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Center for Creative Leadership. (2020). [5 ways to be a more authentic leader] Center for Creative Leadership. https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-

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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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Anyone trying to come up to speed on emotional intelligence would have a pretty easy time of it since the concept is remarkably recent, and its application to business newer still. The term was coined in 1990 in a research paper by two psychology professors, John D. Mayer of UNH and Peter Salovey of Yale. Some years later, Mayer defined it in HBR this way:

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How Emotional Intelligence Became a Key Leadership Skill

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A reading list to bring you up to speed.

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When most people imagine intelligence, they picture a mathematician solving equations, a novelist writing great works of literature or a philosopher expounding on wise principles.

But brilliance takes many forms, not least of which is the ability to comprehend and manage emotions. Known as emotional intelligence, this trait is often overlooked, yet crucial for success as a business leader.

Here's what having emotional intelligence provides you with:
Acute Awareness
One of the defining features of emotional intelligence is the ability to comprehend the effects of your feelings. This is crucial for making sound, objective decisions when your pride and self-esteem are at stake. All leaders must face situations where their emotions make a decision seem better than it is.

If you previously expressed support for a certain strategy, for example, your pride will be tied up with that strategy, making it harder to recognize if it isn't working. Leaders who have emotional intelligence are more likely to realize when pride and other emotions are influencing their thinking, allowing them to make more rational, impartial choices.
Impact Interpretation
In addition to reigning in your own feelings, emotional intelligence makes it easier to anticipate and respond to others' sentiments. As much as we may want for it to be objective, business is an emotional experience.

Bad news from work can shock or dismay your employees, while good news may make them unreasonably optimistic. Emotional intelligence means you can tell ahead of time how others will react and develop a strategy to keep them grounded.
Mental Health Management
Those with emotional intelligence have an easier time assessing the emotional and psychological state of their employees. This makes it easier to determine if someone is suffering from:

* Anxiety

* Depression

* Grief

* Trauma

* Eating disorders

By recognizing threats to your employees' mental health, you can provide them with the support and professional resources they need to recover. Not only is this good for their health but it promotes a more harmonious, productive workplace.
Cultivated Communication
Leaders with emotional intelligence have an improved ability to gauge others' responses to their words and actions. This makes it easier for you to tell if your employees really understand what you are saying or are confused but unwilling to say so. You can then refine your messages accordingly, developing reliable ways of communicating with everyone who works for you.

Emotional intelligence also makes it easier for you to listen to what other people are saying clearly and without judgment, ensuring that others can always give you the information you need.
Helpful Humor
Never underestimate the value of humor in business. A good joke or clever play on words can cheer up dismayed employees, win over skeptical customers and draw positive attention to your brand. If you have emotional intelligence, it will be easier to tell what people will find funny. You can also determine in which situations humor will be appropriate, finding the proper balance between serious work and lightheartedness.

While intelligence is important, emotional intelligence is a key to success in leadership and in being able to relate to others. When dealing with others, truly try to place yourself in their situation. It will help you choose the best method to solve problems and achieve your goals.

How has emotional intelligence helped you to make sound and informed decisions?

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Council Post: Why Emotional Intelligence Is Indispensable For Leaders

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When most people imagine intelligence, they picture a mathematician solving equations, a novelist writing great works of literature or a philosopher expounding on wise principles. But brilliance takes many forms, not least of which is the ability to comprehend and manage emotions.

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. It says the three main reasons for failure are difficulty in handling change, inability to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

International search firm Egon Zehnder International analyzed 515 senior executives and discovered that those who were strongest in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those strongest in either IQ or relevant previous experience. Research that has been done on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and IQ has shown only a weak correlation between the two.

The Carnegie Institute of Technology carried out research that showed that 85% of our financial success was due to skills in "human engineering", personality, and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. They found that only 15% was due to technical ability. In other words people skills or skills highly related to emotional intelligence were crucial skills. Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

People would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

To test out his findings, think of the last time you purchased a major item, a home, automobile, or large appliance where you had to dealings with a salesperson. Was the person someone who you liked and trusted? In my talks, I have found that whenever I asked that question, inevitably the entire audience answered that, yes, the person they bought a large item from was someone they liked and trusted. This theory about why salespeople with the right people skills do better than those who lack them is borne out by a study carried out by the Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group in 1997. In a study carried out in a large national insurance company in 1997, they found that sales agents weak in emotional areas such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000, while those strong in 5 of 8 emotional competencies sold policies on the average worth $114,000.

Much of the research that has been done on emotional intelligence has been at the executive leadership level. The higher up the organization, the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization. There have been some studies, however, that show impacts at all levels.

The higher up the organization the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization.

For example, a study by McClelland in 1999 showed that after supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better, lost-time accidents decreased by 50% and grievances went down from 15 per year to three. The plant itself exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

The same principles apply in all areas of life, whether at work or in relationships. Everyone wants to work with people who are easy to get along with, supportive, likeable, and can be trusted. We want to be beside people that do not get upset easily and can keep their composure when things do not work out according to plan.

Self-awareness. The first thing that is essential for any degree of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. People with a high degree of self-awareness have a solid understanding of their own emotions, their strengths, weaknesses, and what drives them. Neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful, these people are honest with themselves and others. These people recognize how their feelings impact them, other people around them, and their performance at work. They have a good understanding of their values and goals and where they are going in life. They are confident as well as aware of their limitations and less likely to set themselves up for failure.

We can recognize self-aware people by their willingness to talk about themselves in a frank, non-defensive manner. A good interview question is to ask about a time that the interviewee got carried away by their emotions and did something they later regretted. The self-aware person will be open and frank with their answers. Self-deprecating humor is a good indicator of someone who has good self-awareness. Red flags are people who stall or try to avoid the question, seem irritated, or frustrated by the question.

Ability To Self-Regulate Emotions. We all have emotions which drive us and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. People who are good at self-regulation, however, are able to manage their emotions so that they do not control their words and actions. While they feel bad moods and impulses as much as anyone else, they do not act upon them. People who act upon their negative feelings create havoc, disruptions, and lasting bad feelings all around them. We feel before we think and people who constantly react from an emotional state never wait long enough to allow their thoughts to override their emotions.

People who self-regulate have the ability to wait until their emotions pass, allowing them to respond from a place of reason, rather than simply reacting to feelings. The signs of someone who is good at self-regulation are reflection, thoughtfulness, comfort with ambiguity, change, and not having all the answers. In an interview, look for people who take a little time to reflect and think before they answer.

Empathy. Empathy is another important aspect to look for when hiring. Someone who has empathy will have an awareness of the feelings of others and consider those feelings in their words and actions. This does not mean that they will tiptoe around or be unwilling to make tough decisions for fear of hurting someone's feelings. It simply means that they are aware of, and take into consideration the impact on others. They are willing to share their own worries and concerns and openly acknowledge other's emotions. A good way to look for empathy in an interview is to ask a candidate about a situation where a co-worker was angry with them and how they dealt with it. Look for a willingness to understand the source of the co-workers anger, even though they may not agree with the reasons for it.

Social skills. Social skill is another area of emotional intelligence that is highly important in the workplace. To have good social skills requires a high level of the other skills aforementioned as well as the ability to relate and find common ground with a wide range of people. It goes beyond just friendliness and the ability to get along with others.

People with social skills are excellent team players as they have the ability to move an agenda along and keep focus while at the same time remaining aware of the emotional climate of the group and possess the ability to respond to it. These people are excellent at making connections, networking, and bringing people together to work on projects. They are able to bring their emotional intelligence skills into play in a larger arena. To look for social skills in an interview, ask questions related to projects and difficulties encountered around varying agendas, temperaments, and getting people to buy in.

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People Are More Successful

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies.

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In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil.

Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King, Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. "Instead of honoring this sacred obligation" to liberty, King thundered, "America has given the Negro people a bad check." He promised that a land "sweltering with the heat of oppression" could be "transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," and envisioned a future in which "on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

Delivering this electrifying message required emotional intelligence-the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. Dr. King demonstrated remarkable skill in managing his own emotions and in sparking emotions that moved his audience to action. As his speechwriter Clarence Jones reflected, King delivered "a perfectly balanced outcry of reason and emotion, of anger and hope. His tone of pained indignation matched that note for note."
Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side.
Recognizing the power of emotions, another one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century spent years studying the emotional effects of his body language. Practicing his hand gestures and analyzing images of his movements allowed him to become "an absolutely spellbinding public speaker," says the historian Roger Moorhouse-"it was something he worked very hard on." His name was Adolf Hitler.

Since the 1995 publication of Daniel Goleman's bestseller, emotional intelligence has been touted by leaders, policymakers, and educators as the solution to a wide range of social problems. If we can teach our children to manage emotions, the argument goes, we'll have less bullying and more cooperation. If we can cultivate emotional intelligence among leaders and doctors, we'll have more caring workplaces and more compassionate healthcare. As a result, emotional intelligence is now taught widely in secondary schools, business schools, and medical schools.

Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side. New evidence shows that when people hone their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating others. When you're good at controlling your own emotions, you can disguise your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can tug at their heartstrings and motivate them to act against their own best interests.

Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. In emerging research led by University of Cambridge professor Jochen Menges, when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to scrutinize the message and remembered less of the content. Ironically, audience members were so moved by the speech that they claimed to recall more of it.

The authors call this the awestruck effect, but it might just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect. One observer reflected that Hitler's persuasive impact came from his ability to strategically express emotions-he would "tear open his heart"-and these emotions affected his followers to the point that they would "stop thinking critically and just emote."
"Whenever we wanted to persuade our staff to support a particular project we always tried to break their hearts."
Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our capacities to reason. If their values are out of step with our own, the results can be devastating. New evidence suggests that when people have self-serving motives, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon for manipulating others. In a study led by the University of Toronto psychologist Stéphane Côté, university employees filled out a survey about their Machiavellian tendencies, and took a test measuring their knowledge about effective strategies for managing emotions. Then, Cote's team assessed how often the employees deliberately undermined their colleagues. The employees who engaged in the most harmful behaviors were Machiavellians with high emotional intelligence. They used their emotional skills to demean and embarrass their peers for personal gain. In one computer company studied by Tel-Aviv University professor Gideon Kunda, a manager admitted to telling a colleague "how excited we all are with what he is doing," but at the same time, "distancing my organization from the project," so "when it blows up," the company's founder would blame the colleague.

Shining a light on this dark side of emotional intelligence is one mission of a research team led by University College London professor Martin Kilduff. According to these experts, emotional intelligence helps people disguise one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Emotionally intelligent people "intentionally shape their emotions to fabricate favorable impressions of themselves," Professor Kilduff's team writes. "The strategic disguise of one's own emotions and the manipulation of others' emotions for strategic ends are behaviors evident not only on Shakespeare's stage but also in the offices and corridors where power and influence are traded."

Of course, people aren't always using emotional intelligence for nefarious ends. More often than not, emotional skills are simply instrumental tools for goal accomplishment. In a study of emotions at the Body Shop, a research team led by Stanford professor Joanne Martin discovered that founder Anita Roddick leveraged emotions to inspire her employees to fundraise for charity. As Roddick explained, "Whenever we wanted to persuade our staff to support a particular project we always tried to break their hearts." However, Roddick also encouraged employees to be strategic in the timing of their emotion expressions. In one case, after noticing that an employee often "breaks down in tears with frustration," Roddick said it was acceptable to cry, but "I told her it has to be used. I said, 'Here, cry at this point in the ... meeting." When viewing Roddick as an exemplar of an emotionally intelligent leader, it becomes clear that there's a fine line between motivation and manipulation. Walking that tightrope is no easy task.
In jobs that required extensive attention to emotions, higher emotional intelligence translated into better performance. In jobs that involved fewer emotional demands, the results reversed.
In settings where emotions aren't running high, emotional intelligence may have hidden costs. Recently, psychologists Dana Joseph of the University of Central Florida and Daniel Newman of the University of Illinois comprehensively analyzed every study that has ever examined the link between emotional intelligence and job performance. Across hundreds of studies of thousands of employees in 191 different jobs, emotional intelligence wasn't consistently linked with better performance. In jobs that required extensive attention to emotions, higher emotional intelligence translated into better performance. Salespeople, real-estate agents, call-center representatives, and counselors all excelled at their jobs when they knew how to read and regulate emotions-they were able to deal more effectively with stressful situations and provide service with a smile.

However, in jobs that involved fewer emotional demands, the results reversed. The more emotionally intelligent employees were, the lower their job performance. For mechanics, scientists, and accountants, emotional intelligence was a liability rather than an asset. Although more research is needed to unpack these results, one promising explanation is that these employees were paying attention to emotions when they should have been focusing on their tasks. If your job is to analyze data or repair cars, it can be quite distracting to read the facial expressions, vocal tones, and body languages of the people around you. In suggesting that emotional intelligence is critical in the workplace, perhaps we've put the cart before the horse.

Instead of assuming that emotional intelligence is always useful, we need to think more carefully about where and when it matters. In a recent study at a healthcare company, I asked employees to complete a test about managing and regulating emotions, and then asked managers to evaluate how much time employees spent helping their colleagues and customers. There was no relationship whatsoever between emotional intelligence and helping: Helping is driven by our motivations and values, not by our abilities to understand and manage emotions. However, emotional intelligence was consequential when examining a different behavior: challenging the status quo by speaking up with ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Emotionally intelligent employees spoke up more often and more effectively. When colleagues were treated unjustly, they felt the righteous indignation to speak up, but were able to keep their anger in check and reason with their colleagues. When they went out on a limb to advocate for gender equity, emotional intelligence helped them keep their fear at bay. When they brought ideas for innovation to senior leaders, their ability to express enthusiasm helped them avoid threatening leaders. On a much smaller scale, they were able to follow Martin Luther King Jr.'s lead in rocking the boat while keeping it steady.

More than two decades have passed since psychologists Peter Salovey at Yale and John Mayer at the University of New Hampshire introduced the concept of emotional intelligence in 1990. Why has it taken us so long to develop a more nuanced view? After Daniel Goleman popularized the idea in 1995, many researchers-perhaps awestruck themselves by enthusiasm for the concept of emotional intelligence-proceeded to conduct studies that were fatally flawed. As University of Lausanne professor John Antonakis observed, "practice and voodoo science is running way ahead of rigorous research."

