The Role Of Transformational Servant Leadership For Employee Satisfaction And Empowerment In Business

Transformational leadership

Question:

Discuss about the Role of Transformational Servant Leadership.

The report here discusses about the role of Transformational Servant Leadership within organizations in the context of employee satisfaction and empowerment in business. To explain this report gives a brief description about transformational leadership and servant leadership in order to understand how transformational servant leadership works. There is also a brief analysis on Transformational Servant leadership where a personal experience shared and the attributes necessary for servant leadership mentioned. There is also compendium reflection on transformational servant leadership mentioned in the report.

Role of Transformational Servant Leadership within Organizations in Context of Employee Satisfaction and Empowerment in Business

Role Transformational Servant Leadership in Context of Employee Satisfaction

Transformational leadership defines the leader as individual responsible for transforming the focus of the followers to achieve the organizational objectives rather than achieve their own goals (Van Dierendonck et al., 2012). The transformational leaders seem to inspire their followers and thereby improve their performance through guidance and better understanding of their requirements.

Servant leadership is considered as leadership philosophy that mainly address the concerns of customer experience, ethics, and employee engagement thereby creating uniqueness in organizational culture where both followers and leaders are united for achieving organizational goals without authoritative or positional power(Parris & Peachey, 2013).

Thus, servant leadership refers to a transformational approach to work and life because it has the potential of creating a positive change throughout the society. This kind of leadership does not depend on any kind of training but is a resultant of an internal transformation. Thus, the leadership begins with a heart for serving people. Moreover, the servant leaders are not just leaders but are those who implement values in their day-to-day life.  

The servant leadership thus connects loosely to varied leadership styles and philosophies that include ethical, transformational, charismatic and even authentic leadership. However, since this leadership is the result of internal transformation and can help in bringing effective changes in the society and organization so it can be termed as Transformational Servant Leadership(3). The attributed characteristics of servant leadership include empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, listening, conceptualization, foresight, community building and commitment. However, servant leadership has an emotional connection to employee engagement.

Transformational Servant Leadership characterized by empathy, listening, awareness, healing, conceptualization, persuasion, foresight and commitment to growth of others. Here, the leader tries to understand the core feeling behind their words (Kool & van Dierendonck, 2012)). In this way, the leader listens to the needs and desire of the followers and is thereby being able to identify what provides a motivating factor for the followers. Transformational servant leaders believe that they are unable to succeed without the active participation of the followers. Effective listening by the transformational servant leaders also puts across a message among the followers that their opinions and knowledge are valued and that make them an integral part of both strategizing and decision -making process.  

Servant leadership

Healing and empathy are also one of the important characteristics of transformational servant leadership (Mittal & Dorfman, 2012). Empathy refers to the emotional aspect that not just refers to sharing someone’s emotions but at the same time also feel the same with the concerned person. Thus, empathy is the emotional connection that exists between the person empathizing and the person expressing. Therefore, empathy can also lead to healing which is a unique aspect of transformational servant leadership. Transformational servant leaders help their employees to heal through intent listening and expressing empathy. Thus, the transformational servant leader and employee share desire for wholeness, as the leaders believe that helping a person in distress requires trust building where the feelings of person hurt becomes a priority. This implies that the transformational servant leader also plays the role of a counselor who helps an employee to heal. Healing however starts with awareness and self-awareness strengthens a leader to identify not his personal strength but also the area for opportunity for the business. Not only do these leaders strive for their awareness but they also strive for the awareness of the employees. True self-awareness helps employees to acknowledge their imperfections and personal flaws and thereby act accordingly (Diddams & Chang, 2012). In this regard, leaders can be aware of his followers by getting to know the person that is beyond the surface level. Understanding the employees leads to the creation a connection that is able to persuade them to action. Transformational servant leaders believe in building cooperation and consensus within group to persuade employees rather than using authoritative or positional status.  Persuasion based on conceptualization that the leader has created for the follower and the organization based on interactive knowledge. Conceptualization is thus the ability of transformational servant leader to not only envision the future but also create and communicate the path for reaching the final goals. The transformational servant leaders also possess visionary qualities that are necessary for leading and guiding their followers. The visions derived from the dreams combined dreams of both the employees and the leaders. Therefore, communication of the vision is an important factor on the part of the leaders in order to fulfill them. Another characteristic of the transformational servant leaders is the foresight that helps in encouraging ethical and moral behavior. In this context, the example of the Enron failure mentioned where the lack of foresight of the leaders in anticipating the results that led to the collapse of the organization. Stewardship is another characteristic that the transformational servant leaders is expected to have. Steward can be defined as a person who is look after the needs of others. Similarly, the sincerity in carrying out this characteristic helps in the growth of the employees and enhances employee satisfaction. The leaders must also be committed to ensure the growth of others. Thus, transformational servant leadership helps in the growth and development of the employees, as leaders are more interested to see their followers being more successful. Thus, this kind of leadership is people-focused as they contribute to the growth and development of the followers. These leaders also ensure providing developmental aid and coaching to the employees in improving their performance while at the same time having a concern for employee’s growth.  Here one can draw in an example where investment made in an employee for developing his personal communication or writing skills. This not only benefits the organizations but also the employees who can applicable the skills even outside of the concerned organization (Choudhary, Akhtar,  & Zaheer, 2013). Therefore, this reinforces the importance of the employee towards the organization. Thus, employees emotionally connected to the organization thereby enabling them to better perform through community building and lead to success of the organization. Thus, Transformational Servant Leadership happens to have a positive influence on employee engagement and thus can enhance employee satisfaction.

