], went in and fired half the workforce."

The explanation for this drastic measure paints a solid picture of transactional leadership in action. He did his research upon accepting the leadership role and discovered three fundamental challenges with the company: inefficiency, low productivity, and high employee turnover.

Something had to be done. His punishment came in the form of firing those responsible for the inefficiencies and restructuring the company. It was a time of swift changes and decisive actions motivated by rewards, punishments, and much-needed structure. His actions inevitably led to a huge turnaround at AA with a noticeable increase in company profits.
References
"A Handbook of Leadership Styles", Cambridge Scholars Publishing

https://status.net/articles/transactional-leadership/
https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/what-is-transactional-leadership.aspx https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/transactional-leadership

[1] A Handbook of Leadership Styles
[2] A Handbook of Leadership Styles refers to Pillai et al
[3] A Handbook of Leadership Styles refers to Jung and Avolio
[4] https://www.cleverism.com/transactional-leadership-guide/

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Transactional Leadership - What is it? Pros/Cons? Examples? | Leadership Ahoy!

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As a business leader, I can see how transactional leadership has a good fit in the right areas. Deploying it in non-transactional environments would be asking for trouble though. Seen as the opposite of transformational leadership, this style lacks a lot of the vision, charisma, and motivational aspects of leadership and feels more like..

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well.

Quick Background

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."﻿﻿

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass's Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.﻿﻿

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

Components

Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership.

1. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.

2. Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.

3. Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.

4. Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serve as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.

So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be quite low as transformational leaders are able to inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.

In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:

"Transformational leaders...are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers' needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization."

"Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders," explained psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio in an article for Psychology Today.

The reason, he suggests, is that transformational leaders believe that their followers can do their best, leading members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? Leadership experts suggest that having a strong, positive vision of the future plays a critical role. Not only is it important to believe in this vision yourself; you've also got to inspire others to buy into your vision as well.

Link to Well-Being

According to the results of one study, this style of leadership can also have a positive influence on employee well-being.﻿﻿

The study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine involved surveying workers at several different German information and communication technology companies. Researchers asked participants to answers questions about their employer's leadership style.

A score for transformational leadership was then determined based on qualities such as providing intellectual stimulation, giving positive feedback for good performance, leading by example, and helping employees feel like they were making a contribution toward the goals of the group.

The researchers discovered that employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also had higher reported levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after researchers controlled for factors that are linked to well-being such as job strain, education, and age.

"The results of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness and individually challenges and develops employees, also has a positive effect on employee well-being," the authors summarized.

Real-World Applications

So what impact could such results have for managers and workers?

The study's authors suggest that the results are important and can help companies develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills. Acquiring communication skills such as resolving conflicts in the workplace and recognizing the needs of employees are an important part of transformational leadership.

"Such training programs can be seen as another essential component of workplace health promotion and prevention efforts and therefore should receive wide support," explained the study's authors.

A Word From Verywell

The transformational style of leadership can be highly effective when used appropriately, but it might not necessarily be the best choice for every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves closer control and greater direction, particularly in situations where group member are unskilled and need a lot of oversight.

One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.

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How Do Transformational Leaders Inspire and Motivate Followers?

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

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At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S. and French action at the time, President Bush knew that sometime he would need America's old ally and wanted to repair relations with its leader.

As recorded in Sununu's The Quiet Man, President Bush invited Mitterrand to his home in Kennebunkport, and over two days he began to win over the veteran statesman, developing a lasting friendship and professional partnership. This relationship, authentically cultivated, paid extraordinary dividends when President Bush was able to use his partnership with Mitterrand to negotiate financial assistance to Poland and Hungary in 1989 and the eventual reunification of East and West Germany.

This "relational" approach to leadership was core to President Bush's values and personality. And in the broader world, relational leadership-the longstanding and almost instinctive cultivation of close personal and professional relationships as an entre to building alliances and partnerships-is common. It's prevalent in politics, where relationships among legislators and community members often lead to compromise, and in business, where trust is such an essential component of partnership.

So, how is relational leadership cultivated?

It starts with a genuine interest in others. President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and Transportation Secretary Andy Card said of the President, "President George H.W. Bush created personal relationships with everyone he could. That personal connection could become a strategic partnership when it needed to be. It was universal but sincere." I've seen the same in my career. When I was a new business analyst at McKinsey, for example, a senior director in the office took an interest in me and counseled me, even though I would never be useful to him. And most of us have benefited from peers or mentors who have befriended us and then aided us in the cultivation of our careers. These friendships aren't purely instrumental but authentic, sincere and driven by a genuine interest in others.

Relational leadership is further predicated on empathy-understanding others and meeting them where they are. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, President Bush was criticized for his subdued response. Some wanted the president to celebrate more visibly. But President Bush knew how tense a political moment the event was for Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, and sensitive to his relationship with Gorbachev and the fragility of the moment, the American president avoided the kind of gloating that may have made the situation more challenging for the general secretary to manage. This was an important gesture and one for which President Bush was misunderstood and criticized. But, as Sununu notes in The Quiet Man, it displayed empathy for Gorbachev and strengthened their partnership. Similarly, we're experiencing a heightened cultural appreciation now for former television host Fred Rogers based at least partially on his remarkable empathy. Mr. Rogers is the subject of a new documentary and a forthcoming feature film -and much of what makes him so unique and so compelling is the deep empathy he so regularly displayed for everyone he met, particularly children and the vulnerable. This empathy and kindness left even casual acquaintances transformed by their interactions with him and was a critical foundation of his leadership. It's similarly essential for each of us.

Further, this authentic and empathetic relational leadership is nurtured by small and large gestures of friendship. As I've written elsewhere, I once worked with a woman at a DC-area organization who was exceptional about spending time with even the most junior members of her organization and making them feel special. She took me to lunch and subsequently mailed me a book about which we'd spoken and a handwritten note-a kindness I appreciate to this day. Similarly, President Bush frequently wrote handwritten notes to friends and partners around the world. And while his subdued reaction to the fall of the Berlin wall was a grand gesture, he also made small gestures to reinforce relationships. Genuine interest in and excitement for others manifests in gestures and signals that you value and understand them.