One of the most persistent problems was the use of self-report measures, which asked employees to rate their own emotional abilities on items like "I can tell how people are feeling even if they never tell me" and "I am generally very good at calming someone down when he or she is upset." Abilities cannot be accurately measured with self-reports. As emotion experts Sigal Barsade of Wharton and Donald Gibson of Fairfield University lament, "One might compare this approach to assessing mathematical skills by asking respondents, 'How good are you at solving algebraic equations?' rather than asking the person to actually solve an algebraic equation."

Thanks to more rigorous research methods, there is growing recognition that emotional intelligence-like any skill-can be used for good or evil. So if we're going to teach emotional intelligence in schools and develop it at work, we need to consider the values that go along with it and where it's actually useful. As Professor Kilduff and colleagues put it, it is high time that emotional intelligence is "pried away from its association with desirable moral qualities."

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In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil. Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The Global Emotional Intelligence Test uses 40 questions which are derived from, the Global instrument, which contains 158 items. These are based on Goleman's four quadrant Emotional Intelligence Competency Model (2002). Click EI Capability Assessment here for more details. Short EI quizzes such as this are meant to be fun, and to give you a guide to which EI areas you are doing well in and those which perhaps you need to focus on for development.

This Test, is a forced-choice psychological test which requires you to choose Instructions for the FREE EI Test one statement in each pair of statements that describes you best. For each pair of statements, select the statement that best applies to you. Do not over-analyse the questions, or try to think of "exceptions to the rule." Be spontaneous and choose the statement that comes closest to the way you are.

Occasionally there will be questions that ask you to make a close call between two choices. This is because the Test is trying to distinguish between specific areas. If a question is very close and you can't decide which statement applies to you best, you can come back to it after you have completed the other questions.

The Test usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the test, click on the Score Test button, and wait for the computer to generate an EI profile of your scores. If you have answered honestly and accurately, your scores will reflect your capability level within each of the EI quadrants.

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results of this Test - only that it can help you begin your journey of self-development!

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Emotional Intelligence Test - Global Leadership Foundation

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Free emotional intelligence test developed by Global Leadership Foundation

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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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Understand trait theory of leadership is and how you can adopt some of the required characteristics and behaviours

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Understand the key characteristics of trait theory of leadership and use it to help identify your strengths and weaknesses.

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Trait Theory of Leadership and Its Key Characteristics

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Career Guide Career Development A Guide To Trait Theory of Leadership Strong leadership is a vital component of the success of any organization. But are successful leaders a product of skills they've honed over time and through continuous education, or are these skills inherent?

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Why Do Some People Become Great Leaders?

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Why do certain people become great leaders? Leadership theories seek to answer this question and usually fit into one of eight basic types.

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Behavioral theories of leadership are classified as such because they focus on the study of specific behaviors of a leader. For behavioral theorists, a leader behavior is the best predictor of his leadership influences and as a result, is the best determinant of his or her leadership success.

This behavior-focused approach provides real marketing potential, as behaviors can be conditioned in a manner that one can have a specific response to specific stimuli. As a result, we have gone from the supposition that leaders are born, (Great Man Theory) through to the possibility that we can measure your leadership potential (Trait Theory) via psychometrics measurements and then to the point that anyone can be made a leader (Behavioral Theories) by teaching them the most appropriate behavioral response for any given situation. When a few of those situations are combined; you have a program that you can trademark and market! The The evolution of leadership: From Philosophy to Market article explores that question. On a side note: There are excellent leadership programs available to guide you on your leadership journey, just assure that the program you chose is complete.

There are two important Behavioral studies

Ohio State University (1940s)

As leadership studies that were aimed at identifying the appropriate traits didn't yield any conclusive results, a group of people from Ohio State University developed a list of 150 statements from their generated responses that included 1,800 hundred statements. The list was designed to measure nine different behavioral leadership dimensions. The resulting questionnaire is now well-known as the LBDQ or the Leaders Behavior Description Questionnaire.

As part of the study, the LBDQ was administered to various groups of individuals ranging from college students and their administrators, private companies including military personnel. One of the primary purposes of the study was to identify common leadership behaviors. After compiling and analyzing the results, the study led to the conclusion that there were two groups of behaviors that were strongly correlated. These were defined as Consideration (People Oriented behavioral Leaders) and Initiating Structure (Task Oriented Leaders).

Task oriented leaders

The task concerned leaders are focusing their behaviors on the organizational structure, the operating procedures (S.O.P.) and they like to keep control. Task-oriented leaders are still concern with their staff motivation; however it's not their main concern. They will favor behaviors that are in line with:

Initiating

Organizing

Clarifying

Information Gathering

People oriented leaders

The people oriented leaders are focusing their behaviors on ensuring that the inner needs of the people are satisfied. Thus they will seek to motivate their staff through emphasizing the human relation. People oriented leaders still focus on the task and the results; they just achieve them through different means. Leaders with a people focus will have behaviors that are in line with:

University of Michigan (1950s)

Lead by the famous organizational psychologist, Dr. Rensis Likert, the leadership studies at the University of Michigan identified three characteristics of effective leadership; two of which were previously observed in studies that had been conducted at Ohio State University. The study showed that task and relationship-oriented behaviors weren't of major significance within the world of organizational psychology. However it was the third observation that introduced a new concept, one of participative leadership!

Behavioral Theories

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Behavioral theories of leadership are classified as such because they focus on the study of specific behaviors of a leader. For behavioral theorists, a leader behavior is the best predictor of his leadership influences and as a result, is the best determinant of his or her leadership success.

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Understanding the Different Aspects of Behavioral Theories of Leadership

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Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership states that your effectiveness as a leader is determined by how well your leadership style matches the situation.

Fiedler's Contingency Theory

Fiedler's Contingency Theory, just like all contingency theories, states that there is no one best way to lead your team. The best way to lead your team will instead be determined by the situation.

It is important to realize that in Fiedler's Contingency Theory your leadership style is fixed. You cannot change your style to suit the situation. Instead, you must put leaders into situations that match their style.

This puts the theory at odds with more modern contingency theories such as situational leadership.

There are two important factors in Fiedler's Contingency Theory: leadership style and situational favorableness.

1. Leadership Style

The first step in using the model is to determine your natural leadership style. To do this, Fiedler developed a scale called the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC).

To score yourself on this scale you have to describe the coworker with whom you least prefer to work.

What do you think about those people you least prefer working with?

Well, according to the model, the more favorably you rated the person you least prefer to work with the more relationship oriented you are. The less favorably you rated the person you least like working with the more task-oriented you are. So, in a nutshell:

High LPC = Relationship-oriented leader.

Low LPC = Task-oriented leader.

Task-oriented leaders tend to be good at organizing teams and projects and gettings things done. Relationship-oriented leaders tend to be good at building good relationships and managing conflict to get things done.

2. Situational Favorableness

The next step is to understand the favorableness of the situation you face. This is determined by how much control over the situation you have as a leader (situational control).

Determining situational favorableness is done by examining the following three factors:

a. Leader-Member Relations

This factor measures how much your team trusts you. Greater trust increases the favorableness of the situation and less trust reduces it.

b. Task Structure

This factor measures the tasks that need to be performed. Are they clear and precise or vague?

Vague tasks decrease the favorableness of the situation and concrete and clear tasks increase it.

c. Position Power

This is determined by your authority, meaning the power you have to reward or punish your subordinates. As you might expect, having more power increases the situational favorableness.

Using the Model

To use Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership follow these steps.

Step 1. Identify your Leadership Style

The first step is to determine your preferred leadership style using the LPC scale.

You can use the following table to score yourself on the LPC scale. Fill in your answers keeping in mind the one person that you least like to work with.

You can now calculate your LPC score by totaling all the numbers you circled. You can interpret your score as follows:

73 and above: You are a relationship-oriented leader.

54 and below: You are a task-oriented leader.

Between 55 and 72: You are a mixture of both and it's up to you to determine which style suits you the best.

Step 2: Understand your Situation

To understand the situation you are facing answer the following questions:

Is trust with your team high or low (member relations)?

Are tasks vague or clear-cut and well understood (task structure)?

Is your authority low or high (position power)?

The easiest way to do this is to score each answer from 1 to 10, with 10 representing the highest value.

Step 3: Find the Right Leadership Style

Now that we understand how we like to lead, and we understand the situation we are facing, we're in a position to determine if we have the right style for the situation we're facing.

The table below allows you to determine your results:

This table is showing us what Fiedler found to be the best leadership style given different combinations of the situational factors. Note that the red line in this diagram represents task-oriented leaders, and the yellow line represents relationship-oriented leaders.

In general, you can see that when situations are highly favorable or highly unfavorable the task-oriented leader is most effective. It is only in the middle area, where situational factors are mixed, that the relationship-oriented leader is most effective.

From Fiedler's perspective, you would place leaders into situations that are most suited to their style. However, a more modern approach is to adapt your style according to the situation.

Contingency Theory Examples

Example 1: PizzaHut Restaurant Manager

In this example, we're going to imagine that you have been newly appointed the manager of a PizzaHut restaurant. In this scenario we might expect the following situational factors:

Trust will be low. This is because you are new to the job so your team won't trust you. Secondly, staff turnover is high so it's going to be difficult to build strong relationships.

Task structure is high. This is because there are extremely clear operating procedures to follow covering everything from how to make each pizza, to how to welcome customers to the restaurant.

Position power is high. You have the ability to hire and fire and reward and punish as is required.

According to Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership, and using our table above, a relationship-oriented leader is best suited to this type of role.

Example 2: Software Development Manager

In this example, we're going to imagine that you've just been promoted to be the manager of a software development team you've been working in for two years.

In this scenario, the situational factors might look something like this:

Trust will be high. You've already worked with the team for two years, know each of the team members well, and they trust you.

Task structure is high. Even though software development is complex, task structure is high as the team knows what they have to do each week.

Position power is low. Although you've been promoted to manage the team's day to day work, you are not responsible for line managing any of them. Thus, you don't hold much formal authority over any of them.

According to Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership, and using our table above, a task-oriented leader is best suited to this type of role.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership are:

It provides a simple rule of thumb for identifying which leaders are best for which situations.

Unlike many other leadership theories, it takes the situation into account in determining the effectiveness of a leader.

Both the LPC and the situational factors are easy to measure.

The disadvantages of Fiedler's Contingency of Leadership are:

It's not flexible at all. If your leadership style doesn't match the situation that's it. Game over. You need to be replaced. There is nothing you can do to change the situation.

The LPC scale is subjective and so its possible incorrectly assess your own leadership style.

If you happen to fall in the middle of the LPC scale then there is no guidance as to which kind of leader you might be.

Your assessment of the situation is subjective. This means you may incorrectly assess the situation and consequently, you may incorrectly determine what kind of leader is required.

Summary

Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership states that your effectiveness as a leader is determined by how well your leadership style matches the situation.

The theory is based on the premise that each of us has one and only one leadership style which can be scored on the Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) scale. Using this LPC scale you are either a relationship-oriented leader or a task-oriented leader.

According to Fiedler, task-oriented leaders get the best results when faced with strongly favorable or strongly unfavorable situations. In situations of mixed favorableness then relationship-oriented leaders get the best results.

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Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership - with Examples

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Fiedler's Contingency Theory of Leadership states that your effectiveness as a leader is determined by how well your leadership style matches the situation. Note that Fiedler's Contingency Theory isn't the only contingency theory. Contingency theory is a general theory which says that there is no one singular best...

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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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1. Career Guide

2. Career Development

3. A Guide To Path-Goal Theory

Understanding path-goal theory can help you determine which leadership style will best motivate and improve your team's performance. The different styles of leadership suggested by this theory provide ideas for how leaders can modify their behavior according to a situational experience or employees' abilities and needs.

In this article, we explain what path-goal theory is, the four components of path-goal theory and how you can use these strategies with your team.

What is path-goal theory?

Goal-path theory is based on the premise that a leader's behavior impacts the satisfaction, motivation and performance of employees. This theory is based on expectancy theory, the assertion that an individual will act in a certain way based on the expectation of a desirable outcome. Path-goal theory assumes that a leader complements their employees and will compensate for their shortcomings. Effective leaders, according to this theory, give their employees a clear path to follow to achieve goals, removing pitfalls and obstacles. The theory provides guidance for ways leaders can encourage and support employees in reaching goals.

Related: Expectancy Theory of Motivation: Definition and How To Use It

Types of path-goal theory

Path-goal theory identifies four types of leadership behavior:

Achievement-oriented

With this type of leadership style, the leader focuses on encouraging excellence by setting challenging goals. Employees are encouraged to pursue their highest level of performance and the leader trusts their ability to handle this. The leader encourages employees to display excellent work achievements and be continually improving. Employees who are comfortable working fully independently and have strong problem-solving skills are suitable for this type of management.

Directive path-goal clarifying

In directive leadership, the leader provides employees with clear guidelines for the processes and expectations for them, as well as how they should best carry out tasks. This style of leadership aims to reduce ambiguity in job functions and work functions are clarified to give employees a high degree of certainty regarding procedures, policies and rules. The relationship between performance goals and rewards, including pay increases and promotions, is defined to avoid ambiguity and confusion.

With this style of leadership, employees are closely supervised, which makes it most appropriate for inexperienced employees who need guidance and to be checked on regularly.

Supportive

With supportive leadership, the leader pays attention to the needs and well-being of employees and makes work pleasant for them by being friendly and empathetic. Leaders who operate under this style treat employees with respect and offer support when needed. This management style is particularly useful when employees have personal problems or need a boost in motivation or confidence.

Participative

This type of leadership behavior involves consulting with employees on important decisions related to work, task goals and paths to reach goals, enabling the employee to be directly involved in the decision-making process. This typically results in the employee exerting greater effort to achieve the goals they selected.

Leaders are often inclined to use this style of leadership when employees are highly involved or have specialist knowledge. In these situations, their insight can be invaluable to the leader.

Related: Stages of Team Development

How to use path-goal theory

Here are some different strategies for how you can use the path-goal theory leadership styles with your own team.

Achievement strategies

For this approach to be successful, leaders must display complete confidence in their team's ability to overcome obstacles. Set high expectations for employee goals. Create a list of objectives that you want your team members to complete and a timeframe in which they are required to have them completed. Express your confidence that the goal is achievable, even if there is a tight deadline attached to it. Tie the completion of the objectives to a higher goal or specific project or priority.

