Leadership and the Roles of Leaders in Human Services

Many people view supervisors and managers as organizational leaders, and in a sense they are; however, supervisory and management positions can be differentiated from true organizational leadership position by examining their respective roles and responsibilities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature to define leadership and differentiate it from supervisory and management positions as well as a description of four strengths that are needed for a leadership position. In addition, the paper presents a discussion of various leadership styles, identifies a specific example as to how a leadership role can influence positive change in a health agency and specific contributions that non-supervisory positions can offer to a health agency. Finally, a summary of the research and key findings concerning these leadership issues are presented in the paper’s conclusion.
Definition of leadership and differentiation from supervisory and management positions
In reality, the actions taken by leaders occasionally resemble supervisors and managers, especially in smaller organizations; however, there are some general differences between the positions that help to differentiate them from each other. For instance, according to Belcher (2015), “The manager's job is planning, organizing, and coordinating, while the leader's job is to influence, inspire, and motivate” (p. 56). This definition suggests that leaders are responsible for establishing the vision for an organization and developing the strategies that will be required to achieve it, while managers and supervisors are responsible for accomplishing the day-to-day activities that support the vision and strategies.
Four strengths needed for a leadership position
Although truly effective leaders draw on different strengths from time to time as the situation demands, four fundamental strengths that are needed for any type of leadership position include the ability to communicate effectively, a positive attitude, an overarching sense of trustworthiness and an unwavering commitment to organizational goals (Doyle, 2018). This is not to say, of course, that other types of strengths such as integrity, compassion, empathy and honesty are not important, but it is to say that the four strengths identified above represent a core set that is essential to leadership success in virtually any organizational setting.
Discussion of leadership styles
Given its inextricable relationship with organizational performance, it is not surprising that a great deal of scholarship has been devoted to identifying different leadership styles over the years. Some of the main leadership styles identified to date include transformational leadership which is characterized by changing an organization in ways that facilitate achieving its vision and objectives, transactional leadership which is characterized by the use of rewards and punishments to motivate subordinates based on their past and current performance levels, and charismatic leadership which depends on leaders’ personal attributes to inspire and motivate their subordinates (Dartey-Baah & Mekpor, 2017).
It is important to note, though, that just as leaders typically draw on several different types of strengths depending on the circumstances, they also tend to use different leadership styles from time to time and over time. For example, a charismatic leadership style might be most appropriate when things are going great and energy levels are high; conversely, a transactional leadership style might be required when lazy mistakes continue to be made or safety protocols are not being followed. These issues underscore the harsh reality that there is no “one-size-fits-all” leadership style to works best in all situations, but the research to date does indicate that transformational leaders tend to be the most effective in achieving organizational objectives while transactional leaders are most effective in maintaining the status quo (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014).
Identification of a specific example as to how the one serving in a leadership role can influence positive change in a health agency
One of the basic axioms of the business world is that there is always room for improvement, but complacency and peoples’ natural reluctance to change tend to inhibit meaningful changes unless they are made aware of the “what’s in it for them” aspects. In this regard, leaders in health agencies are in a good position to either identify steps that can be taken to improve the performance of their agencies or solicit this feedback from subordinates who have been delegated this responsibility. After such cost-saving or other improvement initiatives are identified, health agency leaders can help ensure that the momentum is not lost and the projects are pursued through to completion on schedule and on budget.
Identification of specific contributions that non-supervisory positions can offer to a health agency
Anyone who has ever held a full-time job can readily testify that there are some individuals who consistently fail to perform their responsibilities in an effective and timely fashion, requiring others to take up their slack. Likewise, there are typically a few disgruntled employees who make life miserable for everyone around them through constant complaining and sniping about the organization and its policies. In addition, some non-supervisory personnel also engage in office politics to the extent that they are feared and avoided by others.
Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that some of the specific contributions that non-supervisory positions can offer to a health agency include keeping a positive attitude and sense of humor, even when things seem to be out of control. Other specific contributions include performing the job’s responsibilities and tasks as outlined in their respective job descriptions and communicating with others honestly. Beyond these contributions, non-supervisory personnel are also in excellent positions to identify ways to streamline organizational processes and they can promote these changes by using the suggestion box or communicating with their supervisor or manager. Finally, non-supervisory positions can also help their health agencies by applying the Golden Rule to internal and external customers alike.
Conclusion
The research was consistent in defining leaders differently from supervisors and managers, with the former being responsible for establishing the vision and objectives for the organization while the latter positions are responsible for the day-to-day activities that will accomplish these outcomes. The research also showed that there are several strengths that are needed for a leadership position, including most especially effective communication abilities, a positive attitude, being trustworthy with a commitment to organizational growth and objectives. In addition, the review of the literature showed that there have been a number of different leadership styles identified to date, including transformational, transactional and charismatic leadership, each of which applies different motivational techniques to achieve the desired results. Finally, leadership roles as well as non-supervisory positions can influence positive change in a health agency in a number of ways, including identifying steps that can help improve organizational performance and eliminate waste at every opportunity.

References
 Belcher, M. (2015, Spring). A tale of transformational leadership. The Public Manager, 44(1), 56-60.
Dartey-Baah, K. & Mekpor, B. (2017, Winter). Emotional intelligence: Does leadership style matter? International Journal of Business, 22(1), 41-44.
Doyle, A. (2018, May 17). Top 10 leadership skills. The Balance Careers. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-leadership-skills-2063782.
Nanjundeswaraswamy, T. S. & Swamy, D. K. (2014, February). Leadership styles. Advances in Management, 7(2), 57-61.