Finally, while relational leadership is personal by nature, it can be powerfully embedded in the culture of an organization or team. Speaking of the Bush White House, Governor Sununu said, "President George H.W. Bush's commitment to collegiality was contagious. We all worked hard to maintain that." A culture that prioritizes authentic relationships starts at the top and cascades through an organization. In my time as a management consultant, I worked for several partners who prioritized collegiality among their teams-hosting kick-off dinners for us to get to know each other, planning team events to encourage bonding and insisting on respectful treatment of all colleagues-and that top-down leadership transformed the groups with which they worked.

Relational leadership can be incredibly successful, particularly when it is authentic, empathetic, reinforced through gestures of friendship and embedded in the culture of a team. It's not the only style of leadership, but can be powerful and personally fulfilling.
This article is part of a six-part series on leadership lessons from presidents that includes "Searching For The Right Leadership Style," "The Power Of Relational Leadership," "The Simple Power Of Connected Communication," "How A President Makes A Decision That Matters," "The Johnson Treatment: Pushing and Persuading Like LBJ" and "Life Is Worth Living In Three Dimensions."

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At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S.

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What is the Relational Leadership Model?

In schools, it all comes down to relationships, which is why the relational leadership model is so prevalent in education. The relational leadership model emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. Relational leadership values inclusion, empowerment, purposefulness, ethical behaviors, and process orientation.

Inclusive leaders consider everyone's viewpoint and experiences when making decisions. While the leader ultimately makes the final decision, all perspectives are weighed carefully.

Relational leaders empower others. They see the strengths and weaknesses of each member of their team, and work to build on strengths and improve weaknesses. The professional growth of others is important to a relational leader.

Relational leaders have a clear purpose, which they are able to communicate to others. Purposeful leaders begin with the end in mind; everything they do leads to a common goal.

Ethical leadership is an important component of the relational leadership model. This means setting a good example and always putting the values of the organization at the forefront.

Finally, a relational leader values the process, encouraging reflection and collaboration. A relational leader values calculated risk-taking, knowing it is for the growth and benefit of the group.

What are the Benefits of Relational Leadership?

A leader who considers everyone's viewpoint may feel overwhelmed at first, but in the end they will be armed with all the information to make a sound decision. Listening to everyone's viewpoint does not mean heeding every viewpoint. By listening, however, a leader is prepared for potential pitfalls in any plan, allowing them to address those pitfalls as they arise.

Empowering others makes them feel valued. Feeling worthwhile makes employees much less likely to seek work elsewhere and overall boosts morale. When employees stay loyal to a company, it allows for continuity of vision and knowledge necessary for an organization to thrive. By empowering others to be leaders in their own right, a relational leader is able to delegate certain tasks, making the organization run more efficiently.

Having a clear purpose allows everyone to work simultaneously for the same goal. This allows stakeholders to act as partners, rather than adversaries. When settling a dispute, a relational leader will seek to find the best solution for all parties, rather than simply trying to defeat an opponent. This approach avoids the distraction of constant conflict, allowing the team to focus on their purpose.

Ethical leaders engender trust in the people who depend on them. By establishing trust, leaders are able to convince others to follow them, even if the road ahead is difficult.

By being process-oriented, stakeholders are able to learn new things, through trial and error, that they may not otherwise have learned. This allows the organization to become better at their stated purpose, whether it's raising money or student test scores.

Last but not least, relational leaders tend to be likable. Who wants to disappoint someone they like?

Ways to Implement Relational Leadership in Your School

A relational school leader seeks to gain the insight of all stakeholders. This might be a principal visiting teams of teachers on a professional development day to gain insight into how to improve school arrival and dismissal. It could also mean listening to the ideas of the parent group that would like to throw a tailgate for students, even if it's never been done before.

A good school leader will empower teachers in the building to grow professionally and in their teaching practice. A leader may give teachers key roles in areas in which they excel. For example, a teacher who is passionate about character education may be empowered to deliver professional development around the topic.

A leader with relational leadership skills will connect everything back to the district's central purpose, which is educating students. When implementing a new grading policy, for example, the principal connects the grading policy to the best way to communicate student learning. Knowing why they are implementing certain policies helps teachers stay on task and remain faithful to the philosophy of the district.

Ethical school leaders model the sort of behavior they expect from others. If they expect honesty from teachers and students, then a leader will admit if their new dress code was too restrictive or a mistake was the result of an oversight. This gives teachers trust in their leaders.

Process-oriented leaders encourage teachers to try new methods of teaching, knowing that even if the method fails, the teacher will have gained valuable insights into how their students learn best and how they can improve going forward. In a process-oriented building, teachers make progress because they aren't afraid of failing in the process.

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What is the Relational Leadership Model? - Graduate Programs for Educators

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In schools, it all comes down to relationships, which is why the relational leadership model is so prevalent in education. The relational leadership model emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. Relational leadership values inclusion, empowerment, purposefulness, ethical behaviors, and process orientation. Inclusive leaders consider everyone's viewpoint and experiences when making decisions.

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What is authentic leadership?

It continues to surprise me how many leaders attempt to be one way at work, while their "true" personality emerges outside of work. Once a CEO reminded me, "Leadership is acting." And it surprises me when these same leaders seem shocked or confused when their employees don't trust them, don't like them, and can't really wait to work elsewhere.

Authenticity has been explored throughout history, from Greek philosophers to the work of Shakespeare ("To thy own self be true." -Polonius, Hamlet). Authentic leadership has been explored sporadically as part of modern management science, but found its highest levels of acceptance since Bill George's 2003 book, Authentic Leadership.

But what is authentic leadership?

