According to Wang, Oh, Courtright, & Colbert (2011), managerial implications of findings related to transformational leadership include the following:
- Transformational leadership is desirable at the managerial level and therefore emphasis should be placed on hiring, training and promoting candidates who “are more likely to become transformational leaders” (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253).
- Transformational leaders are most successful and have the greatest organizational impact when they are working collaboratively as part of a larger team (Wang et al., 2011, p. 253).
These two implications mean that organizations need to pay attention to the people they are promoting into senior positions of leadership. As the influence of an employee grows through promotion, it becomes more important for this person to display characteristics and traits of someone who is likely to become a transformational leader.
At the same time, an employee who demonstrates clearly that they have the ability to be seen as a transformational leader should be placed in a role where they have the opportunity to influence those around them through this style of leadership. A transformational leader who is asked to do a role which doesn’t require collaboration and teamwork is a poor organizational leadership decision.
These two implications impact me in two specific ways. First, who are the leaders within our organization who are already demonstrating the traits of transformational leadership? These people should rise to the top of the list of candidates who should be considered for collaborative, team-based roles where their transformational leadership can flourish and bring greater influence across our organization.
Second, there are some roles within my department and our organization as a whole which are mostly administrative, can be done independently and by the nature of the role don’t require collaboration. These roles are not any less important for the success of the organization but I should be careful to not expect a leader who exhibits traits of transformational leadership as someone who would be excited about a role like this, even if it means a promotion and the appearance of greater organizational influence.
According to Northouse (2018), there are five principles of ethical leadership which are summarized as respect, service, justice, honesty, and community (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).
Respect
Ethical leadership requires a level of respect for not only the people around us but also for their decisions and values. The people are not a means to the end of accomplishing our own leadership results but the people are “ends in themselves” (Northouse, 2018, p. 346).
Respect shows itself not only in how a leader treats other people but also in how the ideas, input and decisions of those around the leader are taken into consideration. Leaders who don’t respect those around them and the value they bring to a team or organization will quickly find themselves with nobody to lead.
Service
While this will always be a struggle for leaders (particular those who are used to a transactional style of leadership) there is significant value in seeing my position as a leader as an opportunity to serve those around me. The well-being of followers becomes increasingly important for an ethical leader. The desire for followers to succeed just as the leader succeeds is a mark that this principle has taken root in the life of the leader.
Greenleaf (1970, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 348) develops this further as the concept of servant leadership. The role of the servant leader is to help develop and grow followers so that the organizational objectives can be achieved.
The increasing popularity of the greater good, even in the business world (Northouse, 2018, p. 348), means this notion of servant leadership is becoming more familiar. The expectation continues to grow that part of a leader’s focus is to serve the people they are leading.
Justice
The ethical leadership characteristic of justice speaks to the need for leaders to treat people equally and with fairness. Preferential treatment shouldn’t be given by the leader to followers based on relationship and benefit to the leader. In times when followers are given different treatment, this characteristic of justice means an ethical leader will know it is important to communicate why different treatment is being given while keeping an ethical mindset in the treatment of followers.
Justice is also seen when it comes to reward and punishment. The ethical leader has a responsibility to make sure that equal treatment is given to followers based on performance or value to the team. Reward and punishment should not be given based on the leader playing favourites or looking to make a larger statement to other followers.
Honesty
Ethical leaders are expected to always tell the truth. Every leader knows this is a challenge and comes with significant nuance. While it is not always possible for a leader to be fully truthful with every person in every situation, ethical leadership requires that leaders are never dishonest with followers.
Dishonesty is lying and creates distrust. The other principles of respect, service and justice all become casualties to the leader’s lack of honesty. Dishonesty is also a display of selfishness by the leader. An act which says that the reputation of the leader is more important than the consequence of telling the truth.
Experienced ethical leaders will learn to never lie while also knowing when they should not be fully truthful. Ethical leaders understand that everyone is entitled to the truth but the timing of when that information is delivered may change depending on seniority or other organizational factors.
Community
The principle of community speaks to the ability of an ethical leader to build a group of followers toward a common goal (Northouse, 2018, p. 351). Ethical leaders understand that followers have their own desires, motivations, and intentions and this principle of community shows itself as the followers rally together, led by this ethical leader, to accomplish this common goal.
The followers are valued as individuals and their interests matter to an ethical leader. As community is built together the followers become more committed to working together, following the leader and achieving the outcome ahead of them.
Rost (1991, as cited by Northouse, 2018, p. 352) suggests that community as a goal itself is not enough but that ethical leadership will influence followers to even greater significance through community impact, or “attention to a civic virtue” (Northouse, 2018, p. 352). Ethical leaders build community among followers so they are able to focus not only on the goal ahead of them but on the greater good they can bring to the community around them.
Of these five, I would say all five are critical but honesty and service would stand out to me as the two most important.
As I’ve already mentioned, when a leader lacks honesty they lose all credibility, their reputation is tarnished and mistrust is built among followers. The impact is the relationship between leader and follower is significantly damaged and the ceiling on relationships between followers themselves is also very low. The likelihood of any kind of common goal being achieved in this kind of environment is very slim.
The priority of service as a principle of ethical leadership is so important because in some ways it facilitates the other four principles to happen. If my focus is on serving those around me it is incumbent on me to respect them, to treat them justly, to be truthful with them and to build community among them. When followers see a heart in a leader to serve others, this becomes relational currency for the times when the leader makes mistakes. A leader who is focused on serving others will be given more grace by followers because it is understood that the desire was there to make a decision based on the good of the followers.
Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wang, G., Oh, I. S., Courtright, S. H., & Colbert, A. E. (2011). Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of research. Group & Organization Management, 36(2), 223-270. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601111401017