This style of leadership oftentimes works best with employees who have a low need for affiliation or who are comfortable working independently. It also works well for employees who prefer less structure and who have a high belief in their own abilities. This style is most effective in professional work environments, such as scientific or technical, or achievement environments like sales.

Directive strategies

Because this style of leadership is task-oriented, where the leader provides strict guidelines and goals and performance standards, the best way to apply this style is through extensive training or one-on-one coaching. Bigger goals should be broken into smaller steps with milestones. When using this leadership style, you may want to leverage rewards for achievement, particularly when employees reach important milestones.

This style works well for employees who prefer structure and/or who have an external locus of control, meaning they believe external factors are responsible for events that occur to them. It also works well for employees who lack confidence in their own abilities.

Supportive strategies

With this leadership style, leaders show genuine concern about the needs of their employees and want to do all they can to help the employees reach their goals. It is most effective in situations where relationships and tasks are physically or psychologically challenging. Supportive leaders should focus on creating a warm and friendly environment and showing employees that they are friendly and approachable in the event of a problem or concern.

Participative strategies

Using this theory, employees can participate in goal setting. Meet regularly with employees to discuss goals and come up with a strategy together for how you will achieve those goals. Encourage employees to provide feedback to you regarding progress so shifts can be made if necessary.

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Want to become a better leader? Learn about the four different leadership styles in path-goal theory and how you can apply them with your own team.

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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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(Also known as LMX or Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory)

As a manager, it's not always right to treat everyone on your team in the same way.

For instance, you probably have team members that you've developed a great relationship with: you trust them, they work hard, and they've never let you down. To you, these team members are invaluable, and you make an extra effort to send challenging projects their way.

It's also likely that you have others on your team who you think less well of. They may not have far-reaching career goals, they're less competent, and you simply don't trust them to the same extent. These team members get everyday responsibilities, and are not considered for promotions or challenging assignments.

However, have you ever stopped to analyze why you don't trust certain team members? Rightly or wrongly, do you let that distrust, or the belief that they're unreliable, influence how you relate to them? Do you, even subconsciously, withhold opportunities that might help them grow and succeed?

This situation is at the heart of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory. This theory, also known as LMX or the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory, explores how leaders and managers develop relationships with team members; and it explains how those relationships can either contribute to growth or hold people back.

What Is the Leader-Member Exchange Theory?

The Leader-Member Exchange Theory first emerged in the 1970s. It focuses on the relationship that develops between managers and members of their teams. The theory states that all relationships between managers and subordinates go through three stages. These are:

Let's look at each stage in greater detail.

Role-Taking

Role-taking occurs when team members first join the group. Managers use this time to assess new members' skills and abilities.

Role-Making

New team members then begin to work on projects and tasks as part of the team. In this stage, managers generally expect that new team members will work hard, be loyal and prove trustworthy as they get used to their new role.

The theory says that, during this stage, managers sort new team members (often subconsciously) into one of two groups.

In-Group: if team members prove themselves loyal, trustworthy and skilled, they're put into the In-Group. This group is made up of the team members that the manager trusts the most. Managers give this group most of their attention, providing challenging and interesting work, and offering opportunities for additional training and advancement. This group also gets more one-to-one time with the manager. Often, people in this group have a similar personality and work-ethic to their manager.

Out-Group: if team members betray the trust of the manager, or prove that they're unmotivated or incompetent, they're put into the Out-Group. This group's work is often restricted and unchallenging. Out-Group members tend to have less access to the manager, and often don't receive opportunities for growth or advancement.

Routinization

During this last phase, routines between team members and their managers are established.

In-Group team members work hard to maintain the good opinion of their managers, by showing trust, respect, empathy, patience, and persistence.

Out-Group members may start to dislike or distrust their managers. Because it's so hard to move out of the Out-Group once the perception has been established, Out-Group members may have to change departments or organizations in order to "start over."

Once team members have been classified, even subconsciously, as In-Group or Out-Group, that classification affects how their managers relate to them from then on, and it can become self-fulfilling.

For instance, In-Group team members are often seen as rising stars and the manager trusts them to work and perform at a high level. This is also the group that the manager talks to most, offering support and advice, and they're given the best opportunities to test their skills and grow. So, of course, they're more likely to develop in their roles.

This also holds true for the Out-Group. The manager spends little, if any, time trying to support and develop this group. They receive few challenging assignments or opportunities for training and advancement. And, because they're never tested, they have little chance to change the manager's opinion.

How to Use the Leader-Member Exchange Theory

You can use the Leader-Member Exchange Theory to gain awareness of how you perceive members of your own team. The following three steps will show you how you can do this by identifying the Out-Group, reestablishing your relationship with its members, and providing means and ways for team members to grow.

1. Identify Your Out-Group

Chances are, you know who's in your Out-Group already. Take a moment to note their names down.

Next, analyze why these people have fallen "out of favor." Did they do something specifically to lose your trust? Do they exhibit bad behavior at work? Are they truly incompetent, or do they have low motivation?

Analyze what they've actually done, and compare the facts with your perceptions. Do these match, or have you (perhaps subconsciously) blown things out of proportion?

2. Reestablish the Relationship

It's important that, as the leader, you make a reasonable effort to reestablish a relationship with Out-Group team members. Research published in the Leadership Quarterly journal in 1995 showed that team members who have high-quality relationships with their leader have higher morale, and are more productive than those who don't. So you, and your organization, can benefit from creating a better relationship.

Keep in mind that this group will likely be wary of any attention or support from you; after all, they may not have had it in the past.

First, meet each team member one-on-one. Take the time to find out if they're happy with their job. What are their career goals? What can you do to make their work more challenging or engaging?

A one-on-one meeting can also help you identify that person's psychological contract with you - that is, the unspoken benefits they expect from you, as their leader. If they're in the Out-Group, they may feel that the psychological contract has been broken.

You also need to discover what truly motivates them. Use McClelland's Human Motivation Theory or Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factor Theory to find out what drives them to succeed.

Once you've had a chance to reconnect with your team members through one-on-one meetings, do what you sensibly can to continue to touch base with them. Practice management by walking around, or drop by their office to see if they need help on projects or tasks. Work on getting to know these team members on a personal level.

3. Provide Training and Development Opportunities

Remember, the biggest advantage to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory is that it alerts you to the preference you might unconsciously - and possibly unfairly - be showing some team members. This allows you to offer all of your team members appropriate opportunities for training, development, and advancement.

Your Out-Group team members may benefit from a mentoring or coaching relationship with you.

You may also want to provide them with low-risk opportunities to test and grow their skills. Use task allocation strategies to make sure you're assigning the right task to the right person. Also, take our Bite-Sized Training session, Setting Goals for Your Team, to learn how to set effective and realistic goals for these team members.

You can also use the Nine-Box Grid for Talent Management to re-assess their potential from time to time, and to give them the right development opportunities.

Warning:

A problem with the Leader-Member Exchange Theory is that it assumes that all team members are equally worthy of trust, prestigious projects and advancement. Although we may like to think that everyone is honest, hard-working and worthy of our esteem, the reality can be different!

Managers need to get the best possible results. This means putting the right people in the right places, and it means developing and reinforcing success. Of necessity, this means that talented people will get more interesting opportunities and may get more attention than less-talented ones.

Use the Leader-Member Exchange Theory to make sure that you're objective in the way that you deal with people, but don't be naïve in the way that you apply it.

Key Points

The Leader-Member Exchange Theory first appeared in the 1970s. It analyzes the relationship between managers and team members.

Team members typically go through three phases in their relationship with their manager: Role-Taking, Role-Making, and Routinization.

Typically, during the Role-Making phase, group members are classified into one of two groups: In-Group, and Out-Group. In-Group team members often receive more attention and support, and more opportunities, from their managers. Out-Group members get very little face-time, and few opportunities.

You can use the Leader-Member Exchange Theory to identify and validate any perceptions that you might have of people on your team.

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The Leader-Member Exchange Theory: Getting the Best From all Team Members

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As a manager, it's not always right to treat everyone on your team in the same way. For instance, you probably have team members that you've developed a great relationship with: you trust them, they work hard, and they've never let you down.

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A complete guide to charismatic leadership: definition, examples, characteristics, and tips to apply this leadership style in the workplace.

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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.
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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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Many of history's most effective leaders are labeled charismatic. Yet there is a great deal of controversy about whether charisma is made or born, and if charismatic leaders are actually effective. A while back, I was interviewed as part of a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of the most frequently asked questions about charismatic leadership were part of that interview.
Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Winston Churchill were known as dynamic, charismatic and inspirational leaders. What particular traits or qualities did someone like MLK possess that allowed him to lead and inspire so many people?
Charismatic leaders are essentially very skilled communicators - individuals who are verbally eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level. They are able to articulate a compelling or captivating vision, and to arouse strong emotions in followers.
Is charisma something that you are born with - you either have it or you don't? Do you think most leaders, politicians, and inspirational figures have charisma, and is it that quality which makes them stand out?
Charisma is really a process - an interaction between the qualities of the charismatic leader, the followers and their needs and identification with the leader, and the situation that calls out for a charismatic leader, such as a need for change or a crisis. But when it comes to the charismatic qualities of leaders, the emphasis is on how they communicate to followers and whether they are able to gain followers' trust, and influence and persuade them to follow.

Most politicians, particularly on the national scene, have developed their ability to communicate effectively - to make speeches, "work the room" with potential donors and supporters, etc. So many seasoned politicians have a lot of "personal charisma."
What are the important characteristics every leader should possess?
A model that I think represents the very best leaders, and research bears this out, is transformational leadership. You can think of transformational leadership as going beyond charisma, because two of the components of transformational leadership deal with charisma. They are:

Idealized Influence, or the leader's ability to be a positive (and moral) role model for followers. The transformational leader also "walks the talk," and is on the "front line" working with followers (think MLK Jr.), or leaders who sacrifice along with their followers. In business, the charismatic/transformational leader sometimes serves as the "face" of the company or the movement (think Steve Jobs).

Inspirational Motivation is the second quality, and it is what charismatic leaders are noted for - the ability to inspire and motivate followers to perform at high levels, and to be committed to the organization or the cause.

The other two elements of transformational leadership are Intellectual Stimulation - challenging followers to be creative and think outside of the box - and Individualized Consideration, or being responsive to the feelings and developmental needs of followers.

Transformational leaders are charismatic, but they are also noted for leading high-performing groups and teams and developing followers' leadership capacity as much as for helping the group or organization to change and innovate.
What are some behaviors or traits that might derail a leader/politician's career or stand in their path to success?
The biggest thing that can derail a leader is arrogance, and a lack of concern or responsiveness to followers and constituents. We have seen politicians' and CEOs' arrogance - thinking they are above the law and committing ethical violations lead to their demise. Also, a leader needs to succeed more often than not, and to learn from mistakes and setbacks.
Are leaders born or made?
This isn't something that requires my opinion, because the question has been well researched. Twin studies by Richard Arvey and his colleagues have estimated that leadership is about two-thirds "made" and one-third "born." This makes sense, though, if we see much of leadership as a set of learned skills and competencies - the ability to communicate, to strategize, to problem solve, etc. These take time to develop.

This question would have broad implications for leadership, for if it were all (or mostly) born, then our efforts should be directed toward identifying and selecting leaders, and we would be wasting our time on leader development programs. But, the research suggests that putting resources into leader development makes sense, and recent meta-analyses of these programs suggest that, in general, they work and lead to positive gains.
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What Is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership?

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Many of history's most effective leaders are labeled charismatic. Yet there is a great deal of controversy about whether charisma is made or born, and if charismatic leaders are actually effective. A while back, I was interviewed as part of a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Each style of leadership has a specific focus area. For example, some forms of leadership, such as democratic leadership, emphasize people's growth while others, like bureaucratic leadership, are focused on existing structures and hierarchies.

However, a charismatic leader can influence people in ways that other leaders can only dream of. This is why a charismatic leadership style is often regarded as the most powerful way to lead.

Here, I help you understand what makes charismatic leadership so powerful through an explanation of the leadership style, the characteristics that make it up, its pros and cons, and relevant examples.

What is a Charismatic Leadership Style?

It wouldn't be wrong to assume that you've met at least one person in your life who oozed charisma. This almost unexplainable attribute is something that charismatic leaders have in abundance; they have a clear vision and can communicate it in an impactful way.

Charismatic leadership uses articulate communication, encouragement, and power of personality to motivate others to behave in a particular way. Charismatic leadership depends on the leader's eloquence, their firm belief in their mission, and their ability to make their followers or subordinates feel the same way.

A study published in the International Journal of Psychology shows a strong relation between charismatic leadership and work-group identification of employees. The identification of the workgroup is often correlated with employees' participation in the job, job satisfaction, success, and retention.

Charismatic leaders can encourage, inspire, and get individuals to achieve the mission at hand. No wonder many politicians and activists have been described as charismatic. Charismatic leadership relies, more than any other leadership style, on the personality of the leader.

Considering that they can connect with people at a subconscious level, charismatic leaders are most needed in organizations that are headed for disaster or are struggling to make progress. So, how can you identify such a leader in your organization? You can find a charismatic leader by looking for the attributes or characteristics that define this leadership style. The attributes or characteristics of a charismatic leader are discussed next.

The Characteristics of a Charismatic Leader

Charismatic leaders seem very unique. They stand out in a crowd and have a powerful effect on the people around them. More than that, they are exceptional at motivating other individuals. They also have a unique ability to analyze and decode any inefficiency within an organization.

Critical thinking, compiling of evidence, and discovery of ways to address a range of issues also emerge from these visionary characteristics related to this leadership style. The following are the characteristics that make charismatic leaders so powerful:

1. Superior Communication Abilities

Charismatic leaders have exceptional communication abilities. This helps inspire followers or subordinates during stressful times and helps them remain grounded when things are great. Communicating one-to-one or in a group environment is equally easy for these leaders.

2. Emotional Sensitivity and Control

You might find that most charismatic leaders can decipher the feelings of others well. This is natural for someone who is looking to inspire people using their 'charm'. Charismatic leaders appear to display their feelings positively as well. Whenever required, they can demonstrate better control over their feelings.