While different theorists have different slants on the concept, most agree that:

1. Authentic leaders are self-aware and genuine. Authentic leaders are self-actualized individuals who are aware of their strengths, their limitations, and their emotions. They also show their real selves to their followers. They do not act one way in private and another in public; they don't hide their mistakes or weaknesses out of fear of looking weak. They also realize that being self-actualized is an endless journey, never complete.

2. Authentic leaders are mission driven and focused on results. They are able to put the mission and the goals of the organization ahead of their own self-interest. They do the job in pursuit of results, not for their own power, money or ego.

3. Authentic leaders lead with their heart, not just their minds. They are not afraid to show their emotions, their vulnerability and to connect with their employees. This does not mean authentic leaders are "soft." In fact communicating in a direct manner is critical to successful outcomes, but it's done with empathy; directness without empathy is cruel.

4. Authentic leaders focus on the long-term. A key tenet in Bill George's model is the company leaders are focused on long-term shareholder value, not in just beating quarterly estimates. Just as George did as CEO of , and as Bezos has done for years at Amazon, leaders realize that to nurture individuals and to nurture a company requires hard work and patience, but the approach pays large dividends over time.

__________

What are your motivation triggers? Take the "Your Engagement Profile Quiz" to find out.

Check out Kevin Kruse's new book, Employee Engagement 2.0, and discover how to turn apathetic groups into emotionally committed teams.

Kevin Kruse is a NY Times bestselling author and serial entrepreneur. For insider tips and exclusive content, join his newsletter at kevinkruse.com.

... Read More

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What is authentic leadership? It continues to surprise me how many leaders attempt to be one way at work, while their "true" personality emerges outside of work. Once a CEO reminded me, "Leadership is acting." And it surprises me when these same leaders seem shocked or confused when their employees don't [...]

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What Guides an Authentic Leader?

There are several ways to describe an authentic leader - they're passionate about their work, they have a commitment to the organization, and they focus on the future ahead. Authentic leaders are those who are true to themselves and the principles that guide them. Although they may be in charge, their principles ultimately govern them, and people ultimately matter. For authentic leaders, building character and culture is a function of aligning their beliefs and behaviors with the principles of the organization.

Authentic leaders have the integrity and skills to make the right choices when necessary. Here are the other skills that define this leadership style:

Self awareness. Enables you to understand yourself and your relationship to your employees, the organization, and the vision.

Genuineness, modesty, and humility. Allows you to share the glory with your team members.

Empathy and ethics. Gives you the ability to make necessary decisions with integrity and allows you to support your team and remain committed to doing what's right.

Results-focus. Empowers you to create a future beyond your present reality and enables you to energize your employees to see the vision as clearly as you do.

Becoming an Authentic Leader

Becoming a more authentic leader doesn't have to be complicated. Try these 5 helpful tips to start building a more authentic leadership style.

5 Ways to Be a More Authentic Leader

1. Rethink "leadership image."

A sincere passion and desire to learn and change is what building a leadership image is all about. With that in mind, consider the gap between the image that others have of you and the image you would like to project. A big obstacle to authenticity is a strong need to maintain a certain image. You may have defined your image of "executive" or "leader" more narrowly than you need to. Try to let go of the tight limits or expectations of how you need to appear - revealing your personality and humanness is a better sign of effective leadership.

Often, gaining awareness of your current image and leadership brand goes a long way. But before you make any changes, be sure to get a good, truthful picture of your current image. Take time to understand how others see you and why. Seek feedback from your colleagues, boss, and direct reports. Ask your friends, children, and significant other. Each of these points of view will shed light on how your words and behavior are viewed by the people around you.

2. Increase your self-awareness.

A key component of behaving authentically is to understand what you care about most. Try these ways to boost your self-awareness. What are your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses? This might sound simple, but we often avoid or overlook the process of clarifying what's most important to us. Sometimes, given societal norms and conditioning, women in particular struggle with this aspect of leading authentically. Consider asking yourself questions like, what is my current skill level and knowledge related to the role? Or, how would others view my performance so far?

3. Assess and evaluate.

Once you have established your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses, you can better understand how aligned your behaviors are with your values and ethics. Assess what you have already given up, and be clear on what's most important to you now and what you will and will not do to get there. Remember, there are no "right" trade-offs to make, and your choices will likely change at various points in your life. Set goals for yourself that are aligned with your values.

4. Take action, but get support.

Make a change in your life, turning your intentions into reality. You may decide sweeping changes are needed, but, if so, remember that you don't need to do it all at once. You can start with small steps and gradually align your behaviors with your most important values. Remind yourself that genuine change is rarely dramatic or sudden. For leaders, a significant change is likely to be viewed suspiciously as false or manipulative behavior.

You're not likely to make real, sustainable change without a commitment to small, daily tweaks over time. Bring trusted colleagues and friends into your plan for greater authenticity, too. They can be sounding boards, feedback-givers, cheerleaders, and problem-solvers. At the same time, have faith in your own judgment about what's right for you and your leadership style.

5. Work on being a more effective communicator.

Communication is so important for leaders to build trust and show authenticity, so consider these tips:

Tell stories. Leaders who give examples through their stories are more engaging. You influence the organization's culture when you tell stories about what happened, about how a problem was solved, or about someone who did something notable.

Master your message. Clarity of thought and message is key, so think about what you want to say. Every question and every conversation is an opportunity to share ideas, vision, and values with honesty. But strike a balance between too much detail and not enough. Also, be sure you can talk vision and concepts, yet show your grasp of the tactical.

Leverage leadership networking. It's not about collecting business cards or schmoozing. It's about building relationships and making alliances in service of others and in service of your organization's work and goals. To assess your network and enhance communication, think about your current priorities and challenges, then create a network diagram that directly relates to these factors. Rank the people in your diagram in terms of their importance to you, and identify your most important relationships. Finally, diagnose any weaknesses and gaps in your network and take action to learn from others.

