Transactional and transformational leadership styles at Telecare

Strategic Leadership and the Vision

Leadership has been proven to have a direct cause and effect relationship on the success of companies. Often, leaders determine culture, values, vision and mission of an organization. This essay presents the key characteristics of transactional and transformational leadership styles while highlighting their key strengths and weaknesses too. The vision statement and mission statement of my workplace setting are covered. The essay also reveals how the institution\'s climate supports the vision.

Key features

Transactional leaders use rewards and punishment tactics to ensure followers are compliant (Surbhi, 2015). Under this approach, the leader uses extrinsic motivators to elicit desired performance. Subordinates are rewarded for behaving in the desired manner and punished by deviating. One of the most distinct characteristics of a transactional style of leadership is that it discourages independent thinking (Stevenson, 2007). Besides, the leaders discourage employees from acting creatively or making their decisions. In this case, the leader believes that things are as good as they are hence risky actions and independent thoughts are discouraged.

In contrast, transformational leaders believe in intrinsic motivation and self-management (Stevenson, 2007). They pursue internal motivation and use it as the driving force to manage the organization\'s direction. Often, transformational leaders are willing to listen and entertain new ideas (Surbhi, 2015). This means they know that success is a team effort and growth is derived from the willingness to listen to ideas from varying levels if the company.

Strengths and the weaknesses

The ability to motivate and inspire aligns with the vision of both the transformational and transactional leaders. Enthusiasm and passion are common traits that enable both leaders to get team members and employees in their company to optimize performance (Stevenson, 2007). Both the transformational and transactional styles are effective in motivating employees in becoming efficient and productive members of the team. The incentive that awaits the employees if they contribute to the company serves as the motivation for them to work doubly hard to meet deadlines, attain or surpass quota because the employees know that their efforts will not be left unrecognized. Although the charismatic and inspirational nature of the transformational leaders can effectively achieve goals with no or minimal objections, this can have a negative impact if the leader is self-serving or immoral. In case the transformational leader is a risk-taker prone in making poor decisions, there is a high probability that the subordinates will be the ones to be put in line. Since the transactional style is rigid and not into bending the rules and principles as well welcoming opinions, it hampers creativity from team members who may have effective and sound recommendations for the company\'s betterment (Surbhi, 2015).

The type of leadership style at Telecare

Telecare is an organization, which helps people with serious mental illness and complex needs to reclaim their health, hopes, and dreams. Its leadership approach is consensus-driven. Consensus leadership is a process in which group members develop, and agree to support a decision in the company\'s best interest (Surbhi, 2015). It is consensus-oriented in the sense that the leaders take their time and solicit massive input before they make a big decision.

Benefits to the organization

Because Consensus decision-making does not need unanimity, it can keep things moving at Telecare. The leaders do not have to prolong the discussion to convince holdouts as long as the group is together and the non-conceding members agree to move forward regardless of their reservations (Stevenson, 2007).

Mission and vision

Mission Statement: Telecare provides excellent services and systems of care for people with serious mental illness and complex needs.