3. Confidence

Charismatic leaders are genuinely optimistic people to state the obvious. They always look for the positive in things and are confident about themselves as a person. They are well aware of their traits and do not pretend to be someone else. Ultimately, this allows them to be comfortable in their skin and have a contagious confidence.

4. Visionary

Charismatic leaders envision an optimistic, often revolutionary version of the future in their minds. They will see what cannot be understood by their peers. The subordinates choose to follow the charismatic leader because of this characteristic, as they are promised a solution to a long-standing problem or something far better than what they currently have.

5. People-Centered Approach

The charismatic leadership style has a very people-centric focus. The ideas and activities of a charismatic leader are aimed at bringing about a change that will impact the people at a spiritual, political, or societal level. Additionally, these leaders can connect their followers to their mission extremely well.

6. Ability to Inspire Positive Behavior

Charismatic leaders display positive behavior and encourage others to follow suit. They inspire their followers through strong and inspiring words that convince them to transition to positive behaviors.

Perhaps, the best way to envision a charismatic leader with all these qualities is visualizing historical leaders with a charismatic leadership style. In the political, corporate, and religious realms, history is full of examples of charismatic leaders.

However, the most prominent amongst them is Martin Luther King Jr. His iconic speech 'I have a dream' still lives in people's minds. He is known and celebrated across the globe for his telling role in U.S civil rights movement that changed the U.S for the better; he inspired this change through his words and charisma.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Charismatic Leader

Charismatic leaders may affect an organization and the individuals they lead in a strong, positive way. However, this leadership style can also lead to dangerous situations if used in the wrong manner. The following are the pros and cons of a charismatic leadership style.

Extremely motivating and encouraging
Fosters a sense of friendship, cooperation, and community
Makes subordinates r followers feel noticed and appreciated
Builds momentum for sustainable change

Can cause leaders to concentrate on themselves rather than their followers
Can encourage self-centered behaviors
Often seen as superficial or presumptuous

Because charismatic leaders are willing to take chances and venture beyond the lines, they can have a positive influence on an organization or community. Unfortunately, a charismatic leader does not need to comply with a clear moral or ethical vision.

History has taught us that when working towards their vision, charismatic leaders can steer followers in the wrong direction and cause chaos. Nonetheless, this style of leadership can be a powerful way to inspire individuals and change the way an organization or community functions.

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Charismatic Leadership Is The Most Powerful Way To Lead

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Each style of leadership has a specific focus area. For example, some forms of leadership, such as democratic leadership, emphasize people's growth while others, like bureaucratic leadership, are focused on existing structures and hierarchies. However, a charismatic leader can influence people in ways that other leaders can only dream of.

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A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time or move people and supplies in an organized way. Transactional leaders are not a good fit for places where creativity and innovative ideas are valued.

Transactional leadership is most often compared to transformational leadership. Transactional leadership depends on self-motivated people who work well in a structured, directed environment. By contrast, transformational leadership seeks to motivate and inspire workers, choosing to influence rather than direct others.

Read more about transactional leadership:

Transactional leadership focuses on results, conforms to the existing structure of an organization and measures success according to that organization's system of rewards and penalties. Transactional leaders have formal authority and positions of responsibility in an organization. This type of leader is responsible for maintaining routine by managing individual performance and facilitating group performance.

This type of leader sets the criteria for their workers according to previously defined requirements. Performance reviews are the most common way to judge employee performance. Transactional, or managerial, leaders work best with employees who know their jobs and are motivated by the reward-penalty system. The status quo of an organization is maintained through transactional leadership.

Differences between transactional leadership and other leadership styles

Transactional leaders differ from charismatic and transformational leaders in both structure and method. Charismatic leadership emphasizes influencing a group or organization to make the world a better place. In transactional leadership, the emphasis is on managing the performance of the individual and determining how well he or she performs in a structured environment.

The difference between transactional leadership and transformational leadership is also quite large. Simply put, transactional is a "telling" leadership style, and transformational is a "selling" style. While the transactional approach features positive and negative reinforcement, transformational leadership emphasizes motivation and inspiration. Transactional leaders are reactive; transformational leaders are proactive. Transactional leadership appeals to the self-interest of individuals, while the transformational style prioritizes group progress.

History of the transactional leadership theory

Max Weber, a 20th-century German sociologist, made an extensive study of leadership styles and divided them into three categories: traditional, charismatic and rational-legal, or bureaucratic. In 1947, Weber was the first to describe rational-legal leadership - the style that would come to be known as transactional leadership - as "the exercise of control on the basis of knowledge."

Transactional leadership theory is based on the idea that managers give employees something they want in exchange for getting something they want. It posits that workers are not self-motivated and require structure, instruction and monitoring in order to complete tasks correctly and on time.

The transactional leadership style was widely used after World War II in the United States. This was a time when the government concentrated on rebuilding and required a high level of structure to maintain national stability.

Political scientist James McGregor Burns was one of the most prominent authors to advance Weber's theories. In his 1978 book "Leadership," Burns argued that both transactional and transformational leaders must be moral and have a higher purpose. In Burns's model, transactional leaders espouse honesty, fairness, responsibility, and honoring commitments.

In the 1980s and 90s, researchers including Bernard M. Bass, Jane Howell and Bruce Avolio defined the dimensions of transactional leadership:

Contingent reward, the process of setting expectations and rewarding workers for meeting them

Passive management by exception, where a manager does not interfere with workflow unless an issue arises

Active management by exception, in which managers anticipate problems, monitor progress and issue corrective measures

Many current leadership theorists agree that principals of transactional and transformational leadership can be combined for ideal outcomes for both management and the workforce.

The transactional model is likely to succeed in a crisis or in projects that require linear and specific processes. This model is also useful for big corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, a company known for its extensive use of management by exception.

Many high-level members of the military, CEOs of large international companies, and NFL coaches are known to be transactional leaders. Transactional leadership also works well in policing agencies and first responder organizations. Here are four examples of transactional leaders.

Norman Schwarzkopf

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was born in 1934 and graduated from West Point. He went to Vietnam as an advisor to the South Vietnamese army. During that war, he was wounded twice and awarded three Silver Star medals. In 1978, he became a brigadier general; he attained a four-star ranking in 1988. General Schwarzkopf was commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces in Operation Desert Storm, responsible for tens of thousands of troops in Iraq and Kuwait. He used the rules and regulations of the military to coordinate operations on several continents.

Vince Lombardi

Born in 1913, Vince Lombardi is best known as the coach for the Green Bay Packers. He signed a five-year contract with Green Bay in 1959. Under his leadership, the team never had a losing session. Over the course of his career, he led the team to a 98-30-4 record and five championships. The Super Bowl trophy is named after him. He used to run the Packers through the same plays in practice over and over again. The team's opponents knew the plays Lombardi would run, but the team was so well trained that many teams had trouble defending against them.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates was born in Seattle in 1955. In his early teens, he met Paul Allen at the Lakeside School, where they both developed computer programs as a hobby. When Gates went to Harvard, Allen went to work as a programmer for Honeywell in Boston. In 1975, they started Microsoft, and by 1978, the company had grossed $2.5 million, when Gates was 23. In 1985, Microsoft launched Windows. Bill Gates is now one of the richest people in the world. As a transactional leader, he used to visit new product teams and ask difficult questions until he was satisfied that the teams were on track and understood the goal.

Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz was born in 1953 and grew up in the Brooklyn housing projects. He escaped the projects with a football scholarship from Northern Michigan University. After college, he started selling coffee makers to companies that included the Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spice Company, which originally sold coffee beans rather than made-to-order drinks. He was hired by the company in 1982. In 1984, Schultz opened the first Starbucks coffeehouse based on the concept of an Italian espresso bar.

Schultz wanted to grow Starbucks, but the owners wanted to stay small. Schultz left and opened his own company in 1985. With the help of investors in 1987, he bought Starbucks and merged the two companies. By 2006, Schultz was ranked 394 on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest people in America. As a transactional leader, he was responsible for the vision and implementation of the Starbucks model.

Transactional leadership quotes

Norman Schwarzkopf: "When placed in command, take charge."

Vince Lombardi: "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

Bill Gates: "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

Howard Schultz: "Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising."

Here are some of the characteristics of transactional leaders:

Focused on short-term goals

Favor structured policies and procedures

Thrive on following rules and doing things correctly

Revel in efficiency

Very left-brained

Tend to be inflexible

Opposed to change

Transactional leadership works well in organizations where structure is important. Transactional leadership is not the right fit for organizations where initiative is encouraged:

Transactional leadership pros:

Rewards those who are motivated by self-interest to follow instructions

Provides an unambiguous structure for large organizations, systems requiring repetitive tasks and infinitely reproducible environments

Achieves short-term goals quickly

Rewards and penalties are clearly defined for workers

Transactional leadership cons:

Rewards the worker on a practical level only, such as money or perks

Creativity is limited since the goals and objectives are already set

Does not reward personal initiative

There is definitely a place for transactional leadership in the world today. One of its best uses is in multinational corporations where not all of the workers speak the same language. Once the structure and the requirements are learned, it is easy for workers to complete tasks successfully. This works because transactional leadership is simple to learn and does not require extensive training. The transactional approach is easy to understand and apply across much of an organization.

The military, policing organizations, and first responders use this style of leadership so that all areas of the organization are consistent. It is also easier to apply in a crisis situation, where everyone must know exactly what is required of them and how a task is to be done under pressure.

To many people, money and perks are a powerful motivator. Many people need a job to pay the bills. They have other obligations and distractions and would just as soon know exactly how to do their job in order to keep it and reap the rewards.

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What is Transactional Leadership? Structure Leads to Results

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A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time or move people and supplies in an organized way.

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Last Updated November 22, 2021

Transactional vs. transformational leadership is not a question of a good vs. bad, right vs. wrong approach to leadership. While they are in fact opposite approaches to leadership, both offer advantages and are important styles of leadership to understand and apply in certain types of situations.

A leader may naturally gravitate towards either the transactional or transformational side in their style and methods. However, the best leaders understand that both can be utilized and integrated into their overall leadership toolkit. Those who aspire to leadership in the business world should develop an understanding of the differences between the two and recognize how they can apply the appropriate style based on the situation.

What Is a Transactional Leadership Style?

A transactional leadership style follows a managerial philosophy of reinforcement and exchanges, managing employees by establishing specific goals and then offering a reward for achieving them. That's the "transaction" in transactional leadership. Effective transactional leaders recognize and reward a follower's accomplishments in a timely way.

A study in Psychiatric Services found transactional leadership "more practical in nature because of its emphasis on meeting specific targets or objectives."

Transactional leaders are often found in manufacturing, where line workers are expected to hit a set production quota per shift. Another area where a transactional mindset is beneficial is sales, as the team and individual members are driving to hit specific sales goals. Transactional leadership can also be most effective in situations where teams are working under strict time constraints to deliver on a project and/or where financial resources are limited.

Transactional leadership often goes hand-in-hand with maintaining a status quo of actions and processes that have proven successful. It tends to work best with self-motivated employees who do not seek or need inspiration from their managers or company executives, making it a leadership approach more often used at established companies.

What Is a Transformational Leadership Style?

The transformational leadership style is grounded in four components, commonly referred to as the four "I's" of transformational leadership:

Intellectual Stimulation: encouraging new experiences and ways of thinking for themselves and employees

Individual Consideration: mentoring employees and supporting their professional development

Inspirational Motivation: imparting a vision for an organization that employees internalize and make their own

Idealized Influence: serving as role models for how they expect employees to conduct themselves

As the four I's detail, transformational leaders focus on nurturing and positively motivating their employees. Rather than micromanage, transformational leaders foster an independent workplace that promotes creativity, desires innovative thinking and empowers employees to make their own decisions in their work.

Transformational leaders emphasize personal and professional growth and encourage all employees to think creatively in developing solutions to longstanding challenges, but they can be most impactful in leading younger employers, helping to integrate them into the company culture and giving them a sense that their work is a part of something special.

The leadership style works well in organizations or teams where the goals include developing the talent of the employees, and not just meeting an immediate production quota or sales goal.

Transformational leadership can also be the preferred approach in an environment where a product or service is new, or in an industry where innovation is key to survival. Many of the constraints and quotas may still be in play-limited financial resources, strict deadlines, specified quotas-but with a new product or start-up company, "the rules" and processes are not yet established, and open and innovative thinking on how to produce, grow, survive and thrive may be needed and even expected.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: Which is Better?

It all depends. Neither approach is "better" than the other, and, despite the clear differences, the two are not mutually exclusive. A blended approach often works best because both leadership styles work, but they work best in in different situations, depending on the desired outcomes and on the leader.

Leadership Effectiveness

Both transactional and transformational leadership are effective in achieving intended results.

Transactional leaders focus on organizational performance and employee supervision. These leaders are not looking much toward innovating for the future, but rather maximizing productivity in the present. They focus on making the day-to-day business of an organization flow smoothly.

Transformational leaders focus on organizational change and employee development. These leaders devote more time to developing a strategy for the future of their team or organization, then motivating and inspiring employees to buy into that vision. This leadership is most effective in organizations or teams that need a leader to guide them towards positive change.

The most effective leaders recognize when and how to apply the elements of both. For example, sales may be transactional at its core, with the sales team driving towards specific and continuous sales targets, whether that be monthly, quarterly or annual sales goals. But sales is also about people, with developing and managing customer relationships at its heart.

Sales team leaders need to understand what motivates and inspires people (both their employees and customers) and look beyond the sales transaction to be innovative in seeking out new customer relationships, emphasize the strategic thinking behind key account management and may even need to lead the team in transforming their sales approach in response to market factors.

Promoting Growth, Innovation and Creativity

The transformational leadership style has clear advantages when it comes to promoting growth, innovation and creativity within individuals, teams and an organization as a whole.

A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that transactional leadership led employees "to perceive the culture as more goal, than innovation, oriented," whereas transformational leadership led employees to see the organizational culture as more innovative. Employees feel they are encouraged to develop as professionals, growing their base of skills and knowledge.

A key part of the overall strategy of a transformational leader is to encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace. The focus on employee development is important to cultivating the future leaders an organization needs, as employees grow into the shoes of their leaders and emulate their style.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: How They Complement Each Other

In developing, adapting and applying these two styles of leadership, it's important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of each, along with the current work situation your team and organization may be functioning in.

