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Website design By BotEap.comLeadership style sets the tone for a recreational agency. Some lead by example, others lead with an iron fist. Let’s examine the two leadership styles to determine which is best for your leadership role.
Website design By BotEap.comtransformational leadership creates a learning environment for staff members. It builds trust and inspires employees to work towards a collective vision through the intrinsic motivation of the process. Transformational leaders are effective communicators, share information, and have a strong vision. The style enhances the aspirations of the employees and focuses them on the goal. The leader serves more as a coach than as a supervisor. Less absenteeism occurs, as people want to be at work, because they feel valued.
Website design By BotEap.comTransformational leadership has four key components:
Website design By BotEap.comidealized influence – serves as a role model, encouraging staff to do what he/she does;
Website design By BotEap.cominspirational motivation – motivates staff through shared vision and enthusiasm;
Website design By BotEap.comindividualized consideration – expresses genuine concern for the employee’s well-being and is attentive to personal needs;
Website design By BotEap.comintellectual stimulation – challenges followers to be innovators and pioneers, always questioning the status quo.
Website design By BotEap.comThere is a misconception that transformational leaders are weak, but these managers constantly challenge employees to achieve more and creatively push boundaries.
Website design By BotEap.comAt the other end of the spectrum, transactional leadership It focuses on a system of punishment and reward. The chain of command within the organization is clear. Obeying the leader’s instructions is the main goal, and subordinates must be carefully monitored.
Website design By BotEap.comThis form of leadership is common in business, especially for hourly employees who are replaceable and have little personal investment in their work. Leaders use reward and punishment systems and attempt to correct undesirable performance as it occurs. Dissatisfied employees don’t come to work because they feel undervalued and replaceable.
Website design By BotEap.comTransactional managers fill a management role using a short-term perspective, accepting the status quo, and copying processes year after year. The manager does not inspire a vision, communicate goals effectively, or foster collaboration. They typically stay in middle management roles and are unable to move up to senior executives as they fail to see the big picture.
Website design By BotEap.comCase study:
Website design By BotEap.comA youth dance studio director hires instructors as independent contractors to teach dance basics and create routines for a holiday recital. The leader has established many rules for the teaching staff, mostly as a result of incidents that have occurred in recent years.
Website design By BotEap.comFor example, instructors should submit their substitute requests in August for the September-December class session. Last minute teacher substitutes are not permitted, except with a doctor’s note, and are cause for immediate dismissal of the teacher. All instructors must contribute time, outside of class time, to prepare for the holiday dance recital. This usually means extra practice, answering parent questions, sending blast emails, and homework on the day of the show. This time it is not paid; however, if an instructor wants to keep a job, she must donate the extra time.
Website design By BotEap.comThe program director has a clear vision of what the final product of the recital should look like. The director chooses the music, the costumes, the running order, and writes the final script. Although the recital is a creative endeavor, the creative role of the instructors is only through choreography. Because instructors are not invited to participate in the creative process, the environment is not developmental and staff feel replaceable. For this reason, there is a high turnover rate, which is what has led to the large number of rules and restrictions in the contract. Talented instructors don’t want to stick around for the long haul as instructors feel undervalued and unappreciated. The recreational agency has a transaction leader at the helm
Website design By BotEap.comHAS progressive approach that combines transformational and transactional leadership styles would achieve a more positive result in the recreational forum. For example, although the director may have an idea of the format of the recital, a brainstorming meeting should be held in the summer to involve the staff in the creative process. Ideas and suggestions should be expressed, discussed and examined. Even if not all ideas are implemented, instructors need to feel valued and included in the process. Along the way, the director must keep instructors informed of why decisions were made to proceed in a particular direction. Communicating will require more effort on the part of the leader, but will ultimately lead to more participation and a learning organization. Many recreation directors are burned out by lack of resources and growing customer demand and budget requirements, and don’t have the energy to be a transformational leader. However, in order to foster a positive learning environment, inspiration and encouragement must come from the leader as a role model.
Website design By BotEap.comSome leaders may feel frustrated by the give-and-take of brainstorming and creativity, as you believe you have all the answers. However, a leader cannot see himself as the authority on an issue. Instead, one must be a coach in the process, guiding the team to their own decisions and results. When ownership of the end product, such as the dance recital, rests with the team, not just the leader, a learning organization is achieved.
Website design By BotEap.comWith regard to hourly staff, the manager can mix the two leadership styles, as hourly staff need a more concrete structure to follow break/lunch times, duty lists, and extrinsic rewards. The manager can still lead by a positive example with hourly staff and provide team building sessions when appropriate. Hourly staff should feel like part of the overall team, even if the staff is not part of the creative process. Effective leaders make all staff members feel valued.
