Leadership is very important to any company, as it promotes the ideology of the company by motivating and inspiring the workers to help achieve the success of the organization. Effective leadership requires being focused and applying motivational techniques to build commitment from your employees. Many successful leaders demonstrate a positive attitude and proactiveness. Have a defined set of goals and are committed to accomplishing these goals. Effective Leaders must also be able to inspire employees to complete set goals expressed, as well as motivate the employees to follow the direction of the goals.
According to Bass, “transformational leaders attempt and succeed in raising colleagues, subordinates, followers, clients, or constituencies to a greater level of awareness about issues of consequence” (Bass, 1985) Here, the leader tries to help the followers gains skills to see the concept of the leader, and embrace this ideology as a new way of life.
Many politicians are extremely inspirational leaders. For example, former President Barack Obama, the art of communication and effectively motivated others to act. President Barack Obama showed he cares about what is best for the greater good by representing the People. His actions were motivated by a sincere desire to do what is best for the United States. Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign slogan used in 2008 compelled change amongst the people of the United States. President Obama was able to inspire the masses to win the election and become our nation’s 44th president.
According to the article “Does the Transactional-Transformational Leadership Paradigm Transcend Organizational and National Boundaries” transformative leaders’ move followers to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the group, organization, or country (Bass, 1997). President Obama definitely was able to transcend the country for the greater good and become our nation’s first black president. Here, President Obama possessed attributes of a transformative leader. He was able to get his voters involved with envisioning the country to a better future. He promoted positive expectations on how the country needed to change and how they planned to go about making such a change. President Obama raised the aspirations of the country into an organized national force that elected him to two terms.
According to the article, “Transformational leadership influence on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation” Transformational leadership becomes the motor and transmitter of innovative culture and of the dissemination of knowledge-oriented to seeking the best possible organizational performance. (García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo, Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, 2012) The literature suggests transformative leadership is defined as the leadership method that causes change in individuals and transforms social systems. It creates a significant and positive transformation in the supporters with the end resulting in the supporters developing into leaders.
This is very true as influential people will have an extraordinary effect on one person influenced. The effective employee is learning leadership tools, seeking prospects for growth, and working as a team member. Employees feel a high level of motivation when their job provides an opportunity to apply their areas of expertise and the leader uses appropriate methods of motivation. Many times methods of motivation can include appreciation, support, understanding, and acknowledgment.
Employees seek tangible rewards such as, compensation, promotions, training, and improvements to their work environment as concrete, measurable forms that are valued. It is the leader that values these features of motivation that draws employees to come to work for them. For example, as a supervising Probation Officer, I am tasked by the NYC Department of Probation to conduct annual evaluations of my officers. My officers examine these evaluations thoroughly when I present it to them for review. As I lay out my observations, I noticed support from those I noted, whose work is at a supervisory level. These officers have shown themselves to be extremely loyal and will go above and beyond what is asked.
By acknowledging their strengths to the department I have transformed the officer from an employee to a supporter. By indicating they themselves are worthy of a promotion, created significant change and positive morale among the other officers and the work performance has increased. Here the transformative leader assists the employees gain the aptitude and understanding to successfully do what is needed of them in the specific task and in their outlines role.
Leaders act as coaches and teachers to their followers. They can recognize and meet each follower’s needs, but also attempt to develop and improve the needs to a higher level in order to assist the followers to become fully realized by the follower. By highlighting what the followers’ personal career needs are and providing them with a sense of improved proficiency to carry out their duties, leaders could heighten the followers’ commitment. The leader should define the role needed to do the job and tells the followers where, how, and when to do the tasks.
When an organization has a committed workforce, a workforce of shared values, a sense of satisfaction is conveyed by the employee. The employees’ actions at work may become contagious and resonate with other employees feeling the same. This reinforced positive influence creates the type of follower the leader wants to create. The follower willing to follow whatever is asked of him or her to follow.