Comparison of Leadership Model and Styles

Part One
My Personal Model: Transformational Leadership
My own personal model of leadership is transformational leadership. This model focuses on giving following a vision of what they should work to become. The transformational leader identifies and explains the goal that the organization is trying to reach and how workers can help the organization to achieve that goal. It typically requires a change in the behavior and approaches of the workers, so logic and reason are used to show why this change is needed, which is a way of helping to break down resistance to the change (Nawaz & Khan, 2016). Communication is a key skill used in this model, and transformational leaders have to be able to relate well with followers, provide support along the way, and keep them focused on the vision and the mission. When it comes to organizational development, transformational leaders can be a very valuable asset (Warrick, 2011).
My personal leadership model reflects servant leadership characteristics in that I incorporate into it the aspects of servant leadership that all the leader to support the workers and assist them in fulfilling their potential. In my model, it is important to communicate with followers to see what their needs are. Once needs are identified, the leader should strive to see that the needs are met—which is basically what Maslow (1943) recommends with his theory of human motivation and the hierarchy of needs model. Servant leadership in my model is used to help the workers achieve a level of self-actualization so that they no longer require the leader’s support but are capable of being self-motivated and self-directed.
Servant Leadership
The servant leadership model is a little different in that, though it also focuses on being supportive of followers, the approach is less vision-oriented and more person-centered. The servant leader focuses not on the vision of the worker that will help the organization achieve its goals but rather on the strengths of the individual workers and how those strengths can be used to develop whatever weaknesses are holding the worker back. The servant leader is there to provide the follower with whatever he or she needs to get the job done and thinks not of himself but rather only of the followers. The point that De Vries (1998) makes is that servant leaders are effective because they get out of the way and let workers work to their full potential: they give them the space and resources they require to be as successful as they possibly can. Workers who are self-motivated and self-directing typically like servant leaders because they are empowering.
Autocratic Leadership
The servant leadership model is essentially the exact opposite of the autocratic leadership model. The latter posits that the leader should assume total control of the decision-making process and issue orders to followers with the expectation that those orders will be executed with alacrity (De Cremer, 2006). It differs from the transformational model of leadership in that the latter is more open to and solicitous of feedback. The transformational leader is keen to receive input from followers to know how they are progressing, what challenges they are experiencing, and what the leader can do to help get them over the hump. The autocratic leadership model is not predicated upon this type of engagement and is more frequently seen in strictly hierarchical organizations, such as the military, where orders are given and expected to be carried out without difficulty, delay or questioning.
Authentic Leadership
Servant leadership has some qualities in common with authentic leadership, too. Each promotes the idea of personal accountability. The servant leadership model promotes the idea with respect to the follower, inviting followers to step up and take responsibility for themselves. The authentic leadership model promotes the idea of personal accountability with respect to the leader: the leader is meant to represent by his own example what it means to be a trustworthy person, with the expectation being that followers will follow suit (Northouse, 2016).
The authentic model of leadership is similar in some ways to transformational leadership as well: both emphasize the need for the leader to embody the characteristics and qualities that he wants the followers to assume for themselves. However, the authentic leadership model puts more emphasis on openness, transparency and accountability on the leader’s end. This is a model often used in organizations that are trying to rectify a slip in ethical management. In order to restore confidence, leaders will use the authentic leadership model to demonstrate honest dealings in their own leadership. For the transformational leader, honesty and transparency are not going to be big issues because of the way in which the transformational leader interacts with followers, engages them, and shows that he is there to help them reach the organizational goal.
To Bring About Change
To bring about change, the most appropriate leadership model is naturally going to be the transformational model, which is the one I use in my own personal model (with some influence from servant leadership). An organization that wants to change, however, may find other models useful too, depending on the type of change. An organization wanting to change its culture to be one that is more ethical may benefit from the authentic leadership model. One that wants to change workers to be more empowered may benefit from the servant leadership model. It all depends on what the change is—change is not going to be the same across the board for every organization.
Part Two
My leadership style is paternalistic: I see myself as a kind of parent looking after one’s children. I do not adopt a condescending approach or tone, however. Just as I think parents should show respect to children to teach them about respect, leaders should show respect to workers to show them how to give respect. My style fits with my leadership model in that the model supports this approach fundamentally: transformational and servant leadership models are inherently paternalistic, just in different ways. The former is paternalistic in a way that focuses on guiding the follower to reach a specific goal. The latter is paternalistic in a way that focuses on getting out of the way, giving the follower his independence, and providing support and encouragement when needed.
Action Plan Using SMART Goals
Two areas of personal improvement that will help me to develop my personal leadership style are: leading by example and guidance, and leading by giving space and offering supportive words and encouragement so as to empower the follower. Two SMART goals are: 1) to embody in myself the principle of accountability that I want followers to possess by always answering every message I receive within one hour of receiving it; and 2) to promote empowerment by giving encouraging and supportive words that emphasize a worker’s strengths and ability to overcome challenges to at least 5 followers every day.
The plan will require me to be diligent about checking my messages and responding to them on the spot instead of reading them and not getting back till later. The specific steps I will take will be to use my mobile device to access my messages even when I am not at my desk so that I can respond to them when I am on the go instead of waiting until I am back in my office. This will show workers that I am always being mindful of their needs and do so with the aim of helping the organization to meet its own goals of efficiency and quality service.
The plan will also require me to speak directly to at least 5 workers everyday and to make sure I find a relevant way to know what encouraging words they need to here. The plan here will be to address them in groups if possible, in the first half of a shift and then in the second. I will start by asking how everything is going and what the challenges of the day are. I will then give positive reinforcement, using positive psychology to make them feel inspired and empowered, believing they can overcome all obstacles and challenges to succeed (Reivich, Seligman & McBride, 2011).
This plan can be evaluated by surveying workers after one quarter (three months) to see whether they feel inspired or supported by leadership’s example of accountability and/or words of encouragement. The plan can also be evaluated by way of direct observation to see if workers are demonstrating similar examples of accountability and supportiveness to one another. It can be measured quantitatively or metrically longitudinally by looking to see if nursing errors are on the decline, as they should be if accountability and support are on the rise.
References
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.
Nawaz, Z. A. K. D. A., & Khan_ PhD, I. (2016). Leadership theories and styles: A literature review. Leadership, 16, 1-7.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage Publications.
Reivich, K. J., Seligman, M. E., & McBride, S. (2011). Master resilience training in the US Army. American Psychologist, 66(1), 25.
Warrick, D. D. (2011). The urgent need for skilled transformational leaders: Integrating transformational leadership and organization development. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 8(5), 11-26