Transformational Servant Leadership

Leadership Practices in Organizations identified as a key factor of success of the service firm because of environment based on learning, cooperation and customer relation. Moreover, the competitive nature of the service industry requires more effort and time for commitment in leadership activities. Leadership traits and styles considered important for attaining success in unstable environments include support to members, being participative and transformational. Thus, by using transformational servant leadership business can also get an empowerment as leaders tries to create a culture that ensures empowerment of its subordinates through guidance and proper training (Clavelle et al., 2012). Additionally, the leaders also possess the capacity of satisfying external customers who are responsible for empowering the business. Thus, the transformational servant leaders ensure the following so that businesses or organizations can achieve their required goals.

1. Ensuring that subordinates have sufficient training to achieve goals
2. Providing the subordinates with adequate resources for achieving goals
3. Ensuring employees have professional growth.
4. Sharing necessary information with employees
5. Ensuring empowerment of employees through a good working environment
6. Clear explanation on the expectation from the employees.

Thus, employee fulfillment related positively to the performance of the business. There is also a significant relationship drawn between financial performance, employee fulfillment and customer satisfaction (Wang, Chen, & Chen, 2012). The Transformational servant leader however believes their followers acts to serve the interest of the organization. Thus, the organizations that are able to create a servant minded and healthy culture will not only maximize the skills of the workforce but also the leadership thereby leading to its empowerment. However, Transformational Servant Leaders influences in a non-traditional manner thereby allowing more freedom to the employees in exercising their own abilities. Thus, Transformational Servant Leadership is a process oriented and participatory leadership style and this kind of leadership holds the antidote toward the corrupt ridden corporate scandal. 

Transformational Servant Leaders look for the interest of the organization and its employee thereby ensuring mutual responsibility sharing that leads to necessary feedback from the employees resulting in developing a vision (Boone & Makhani, 2012). As the leaders helps in building leadership potential amongst its followers therefore the subordinates are likely to take up informal roles of leadership in their group that in a way helps in meeting the needs and objectives of the organization. This kind of leadership style thus helps in building a working climate that helps in generation of feelings for employee empowerment thereby resulting in superior performance. Organizations that follow transformational service leadership are more likely to have employees who are more committed to the values of the organization. In other words, transformational service leaders help in developing followers into servants who act as autonomous moral agents. Thus, under this kind of leadership the employees not only become healthy, wise, free and autonomous thereby leading to empowerment of the organization. The act of persuasiveness of the transformational servant leaders in a group also influences an individual commitment towards the organization. An organization or business however follows several positive outcomes under Transformation Servant Leadership that includes focus on value and mission, innovation and creativity, flexibility and responsiveness, employee loyalty and respect for employees, commitment to both external and internal service and celebration of diversity. Thus, Transformational Servant Leadership has the potential for improving the productivity and financial performance of the business or organization.

Attributes of Servant Leadership

Transformation Servant Leaders believed to possess attributes like empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship and community building. In addition to this, these leaders also possess attributes like credibility, competence, visibility, better communication, teaching persuasion and listening. There the concept of Transformational Servant Leadership is a concept that can not only potentially change societies, business or organizations but at the same time also ensures organizational and personal metamorphoses. Thus, this leadership follows a distinctive kind of characteristics and behavior. The attributes of these leaders helps in defining five factors that includes, emotional healing, altruistic calling, wisdom, persuasive mapping and organizational stewardship. Altruistic calling refers to the deep-rooted desire of the leader for making positive difference in lives of other. Here, since the final goal is to serve therefore these leaders will put the interests of others ahead of their own and thereby work towards meeting the needs of the followers.  On the other hand, emotional healing refers to the commitment of the leader in ensuring spiritual recovery from any kind of trauma or hardship. Thus, transformational servant leaders use emotional healing and are therefore considered great listeners and highly empathetic. This enables them to create safe environments for employees for voicing professional and personal issues. Wisdom referred as combination of anticipation of consequences and awareness of surroundings. Servant leaders possess this attribute and are efficient at picking cues from the environment and thereby understanding their implications. The transformational servant leadership also possess persuasive mapping that helps them to use mental frameworks and sound reasoning to persuade employees in achieving the business or organizational objectives (Sun, 2013). Therefore, these leaders also prepare an organization in making positive contribution to the society through outreach and programs on community development. Thus, Transformational Servant Leadership help in developing community spirit in a workplace thereby lead to business empowerment.

