Leadership styles and employees motivation perspective from an emerging economy

Running Head: LEADERSHIP STYLES FINAL PAPER 1

LEADERSHIP STYLES FINAL PAPER 2

Leadership Styles Final Paper

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Abstract

Different leaders in an organization rely on different methods to lead others. Several leadership styles exist which depends on an individual leader, the team being led and the conditions that the organization faces. In this leadership final paper, an analysis of leadership style that is suitable within the military environment is analyzed. Military leadership is a process in which the leaders influence the troops to achieve the mission, purpose, and motivation of the unit. In the military, the leadership is not authoritarian as it is depicted in the movies. The military entails training that creates responsibility and discipline. The two qualities are critical in transactional, transformational and servant leadership styles.

Introduction

General John J. Pershing once said, “A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops.” As a leader, personal accountability is the standard. A quality many never seemed to care about. Those that have been led define a leader’s true competency. If they fail, it is because the leader has failed them. In the military the principle of crucible in combat has been effective in developing exceptional leaders. In the paper the leadership styles adopted under the military context are discussed. The element of motivation is also looked at in relation to the military environment.

Transactional, Transformational and Servant Leadership Styles.

In the military, competency is usually in the eye of the beholder; commonly referred to as leadership. Their assessment comes in the form of an appraisals, non-commission officer evaluation reports or officer evaluations that amasses everything accomplished in one year. Generally, throughout that year feedback is giving. All too often that is not the case. More times than not, individuals are left to write their own evaluation. There is no more daunting a task than having to rate your ability as a leader. The last thing an individual want to do is place his or herself so high that others despise them, yet not under sell their own ability to lead others.

This, coupled with organization goals, values and mission, has the potential for several pitfalls. A true leader sees and seizes this as an opportunity. A chance too not only sharpen and hone their own leadership style, but perhaps try their hand at various others. An organization, in its simplest definition, is a group of people with a particular purpose. The military is nothing more than a group of people with the simple purpose of neutralizing the enemy. A task that the U.S. government exiles at. This task cannot be carried out to its fullest without someone at the helm leading.

It takes a skilled individual, with unique qualities and abilities to bring a group of people with various backgrounds from different walks of life together on accord. One type of leadership style may work for one, where as it may not work for another. Something to always consider; all the while keeping in line with the organizations mission statement, vision and goals.

The military environment uses a combination of transactional, transformational and servant leadership Styles. According to Răducan & Răducan (2014) communication is an essential part of developing a competent leader. In the military circles, the most crucial element that is used to manage the troops is communication. The element of communication is essential in motivating the members of the team. The members of the team will understand whether they are doing the right thing or not when their seniors take time and give them feedback. It is an exceptional method of motivating the employees.

According to Arnold et al. (2015) emotion regulation, burnout, transformational leadership and transactional leadership could affect some individual actions. Undue stress and burnouts from a work-related demand could lead to one not being as proactive or productive. Arnold et al. (2015) examined how leadership styles become affected under such circumstances. At this point, it is important for leaders to display emotions to meet their organizational goals.

According to Fiaz (2017), the motivation within the members of the team depends on the leadership style that the manager applies. Democratic leadership style is geared on how more people interact with the group while autocratic leadership emphasizes performance and not so much on the people. As the laissez-faire leadership style, it focuses on neither the people or the performance. The leader that uses this style tends to keep a low profile and will only use those who are loyal to getting the job done.

The biggest concern is how personality helps an individual to deal with the emotional aspect of leadership. According to George et al. (2007) being an authentic leader involves being someone who is self-aware and genuine. The disciplined forces require that an individual must show this personality. Being genuine means that an individual leader looks at the facts as they are presented and does not reject them blatantly without proving the facts.

Transformational leadership involves a leader who is ready and willing to give their team the needed help to attain their set goals. Such a leader is creative and charismatic and seeks results for others. Özaralli (2003) contends that without team empowerment the workplace will not thrive and the team will not be effective. The leader has to understand that with a specific style of leadership, and the way they express themselves to their workers can ultimately make the organization thrive or wither. Even though transformational leadership is used, there is need to understand that when change is needed people should take action. It requires that a leader steps up and works with the team and empowers the group to prosper.

According to Germano (2010), a different type of leadership styles impact an organization. Through relationships, influences, effectiveness, and most importantly leadership the success of organizations vary based on how the above elements are implemented. The leadership styles that are used in different contexts have positive or negative results, and the personality of a leader has an important impact on how the team performs. The accuracy with which the team members perform their task depends on how they relate to the leader and how well they take in the instructions. The bottom-line is that a leader will always have an impact on the team whether it is a positive or negative influence.

A leader also operates under different contexts, which has led to the development of different leadership theories. According to McCleskey (2014), there are three types of theories in leadership. Situational leaders are focused on the task at hand or focus on the relationship with their employees. The leaders that are relationship oriented concentrate more on the concerns of the employee and minimizing emotional conflict while task-oriented leaders define the roles of employees, and establishes communication efficiently. Transformational leaders mold their employees into what they see fit for their organization. Transactional leaders allow employees to concentrate on the organization's objectives while minimizing work anxiety.

The section above has highlighted the qualities that are critical in the military set up. When faced with a combat the situational leadership aspect is expected to be applied. At the same time, the leader is expected to form a relationship with the team members in what is relationship oriented. The transformational element is what the paper has majorly based its content.

Conclusion

There are many leadership styles that an individual can possess and not be limited to only one. In conclusion to be a successful leader, one must be willing to learn and adapt to their surroundings. You will have to attain an effective and positive leadership skill that will give great results in accomplishing the mission. Building an organization based on neutral trust, respect, and sharing the same interest in the organization's vision and mission. It’s not about the personality; it’s about what will best address the situation at hand. The problem with some leaders is that they assume that leadership style is based off personality instead of using a strategy that will address that situation. The ideal is being able to identify your style and make any adjustments that will be most beneficial for the organization. There is a saying, “Leadership is not just some empty formulas but establishing deep service, integrity, passion, perseverance and equanimity”. Leadership remains a topic that will be studied and transformed for several years to come.

References

Arnold, K. A., Connelly, C. E., Walsh, M. M., & Martin Ginis, K. A. (2015). Leadership styles, emotion regulation, and burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 20(4), 481.

Clinton, H. (2010). Leadership Styles in the Military. AzCentral.

Fiaz, M., Su, Q., & Saqib, A. (2017). Leadership styles and employees' motivation: Perspective from an emerging economy. The Journal of Developing Areas, 51(4), 143-156.

George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your authentic leadership. Harvard business review, 85(2), 129.

Germano, M. (2010). Leadership Style and Organizational Impact – Library Worklife

Kolditz, T. (2009). Why the military produces great leaders. Harvard Business Review, 1-2.

McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117.

Özaralli, N. (2003). Effects of transformational leadership on empowerment and team effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 24(6), 335-344.

S. Michel, J., Pichler, S., & Newness, K. (2014). Integrating leader affect, leader work-family spillover, and leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 35(5), 410-428.

Răducan, R., & Răducan, R. (2014). Communication styles of leadership tools. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 149, 813-818.