Use vocal variety. People listen better to a pleasant and enthusiastic speech pattern. Pay attention to your intonation, speed, diction, pacing, and volume. Do you regularly overuse a word, or forget to breathe and rush through what you have to say?

Focus on "we." Leaders who use inclusive language, like "we" and "us," inspire passion in their listeners and draw on shared effort and interests.

Smile. You'll appear friendly if you tap into your personal warmth, and the best way to convey warmth is to smile. Often leaders don't relax or crack a smile unless they're talking about something personal such as a child's school event or a recent vacation. You'll be more effective if you take the same tone when talking about the business.

Consider visual impact. Your listeners will see you before they hear you, and nonverbal communication is powerful. Change your haircut or update your wardrobe. If you feel good about your appearance, you'll project an image of greater confidence and job satisfaction. Consider how to make the most of your virtual persona and communication effectiveness, too.

As you work on becoming a more authentic leader, practicing new behaviors may feel uncomfortable or strange. That's okay, but avoid doing anything that doesn't mesh with your values, ethics, and intentions.

Your image can be either an asset or a liability for you as a leader. Building a more authentic leadership image is not about creating a false picture of yourself, but about recognizing genuine aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people - but aren't.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Build more authentic leaders and strengthen the culture of your organization. Partner with us to craft a customized learning journey for your people using our research-based modules. Available leadership topics include Authentic Leadership, Communication, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Listening to Understand, Self-Awareness, and more.

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Authentic Leadership: What It Is, Why It Matters

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Leadership success starts with authenticity-learn why it's important and how to become an authentic leader with these 5 tips.

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"If your actions inspire people to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

When Nathan and I started TeamGantt, we decided to buck tradition and take a different approach. As leaders of the company, we care more about being part of the team and setting people up for success than making sure everyone knows who's boss.

That's why servant leadership is our go-to leadership style.

Let's take a closer look at what servant leadership is and the 10 characteristics that define a servant leader.

What is servant leadership?

Servant leadership is a management style that prioritizes the team's growth and well-being over the organization's or leader's own ambitions. Unlike traditional leaders, a servant leader focuses on coaching and developing individuals, not just achieving the goals of the organization.

Servant leadership traces its origins to Robert Greenleaf. In his 1970 essay "The Servant as a Leader," he described servant leadership like this:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first."

A lot of companies look at employees as cogs in a wheel who exist solely to help the organization advance its goals. Leaders act as taskmasters who dole out authority and don't care how work gets done, as long as it's delivered on time. Servant leadership flips the typical leadership script by putting people ahead of power.

10 key principles of servant leadership

So what does it take to be a servant leader? Servant leaders share a common set of core characteristics. Follow these 10 principles to put servant leadership to work with your team.

1. Listening

Listening is at the heart of servant leadership. If a team member's talking, give them your full focus and attention-no interruption allowed! It's a simple way to make your team feel valued so they know you care.

2. Empathy

A lot goes into empathy, but when it comes to servant leadership, it basically comes down to getting to know your team. Find out what makes them tick, and learn their strengths and weaknesses. That way you can let your team members shine and maybe even help them turn their weaknesses into strengths.

3. Healing

Some team members may come to you from a previous job that had a really toxic work environment-and you have the privilege to help them heal.

Don't worry: It's not as hard as it sounds. Healing is as simple as creating a healthy work environment that has work-life balance built in. It's also about giving people the tools they need to succeed so they feel like a valued member of the team.

4. Self-awareness

I've already mentioned the importance of understanding your team's strengths and weaknesses. But it's just as important to do a little self-reflection of your own.

Take inventory of your own strengths and weaknesses, and figure out how you fit into the overall team. Then use yourself in ways that benefit the team and the company. Recognizing your own limitations can help you see opportunities to leverage your team's strengths more clearly.

5. Persuasion

Slick sales tactics may come to mind when you think of persuasion. But that's not what we're talking about here.

Servant leaders use persuasion to build consensus and get buy-in from their team. That way everyone feels like they have a stake in the team's success.

6. Conceptualization

You've got to know where you're going as a leader and a company. After all, how else will you carve a positive path for your team?

TeamGantt enables you to keep the big picture in mind without losing focus on the day-to-day. For example, the Project Health Report makes it easy to see how all your projects are tracking, while Workloads enables you to keep a finger on the pulse of your team.

7. Foresight

Another key characteristic of servant leadership is taking the knowledge you've learned in the past and applying it to the future so you and your team can continue to grow.

Project post-mortems or retrospectives are a great tool for figuring out what worked-and what didn't-so you can fine-tune your process with each project. You can also use TeamGantt's baselines feature to compare your original plan to your actual timeline and pinpoint opportunities to improve.

See how baselines work in TeamGantt.
8. Stewardship

Stewardship is simply leading by example. It's your job to set the tone for your team, so don't ask people to do things you wouldn't do yourself.

At TeamGantt, I lead the development team. One way I put this into practice is by being the first person to sign up for 2:00 a.m. deployments. If something goes wrong, I'll take the heat. This goes a long way toward building trust-a must for any well-functioning team.

9. Commitment to the growth of people

If you want your team to grow, you've got to invest in people. One simple way we do this is by providing an annual conference budget so team members can develop the skills they need to thrive in their role.

We also conduct 360 performance reviews each year. As a leader, you can only see so much. A 360-degree review brings peer and even direct report feedback into the process so you have a more complete picture of performance and can identify meaningful opportunities for growth.
Watch this video to learn how we build unity and morale on our remote team.

10. Building community

Teams who trust each other work together to get more done. That's why it's important to cultivate relationships among your team.

As a fully remote team, we have to be extra-intentional about this. We bring the whole team together once a year for our annual team meetup, while smaller teams get together more often. We make sure to build in time for fun between business strategy so trust has room to grow. It's worth the investment!