Transformational Servant Leadership should be able to synthesize features of both transformational and servant leadership. This type of leadership is responsible for bringing in dynamic and new passion to the organization but is also involved with the concern of the team members and their performance (Northouse, 2016). Thus, transformational servant leadership refers to the ability of casting a collaborative moral vision while concerning about the people participating in moving the vision into a reality. For better understanding, a personal example cited as follows:

The example mentions a person was an intern in a securities company but he is not working presently. The person therefore mentions that provided the company had a transformational servant leader in his company then it would have been much easier for him and his colleagues who would not have to give an explanation their wives for working overtime.

Listening and Empathy

However, it is very difficult to be transformational servant leadership already because the first thing that is required is passion with the help of which the leaders are able to transfer positive energy to the team members (Parolini, 2012). This will enhance their confidence and thereby make them set higher goals. The transformational servant leader also needs to be caring and empathizing and think from the perspective of the teammate that will enable them to build a strong bond even beyond their work responsibilities. Such a leader also needs to have a charismatic appeal since it will help him make potential followers.

Transformational servant leadership meant for inspiring and guiding followers in order to engage and bring a change in the work process. Four primary behavioral characteristics of Transformational Leadership include inspirational motivation, charismatic influence, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation. These attributes enable them in transforming the followers’ mindset and thereby providing them support to participate in fulfilling the goals of the organizational goals (Gregory Stone, Russell, & Patterson, 2004). Such leaders also help in developing people ensuring that they have the necessary skills sets for gaining credibility (Allen et al., 2016).

Transformational servant leadership recognized as the best among all the existing leadership styles since it promotes and upholds not only the ideals of leaders themselves but also the society Boies, Fiset & Gill, 2015).Transformational Servant leadership thus helps in promoting an ideal environment and enhances political stability.

Transformational servant leadership also helps in promoting a psychology of leader- follower where leaders and their subjects work for greater gain of the organization (Van Dierendonck & Patterson, 2010). Under, such leadership team members also become productive when they realize that the team is working in unison. This particular leadership style also helps employees to work with inspiration and passion thereby enhancing their productivity than what is expected. Thus, transformational servant leadership helps in fulfilling an organization mandate with comfort at any given time without any failure.  

Suppose if was a leader in organization then I would have demonstrated transformational servant leadership through intrinsic development and motivation of my team members. Therefore, my primary focus while interacting with the team members would be to share the goals and vision of the organization so that they understand what they need to do in achieving the goals. I will also ensure they receive proper guidance by taking feedbacks and understanding the challenges that they face at work (Hammer, 2012). . Through this interaction, I will try to support them by addressing their challenges so that they can easily achieve the organizational goals.

Healing and Self-awareness

As a transformational servant leader, I will try to demonstrate and define services to the employees as a visionary. Further, I will communicate with the team members in defining the purpose and goals of the organization. This will enable employees in achieving the goal of the organization. Therefore, effective communication is very necessary for such leaders.  

However, as servant leader I will ensure that the process of decision-making is takes place after communication with the team members so that everyone’s interest indentified. As a transformational servant leader, the ultimate goal of decision-making would focus on achieving good for all and driving sustainable changes in the organization. The empowerment of the team members will depend on understanding the factors that are responsible for motivating them which would enhance their job satisfaction (Choi et al., 2016).I will also ensure that I take regular feedback from the teammates in order to understand their perception of the job.

Conclusion:

The report ends with a compendium reflection on transformational servant leadership mentioned. There is an analysis on transformational servant leadership with a mention of a personal experience and the attributes necessary for this kind of leadership style. Primarily the report gives an overview on the role of Transformational Servant Leadership within organizations in the context of employee satisfaction and empowerment in business along with a brief description on about transformational leadership and servant leadership.

References:

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Boies, K., Fiset, J., & Gill, H. (2015). Communication and trust are key: Unlocking the relationship between leadership and team performance and creativity. The Leadership Quarterly

Boone, L. W., & Makhani, S. (2012). Five necessary attitudes of a servant leader. Review of Business, 33(1), 83.

Choi, S. L., Goh, C.F., Adam, M. B. H., & Tan, O. K. (2016). Transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of employee empowerment. Human resources for health

Choudhary, A. I., Akhtar, S. A., & Zaheer, A. (2013). Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(2), 433-440.

Clavelle, J. T., Drenkard, K., Tullai-McGuinness, S., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2012). Transformational leadership practices of chief nursing officers in Magnet® organizations. Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(4), 195-201.

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Mittal, R., & Dorfman, P. W. (2012). Servant leadership across cultures. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 555-570.

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