Transactional Leadership: While it's the best approach for maximizing operational efficiency, transactional leadership can fall short in the areas of innovation, long-term strategy creation and employee development.

Transformational Leadership: While best for creating strategy and fostering organizational change, transformational leadership sometimes lacks the attention to detail, as these leaders are less concerned about daily workflow and processes. It also relies on having the type of leader who can sustain both a great deal of motivation and passion for a long period of time.

If there is anything that the year 2020 taught organizational leaders, it is that change is happening faster than ever, and those efficient processes and set goals can be upended in an instant.

You can help motivate your team during turbulent times and successfully lead them through transformation, confidently driving your organization toward positive change with transformational and visionary leadership. How do you become this leader?
Enhance your leadership capabilities with MSU's Strategic Leadership & Management Certificates.

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Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: What's the Difference?

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Aspiring to leadership in the business world? Know the differences between transactional and transformational leadership and how to best apply each.

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Imagine working in an environment where employees are given short- and long-term goals to work towards, with structured deadlines and strict guidance that adhere to company policy. In this scenario, self-motivation is key. Employees can work with relative independence, so long as they don't fall below the expectations that have been set for them. And if they do miss the mark, they can expect to be reprimanded and supervised until their work gets back on track. But if they succeed in meeting their goals, they're rewarded accordingly.

In reality, you don't have to imagine this kind of workplace, because it already exists thanks to transactional leadership. It may not be the most freeform approach to management or employee stewardship, but for some companies that thrive in a more structured environment, it can be the key to success.

Transactional leadership is a more structured approach to management that relies on rigorous checks and balances throughout a company's production lifecycle. Typically, employees are given their short- and long-term goals and expected to work toward them under supervision, and everyone is expected to adhere to strict guidelines set by the company. Employees who meet their goals are rewarded, while those who fail to meet their deadlines are reprimanded.

While it's true that this form of leadership doesn't necessarily work well in creative environments where a more open structure is preferred, transactional leaders work well in environments that thrive on structure and organization. Plus, employees are allowed a certain degree of autonomy within the confines of company policy, so long as they're capable of meeting their goals effectively and on time. For employees who excel in an environment based on consistent company policies, transactional leadership can be a key motivating factor in encouraging them to realize company goals. Rules, regulations, and a high degree of organization is the foundation upon which transactional leaders build their organization.

A managerial approach to enacting transactional leadership may vary based on your organizational structure. For example, some may choose to create a motivation system built on rewards for each goal met or lean on a more intensive approach to supervising if it supports employees in meeting company goals. It can be a more intensive approach to leadership, but in the right environment, it can lead to exceptional motivation and results.
Transactional vs Transformational Leadership.
While transactional and transformational leadership both focus on subordinate motivation, meeting company goals, and creating a thriving organizational environment, the approaches to achieving these goals are actually quite different. Transformational leadership is focused on a more open approach that encourages employees to think outside the box and find new and inventive ways to address company needs. With a focus on rethinking patterns and moving away from the tried-and-true methods of functionality and problem-solving, transformational leaders aim to give their subordinates more freedom and creativity to achieve their tasks and goals.

Conversely, transactional leaders are all about maintaining the status quo-but not in a negative way. Rather, it's more of a "If it's not broke, don't fix it" approach where the organizational system mandates what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, with strict guidelines, plans of how to motivate, rules, and regulations. Subordinates are given the format in which they're expected to meet their long- and short-term goals, and they're rewarded accordingly when they achieve their objectives. Of course, that means subordinates are also disciplined if they fail to meet the goals that are set out for them. Where transformational leadership is all about a free-flowing approach to handling tasks and problem-solving, transactional leaders thrive on organizational routine, rules, schedules, structure, and oversight.

The roots of transactional leadership come from a study conducted by German sociologist Max Weber in 1947. While exploring different leadership styles, Weber identified three different categories, using the term "legal rational authority" as a stand-in for what would eventually become transactional leadership. According to Weber, this approach was based on the idea that subordinates needed certain motivations based on structure and a more oppressive management style to produce results.

As time went on, the theory evolved. In 1978, James McGregor Burns-a political scientist-wrote a book on leadership and posited that leaders who relied on the transactional model needed to employ the approach from a foundation of morality, responsibility, and honesty. He also identified the basic quality of transactional leadership, stating how it's founded on the idea of a give-and-take approach.

Later, in 1981, researcher Bernard Bass furthered the theory by explaining the psychological aspects of leader/follower instincts. His findings were bolstered in the '90s by researchers Bruce Avolio and Jane Howell. Their additions to the theory included the concept of active management, where managers could amend workflow based on any issues or problems and take a slightly more hands-off approach so long as employees were able to work functionally without intensive oversight. This was also when the idea of reward was included in the process, where employees who met or exceeded productivity expectations would be praised and receive extra benefits.

Because transactional leadership is a more structured approach to employee relations, it tends to be thought of as a "left brain" management style. In comparison to a more "right brain" approach that's freeform, open to change, and constantly evolving based on employee feedback and participation, transactional leadership's left-brain approach is guided by form and function. Often, it can be dictated from the top down based on company rules and a more rigid manager/subordinate structure.

Some of the common characteristics of transactional leaders include:

A focus on short-term goals: Efficiency and productivity are paramount, which means managers want to see results-fast. Short-term goals help employees reach their objectives faster.

Favoring policy, structure, and rules: Here, leadership behavior is not so much about innovation and out-of-the-box thinking as it is about following company mandates to a T. Employees who step outside of this structure run the risk of being reprimanded.

An emphasis on efficiency: With a strong structure in place, and no room for innovation, subordinates are expected to focus all of their energy on producing results as quickly as possible.

Rewards and reprimands: Subordinates who meet company production goals are lauded in kind, while those who don't may receive disciplinary actions.

Inflexibility and opposition to change: Transactional leadership aims to uphold the status quo-no questions asked. Deviating from the plan could lead to production delays and other issues that may impact efficiency.

Reactive: Rather than thinking ahead or planning for issues, transactional management tends to react to situations only when they have no other choice.

Favoring hierarchy: This approach also adheres to the idea that everyone knows their place in the chain of command and doesn't step outside that role to ensure the structure is upheld.

Micromanagement: While not all approaches to transactional leadership include micromanagement, many believe the way to improve employee output and create efficient production is through intensive oversight. This can also extend to the overall approach to the production timeline.

Practicality: Again, the focus here is action based on rules and regulations, rather than theories based on creative thinking and a "let's try it" approach.

A lack of personal connection: Overall, transactional managers don't connect with employees on a personal level so that the focus is on the work at hand and personal issues aren't able to interfere with productivity.

For certain businesses, transactional leadership can be an important part of the company structure, and a guidepost for success. Some arenas where transactional leadership can help include in the military, with policing, managing first responders and more in the public service sector. Additionally, transactional leadership is helpful in arenas such as sales and manufacturing, especially in situations where production lines are part of a company's manufacturing schedule.

Those who have a business degree and manage one of these operations may find many benefits in this type of management theory. It's been said that leaders such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, and football coach Vince Lombardi relied on transactional leadership to guide their professional endeavors.

Whether you're currently managing a business, moving into business management, or just starting out on the path toward business management, seeking higher education can help you learn more about how transactional leadership can support your company's goals. Taking online classes and working toward a business management degree can easily work into your schedule, even if you're currently employed full-time. You'll have the flexibility to learn at your own pace and gain valuable insight into leadership theories that can make a big difference in your company's output and productivity.

There are many different approaches to leadership and many theories, principles, attitudes and behaviors that guide those leadership approaches. But for the right business, company, and management team, transactional leadership skills can be used to motivate your employees to become their most productive selves.

As you're deciding whether or not transactional leadership is the right approach for you and your business, it helps to know the plusses and minuses associated with the practice. Some of the advantages of transactional leadership include:

It's a responsive way of effectively maintaining the status quo: There's nothing wrong with stability, especially in high-pressure environments. Transactional leadership can help uphold company rules and regulations, but also amend them as needed if problems arise.

It supports work environments that thrive on repetition: Whether your company is large or small, transactional leadership is a great way to support businesses that rely on repetitive output to meet production demands. The more things are streamlined and automated, the better production runs.

It's a solid approach to crisis management and troubleshooting: When you're firmly entrenched in company mandate, it can be easier to address issues that impede production or compromise the company. The rigidity and structure of transactional leadership can lend itself to quick solves.

It rewards self-motivation: Employees who can follow instructions and meet their targets are celebrated accordingly, which can improve output and morale. Similarly, those who fall behind or don't follow rules can be reprimanded. This black-and-white approach can make it easier for employees to carve out their roles and work more effectively.

It can be more cost effective: When a company or business employs a top-down approach that's guided by strict rules and regulations, it's less likely that more middlemen will be needed to help guide employees and manage company output.

It's a great way to achieve short-term goals: If speed is key to your production timelines, transactional leadership is an excellent way to get things moving-and keep them going-to meet daily and weekly goals.

Some of the disadvantages of transactional leadership include:

It's not necessarily the best approach to achieve long-term goals: Because transactional leadership is so focused on maintaining rules and regulations, it doesn't leave much room for future plans and the ability to adapt to an evolving marketplace.

It doesn't allow for innovations: One of the main tenets of transactional leadership is to never change. Adhering to such a strict approach can hold a company back from exploring a different approach that could lead to greater success.

Leaders can be put under a lot of pressure to succeed: A top-down leadership approach that doesn't encourage employee collaboration can mean that transactional leaders can bear a big burden of responsibility on every level.

Employee motivational rewards can be lacking: Often, productive employees will get rewards such as free lunch, a day off, or other assorted perks and monetary gains. Such rewards can be seen as middling and don't necessarily encourage employees to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Personal initiative isn't encouraged: Even if an employee finds a better way to achieve company goals, transactional leadership doesn't lend itself to embracing employee input-especially if it changes the rules or deviates from a mandated plan. Both of these issues can negatively affect company growth and employee morale.

Mistakes can prove to be costly: A number-crunching, cookie-cutter approach to managing production can lead to instances where problems aren't caught until it's too late.

Before adopting a new leadership style or amending your current style to include a new approach, it can be helpful to explore your business personality characteristics. You may be a transactional leader if:

You are comfortable telling others what to do.

You're capable of towing the company line.

You know how to execute decisions based on a strict adherence to company mandate.

You don't feel the need to confer with anyone else on your decisions.

You instruct employees to check with you before they make decisions that could affect the company.

You strictly monitor employee output while setting short-term goals.

You consider company procedure to be the guiding law, but amend it when improvement is needed.

Of course, transactional leadership isn't the only leadership approach that may work for you and your business or company. If you thrive on leading through example and don't believe in micromanagement, effective leadership may be the most complementary leadership style for you. Are you disciplined in your assessments but thrive on experimentation and smart risks? Consider exploring adaptive leadership as your preferred approach. Meanwhile, situational leadership is great for those who are confident in delegating while still participating within the organization as needed, and visionary leadership lends itself to high-minded thinking and innovations that are built on persistence.

Whichever approach you choose to explore, it all starts with a single step.

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Imagine working in an environment where employees are given short- and long-term goals to work towards, with structured deadlines and strict guidance that adhere to company policy. In this scenario, self-motivation is key. Employees can work with relative independence, so long as they don't fall below the expectations that have been set for them.

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Last Updated November 22, 2021

Transactional vs. transformational leadership is not a question of a good vs. bad, right vs. wrong approach to leadership. While they are in fact opposite approaches to leadership, both offer advantages and are important styles of leadership to understand and apply in certain types of situations.

A leader may naturally gravitate towards either the transactional or transformational side in their style and methods. However, the best leaders understand that both can be utilized and integrated into their overall leadership toolkit. Those who aspire to leadership in the business world should develop an understanding of the differences between the two and recognize how they can apply the appropriate style based on the situation.

What Is a Transactional Leadership Style?

A transactional leadership style follows a managerial philosophy of reinforcement and exchanges, managing employees by establishing specific goals and then offering a reward for achieving them. That's the "transaction" in transactional leadership. Effective transactional leaders recognize and reward a follower's accomplishments in a timely way.

A study in Psychiatric Services found transactional leadership "more practical in nature because of its emphasis on meeting specific targets or objectives."

Transactional leaders are often found in manufacturing, where line workers are expected to hit a set production quota per shift. Another area where a transactional mindset is beneficial is sales, as the team and individual members are driving to hit specific sales goals. Transactional leadership can also be most effective in situations where teams are working under strict time constraints to deliver on a project and/or where financial resources are limited.

Transactional leadership often goes hand-in-hand with maintaining a status quo of actions and processes that have proven successful. It tends to work best with self-motivated employees who do not seek or need inspiration from their managers or company executives, making it a leadership approach more often used at established companies.

What Is a Transformational Leadership Style?

The transformational leadership style is grounded in four components, commonly referred to as the four "I's" of transformational leadership:

Intellectual Stimulation: encouraging new experiences and ways of thinking for themselves and employees

Individual Consideration: mentoring employees and supporting their professional development

Inspirational Motivation: imparting a vision for an organization that employees internalize and make their own

Idealized Influence: serving as role models for how they expect employees to conduct themselves

As the four I's detail, transformational leaders focus on nurturing and positively motivating their employees. Rather than micromanage, transformational leaders foster an independent workplace that promotes creativity, desires innovative thinking and empowers employees to make their own decisions in their work.

Transformational leaders emphasize personal and professional growth and encourage all employees to think creatively in developing solutions to longstanding challenges, but they can be most impactful in leading younger employers, helping to integrate them into the company culture and giving them a sense that their work is a part of something special.

The leadership style works well in organizations or teams where the goals include developing the talent of the employees, and not just meeting an immediate production quota or sales goal.

Transformational leadership can also be the preferred approach in an environment where a product or service is new, or in an industry where innovation is key to survival. Many of the constraints and quotas may still be in play-limited financial resources, strict deadlines, specified quotas-but with a new product or start-up company, "the rules" and processes are not yet established, and open and innovative thinking on how to produce, grow, survive and thrive may be needed and even expected.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: Which is Better?

It all depends. Neither approach is "better" than the other, and, despite the clear differences, the two are not mutually exclusive. A blended approach often works best because both leadership styles work, but they work best in in different situations, depending on the desired outcomes and on the leader.