Apply the servant leadership style to project management

Servant leaders know there's always more to learn-and we can help you out with that. The Art and Science of Project Leadership is an online video course that can help you embrace the servant leadership style as you grow your project management skills. Watch the classes anytime, from anywhere-and it's totally free!

I recommend starting with An Introduction to Project Leadership-not just because it's the first in the series-but because it lays the foundation for what it means to be a great project leader.

Lead the way!
Remember: You don't have to have a manager title or a team of direct reports to be a servant leader. If you lead projects in any way, you have the power of positive influence and can set your team and organization up for success.

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The 10 Principles of Servant Leadership | TeamGantt

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"If your actions inspire people to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams When Nathan and I started TeamGantt, we decided to buck tradition and take a different approach.

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Servant leadership and traditional leadership employ different techniques and offer vastly different outcomes.

With a traditional leadership approach, the leader encourages people to do their jobs by providing them with guidance, direction and motivation. The main focus of a traditional leader is to improve the business position of the company or the organization in the market.

Servant leadership occurs when the leader's main goal and responsibility is to provide service to their people. A servant leader focuses on the people that are directly below them, rather than the company as a whole. In servant leadership, the leader ensures that the followers are growing in all areas - their profession, knowledge, autonomy and even their health and physical development.

Many believe that when leaders shift their focus from the company to the employees, they are more likely to produce skilled, talented, knowledgeable and motivated employees which, in turn, will help to improve the overall operations and management of the organization. This leadership style has gained immense popularity in the world and is adopted by various top-ranking companies. One of the most prominent examples of such a business model is Google. Google takes really good care of its employees and their employee-friendly policies have remarkably increased productivity and revenue.
Where did the term 'servant leadership' come from?
The phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf when he used it for the first time in his essay that was published in 1970. In his essay, Greenleaf explains the term servant leader and talks about the reason for coming up with a new leadership approach.

The popularity of the concept can further be seen in Hermann Hesse's book The Journey to the East, where the main character Leo acts like a servant and works with them until, one day, he disappears and everyone comes to the realization that nothing is the same without him and he was not a servant but a leader. Leo was seen as a servant throughout, but without him, the team felt lost and realized that he was their actual leader who helped everyone and brought out the best in everyone.
How can one become a servant leader?
Anyone can become a servant leader by demonstrating certain characteristics. Here's how:
1. Be a good listener.
Servant leaders always listen to people before they speak their minds. They want to know what their people think and how they feel. To improve your listening skills, it is important that when you talk to people, you give them your undivided attention and notice their tone and body language while speaking.
2. Have empathy.
Servant leaders feel for their people and don't turn a blind eye toward their problems and issues. They try hard to resolve those issues by fulfilling the needs and wants of the general public.
3. Heal those around you.
A servant leader is capable of healing people with a focus on their emotional health and a feeling of completeness. This means the leader needs to make sure that people have access to knowledge and resources that enable them to create a healthy and peaceful working environment.
4. Be aware.
Servant leaders are fully aware of themselves and their people.
5. Persuade without being forceful.
A good leader is capable of convincing people in different ways. Leaders never make use of their authority to make people do something but instead motivate and encourage people to take the desired course of action. A leader is not forceful or bossy.
6. Conceptualize and communicate a vision.
A servant leader can help build a concept for people. This includes the task of creating a vision and mission statement to provide a sense of direction for the entire team.
7. Channel foresight.
A good leader can anticipate future events and how they will impact everyone. The ability to foresee is not a god-gifted talent but rather a skill that is acquired through experience, learning and analysis of past trends. Popular business tools, such as a SWOT analysis and a PEST analysis, can be used to predict the future and make educated forecasts.
8. Practice stewardship.
Stewardship refers to accountability. It is the ability to take responsibility for the actions, behaviors and performances of your team.
9. Commit.
Good servant leaders are those whose main focus is the people, and this makes the leader fully committed to their growth and development. To develop people, it is important to analyze their needs and then cater to them accordingly.
10. Build a community.
The leader should be able to walk with and among the people, so that the leader can help them by serving and building a community.
What are the implications of service leadership?
Greenleaf believed that servant leadership was more of a lifestyle than a technique that could be implemented in one go. Even though the concept was introduced a long time ago, it is still a relatively new concept that needs work. In fact, it was only in 2004 that the concept started to be studied formally in a proper and empirical way.

Ethics have become an important concern in the business environment. Various research is being done on servant leadership, and the leaders who implement this style of leadership should make sure it is done honestly and ethically. A wide range of different scales have been created to measure the magnitude of servant leadership and ethics in various organizations. These scales were created because although servant leadership may have numerous positive aspects, its downside is that if the leader does not behave ethically, then practicing servant leadership for the benefit of the organization is pointless and a farfetched idea. A leader who behaves unethically is likely to decrease followers' motivation, and this can hamper business growth and development.

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Council Post: Traditional Leadership Vs. Servant Leadership

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Servant leadership and traditional leadership employ different techniques and offer vastly different outcomes. With a traditional leadership approach, the leader encourages people to do their jobs by providing them with guidance, direction and motivation. The main focus of a traditional leader is to improve the business position of the company or the organization in the market.

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What is your natural leadership style?

Do you focus on completing tasks or on building relationships with your team?

And have you considered that this natural style of leadership might be more suited to some situations than it is to others?

In this article, we'll explore Fiedler's Contingency Model, and we'll look at how it can highlight the most effective leadership style to use in different situations.

Note:

With this theory, we are not using the word "contingency" in the sense of contingency planning. Here, a contingency is a situation or event that's dependent - or contingent - on someone or something else.

Understanding the Model

The Fiedler Contingency Model was created in the mid-1960s by Fred Fiedler, a scientist who studied the personality and characteristics of leaders.

The model states that there is no one best style of leadership. Instead, a leader's effectiveness is based on the situation. This is the result of two factors - "leadership style" and "situational favorableness" (later called "situational control"). We explore these two factors in the next section, below.

