CMN 396 Ch. 4 Quiz

The Transformational Approach to Leadership

Beginning in the late 1970s, the transformational approach emerged as a new perspective for understanding and explaining leadership.

The Behavioral/Attribution Approach

By describing charisma as a set of behaviors, the behavioral approach attempts to clarify what charisma is and to predict the effects of charismatic leadership. The attribution approach defines charisma by the perceptions of followers. Leader behaviors. Charismatic leaders have strong power needs, display high self-confidence, demonstrate competence, serve as role models, communicate high expectations, engage in effective argumentation, and create transcendent goals. Leader/follower relations. Charismatics serve as targets for follower hopes, frustrations, and fears. They also create a sense of excitement and adven ture. While charismatics lead groups toward new visions, they build their appeals to followers on widely shared beliefs, values, and goals. Elements of the charismatic situation. Charismatic leaders are most likely to appear when groups are under stress. For a corporation, stress might involve bankruptcy or the loss of a major market.

Perspectives on Charisma

Charismatic leaders are the superstars of leadership. We usually reserve the label charismatic for well-known political, social, and business leaders who have had significant impact on the lives of others. Notable historical fig ures such as Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Ford, John F. Kennedy, Mar tin Luther King, Jr.

Visionary Trans

Communicating a vision to followers may well be the most important act of the transformational leader. A vision is a concise statement or description of the direction in which an individual, group, or organization is headed. Compelling visions provide people with a sense of purpose and encourage commitment.

James MacGregor Burns.

He compared traditional leadership, which he labeled as transactional, with a more "com plex and "potent type of leadership he called transformational1

Jay Conger and Rabindra Kanungo view charismatic leadership as an attributional process.73Charisma is defined in terms of the perceptions of followers. Con ger and Kanungo claim certain leader behaviors motivate followers to regard individuals as charismatic. Five behaviors that encourage followers to attribute charismatic characteristics to leaders are:

Possess a vision that is unique, yet attainable. A charismatic leader's vision differs markedly from the status quo. It is unique, innovative, and ener gizing. At the same time, the charismatic leader's vision is not too radi cal. Actinanunconventional,counternormativemanner.Byengaginginbehaviors that are outside traditional normative bounds, a charismatic demon strates he or she is different from other leaders. Demonstratepersonal commitment and risk taking.Trust is an important com ponent of charisma, and followers have greater trust for a leader who is personally committed to his or her own vision. Demonstrate confidence and expertise. Leaders who appear confident and knowledgeable are far more likely to be viewed as charismatic than those who seem unsure and confused. Demonstrate personal power. Followers are more likely to attribute cha risma to leaders who use personal power to meet the objectives of their vision than to those who use authoritarian or democratic approaches.

The Communication Approach

The communication approach suggests that charisma is a specific form of com munication. (1) the charismatic leader's command of rhetoric and persuasion, (2) the charismatic's creation of a self-confident, competent image, and (3) the link between symbolic myths and goals and char ismatic emergence. Charismatic leaders excel in four core functions of communication: relationship building, impression management, visioning, influencing.

Empowering Trans

These leaders encourage partici pation and involvement. The exchange of ideas between leader and follower does not pose a threat to the transformational leader. Extraordinary leaders realize that individual achievement and success is the basis for team achieve ment and success. Transformational leaders know how to give power away and how to make others feel powerful.

Bernard Bass and his associ ates looked at the factors of transactional and transformational leadership

Transactional Leadership Factors Contingent reward: Provide rewards for effort; recognize good performance. Management-by-exception: Maintain the status quo; intervene when subordinates do not meet acceptable performance levels; initiate corrective action to improve performance. Transformational Leadership Factors Charisma: Provide vision and a sense of mission; inspire; build trust and respect. Individualized consideration: Exhibit considerate and supportive behavior directed toward each individual subordinate; coach and advise. inspiration: Communicate high expectations; use symbols to focus efforts and enhance under standing of goals. Intellectual stimulation: Promote innovative ways of viewing situations; stimulate intelligent problem solving and decision making. Nonleadership Factor Laissez-faire (abdication): Abdicate leadership responsibility; avoid problem solving and deci sion making.

Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: Interchangeable or Distinct?

Transformational and charismatic leadership are overlapping yet distinct approaches. Both achieve outstanding results. However, charismatic leader ship is more person centered and the charismatic leader is more likely to direct than to empower followers. The transformational leader, on the other hand, is more group-cen tered, appealing to the values and needs of followers. He or she wants to elevate the aspirations and morality of followers and leaders alike. This dimen sion is missing in many discussions of charismatic leadership.

Creative Trans

Transformational leaders are innovative and foresighted. They constantly challenge the status quo by seeking out new ideas, products, and ways of performing tasks.

Interactive Trans

Transformational leaders are masterful communicators able to articulate and define ideas and concepts that escape others.

Passionate Trans

Transformational leaders are passionately committed to their work. They love their jobs and have a great deal of affection for the people with whom they work. This passion and personal enthusiasm motivates others to per form to their highest levels as well. Transformational leaders are able to encourage others because they, first and foremost, encourage themselves.

The Sociological Approach

Weber's sociological approach to charisma included five key components: a leader with extraordinary talents; an unstable or crisis situation; a radical vision for providing a solution to the crisis; a group of followers who believe the extraordinary leader links them to powers that exceed usual limits; and a valida tion of the extraordinary leader's talents and power through repeated success.

The Characteristics of Transformational Leadership

also attempt to satisfy the basic needs of followers, but they go beyond mere exchange by engaging the total person in an attempt to satisfy the higher-level needs of self-esteem and self-actualization. Transfor mational leadership is empowering and inspirational; it elevates leaders and followers to higher levels of motivation and morality.

Abraham Maslow,

five hierarchically arranged human needs exist: physiological, safety, belonging and love, self-esteem, and self-actualization.2

The transactional leader

is most concerned with the satisfaction of physio logical, safety, and belonging needs. To meet these needs, a transactional leader exchanges rewards or privileges for desirable outcomes much the way a Marine drill sergeant would trade a weekend pass for a clean barracks.