Leadership Effectiveness

Both transactional and transformational leadership are effective in achieving intended results.

Transactional leaders focus on organizational performance and employee supervision. These leaders are not looking much toward innovating for the future, but rather maximizing productivity in the present. They focus on making the day-to-day business of an organization flow smoothly.

Transformational leaders focus on organizational change and employee development. These leaders devote more time to developing a strategy for the future of their team or organization, then motivating and inspiring employees to buy into that vision. This leadership is most effective in organizations or teams that need a leader to guide them towards positive change.

The most effective leaders recognize when and how to apply the elements of both. For example, sales may be transactional at its core, with the sales team driving towards specific and continuous sales targets, whether that be monthly, quarterly or annual sales goals. But sales is also about people, with developing and managing customer relationships at its heart.

Sales team leaders need to understand what motivates and inspires people (both their employees and customers) and look beyond the sales transaction to be innovative in seeking out new customer relationships, emphasize the strategic thinking behind key account management and may even need to lead the team in transforming their sales approach in response to market factors.

Promoting Growth, Innovation and Creativity

The transformational leadership style has clear advantages when it comes to promoting growth, innovation and creativity within individuals, teams and an organization as a whole.

A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that transactional leadership led employees "to perceive the culture as more goal, than innovation, oriented," whereas transformational leadership led employees to see the organizational culture as more innovative. Employees feel they are encouraged to develop as professionals, growing their base of skills and knowledge.

A key part of the overall strategy of a transformational leader is to encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace. The focus on employee development is important to cultivating the future leaders an organization needs, as employees grow into the shoes of their leaders and emulate their style.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: How They Complement Each Other

In developing, adapting and applying these two styles of leadership, it's important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of each, along with the current work situation your team and organization may be functioning in.

Transactional Leadership: While it's the best approach for maximizing operational efficiency, transactional leadership can fall short in the areas of innovation, long-term strategy creation and employee development.

Transformational Leadership: While best for creating strategy and fostering organizational change, transformational leadership sometimes lacks the attention to detail, as these leaders are less concerned about daily workflow and processes. It also relies on having the type of leader who can sustain both a great deal of motivation and passion for a long period of time.

If there is anything that the year 2020 taught organizational leaders, it is that change is happening faster than ever, and those efficient processes and set goals can be upended in an instant.

You can help motivate your team during turbulent times and successfully lead them through transformation, confidently driving your organization toward positive change with transformational and visionary leadership. How do you become this leader?
Enhance your leadership capabilities with MSU's Strategic Leadership & Management Certificates.

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Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership: What's the Difference?

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Aspiring to leadership in the business world? Know the differences between transactional and transformational leadership and how to best apply each.

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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.﻿﻿

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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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Access the essential membership for Modern Managers

What makes a truly exceptional leader? Chances are we've all encountered them at some point in our careers: those leaders who stand out above the rest. Those who bring out the best in every one of their team members, and who consistently strive for greatness.

Take Molly for example. Everyone respects Molly. She inspires and encourages her team members, while expecting and demonstrating the highest standards. In return, her people are fiercely loyal, and they're highly successful - as individuals, and as a team. In short, Molly is a Transformational Leader.

By contrast, other leaders in the organization report that their people seem disengaged. They experience high staff turnover, and their results are often disappointing. So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't?

To begin with, Molly regularly reminds her team members of the purpose of their work. And she knows that she's a role model for her team, so she acts with integrity in all of her working relationships.

In this article and video, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and discover what it takes to become a transformational leader.

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership expert James MacGregor Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation." [1]

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Watch this video to learn the definition of Transformational Leadership. Explore the theory behind this leadership style, and discover the characteristics of transformational leaders.

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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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Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) is defined as a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good. This philosophy values being ethical and inclusive with holistic thoughts. Also, RLT acknowledges the diverse talents of group members and the process to bring high-quality thinking to the socially responsible. With this change, group members agree they want to work toward the task at hand. In fact, building and preserving relationships is the key to leadership effectiveness.

RLT emphasizes the relationships among people when leading an organization. This article discusses five components of relational leadership focusing on oneself and the potential positive impact on those around you. The five components are inclusive, empowerment, purpose, ethics and being process-oriented. And as leaders, we must provide opportunities that foster these characteristics and also promote servant leadership every day.

1. Inclusive

Inclusive leadership is "leaders who are aware of their own biases and preferences, and actively seek out and consider different views and perspectives to inform better decision-making across the organization." Being an inclusive leader means the following:

Understanding oneself and others.

Understanding organizational culture; 360-degree thought process.

The fundamental belief that everyone can make a difference.

Building and preserving relationships within the organization.

Carefully listening to all points of view.

2. Empowerment

Empowerment is "the process of sharing power and allocating more autonomy and responsibilities to future leaders through a specific set of leader behaviors that entails enhancing the meaningfulness of work, fostering the decision making of the organization."

As a leader, empowerment brings the following attributes:

Self-esteem.

The positive impact of being inclusive.

The fundamental belief that everyone has something to offer for the greater good.

Contributions of a team that are solicited and valued.

Encouragement of others.

Promoting self-leadership at all levels.

3. Purposeful

Purposeful leadership means making decisions as part of the overall strategy to enable people to follow your lead. It means to collectively accomplish a task; consistently evaluating the decision and actions of oneself. If you have a good relationship with people you lead, their performance will validate your skillful leadership qualities. To be a purposeful leader, it is important to incorporate these characteristics into the organization:

A transparent understanding of the overall process in accomplishing the organization's mission.

Promoting an attitude that is positive, optimistic and helps everyone.

Supportive of an environment that promotes creativity and innovation.

An environment that involves others in the vision-building process.

4. Ethical

Ethical leadership is "leadership demonstrating and promoting appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships." Ethical leadership is putting people into management and leadership positions who will promote and be an example of ethical conduct in their actions and relationships in the workplace. Being ethical in the workplace as a leader must include the following characteristics:

Thorough decision-making.

Encourage socially responsible behavior.

High standards of behavior for each person that helps everyone.

Focus on the development of one's character.

Actions that benefit others versus actions pursued for self-gain.

5. Process-Oriented

Being process-oriented in leadership is "the ability to identify characteristics of being a unified team, remaining a team through times of adversity and accomplishing the team's purpose."

When giving a specific task or assignment, the first step is identifying a process to carry out and complete the mission. As a leader, we must be held accountable for creating an environment where future leaders are empowered, keeping a team engaged and encouraging the team throughout to meet the end goal.

Examples of being a process-oriented leader include:

Understanding community.

Encouraging high-quality effort.

Collaboration throughout and reflection at the end.

Understanding the process is as important as the outcome.

The ability to give and receive feedback.

Summary of Relational Leadership Theory:

RLT is a relatively new concept that focuses on the process of getting people together to accomplish change, make a difference and create a synergistic environment where every person can feel empowered and welcome. So, as a leader it is important to remember that having an inclusive mindset, providing opportunities for empowerment, creating purpose within, practicing ethics through servant leadership and teaching what process means to accomplish the mission are the building blocks to creating an energetic, powerful culture.

Without process, an organization can't function at a high level. As such, there has to be sound communication, collaboration, teaching opportunities and a 360-degree thought process for every conversation and interaction. Also, every organization must have people who are teachers; people who have a willingness to learn; and people who understand the importance of a "team." So, focusing on the five components of the RLT will enhance and drive the organization towards a high efficiency, transparent, positive culture.

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Five Components of Relational Leadership Theory - Campus Rec Magazine

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Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) is defined as a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good. This philosophy values being ethical and inclusive with holistic thoughts. Also, RLT acknowledges the diverse talents of group members and the process to bring high-quality thinking to the socially responsible.

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AASA | American Association of School Administrators

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Relational leadership is not new. In fact, if leadership is anything, it is about relationships. So why then do leaders, especially those at the top levels of their schools and school districts, struggle with this concept? Perhaps it’s because relational leadership is just too basic, too simple.

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Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

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The key difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership is that trait theory states that leaders have inborn traits, whereas behavioral theory rejects inborn virtues of leaders and states that leaders can be trained.

Theories of leadership are schools of thought that explain how certain individuals become leaders. Trait and behavioral theories are two such popular theories of leadership.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Trait Theory
3. What is Behavioral Theory
4. Relationship Between Trait and Behavioral Theories of Leadership
5. Side by Side Comparison - Trait vs Behavioral Theories of Leadership in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Trait theory?

Trait theory is also known as the virtue theory of leadership. The foundation of this theory is the characteristics of different leaders - both successful and unsuccessful ones. The trait theory emphasizes that leaders have inborn traits; these are "born leaders", who cannot help but take control and guide situations. Basically, a leader is born with specific virtues according to trait theory.

Trait theory is based on the characteristics of leaders and helps to determine and forecast the effectiveness of their leadership. The theory identifies core virtues that decide whether a leader will be successful or not. The core traits identified in this theory include emotional maturity, cognitive ability, self-confidence, business knowledge, honesty and integrity, leadership motivation, and drive for achievement. However, these are not solely responsible for determining leadership effectiveness. There can be other factors that will recognize leadership potentials.

Strengths of Trait Theory

It is a naturally pleasing theory.

It has been validated with lots of research.

Moreover, it serves as an index against which the leadership characteristics of an individual are assessed.

Besides, it gives detailed knowledge and understanding of the leader element in the leadership process.

Limitations of Trait Theory

Existence of subjective judgment in determining who is a 'good' or 'successful' leader

The list of possible traits tends to be very long.

The most important trait for an effective leader is not identified.

Also, the model attempts to relate physiological traits such as height and weight to effective leadership. Most of these factors relate to situational factors that can vary tasks-wise. For instance, minimum weight and height required in the military leadership position do not suit for a manager in a business organization.

Above all, this theory is very complex.

Implications of Trait Theory

The trait theory provides constructive information about leadership. It is possible to apply this to people at all levels in all types of business organizations. Managers can use information from this theory to evaluate their position in the organization and to assess how they can make their position stronger in the organization. They can also get an in-depth understanding of their identity and the way they will affect others in the organization. Overall, this theory makes a manager aware of his or her strengths and weaknesses while teaching him or her to develop leadership qualities.

What is Behavioral Theory?

Behavioral theory explains that it is possible to train and develop a leader. It rejects that leaders are born or that certain people have their inborn potential to become leaders. According to this theory, anyone can be a leader, but there must be a good atmosphere and training for leadership qualities to develop. Also, it mainly focuses on specific behavior and actions of leaders, instead of their characteristics.

Moreover, as per this theory, best leaders are those that have the flexibility to change their behavioral style and choose the right style suitable for different situations.

Strengths of Behavioral theory

Promotes the value of leadership styles with an emphasis on concern for people an collaboration.

Helps to evaluate and understand how their behavioral styles affect the relationship within the team.

Also, helps managers to find the right balance between different styles of leadership and helps them to decide how to behave as a leader.

What is the Relationship Between Trait and Behavioral Theories of Leadership?

Both models often emphasize that there are recognizable actions that any leader must be capable of performing in any given condition. Behaviourism is a "trait" theory, in the sense, it too holds that leaders must show certain common personality markers or habits of mind. However, it claims that it is possible to prompt these from anyone at any time and that no one person has more potential than another.

What is the Difference Between Trait and Behavioral Theories of Leadership?

According to behavioral theory, becoming a leader is just a matter of proper training, while trait theory emphasizes that a leader must have certain inherent, inborn qualities. So, this is the key difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership.

Basically, trait theories believe that a leader is "born." They often describe leaders in terms of their personal characteristics, such as charismatic and driven. Behaviorists, on the other hand, believe leadership can be taught, or fostered, by providing the necessary training and skills to an individual. Therefore, this explains the difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership.

Summary - Trait vs Behavioral Theories of Leadership

The key difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership is that trait theory states that leaders have inborn traits, whereas behavioral theory rejects inborn virtues of leaders and states that leaders can be trained.

Reference:

1. "Behavioral Theories of Leadership." Technofunc, Available here.
2. "Trait Theory." Changing Minds, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. "1623888" (CC0) via Pixabay

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Difference Between Trait and Behavioral Theories of Leadership | Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

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The key difference between trait and behavioral theories of leadership is that trait theory states that leaders have inborn traits, whereas behavioral theory rejects inborn virtues of leaders and states that leaders can be trained. Theories of leadership are schools of thought that explain how certain individuals become leaders.

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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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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…

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Authentic leadership: Why showing up as yourself matters | BetterUp

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Learn about what authentic leadership is and why it’s important at work. Read about 9 characteristics of authentic leaders and how you can develop them.

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Getting the best out of your team requires using a variety of management styles . The right style can help build trust , generate results, and motivate team members to action.

That said, the best style of leadership depends on what your goals are and your leadership style. If you have a desire to work toward the greater good or inspire your employees to make an impact, servant leadership might be right for you.

Let's define servant leadership and discuss the model's main principles and pros and cons. We'll also dive into some examples of how this type of leadership can be used to effectively motivate and inspire your team and fits into overall leadership training.

What is servant leadership?

The servant leadership style is based on the idea that leaders prioritize serving the greater good. Leaders with this style serve their team and organization first. They don't prioritize their own objectives.

Employees in a servant leadership environment are more likely to feel that their voices are heard. This makes them 4.6 times more likely to work to the best of their abilities. So what is servant leadership?

The term "servant leader" was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 in the essay "The Servant as Leader." Basically, the servant leadership style was based on the idea that leaders prioritize serving the greater good. Leaders with this style serve their team and organization first. They don't prioritize their own objectives.

Servant leadership seeks to achieve a vision by providing strong support to employees. In turn, this allows employees to learn and grow while bringing their own expertise and vision to the table. This hinges on building influence and authority rather than using control and toxic leadership tactics.

In servant leadership, employees are empowered. But the leader doesn't just disappear.

The servant leader focuses on:

Setting the strategic vision for the company and communicating that down to the team level

Encouraging ownership and extending supported trust to the team

Making sure that the team has the required resources, budget, skills, and attention to make an impact

Providing a framework within which their team can flourish (instead of prescribing them specific directions on each of their duties)

Bottom-up empowerment, which means building their team members' self-confidence, decision-making abilities, and collaboration skills

10 principles of servant leadership

Robert K. Greenleaf established 10 principles of servant leadership. The former president of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Larry C. Spears, breaks down these 10 principles as follows.