Note:

At Mind Tools, we believe that transformational leadership is the best leadership style in most situations, however, we believe that other leadership styles are sometimes necessary.

In our opinion, the Fiedler Contingency Model is unhelpful in many 21st Century workplaces (see Criticisms of the Model, below). It may occasionally be a useful tool for analyzing a situation and determining whether or not to focus on tasks or relationships, but be cautious about applying any style simply because the model says you should. Use your own judgment when analyzing situations.

Leadership Style

Identifying leadership style is the first step in using the model. Fiedler believed that leadership style is fixed, and it can be measured using a scale he developed called Least-Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale (see figure 1).

The scale asks you to think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with. This can be a person who you've worked with in your job, or in education or training.

You then rate how you feel about this person for each factor, and add up your scores. If your total score is high, you're likely to be a relationship-orientated leader. If your total score is low, you're more likely to be task-orientated leader.

Figure 1: Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale

The model says that task-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs more negatively, resulting in a lower score. Fiedler called these low LPC-leaders. He said that low LPCs are very effective at completing tasks. They're quick to organize a group to get tasks and projects done. Relationship-building is a low priority.

However, relationship-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs more positively, giving them a higher score. These are high-LPC leaders. High LPCs focus more on personal connections, and they're good at avoiding and managing conflict. They're better able to make complex decisions.

Situational Favorableness

Next, you determine the "situational favorableness" of your particular situation. This depends on three distinct factors:

Leader-Member Relations - This is the level of trust and confidence that your team has in you. A leader who is more trusted and has more influence within the group is in a more favorable situation than a leader who is not trusted.

Task Structure - This refers to the type of task you're doing: clear and structured, or vague and unstructured. Unstructured tasks, or tasks where the team and leader have little knowledge of how to achieve them, are viewed unfavorably.

Leader's Position Power - This is the amount of power you have to direct the group, and provide reward or punishment. The more power you have, the more favorable your situation. Fiedler identifies power as being either strong or weak.

Applying the Fiedler Contingency Model

Step 1: Identify your leadership style

Think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with, either now or in the past.

Rate your experience with this person using the scale in figure 1, above. According to this model, a higher score means that you're naturally relationship-focused, and a lower score means that you're naturally task-focused.

Step 2: Identify your situation

Answer the questions:

Are leader-member relations good or poor?

Is the task you're doing structured, or is it more unstructured, or do you have little experience of solving similar problems?

Do you have strong or weak power over your team?

Step 3: Determine the most effective leadership style

Figure 2 shows a breakdown of all of the factors we've covered: Leader-Member Relations, Task Structure, and Leader's Position Power. The final column identifies the type of leader that Fiedler believed would be most effective in each situation.
Figure 2: Breakdown of Most Effective Leader Style

Leader-Member Relations

Task Structure

Leader's Position Power

Most Effective Leader

For instance, imagine that you've just started working at a new company, replacing a much-loved leader who recently retired. You're leading a team that views you with distrust (so your Leader-Member Relations are poor). The task you're all doing together is well defined (structured), and your position of power is high because you're the boss, and you're able to offer reward or punishment to the group.

The most effective leader in this situation would be high LPC - that is, a leader who can focus on building relationships first.

Or, imagine that you're leading a team that likes and respects you (so your Leader-Member relations are good). The project you're working on together is highly creative (unstructured) and your position of power is high since, again, you're in a management position of strength. In this situation, a task-focused leadership style would be most effective.

Criticisms of the Model

There are some criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of the biggest is lack of flexibility. Fiedler believed that because our natural leadership style is fixed, the most effective way to handle situations is to change the leader. He didn't allow for flexibility in leaders.

For instance, if a low-LPC leader is in charge of a group with good relations and doing unstructured tasks, and they have a weak position (the fourth situation), then, according to the model, the best solution is to replace them with a high-LPC leader - instead of asking them to use a different leadership style.

There is also an issue with the Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale - if you fall near the middle of the scoring range, then it could be unclear which style of leader you are.

There have also been several published criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of the most cited is "The Contingency Model: Criticisms and Suggestions," published in the Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3. The authors say that, even under the best circumstances, the LPC scale only has about a 50 percent reliable variance. This means that, according to their criticism, the LPC scale may not be a reliable measure of leadership capability.

It's also perfectly possible that your least preferred co-worker is a genuinely confused, unpleasant or evil person (they do exist) - if you are unfortunate enough to have encountered such a person just once in your career, then you might always be categorized as a low-LPC leader, however people-oriented you actually are.

Key Points

The Fiedler Contingency Model asks you to think about your natural leadership style, and the situations in which it will be most effective. The model says that leaders are either task-focused, or relationship-focused. Once you understand your style, it says that you can match it to situations in which that style is most effective.

However, the model has some disadvantages. It doesn't allow for leadership flexibility, and the LPC score might give an inaccurate picture of your leadership style.

As with all models and theories, use your best judgment when applying the Fiedler Contingency Model to your own situation.

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Fiedler's Contingency Model: Matching Leadership Style to a Situation

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What is your natural leadership style? Do you focus on completing tasks or on building relationships with your team? And have you considered that this natural style of leadership might be more suited to some situations than it is to others?

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What is Path-Goal Theory?

The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work environment in order to achieve a goal. The path-goal theory can best be thought of as a process in which leaders select specific behaviors that are best suited to the employees' needs and their working environment so that they may best guide the employees through their path in the obtainment of their daily work activities (goals).

The Path-Goal theory, inspired by the work of Martin G. Evans (1970), can best be thought of as a process by which leaders select specific behaviors that are best suited to their employees' needs and their working environment, so that leaders may best guide their employees through their path in the obtainment of their daily work activities ( goals) (Northouse, 2013).

The theory argues that leaders will have to engage in different types of leadership behavior depending on the nature and the demands of a particular situation. It is the leader's role to assist employees in attaining goals and to provide the direction and support needed to ensure that their individual goals are in concert or compatible with the organization's goals.

