Sunday, January 23, 2011

Advantages & Disadvantages of Managerial, Participative, Interpersonal and Transactional Leadership

Leadership is the process of guiding & directing the behavior of people in the work environment. There is a saying that goes: “A good leader is a good follower.” A leader must be influential. I believe that effective leadership produces useful change and effective management controls complexity. The result of effective leadership plus good management is healthy organization.

A leader has its own styles of leadership. He may be a transactional leader. The transactional leadership style was first described by Max Weber in 1947, and again by Bernard M. Bass in 1981. Transactional leaders are on the opposite leadership theory spectrum relative to transformational leaders. The former depends on a system of rewards and punishments, while the latter takes advantage of internal motivations. I learned that this leadership style is based on the hypothesis that followers are motivated through a system of rewards and punishment. If the follower does something good, then they will be rewarded. If the follower does something wrong, then they will be punished.

Another style of leadership that a leader may possess is participative leadership. This leadership style involves sharing information as well as consulting with subordinates before making decisions. The leader consults with subordinates about work, task goals, and paths to resolve goals. The disadvantage of this style of leadership is that the decision of a leader may not be final. In other words, the followers or the members of the group may have the final say.

Managerial leadership is a style of leadership that does not include the concept of vision. It focused on managing existing activities successfully rather than visioning a better future for the school. The advantage of this type of leadership is that it is very suitable for school leaders working in centralized systems.

According to Lao Tzu, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim is fulfilled, they will say, we did it ourselves.” Acquiring interpersonal leadership skills is necessary for a leader to sustain a good relationship with people in an organization. Example of interpersonal leadership skills is association/partnership. Two heads are better than one. If a leader learns how to associate with other people and build partnerships wherever he go, he increases the chances of multiplying his resources and extending his reach. Associating with other like-minded individuals and creating partnerships will also allow a leader to gather more ideas to reach his goals. Another example of interpersonal leadership skills is affirmation/praise. People who work for a leader or under him also expect to be appreciated for their efforts. It gives them an assurance that a leader values their work and gives more room for creativity and improvement to grow. A pat on the back, a congratulatory remark, or even a handshake is enough for somebody to feel appreciated and valued. These are some of the interpersonal leadership skills that a leader may acquire.

When I took up Educational Leadership subject, I realized that every once in a while, the teachers that the principal lead may need a little push to be able to continue performing at their best. Every leader knows that his people need to be motivated and encouraged from time to time. Encouraging teachers to become better educators is also very important. A good leader understands that sharing his wisdom to his followers is one of the key principles responsible for his success. Leadership is not only about personal growth. It’s also about helping other people grow to their fullest potential.

I learned that a good leader must possess an interpersonal leadership skill of caring because he must learn how to sincerely care for his followers and other people around him. A person who shows empathy and sincerity understands that life is something to be valued. Every life on earth is precious. If I have given the chance to lead in certain group, I see to it that I create instant rapport with anybody. It is important to understand that by helping other people, a leader contributes to their success and for the betterment of the organization as well. A good leader realizes that replicating himself by empowering other people enables him to accomplish a lot more and generally contribute to the growth of his community.

1 comment:

  1. Yes true Dan... School Principals have a responsibility to develop the leadership potential of each teacher. It is through this that a Principal becomes a true leader when he can also make another leader in his group. Hope you are one of them.

    ReplyDelete