1. Listening: It's important to fully listen to members of the team without interrupting.

2. Empathy: It's important to get to know your team so that you can use empathetic leadership to help them grow.

3. Healing: Members of your team may have trauma from previous toxic work experiences. Help others to create a healthy work-life balance to give them the space to heal.

4. Self-awareness: A servant leader must also recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to understand how they fit within the overall team.

5. Persuasion: Servant leaders can use persuasion and influence instead of just power to get team members to be on the same page.

6. Conceptualization: Servant leaders need to be able to use big-picture thinking. With this, they can conceptualize plans for their team and their organization.

7. Foresight: It's important to use what you and your team learn to improve in the future.

8. Stewardship: Lead by example so that your team can do what you do, not just do what you say.

9. Commitment to the growth of people: You need to allocate time and resources to help people and teams grow. Tools like organizational training, development programs, and growth and transformation coaching can help.

10. Building community: Servant leadership requires building relationships between co-workers. As a result, team members learn to trust each other and become more productive.

7 characteristics of servant leadership

Servant leadership is about empowering your team and helping create a positive work environment. But what does it actually look like? Let's break down the seven characteristics of servant leadership.

1. Teamwork: The team needs to come first.

2. Employee satisfaction: Employee satisfaction and cooperation turn the wheel.

3. Adaptability: Servant leadership varies from revenue-focused sales environments to non-profit organizations that set out to promote social good.

4. Motivation: Servant leaders provide high levels of support to employees, fueling motivation and engagement.

5. Transparent communication: The team trusts a leader who can provide clarity, even in complex, changing situations.

6. Authenticity: Servant leaders need to genuinely care about individual and team development. Leadership much embrace authenticity.

7. Accountability: Ownership activates commitment and purpose. Employees work toward goals they've set for themselves and take responsibility for the results.

Servant leadership vs. traditional leadership

"Servant first" leadership represents the opposite of the traditional leadership model. Traditional leadership is defined as a model of leadership where the leader is seen as the central point of the team. Employees are there to support the leader's efforts to meet company goals.

In contrast, servant leadership puts the needs of others at the forefront. Under this leadership philosophy, the more you invest in serving as a "scaffold" for your employees, the more productive your team becomes.

Here are three more ways that servant leadership is different from traditional leadership:

More inclusive: A servant leader must foster an inclusive culture in their team. Inclusive teams allow every person to build a sense of belonging. This gives them a chance to thrive.

Focused on the team, more than the customer: Servant leaders focus on their team's needs, but this doesn't mean that customers don't benefit. Servant leaders focus on the growth and well-being of the team. As such, they can create high-performing professionals who can serve customers better.

Greater emphasis on ethics: Servant leadership has ethical implications that aren't as prominent in traditional leadership. Servant leaders who behave in an unethical way may cause issues within their team, such as decreased motivation and growth.

What does servant leadership look like in practice?

Successful servant leaders have a genuine desire to serve employees. They're also effective, charismatic decision-makers and clear when they set expectations.

Here are some concrete examples of servant leadership.

1. Being an example - humility, authenticity, and trust

Humility must be the foundation of your leadership. If you speak out of superiority and power, your subordinates will do what you say out of fear. Instead, your actions and words should be a credible and genuine model to follow.

2. Showing why the work is essential - awareness and purpose

In the mechanism of a clock, each part is crucial. The same goes for any team. Each employee is essential to the team's operation.

Making sure this message reaches employees can increase their motivation. It can also enhance their performance.

One way to do this is by talking explicitly about the downstream impact of their work. You can show them the impact both inside the company and out.

Talk less about numbers and metrics and more about the person or people who'll use and build on what they've done. Always link their specific achievements to wider organizational goals. This fosters a deeper connection to the company's mission.

Most importantly, recognize the good work they are doing. Many workers consider recognition of their achievements to be the most important aspect of a role.

3. Encouraging collaboration - community-building and commitment

As a servant leader, you're the engine that generates a sense of community and teamwork.

Increase collaboration by encouraging employee commitment to each other. You can also encourage them to delegate responsibility. Finally, you can involve team members in decision-making processes.

For example, ask them what they'd like to do on that new project or how they think they can add value to their work. The key here is to be patient and take the time to do this. It can be so tempting in today's busy world to just get through the day without caring for your employees and their needs - but servant leaders are different.

4. Supporting the team's growth and development - foresight and resourcefulness

Identifying and anticipating the needs of employees is a major aspect of the servant leader's role.

For example, when assigning project duties to each team member, make sure you provide the resources or the ability to procure them. Act from a service-first mindset, and you'll truly empower them to accomplish their tasks.

5. Caring for the members of the team - empathy and compassion

Similarly, the servant leader will cultivate a friendly environment. In this environment, employees should feel comfortable. They shouldn't feel threatened by expressing specific complaints or asking questions.

In this context, it seems especially important to favor empathy and understanding. For example, when your employee comes to you with a complaint about a coworker, you don't dismiss it because you're busy. You take the time to help them work through the conflict and ultimately resolve it. You're compassionate.

6. Asking for feedback - listening skills

Promote a sufficient level of relationship with the employee that favors active and close listening. A servant leader asks open-ended and follow-up questions as a matter of course, not just when something's wrong. They're receptive to feedback - they don't just give it.

Pros and cons of servant leadership

The servant leadership style can amp up an employee's motivation and courage to be more creative and innovative. This is because leaders give ownership and some control to employees. Doing this can:

On the other hand, getting it right takes time, energy, and skill.

Getting to really know people, their motivations, and areas of growth takes time. It takes time to translate a vision into clear objectives and priorities. It also takes time to communicate this vision clearly to the team. The results don't happen overnight. It's not easy.

Let's examine the main pros and cons of this leadership style.

Pros of servant leadership

The characteristics of success are well-defined

Builds deeper, trust-based relationships

Encourages greater ownership and responsibility

Encourages innovation, curiosity, and creativity

Develops a people-focused culture

Delivers a significant positive impact on company performance

A strong method for ensuring decisions are made in the best interests of the company

By serving the employees of a company, you are serving the customer

A high level of internal staff growth

Develops future leaders

Boosts morale across teams

Leaders earn respect from team members

Employees feel more valued and appreciated in the workplace

Improves pride in work

Cons of servant leadership

The concept can be difficult to communicate

Can be more time-consuming for leaders

Can be difficult to attain - it's a constant journey rather than an end goal

Requires a high level of authenticity that can be difficult to achieve

Retraining existing leaders as servant leaders can be tough and time-consuming

Some may perceive servant leaders as weak or ineffective

The formal authority of the leader may be diminished

Team members are expected to make a decision, but they might not have a strong understanding of the big picture

Different leadership styles across teams can cause confusion

Employees may not have the necessary confidence to take charge and drive the business forward

The initial speed of decision-making is slower due to high team involvement

Potential for misalignment among team

It may be out of sync with corporate performance management and incentive systems

Decreased motivation and resourcefulness when the leader intervenes to fix issues for the team

How to become a "servant first" leader

Servant leadership is a transformational leadership style, but it takes some practice. Here's where you can focus your efforts to embody servant leadership characteristics.

1. Build strong communication skills

Servant leadership theory is built around getting the most out of your team. To do that, you're going to need to be able to communicate organizational objectives and missions clearly. This is so that they are properly equipped to make wise decisions.

Working on communication skills such as conciseness, body language, and clarity will help you achieve this.

2. Improve your listening skills

Communication isn't all about what you say, though.

This management style is all about hearing your team members' points of view. Practice your active listening skills to really understand their decision-making process.

3. Develop empathy

Empathy is crucial in a leadership role. It's especially important for servant leadership. Empathy means being able to put yourself in another person's shoes. It allows you to see things from their perspective.

This is a vital skill to practice if you're looking to become a transformational leader.

4. Work on your self-awareness

Charismatic leaders may be charming and great at communicating their ideas. But it's important that they are also strongly aware of their own limitations.

Developing your self-awareness means noticing how you act and what you say and the impact it has on those around you. Part of this is also recognizing where your actions don't align with your ideal vision of yourself and determining a clear path to rectify this.

5. Learn to use your influence for good

Persuasion is a part of being a good leader. It means being able to convince others that your thinking is the right path.

This skill might be seen as a slightly different leadership style from servant leadership. But there's a place for persuasion as a servant leader.

Here's an example. If your team is divided on an issue, you may need to bring your skills of persuasion and influence into play to land on a unanimous decision.

6. Start putting others first

An autocratic leader is one who looks out for themselves primarily. That's the opposite of the servant leadership model.

To be an effective leader, it's important to develop your selflessness. This means you look out for the goals and well-being of others before you think about your own goals.

Of course, there's a line to respect. You still need to look after your own well-being. But the point is to deprioritize your own agenda.

Doing so will improve employee engagement, which is a factor known to increase employee performance by as much as 73%.

7. Keep the organization's goals in mind

The servant leadership approach still centers around achieving organizational goals. This is true even while prioritizing team engagement.

As such, it's important to keep these goals in mind. Don't let the interests of any individual move the needle to a point where you are no longer following these objectives.

Your job as the leader is to guide the team toward a decision that makes sense with the company's vision in mind.

8. Learn how to develop others holistically

Other leadership styles have different approaches to developing employees. Usually, the goal is to improve employee efficiency and productivity. This is true for democratic leadership or autocratic leadership.

Efficiency and productivity are still important under the servant leadership model. But it's just as crucial to coach each team member so they can develop better:

Decision-making skills

Communication skills

Big-picture thinking

Developing your direct reports more holistically will improve team capabilities. It can also increase employee engagement.

Engagement is great, not only from their perspective (as they feel more fulfilled by their work) but also from the viewpoint of the company. Businesses simply measuring employee engagement have been shown to increase profits by as much as 24%.

Employ servant leadership at any level

It's not necessary to have a highly influential role in your company to start practicing the servant leadership style. But it's a practice that has a huge impact on employee well-being and engagement.

Lead projects by supporting the rest of your colleagues, addressing their needs, and providing resources and support. This can create positive results at any level.

Practice your communication skills, develop empathy, work on your self-awareness, and be sure to focus on developing your employees more holistically. Do this, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a capable and effective servant leader.

Need someone to speak with about your servant leadership development journey? Request a custom demo to speak with a coach.

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Servant Leadership: Definition Plus Benefits and Drawbacks

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Servant leadership is all about prioritizing the greater good over your agenda. Learn how this style of leadership can help you empower your team.

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the "top of the pyramid," servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

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What is Servant Leadership? - Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

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While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase "servant leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: "The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.

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Servant leaders are a revolutionary bunch–they take the traditional power leadership model and turn it completely upside down. This new hierarchy puts the people–or employees, in a business context–at the very top, and the leader at the bottom, charged wi

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No matter where we are on our career path, we will all have to wrestle with leadership roles at some point. Whether it's taking charge on a small project or heading an entire department, eventually we will be in the position of rallying a group of people to find a solution to a problem.

Of course, while there are some right and wrong ways to lead, there is no single style that suits everyone. There are many different ways to lead a group, and you should find the leadership style that best fits you and the goals you are trying to achieve.

If you're an entrepreneur looking to harness your leadership abilities, here are six ways to figure out what type of leader you are:
1. Know Your Personality Traits
The only way you can truly understand the type of leader you are is to assess your personality. Examine the dominant characteristics of your personality, and pay attention to how they emerge in a work, friendship or family environment.

Think about the attributes colleagues and friends most often ascribe to you. Assessing the nature of your character in these settings is crucial to understanding how you will lead a team. This is because our behavioral traits always play a part in how we make our decisions, interact with others and handle stress.

Take some time to ask yourself what typically drives your choices. Think about how often factors such as determination, impulsiveness and patience shape how you act and find resolutions. Answering these questions will give you a better understanding of your leadership thought process and habits.
2. Know Your Values
Values are yardsticks of behavior. They are traits upon which reputations are built. People use values to gauge personalities, understand how a person thinks and even evaluate the ways in which they are being perceived and treated.

Values help us to determine the people we can rely on, how a person might react to a situation and who we want to shoulder our future. When employees cannot identify the core values of their leader, they're not only more likely to feel suspicious of the leader's abilities; they're also likely to mistrust that person's direction and agenda.

Respect, impact, authenticity, courage and integrity are all examples of core values that affect how you will consciously and subconsciously lead your team. Consider the values that typically inform your behaviors. By focusing on what you believe and value, you can positively build on your comprehension of your leadership qualities and abilities.
3. Identify Your Weaknesses
Leading by your strengths isn't always as effective as you might think. To be a truly great leader, you have to be able to understand your weaknesses and learn how they will affect your leadership role. Once you identify them you can use that knowledge to improve your leadership style.

Not only will this help you to strengthen your weaknesses; it will also assist in getting your team to recognize your competence and authenticity. Being transparent about the flaws you hope to overcome can help inspire your team to improve themselves as well.
4. Ask For Feedback
You can take as many leadership personality quizzes as you want, but you will never gain a full understanding of the type of leader you are without feedback from those you lead. Getting your colleagues' opinions of your leadership style will give you valuable insight into behaviors you might have never picked up on otherwise.

Whether you collect these perspectives from a survey box at the office or meet with your co-workers face to face, asking your team to give you feedback about your leadership skills will give you a better comprehension of your personality traits, strengths, weaknesses and perceived values.

Additionally, building a culture of feedback among your colleagues can help you improve how you address and interact with your team. The best way to steer your company is with the full knowledge of how you can better meet the needs of those around you.
5. Assess Your Ability To Delegate
Sometimes it's hard to let go. This is especially true for leaders who've cradled a business from the beginning. Nevertheless, a strong indicator of leadership lies in a person's ability to entrust others with complex details.

As you try to figure out what type of leader you are and formulate a way to improve your leadership style, consider the tasks you could authorize to others. Areas that are outside of your wheelhouse, such as social media management, web design, SEO and PR, are jobs that might be better suited for other members of your team. Not only will leaving these jobs to others help you to focus your efforts; it will also help you to establish a sense of trust among your team.
6. Observe Your Leaders
Most people's personalities are shaped by those who hold an influence over them. Initially, these people are our parents and teachers; eventually, they are leaders like our bosses and managers. Whether we realize it or not, the traits of these influencers impact how we make decisions, behave under pressure and address problems.

