Good Example Of Transformational Leadership And Developing A Culture Of Excellence Essay

Introduction

Transformational leadership is the process wherein leaders and their followers raise one another to high levels of morality and motivation. The transformational leader is one who is a model of integrity, sets clear goals, has high expectations, encourages others, provides support, stirs the emotions of people and inspires people to reach for the improbable (Leithwood, 2005).
When a person whose leadership style is to create a vision and guide the ensuing change through inspiration is considered a transformational leader. The way in which people are motivated in morale and job performance through a variety of mechanisms identifies the transformational leader. Apart from challenging followers to take up ownership for their work, he has the ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of workers and this helps in motivating them to improve their performances (Rubin, 2005).
Transformational leadership has four known components also known as four I’s. Idealized influence is a component wherein the leader serves as an influence and stands out with his/her leadership qualities. According to Maxwell the ‘true measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less’. As a transformational leader, he or she would have the capacity to become a role model. The leader should be able to take risks and follow set values and have ethical values in all the action he takes (Leithwood, 2005).
Inspirational motivation is another ability that will showcase the transformational leader’s ability to show confidence and motivate his followers effectively. He should be able to articulate his goals and must have a clear vision for the future. He should also have excellent communication skills along with a sense of authority.
Intellectual stimulation is a valued quality in a transformational leader. He should be willing to involve his followers in the decision-making process and inspire them to be creative and innovative. The transformational leader should be able to solicit ideas from followers without criticizing. This leader will be able to change the way the followers frame problems and obstacles. The leader’s vision will help the followers see the big picture and move forward in their efforts (Rubin, 2005).
An individualized consideration is another quality in a transformational leader,which can motivate followers to a great extent. While some people are motivated by money, some are motivated by change and excitement. The transformational leader will be able to determine this by way of observation or listening in on their conversations to find out what motivated each individual. The leader then tries to provide training sessions to each member depending on his or her motivation levels. This allows the team members to grow in their positions (Leithwood, 2005).
Continuous Quality Improvement is a management philosophy that is used in different settings. It was first used in the 1950s in the Japanese industry on advice from American consultants. When the quality of Japanese goods improved, the American health care industry began employing CQI in different capacities. Leadership style of a person is very important for team members to grow and develop efficiently. Evidence suggests that professional leaders and groups have more influence on quality and safety improvement than top managers and teams. Though it is possible that all are required giving unified leadership. The actions of leaders for better CQI are in creating a vision, being consistent in providing objectives and values. They should also have a flexible strategy with resources and involve themselves personally and modeling of values. They should also be able to delegate effectively by building accountable systems by developing personnel and engaging physicians in the long run (Brown, 2005).
It has also been found that informal leadership, ordinary personnel and leadership by teams and groups are also important for improvement. Companies that employ this system of leadership can also be successful in the long run. A combination of conditions is essential for change inside an organization and managers can influence this to happen. A subjective desire for change is also needed. Though there is no conclusive proof that leadership is only important for CQI, leadership skills are essential to lead a successful company. However, it is difficult to be clear on what kind of leadership is important for different types of leaders in an organization. The available evidence is sufficiently consistent in allowing general actions, which leaders need to take for effective CQI (Rubin, 2005).
It is very important for leaders to establish how they want the team to work not just what they are required to achieve. It would help the leader to get to know his team members and to encourage them to get to know each other better. It is better to focus on team camaraderie and this will prove to be a good team building exercise. By communicating his/her vision to the team will help the team understand the leader’s commitment and his willingness to be transparent. This will be enough to create a positive momentum among the team. As a leader it is important to make norms clear for everyone and to make people feel included in the process (Brown, 2005).
Leadership can be both a position and process. The main aspect of leadership is that it involves purposeful influence of a group or organization. High performance organizations need a good balance of both effective leaders and managers. While all organizations have leaders, not all leaders are effective and there are commonmethods to assess the effectiveness and development of follower support. Leaders lose power and support when they don’t take action or their initiatives fail because of poor judgment. Leaders are expected to use their status and power to help the team solve problems. Relationships and participatory skills in leaders can be learned and developed into practices that will make a leader more effective (Brown, 2005).
Health care professionals who assume the roles of leaders are able to handle pressure and steer the organization towards excellence. They are able to help the team achieve goals and nurture a positive work environment. As they are able to influence the team in a positive manner, work gets done effectively and efficiently. Transformational leaders create a vision for the future and guide employees where they need to be to meet the demands of a changing healthcare landscape, thus (Leithwood, 2005).
Transformational leaders are helpful in stimulating the changes necessary for long-term care in a hospital setting. Long-term care in hospitals too has evolved over the years. Studies have proved thatlong-term care is linked to effective leadership practices. While these support broader research on leadership, there are some intricate matters that make long-term care unique. These intricacies relate to the necessity for a compassionate perspective, interaction with people and a regulatory-driven environment, frequent change in leadership positions and a lack of understanding and sensitivity of governing authorities.
Studies relating to long-term care also show that organizational performance is linked to leadership experience than to formal education. Experience translates knowledge to action, applies problem solving technics and hold people accountable for performance. If innovative programs are incorporated, advanced leadership can be effectively developed. In relation to developing a higher performing organization, leadership should be described broadly to include all management level positions (Brown, 2005).
An organization should try and make its vision blossom into reality. While many leaders make the mistake of developing a vision but failing at delivering it. In order to deliver the vision there should be effective project management combined with sensitive change management. By doing this the leader can be assured support from the people. He should then communicate every person’s role and responsibility clearly and connect it to his plans. There should also be short-term and long-term goals, which will help in achieving quick wins and stay motivated. Then the short-term achievements have to be linked with the long-term goals.
While working on this, the leaders should also build their self-discipline and energy so that people will not be let down and the leader can be a role model of hard work and persistence.
Clear communication is very important to transformational leadership. The leader should also take time to understand and provide regular feedback to his teammates. As a transformational leader he should also focus his attention on people and work hard to help them achieve their goals and dreams. He should meet people and understand their developmental needs. He should help them meet their career goals by trusting them and being open and honest in his interactions with them. To succeed as a transformational leader he should set aside time and space for personal development. With all the above positive qualities, he can put together a loyal and hard working team.

References

Brown, F. W., & Moshavi, D. (2005). Transformational leadership and emotionalintelligence: A potential pathway for an increased understanding of interpersonal influence. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(7), 867-871.
Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2005). A review of transformational school leadership research 1996–2005. Leadership and policy in schools, 4(3), 177-199
Rubin, R. S., Munz, D. C., & Bommer, W. H. (2005). Leading from within: The effects of emotion recognition and personality on transformational leadership behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 845-858.
Wang, H., Law, K. S., Hackett, R. D., Wang, D., & Chen, Z. X. (2005). Leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Academy of management Journal, 48(3), 420-432.
Zhu, W., Chew, I. K., & Spangler, W. D. (2005). CEO transformational leadership and organizational outcomes: The mediating role of human–capital-enhancing human resource management. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(1), 39-52.