Determine Whether Transformational Leadership Was The Right Approach.
A leadership technique that brings about change in people and societal systems is known as transformational leadership. If it is done properly, it may bring about a significant and good change in the lives of those who follow it, with the ultimate objective of growing followers into leaders (Alqatawenh,2018). And thus, according to Salam’s case, the transformational leadership style is not the most effective strategy for making strategies and implementing them in the restaurant to comply with basic health protocols, reduce COVID-19 exposure in the company, and protect the safety of its staff and customers.
If You Were Salam, Describe Your Leadership Style.
If I were in Salam’s position, I would prefer to portray and use a transactional leadership style rather than a transformational leadership style, and vice versa. Transactional leaders are primarily concerned with delivering instructions and maintaining organizational structure within their organizations (Puni et al., 2020). Transactional leadership closely monitors performance, which employs incentive systems to keep employees motivated and engaged. Because Salam already has all of the necessary information about COVID-19, he will be able to quickly and easily develop specific guidelines and new procedures that all of the company’s employees will follow. Salam did not need to consult with the restaurant staff to develop plans for managing COVID-19. He could copy and follow the reasonable level health standards protocols established by the government organizations for the restaurant industry.
The Pros And Cons Of Transactional Leadership Vs. Transformational Leadership.
Transformational and transactional approaches to leadership are among the most often discussed today. Leaders that are transformational are individuals who can inspire, encourage, and build meaningful relationships with people around them so that everyone may realize their full potential inside and beyond a single project. Process, processes, and authority are the pillars of the transactional leadership model; it is often referred to as management style leadership.
Transformational leadership places a heavy emphasis on empowering the workforce. These leaders find out what motivates each employee to come to work every day to empower others. These leaders get their innate drive from the impact they can make by building on the passions of their team and knowing what inspires each person (Purwanto et al., 2019). Transactional leaders focus on the process rather than the result. They feel empowered by making sure everyone in their area of influence understands precisely what they are expected to do and why. It is up to these people to ensure that the procedures are adequately defined, simple, and documented.
Engagement is a key component of transformational leadership! It is easier to get things done when everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goal. The leaders’ performance is measured by their team’s dedication and perseverance in achieving the shared objective. Even if they experience failures and losses, these leaders may still consider their efforts a success as long as they keep pushing ahead and use what they have learned. Success in transactional leadership is documented and benchmarked. This method assures that you never have to wonder whether you have done a good job. Identifying and defining what success looks like in concrete results eliminates subjective perception’s ambiguity. With these metrics, you will know how many widgets you manufactured, how much you sold in a month, and how many successful phone calls you made in that period. The effectiveness of your leadership depends on the ability of your team to meet all of the KPIs. Having quantifiable components in place allows the leadership to know exactly where each employee stands at the end of the day.
Transactional leadership’s structure is rigid, whereas transformational leadership’s structure is flexible. Each team member is treated as an individual by these leaders, who make sure that everyone can perform to their full potential throughout a typical workday. Leaders who are good at setting and enforcing boundaries are known as transactional. These leaders clarify what they expect from their followers and how far they are willing to allow them to go beyond those expectations. They are open to discussing beyond these parameters, but any further action must be either supervised or halted based on their decision.
Disadvantages
Teamwork is a key component of transformative leadership. It is anticipated that your behaviors and efforts would represent the group since you are all on the same team. You will have to put in a lot of time and effort if one team member isn’t doing their part. To succeed in the future vision method, you must encourage each other and persevere through tough times without any tangible reward or celebration. Employees squander their time on activities that are either counterproductive or regarded as personal attacks on the group, the leader, or the organization. When a leader practices transactional leadership, the emphasis is on the individual. In the end, the rewards you get are determined by your efforts and ability to meet the prerequisites. Stress, sickness, or harm might result as a result.
Success in transformative leadership relies on perception rather than product or event. Even if you sense or see someone on your squad and think, Wow! They may not feel the same way, but they realize how far they have to go. The absence of precise success standards might make it difficult to gauge progress. It may become further warped as the individual’s perspective of success becomes increasingly twisted. It may be incredibly confusing and irritating for new employees or those seeking advancement. A precise benchmark might restrict your capacity to achieve transactional success. If there is a limited price or many red tapes to go through, it might hinder your progress. Staff may believe their potential is constrained if they see mixed results or system hacks being rewarded equally.
The process of transformational leadership may become cluttered and disorganized. For employees, changes in processes or stages may be quite upsetting, especially if they are used to working through the whole process from beginning to end. Those who are competent must be taught new talents that make them incompetent (Purwanto et al., 2019). People who have a hard time embracing the ebb and flow of life and just going with the flow may not handle this kind of leadership style. Transactional leaders believe that change is necessary.
Consequently, they do not aim to change the approach, the figures, or the way they do business daily. When something bad happens to the company, they solely focus on what has to be done to fix it. They will not alter their ways until the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. When the world’s circumstances change, we see this most clearly. Neither the company nor its structure nor its mindset is capable of changing. Large companies may be left behind if progress is too slow. Because of the excessive bureaucracy and slow decision-making, employees may decide to quit the company and take their expertise.
What I Would Do Differently If I Were Salam
Government and health agency requirements for restaurant sanitation are something I would look into if I were Salam. On my own, I would devise the appropriate procedures and processes following medical guidelines. To ensure the safety of both customers and workers and to restrict the spread of COVID-19, have a staff meeting to go through the actions that need to be adopted and followed by everyone. I would also tell the staff that these procedures may help the restaurant increase income and earn them a bonus or incentive in the process.
References
Alqatawenh, A. S. (2018). Transformational leadership style and its relationship with change management. Verslas: teorija ir praktika, 19(1), 17-24.
Puni, A., Hilton, S. K., & Quao, B. (2020). The interaction effect of transactional-transformational leadership on employee commitment in a developing country. Management Research Review.
Purwanto, A., Asbari, M., & budi Santoso, P. (2019). Influence of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Style toward Food Safety Management System ISO 22000: 2018 Performance of Food Industry in Pati Central Java. Inovbiz: Jurnal Inovasi Bisnis, 7(2), 180-185.