The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work environment in order to achieve a goal. The goal is to increase an employee's motivation, empowerment, and satisfaction so they become a productive member of the organization. Employee satisfaction is contingent upon the leader's performance as both a facilitator and coach and rewards their employees for effective performance. The original Path-Goal theory identifies achievement-oriented, directive, participative, and supportive leader behaviors rooted in four (4 styles).
The Four Styles:

1. The directive path-goal clarifying leader behavior refers to situations where the leader lets employees know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. The theory argues that this behavior has the most positive effect when the employees' role and task demands are ambiguous and intrinsically satisfying.

2. The achievement-oriented leader behavior refers to situations where the leader sets challenging goals for employees, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. Occupations in which the achievement motive were most predominant were technical jobs, sales persons, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

3. The participative leader behavior involves leaders consulting with employees and asking for their suggestions before making a decision. This behavior is predominant when employees are highly personally involved in their work.

4. The supportive leader behavior is directed towards the satisfaction of employees' needs and preferences. The leader shows concern for the employees' psychological well-being. This behavior is especially needed in situations in which tasks or relationships are psychologically or physically distressing.

How to use it:
If you have a good understanding of what the needs of the group are, then you can adapt to the styles as the situation demands:

Achievement oriented works best when the staff suffers from lack of challenge and boredom.

Directive leadership helps workers cope with otherwise vague and unclear job responsibilities.

Participative leadership is effective in situations where the follower is making poor decisions or improper procedure and the leader can take steps to help them improve.

Supportive leadership is useful with a team that is new, inexperienced, or otherwise lacking confidence.

Path-Goal theory assumes that leaders are flexible and that they can change their style, as situations require. The theory proposes two contingency variables, such as environment and employee characteristics, that moderate the leader behavior-outcome relationship. Environment is outside the control of the follower-task structure, authority system, and work group. Environmental factors determine the type of leader behavior required if the employee outcomes are to be maximized. Follower characteristics are the locus of control, experience, and perceived ability. Personal characteristics of employees determine how the environment and leader are interpreted. Effective leaders clarify the path to help their employees achieve goals and make the journey easier by reducing roadblocks and pitfalls. Research demonstrates that employee performance and satisfaction are positively influenced when the leader compensates for the shortcomings in either the employee or the work setting.

In conclusion The Path-Goal theory is useful because it reminds leaders that their central purpose as a leader is to help employees define and reach their goals in an efficient manner.

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The Path-Goal model is a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work environment in order to achieve a goal.

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This article provides a practical explanation of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX). After reading, you'll understand the basics of this powerful leadership and management tool.

What Is the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX)?

The Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), also called the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory, describes how leaders maintain their position in groups and how they develop relationships with other members that can contribute to growth or hinder development. The model assumes that leadership consists of several dyadic (two-way) relationships that connect the leader to the members. The quality of the relationship is measured by means of the level of trust, respect, support and loyalty.

Furthermore, the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) suggests that leaders automatically develop a relationship with each of their subordinates, and that the quality of this relationship strongly influences the responsibility, decision making, access to resources and performance of subordinates. This gives rise to two sides of employees, the in-group and the out-group. The in-group members are given more space to fulfil the work they do, more responsibility, more attention and greater rewards. They work within the personal circle of the leader. On the other hand, there are the out-group members. They receive less attention, responsibility and fewer rewards. Exchanging leadership can cause friction and displeasure among the out-group, but it could also create opportunities to give capable employees room for development.

The Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) is rooted in the belief that leaders and followers have a relationship that could yield advantages. Various psychologists have attempted to understand leadership and its effects on followers, but it was George Graen and his colleagues in particular who described the leadership-member exchange and made this into an effective leadership model.

The Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) Process

The initiation and shaping of these relationships begins immediately after a new member has been introduced in the group under the leader and includes three steps.

1. Role Taking

The new member has been added to the group and the leader assesses his or her skills and talents. This happens quickly and the leader forms an image of the new member through all expressions this new member displays and utters. Based on this image, formed after a few signals, the leader can offer the new member opportunities to demonstrate his or her capacities in the form of appointed tasks. In this phase of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), both the leader and the new member develop a sense of what the etiquette is like within the group. Particularly the level of respect towards and from the leader is quickly noticed and is important.

2. Role Making

The new member is carrying out his first appointed tasks and an informal and unstructured negotiation about work-related factors or relation factors often automatically takes place between the leader and the new member. Building trust is the most important phase, and the level of respect that's established in the first phase is crucial. Cultural and ethnic differences can cause lots of problems if not handled properly. In this phase, the leader expects that new members will work hard and are loyal and dependable during the training period.

In general, people assume that when a new member is liked by the leader, he has a good chance of being successful. If the new member is not much liked by the leader, this decreases his chances of being successful. Consequently, the leader-sometimes subconsciously-creates two sides: the ingroup or outgroup.

Ingroup

The ingroup is trusted, is given more risky tasks and therefore more responsibility, receives more career opportunities and opportunities for personal development, and constantly receives support and guidance. Often, they have sufficient resources at their disposal to carry out their vision.

Outgroup

On the other hand, an outgroup is formed. They are given tasks that aren't challenging because the leader doesn't have sufficient trust in them. As a result, they won't be exposed to opportunities and chances to develop their skills, competences and capacities.

3. Routinasation

Developing routine is the last phase. In this phase, routines, expectations and standards are established and both parties gain better insight into how other parties work. The constant social exchange between the leader and the new member give rise to a pattern. The members of the ingroup work hard and value the leader's opinion. They wish to maintain their position and reputation by displaying respect, perseverance, patience and empathy. In this phase, the outgroup members are certain they don't like their leader and that the leader is starting to annoy them.

