My pursuit of the course has been coupled with various experiences in the workplace which demonstrate the existence of the various leadership styles and approaches in real life. The situational leadership approach is one of the approaches that I experienced in the course of my observations of the workplace occurrences. This approach was mostly applied by my supervisor who allowed the team members to rely on personal guidance to do what a task required. Employee empowerment was one aspect of his leadership style where he allowed every individual to undertake a task as per one’s perception of the best approach to adopt. As for me, I felt a sense of autonomy and belongingness as I performed my duties without a command from anyone. I felt like I was a manager to myself and later realized that I could do a lot without supervision. My colleagues too had similar feelings and attitude. In their conversations, they praised the supervisor and expressed the feeling that depicted a wish to have such leaders on a daily basis. In alignment with the Hersey and Blanchard’s theory, which is part of the situational approach, my supervisor uses the delegating style with the belief that every individual has the skills required to undertake a task successfully. Empowerment is his motivational tactic which he applies to demonstrate to the followers that he trusts their level of competence and capacity to complete their tasks without necessarily being monitored. I admired the leadership approach applied by this supervisor and wished I could apply the same in case I am put in such a leadership position.
The trait approach was also applicable with my supervisor who depicted calmness even when the situation seemed one that a leader could not put up with. The notion of being calm seems like one that enables him to succeed in his position as a leader as employees are also cautious in their deeds to avoid a situation that may yield disappointment. What I found interesting about this supervisor is that he did not rush into identifying the mistakes of a team member but would always begin by exploring the positive aspects of a member’s commitments. He also utilized the coaching approach by informing a team member what he or she ought to have done rather than criticizing his or her undertakings or results. This experience was one that I deemed extraordinary as most employees had been complaining of tough experiences where their supervisors were more directive than coaching and also more focused on the completion of tasks rather than the quality of results.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The transformational leadership style is another approach that I experienced in the workplace during my pursuit of the course. This happened to be the most interesting experience in the workplace with the introduction of new policies and procedures with an allowance of autonomy among the employees. The leader acted as a source of inspiration by depicting optimism in everything that he introduced despite being faced with the challenge of individuals who wished to continue with the status quo. During this experience, I realized that most people, if not all, do not like the notion of change, particularly when introduced it unexpectedly. My colleagues appeared disappointed by the fact that one must change what he or she does and engage in something that is completely new. The notion of having to decide how to undertake a task was welcome, particularly because everyone was used to being directed on how to go about a particular task and the outcomes were predetermined. With empowerment comes confidence and this is a major factor that motivated the workers to accept the change as introduced, particularly because the administration offered a chance for one to risk with ideas and just ensure that the task at hand was completed successfully. The good thing about the transformational experience is that the leader took time to attend to the needs of every individual and answered questions as appropriately as he could. At the end of the day, everyone seemed to be satisfied with the outcomes and people could attend their tasks the following morning without the frustrations of yesterday. By the time the week ended, it appeared like nothing had changed as everyone was now used to the policies and procedures introduced, particularly because the leader involved instilled confidence in everyone that everything would work out no matter how much time or effort it would take.
The worst experience in the workplace was during the first week when the task of jotting down the experiences begun. During the time I engaged with my co-workers, supervisors, and others who were senior to me, it had been hard in the past to notice that something wrong was happening or the leadership experienced during a specific day was poor or inefficient. My week one experience was one that taught me a lesson that will forever be memorable. During this week, I experienced an authoritative kind of leadership where the boss focused more on quantity rather than quality. I could never imagine a time when someone would depict the view that the outcomes of my engagement were peanuts in comparison with his expectations. “Is this all you have done since you arrived here?” This statement was particularly disappointing in lieu of the efforts I had made to attain the outcomes which were being referred to in this case. I imagined the lack of appreciation depicted in the statement and felt like just walking out of the workplace to never be seen again. However, I realized that it was not a matter of quality but quantity. I decided not to delve into the utterances of the individual concerned but instead continue with my commitment and assume that I was hired in a place where appreciation comes as a surprise.
Impact of Leadership Styles Observed
With the situational leadership approach, I realized that the leader could easily convince an individual about specific goals that ought to have been accomplished. The leader found it easy to approach the weaknesses and strengths of each individual and offer feedback that aligned with the situation at hand. By appreciating every minute effort made by a team member, it was evident that the leader obtained a team that was committed to the attainment of the set goals due to the motivation realized through cautious discussion of specific issues in alignment with an individual’s performance. Employees also felt a sense of autonomy and asked questions freely, particularly because the leader considered each individual as one rather than as part of a team.
With the transformational style of leadership, the workers seemed to lack the morale at first instance. The leader was, however, tactical in his use of communication skills to persuade and convince the team that all would be well, no matter how tough it might be. Inspiration is one trait that enabled the leader to win the team’s commitment to the new policies and eventually a move from the status quo. The optimism depicted by the leader emerged as the most powerful aspect and an enabler of good performance among the team members. The leader’s commitment in addressing the issues raised by the team members was a key motivational factor.
The trait approach was also successful in yielding satisfaction among the workers and eventually leading to positive outcomes. Empowerment of employees by allowing them to do things their way was quite motivational and one realized that every employee was committed to his or her undertakings. Calmness as a leadership trait is one that led to the employees’ admiration of the leader and also led to positive outcomes in alignment with employees’ commitment to their tasks.
The authoritative leadership, where quantity seemed to be more important than quality, was one that led to lack of morale among the workers. Once the individuals realized a lack of appreciation of their efforts, the mood seemed to change abruptly with each working in a manner that depicted dissatisfaction. Later during the day, me and my coworkers seemed to be more tired than any other day.
Recommendations
The above observations are likely to be experienced by any other individual in another workplace from time to time. While every organization desires positive outcomes and good performance among the employees, the following recommendations could go a long way in the realization of the set goals and the vision articulated.
Empowerment of the employees is the key to ensuring that an employee undertakes a task in the most satisfactory manner and in the way that pleases him or her.
The depiction of optimism by a leader even in the face of uncertainty goes a long way in convincing the workers to adopt change no matter how tough it may seem.
The appreciation of employees’ efforts, no matter how small, could go a long way in ensuring that everyone works to the level desired for optimum performance. Even where negative feedback is concerned, the leader should try and look for something positive to appreciate about the employee.
Authoritarian rule may be useful in some situations but should be practiced cautiously to ensure that the employees continue to feel the need for continuous commitment to the organization’s mission.
