Question

1. What is a transactional leader? What is a transformational leader? Explain how the two types of leadership differ.

2. Provide three suggestions to help a person become a good listener.

Answer 1

1.

Leadership refers to the skills and ability that an individual or organization has that can make the individual to lead other individual, group or the organization.

Transformational leadership - This is the leadership style where the leader focus on bringing the change by identifying the need, create vision and execute the change by working closely with the subordinate. This type of leader makes the organization innovative and creative. The leader focus on team-building and motivating employees and encourage them to work collaboratively to accomplish change. The leader motivates employees to give highest level of performance and focusing on career development of employees.

Transactional leadership - This is a leadership style where the leader focus on supervising, organizing and controlling the subordinates to improve their performance. The leader focus on the normal flow of operation. These leaders use both rewards and punishment to drive performance. The leader does not focus on bringing change in an organization and are solely concerned with everyday operations.

2.

Listening refers to the process of analyzing the sound and organizing in a pattern which is then interpreted so that the message is understood by inferring the meaning. The four phases of listening are receiving, interpreting, remembering and responding.

The barriers to effective listening are: -

• Talking more than what is required is a common barrier to effective communication. a communication can be effective if it is a two way communication process. Talking too much can make the other party bored and disinterested. In order to overcome this, it is important to think before speaking. It is also important to give others the chance to speak in order to make communication process effective.
• Distraction is another barrier to effective listening. This include physical, mental, auditory and visual. this can be avoided by maintaining eye contact, focusing on the person who is speaking, avoiding using cell phone, etc.
• Interruption in between the conversation either verbally or with inappropriate body language impacts the communication process negatively. It is very important to use proper body language which makes the other person comfortable and makes the communication process effective.
• One of the common barrier to listening is fear. A person who has fear to communicate may not listen the communication effectively. These people communicate in a defensive manner. It is important to understand how fear can makes the communication ineffective. Listening to the other person without fear, having patience and keeping calm may give the individual mental strength so that he or she may be able to face the situation without fear.

The strategies to become a more effective listener are: -

• To be attentive and focus on the speaker in order to eliminate distraction.
• To ask question and clarify oneself. Individual should repeat what the speaker says in order to gain clarity and understanding.
• Not interrupting unnecessarily and one should ask question from the speaker at appropriate intervals.
• By using body language to convey to the speaker that one is listening by nodding, smiling and maintaining eye contact.
• To make notes in person or on the phone.