Sides

Because the new group members have automatically been classified, this classification affects how the leaders are dealt with and how these become self-fulfilling, right from the start. The ingroup members are often viewed as talents, the rising stars. The leader trusts them and is confident they work at the highest level and perform accordingly. The leader talks about this group the most as well as to this group. They are provided with all the support and advice they need. According to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), the people on this side will develop more quickly than the members in the outgroup.

The leader pays little attention to this group and doesn't offer support and motivation for development. They only receive assignments or tasks that aren't difficult and that entail little risk. Because this group is never tested, they have little chance of changing the leader's opinion and are only used for simple tasks. This is inefficient and disadvantageous to both the leader and the outgroup employees.

Reforming the Outgroup

Half the team not being able to be used adequately and to their full capacity because of the leader's preference can be harmful. The leader has an important role in changing this and to get the most out of himself and his employees according to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX). Chances are that the leader knows exactly who are part of the outgroup beforehand. Subsequently using this information to bring about change does demand discipline and self-knowledge. If you, as a leader, aim to get more out of the outgroup, you should start by making a list with the names of the people in this group. Analyse and think about what these people have done to lose favour. Consider whether they've done something specific to damage trust, or if they display bad behaviour and ask yourself whether they're really as incompetent as you believed beforehand. Also consider whether there are possible other factors that could have a negative effect on the employee's motivation.

Most likely, an honest period of reflection will reveal that the majority of people in the out-group are part of the out-group for no reason and are hindered in their development. Therefore, it's important to repair the relationship with these people. According to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), team members with a good relationship with the manager have a higher moral and are more productive than those who don't. This means that the manager and the group member can both profit from a healthy relationship.

Work on the relationship by speaking to each team member personally and giving them personal attention. Take your time to discover whether they enjoy their position, what their personal goals are and what you can do to make their work more challenging or easier. Use Herzberg's motivational theory to discover what motivates and drives them.

Subsequently, provide sufficient resources to meet these wishes. Provide sufficient training and development opportunities and be open to feedback in both directions. Divide tasks with a high level of freedom or responsibility equally among the employees and don't automatically give a certain person preferential treatment when others might be just as capable, if not more so, of carrying out the task.

Now It's Your Turn

What do you think? Do you recognise the explanation of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX)? Have you experienced a situation where you felt your manager had placed you in an ingroup or outgroup? How do you think you, as an entrepreneur, can use this theory to get the most out of all employees? Do you have any tips or additional comments?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

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More information

1. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The leadership quarterly, 6(2), 219-247.

2. Schriesheim, C. A., Castro, S. L., & Cogliser, C. C. (1999). Leader-member exchange (LMX) research: A comprehensive review of theory, measurement, and data-analytic practices. The Leadership Quarterly, 10(1), 63-113.

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Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), a management tool | toolshero

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This article provides a practical explanation of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX). After reading, you'll understand the basics of this powerful leadership and management tool. The Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX), also called the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory, describes how leaders maintain their position in groups and how they develop relationships with other members that can contribute to growth or hinder development.

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students! Here are 11 ways school counselors serve as leaders in your building.

1. School counselors recognize and showcase diversity.

In many buildings, school counselors are considered the "heart" of the school. They help create an inclusive environment that is respectful, welcoming, kind, and open to all.

2. School counselors develop community partnerships.

Counseling staff work collaboratively with universities, community colleges, technical schools, local unions, military reps, and apprentice programs to provide a variety of opportunities for students. They are especially vital in ensuring underserved and first-generation students have access to and the tools to reach all possible post-high school options.

3. School counselors help during difficult situations.

Strengths such as listening, reflecting, and high emotional intelligence make school counselors valuable allies when trying to get buy-in from staff or the greater community on difficult issues. Counselors foster a culture of change via strong lines of communication and valuing input from all parties involved.

4. School counselors maintain strong home-school connections.

Counselors tend to be the liaison for parents when it comes to communicating with the school. This leadership role is especially important when assisting families who are not familiar with the school setting or have issues trusting staff.

5. School counselors maximize educational success.

School counselors can help to maximize the educational attainment of all students by providing students with mental health services (school or community-based) and developmental guidance that takes a proactive approach in helping students set and reach academic goals.

6. School counselors lead staff trainings.

Administrators who use their counseling staff (rather than outside contractors) to lead building-wide trainings can save a lot of money and gain quicker buy-in from staff. School counselors are experts on topics such as student engagement, positive discipline, suicide/self-harm, students-as-leaders, peer mentoring programs, and academic/social interventions for low-performing students.

7. School counselors protect and advocate for disadvantaged students.

Counselors identify and amend policies and practices that negatively impact disadvantaged students and advocate for equitable services for all students.

8. School counselors use expertise to bring data to life.

Like administrators, counselors are trained in data collection and analysis. They are skilled at using this information to drive decisions about placement, intervention, and overall student health and wellbeing.

9. School counselors mediate difficult situations between parents/students and staff.

Counselors are consistently looking for ways to support the relationship between school staff and parents. Acting as a mediator when one or both parties are upset about a situation is a critical way in which school counselors serve as leaders.

10. School counselors organize and lead crisis response.

Counselors are on the front lines after a tragedy has happened in a school or community. Staff, students, parents, and community members look to the counselors for guidance and support immediately following an event. Because of their training in emotional/mental, the counseling staff is critical in advocating for and teaching self-care to staff, parents, and students during a crisis.

11. School counselors empower and inspire.

School counselors inherently believe in people and work tirelessly to communicate that. By being visible and accessible at all times, their calming, caring, and encouraging presence helps support and empower staff in the building.

School counselors serve as leaders in many ways and we need to value their perspectives and strengths. They are vital to building positive learning environments in which students thrive.
Join our Facebook group Principal Life for more conversation about and insights into the challenges of school leadership.

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11 Ways Your School Counselors Serve as Leaders - WeAreTeachers

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students!

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BEING A DOER ISN'T ENOUGH FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS. STUDENT NEEDS DEMAND SCHOOL COUNSELORS MOVE BEYOND REACTING TO LEADING. Are school counselors doers or