As you try to figure out what type of leader you are, take some time to think about the leaders in your life whose qualities are most like your own. While analyzing the skill packages of the leaders you have worked with, pinpoint what traits of theirs have affected your role as a leader.

Gaining a sense of how you have applied these assets to your approach as a leader will help you to understand the ways in which you currently affect your company's culture.

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6 Ways To Figure Out What Type Of Leader You Are

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No matter where we are on our career path, we will all have to wrestle with leadership roles at some point. Whether it's taking charge on a small project or heading an entire department, eventually we will be in the position of rallying a group of people to find a solution to a problem.

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The classic model of leadership focuses on three major styles used by leaders. Take this quiz to learn more about your leadership style.

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

School counselors have many responsibilities, including counseling students, working with teachers and parents, referring students to outside agencies, participating in student welfare and learning support communities, and evaluating and improving their own school counseling program.

Listening

First and foremost, a school counselor needs to be a good listener. Often, they have several students they work with and may get very few chances to converse with them in a one on one setting. "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood," said Ralph G. Nichols. "The best way to understand people is to listen to them."

To listen effectively, counselors must be fully in the moment, not thinking of their "to do" list but rather giving their full attention to the issue at hand. Reflecting back to the person, your perception of what they said helps show understanding, and lets them make corrections. The counselor must also keep an open mind, being careful not to make any judgments until they have heard the entire story. ¹

Being Empathetic

Often a part of listening, putting themselves in the shoes of the person speaking, whether that is a student or another school official, helps counselors truly understand the underlying issues.

"Without the ability to understand what the student is experiencing, a counselor cannot truly do an effective job," says Helen A. Hatridge, past president of the Missouri School Counselor Association. "Empathy leads to good listening and a better ability to help the client come up with solutions. It also helps the student feel more comfortable and willing to open up to a counselor." ²

To be more empathetic, it is essential for a counselor to put aside their viewpoint. At the same time, they need to validate the student's viewpoint, which does not always mean agreement. Instead it means acknowledging their right to have an opinion, and that they have valid reasons for it. Asking how that person thinks a situation should be handled or what they would do opens up an even deeper understanding. ³

Building Relationship

It takes time for a counselor to build a relationship with any student or even their peers. However, through listening and being empathetic, that process can be accelerated.

To feel free to talk to a counselor, a student must often "break the ice," and needs to feel trust, comfort, and acceptance. Students need to accept that the counselor is a professional caregiver, and someone they can turn to without fear of judgement.

A counselor who develops this trusting relationship with students can get a lot more done, An understanding of the kid culture and what they care about can go a long way toward providing that environment of trust and understanding.

Performing Assessments

Assessment skills are essential for any school counselor in a number of areas. From academic and skills assessment to personality testing and career advisement, the ability to discern the intersection of talent and desire is essential to offering good counsel.

Assessment also includes determining if a student has special needs and interpreting test and non-test data to decide where the student should be placed, and what programs will most benefit them.

Regardless of the reason for assessment, the steps often include, but are not limited to the following:

Choosing what tests should be administered and when.

Scheduling, preparing, and administering tests.

Scoring tests or sending them out to be scored.

Advising students, teachers, parents, and other staff on test score interpretation.

Evaluating the testing process, results, and subsequent recommendations.⁴

Assessments involve some testing but must also be combined with listening, empathy, and the relationship that has been built to determine how testing outcomes relate to personality, desires, and the goals of the student.

Coordinating Efforts and Activities

Efforts and activities can fall into a couple of different categories. A counselor will have to coordinate Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students, and other student specific plans as well. Along with coordinating individual student plans and interacting with teachers and other school officials, the school counselor often coordinates other activities and projects as well.

In many cases, the school counselor is in charge of parent newsletters, school announcements, managing social media accounts, and other community outreach and event planning efforts.

The ability to coordinate and manage these efforts and activities requires strong leadership and organizational skills. Teaching these skills to students by allowing them to take responsibility for their own educational goals and other efforts enables a counselor to show leadership by example.

Exercising Authority

In order to be able to implement programs, direct student activities and coordinate tasks, a counselor must exercise a certain amount of authority.

This means first of all that the counselor must be granted the authority to handle certain tasks by other school officials such as principals and administrators. The more their authority is validated by their actions, the more the counselor will be perceived as a leader by parents and students alike.

Secondly, the school counselor must be willing to wield the authority they have been granted, taking charge of tasks and situations, setting expectations, and holding those responsible to deadlines.

The counselor must also know in any given situation when to cross the line from friend to professional. If a student is being abusive or abused, a more professional response is ethically and legally mandated. It is the counselor's obligation to take charge and follow through, ensuring that student safety comes first.

Being Flexible

If one thing is certain in the field of education, it is that things will change. Interruptions, schedule changes, new programs, and new responsibilities all interrupt a counselor's daily routine.

Student needs and the needs of the school overall often take priority over scheduled meetings. Parent phone calls, staff concerns, talks in classrooms, and unexpected counseling needs can all be disruptive.

A successful counselor should:

Leave gaps in their day for unscheduled needs.

Use good time management techniques.

Set reasonable boundaries. Know what is worthy of an interruption, and what can wait.

Communicate clearly. Inform students, parents, and faculty of schedules and boundaries.

By remaining flexible, a counselor can better manage the stress inherent in the job and be more responsive when needs arise unexpectedly.

Having a Sense of Humor

Being able to see things from the side of humor has a number of advantages. It lets students see that the counselor is human and can not only laugh at situations but laugh at themselves as well.

This is frequently one of the biggest assets in building student trust and developing a relationship with them. It is often how those students relate to adults, whether through jokes or humorous anecdotes that illustrate a point the counselor is trying to get across.

Humor is also a stress reliever. Being able to see the humorous side of interruptions and other daily situations allows a counselor to relax and keep anxiety from taking over many scenarios.

It takes a combination of many leadership traits to make a school counselor effective. They must use listening skills and offer empathy in order to build relationships. A counselor must also perform assessments and coordinate activities and educational efforts. These duties mean they must remain flexible and exercise authority when appropriate.

Not one of these traits alone is enough, and no one is equally adept in all of them. They are taught and can be learned in a Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in school counseling like the one offered by Wake Forest University. This graduate degree will prepare you for a career as a school counselor in almost any setting.
Sources: 1 2 3 ⁴ American Counseling Association, Assessment Skills for School Counselors Mind Tools, Empathy at Work Education World, School Counselors Reflective On What Makes Them Effective Fast Company, 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills

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Leadership Traits Every Counselor Should Have

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

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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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Today's school leaders face many challenges. In addition to advancing academic achievement, principals also attend to an increasing array of mental health challenges with which students are faced. At the same time, secondary school leaders are under pressure to ensure all students are set up for success in college and the workforce. Understandably, principals can feel overwhelmed by these enormous pressures. However, they might be missing an untapped resource in their buildings-school counselors.

School counselors are uniquely positioned to support students' academic achievement, social-emotional well-being, and postsecondary readiness and success. Multiple studies have shown that strong school counseling programs are linked to improvements in attendance, increased college-going rates, decreased discipline referrals, and other positive outcomes. However, in some parts of the country, school counselors struggle to meet students' diverse needs because of high caseloads, ambiguous job descriptions, outdated and low expectations, limited professional development, and sometimes a lack of support from school leaders who may not understand how the counselor role should be carried out.

While providing clearer and higher expectations for school counselors can go a long way, meeting the myriad challenges students face calls for a reenvisioning of the school counseling profession. School counselors could work more efficiently, and students could be served more effectively, if they embraced an approach to school counseling that author Mandy Savitz-Romer refers to as an "academic home" in her book Fulfilling the Promise: Reimagining School Counseling to Advance Student Success. In this approach, counselors work at the hub of student supports, connecting and coordinating services much as primary care physicians coordinate patient care in medical settings.

In this role, school counselors serve as the first point of contact for students, providing as much support as is feasible and referring students for specialized services when needed so they don't fall between the cracks. Specialized supports could include mental health counseling, legal support for immigration issues, or even individualized assistance with college essays. Most school counselors already work within a robust network that includes teachers, administrators, and community partners. In the "academic home" model, the counselor serves both as the first point of contact in a student support system and as the person who provides leadership to create alignment among the services provided by community partners that might otherwise become fragmented or inequitable.

Use the following strategies to be sure you're maximizing the impact that counselors can have on students' academic and social-​emotional development.

1. Protect School Counselors' Time With Students

Historically, there's been some confusion about school counselors' roles and where their priorities should lie. To support a comprehensive school counseling program, principals need to have a clear understanding of counselors' roles and how their time can best be utilized to support the school's mission.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) offers guidelines for appropriate counselor responsibilities. Principals looking to unlock their counselors' potential might begin by developing a clear, shared understanding of how counselors spend their time. Talk to your counselors about their duties and see if certain responsibilities could be distributed to other staff to allow for more time directly supporting students.

It might not seem revolutionary to suggest that school leaders formulate clear expectations for counselors' roles, but as the profession has evolved and counselors have found themselves adjusting their roles to meet changing societal needs, it's time for educational leaders to update their expectations, too. (For instance, when counselors are asked to carry out extensive noncounseling duties such as test administration, it compromises their ability to provide critical direct services, such as implementing a social skills lessons, meeting with a student struggling with gender identity, or reviewing attendance data and identifying appropriate interventions.)

2. Adopt Clear Mission and Vision Statements

School leaders know that mission and vision statements are an important factor in creating a school culture founded in core values. Most schools' mission statements emphasize key components of school counselors' purpose, namely promoting academic achievement and postsecondary readiness. It is important not to overlook that these are also primary goals of counseling offices. Therefore, principals should consider how a school's mission statement might reflect a commitment to supporting students' personal development as well as their academic and postsecondary development.

Many school counseling programs also offer their own mission statements to reflect their internal core values and purpose. Not only does this help situate the counseling program within the larger educational vision of the school, but it helps focus programming. When the goals of counselors are aligned with those of school leaders, it increases commitment and motivation to pursue that vision. Also, because students and families may not understand what school counseling today offers them, updating your mission statements can offer a clear message to outside stakeholders about how these professionals support students.

3. Provide School Counselors With Leadership Opportunities

Some of the most promising school counseling programs we have found place school counselors on the leadership team. More often than not, this decision reflects the school leaders' vision of school counselors as experts on their students and it highlights school counseling as instrumental to meeting schoolwide goals.

In September of 2018, NASSP hosted an informative roundtable exploring the principal/counselor relationship. "Our counselors provide what I like to call 'qualitative formative assessment' data on the culture and climate of the school. Simply put, they have and understand the pulse of the school," noted Tommy Welch, former principal of Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA, during the roundtable. "This information is vital when implementing a new initiative."

At TechBoston Academy in Dorchester, MA, the director of school counseling partnered with the school's special education director to launch an intervention team that included active participation of the principal. The team meets weekly to identify struggling students and connect them with the appropriate support programs or interventions, further ensuring that no student falls through the cracks. Because the school's principal attends each week, the team often sees their feedback turned into action-they spot changes they can make at their school to better serve all students. Positioning counselors to take on leadership roles enables them to launch new systems that serve the entire school community.

4. Invest in School Counselors' Professional Learning and Development

Just as professional development is critical for improving teachers' content knowledge and instructional practice, similar training for school counselors provides new learning opportunities. Indeed, students' needs are constantly evolving, and today, they depend on counselors to support them on issues ranging from homelessness and anxiety to managing admissions processes that are increasingly competitive and complex.

Our research shows that counselors say they don't always engage in professional learning opportunities due to financial constraints, lack of relevant opportunities, and sometimes, because of limited support from school leaders. Certainly, school leaders try to offer school-based professional learning that applies to the majority of the school staff. However, this may miss the mark for counselors. Fortunately, there is a range of virtual and in-person professional development associations that can offer support to counselors at a reasonable cost. Organizations such as ASCA and the Southern Regional Education Board offer webinars and online learning opportunities for counselors. School leaders should budget for counselors to attend these sessions, as they not only provide great learning opportunities, but they also enable counselors to network with colleagues-something that is often missing for counselors.

Mentoring programs across schools, especially for new counselors, ensure that counselors can consult on ethical issues or learn new ways of approaching a challenging issue. I have also seen school districts offer meaningful districtwide professional learning on topics for which there is a shared interest. Using professional learning communities, book clubs, or affinity groups, school counselors gain opportunities for networking and sharing best practices within role-alike groups. School and district leaders might also consider partnering with nearby school districts to share the cost of bringing in professional development providers.

5. Encourage School Counselors to Use Data-Driven Practices

Like teachers, school counselors have adopted the use of data-driven practices to improve student outcomes. The ASCA National Model states that school counselors should be proficient in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. As school counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling program, utilizing attendance, behavior, and academic data allows them to meet the diverse needs of all students. School climate data can drive schoolwide counseling initiatives, such as antibullying programs. Data can be used to provide financial aid workshops based on low rates of FAFSA applications the previous year. Additionally, school counselors can use data to support targeted student interventions by identifying students with multiple unexcused absences or who are not on track to graduate.

School leaders can support counselors' use of data by ensuring they have access to data reports on early warning indicators and academic milestones, or statewide data regarding wellness. Because some school counselors report feeling intimidated by the use of data, principals might also include them in schoolwide data inquiry teams, research-practice partnerships, and other opportunities where other school-based staff is engaging with data.

Moving Forward

Too often, graduate programs fail to prepare principals for their role in supporting school counselors; therefore, administrators must collaborate with their counseling staff to identify systems and supports they can implement to improve counselors' practice. In addition to implementing these strategies, principals might consider adopting biannual administrative conferences to discuss school responsibilities, updating school counselor job descriptions, or identifying goals for the year and outlining plans for the counseling department to meet those goals. With a national average of 482 students to every one counselor, principals may not be able to budget for additional staff. However, they can create conditions for current counselors to positively influence students' educational experiences.
Mandy Savitz-Romer, PhD, is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Laura Colletta is the former assistant director of College Counseling at the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice in Brooklyn, NY. Danielle Duarte is an education leadership doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Leadership for a Strong School Counseling Program: March 2020

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Today's school leaders face many challenges. In addition to advancing academic achievement, principals also attend to an increasing array of mental health challenges with which students are faced. At the same time, secondary school leaders are under pressure to ensure all students are set up for success in college and the workforce.

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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