Question

Distinguish between transactional, situational, and transformational leadership and the usefulness of each in impacting team performance.

Discuss the impact of culture and ethics on the leadership of teams.

Answer 1

Introduction :- Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. The three seminal Leadership are:-, Situational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Transformational .

According to Keith Davis, “Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards goals.”

Transactional Leadership:-
“Transactional leadership seeks to maintain stability rather than promoting change within an organization through regular economic and social exchanges that achieve specific goals for both the leaders and their followers.”

Transformational leadership:- It draws from deeply held personal value systems. Transformational leaders bring followers together to pursue collective ambitions by expressing and disseminating their personal standards. While transactional leadership can most certainly bring about constructive outcomes within an organization, transformational leadership is held to promote performance beyond expectations by drawing from charisma, consideration, motivation and stimulation.

Situational leadership:-

"Situational Leadership Theory is a model created by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, developed while working on Management of Organizational Behavior. The theory was first introduced in 1969 as "life cycle theory of leadership".It proposes that effective leadership requires a rational understanding of the situation and an appropriate response, rather than a charismatic leader with a large group of dedicated followers. Situational leadership in general and Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) in particular evolved from a task-oriented versus people-oriented leadership continuum.The continuum represented the extent that the leader focuses on the required tasks or

focuses on their relations with their followers.Originally developed by Hershey and Blanchard SLT described leadership style, and stressed the need to relate the leader’s style to the maturity level of the followers.

Difference:-

Transactional Leadership :- Leadership of the status quo.Effective instable organizations and contexts. More likely to be observed in a well-ordered society. But Transformational Leadership:-Leadership of change (withinl eaders, followers and organizations).Important in times of distress and rapid And destabilizing change.

• Focuses on social and economic exchanges
between leaders and followers, using contingentrewards and administrative actions to reinforcepositive and reform negative behaviours.
But Focuses on organizational
objectives and organizational change
by disseminating new values and
seeking alternatives to existing
arrangements.

• Motivates followers by appealing to their own self-interest (for example, pay, promotion). But it Attempts to raise follower needs (following Maslow’s hierarchy) to higher levels (for example, self-esteem) and to develop followers into leaders.

Leader-follower relationship may be
established quickly.A relatively impersonal
relationship maintained only as long as benefits outweigh costs. But it May take time for leader-follower bonds to develop.A personal
relationship that may persist when
costs outweigh benefits.

Focuses on situational authority, politics and
perks. Involves values, but typically those required for successful exchange relationships (for example, reciprocity, integrity).but it Focuses on personal power, values, morals and ethics. May be demonstrated by anyone in an organization in any type of position. Transformational Leadership and Situational Leadership are two such styles that work with different goals in mind. The purpose is not very different but it is the approach that they take that sets them apart. Let’s have a look at the differences between the two styles.

Transformational leaders are strong personalities with a clear cut plan. They tend to have followers who are motivated by their strong vision. Situational leaders on the other hand are spontaneous. They do not lead based on a single vision but will lead in a manner that is the most sensible during that situation. They are more flexible and adaptive to change.

Leaders enable the success of high-performance teams in the following manner:-

Leaders contribute to the selection of the right kind of talent for the right job requirement and help in attaining the best fit between the people and the job.

• Facilitating the right culture or environment for the employees and hiring the right people who fit into that culture. Open communication, a climate of mutuality, trust and collaboration build the edifice for success. A collaborative culture fosters inclusiveness, where all the members of the team contribute towards the collective success.
• Leaders act as the champions of change and drive continuous improvement at work by assessing the existing processes, introducing reformed processes and train teams on the changes in the methods and technology.
• Effective leadership has the following advantages:

• The members of the team feel that they are valued and enjoy being a part of the group.
• The group ensures optimum use of the talent by providing challenging opportunities to prove their mettle.
• The groups focus on retention of the best of the talent.
• People have a clear understanding of their roles in the team and how they can contribute towards the overall group objectives.

Leaders have a tremendous impact on company culture. They set the agenda, prioritize work, manage, lead, and delegate. Strong leaders provide a sense of vision, purpose, mentorship, and inspiration to those they lead. Today's diverse workforce is reshaping what it means to achieve personal and professional success. The relationship between leadership and organizational culture by initially delving into the mechanisms that leaders have at their disposal to formulate, reinforce, and change their organization's culture depending on its developmental stage. leadership and culture demonstrates the complementary role of leadership in the culture-outcomes link, as well as the moderator role of culture in the relation between leadership and other important organizational constructs, such as perceptions of justice. Leadership as an antecedent of culture and the mediating effect of culture in the leadership-organizational outcomes link explores culture as a process activated by leaders to influence various aspects of organizational behavior.

Ethical leadership can be described as both visible and invisible. It is seen visibly in the way the leader works with people and how he treats them, in his actions and behavior in public and, in his statements.Invisible aspects of ethical leadership originate in the leader’s character, in the way he makes decisions, in his mentality, from his values and principles, and in his resoluteness in making ethical decisions in difficult situations. The ethic in ethical leaders is consistent all the time, not just when they are under observation and this consistency over time proves that ethics are an integral part of their intellectual and philosophical framework, that through this same framework, they interact with and understand their environment.

Conclusion :-The ethical aspects of team culture are transmitted through socialization processes such as modeling, observation, and individual interaction among team members. These processes are important because the more team members interact, the more they tend to develop shared assumptions, values, and behaviors.