Leadership Theories
Leadership theories help to explain why some individuals succeed in dealing with emergencies while others fail. They contribute significantly to the analysis of qualities that successful emergency managers demonstrate. This essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of transformational, authentic, and servant leaders concerning how they respond to emergencies. It will also include a brief statement about personal experience regarding each theory.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership entails inspiring people to work towards the realization of mutual goals. This leadership style facilitates the quick formulation and implementation of strategies. In case of emergencies, transformational leaders assess the prevailing situation and devise ways to deal with any underlying challenges. Dinh et al. (2014) argue that transformational leadership encourages enthusiasm, which is critical in dealing with a crisis. Emergency managers who embrace this leadership style are self-motivated, a strategy that enables them to come up with innovative ways of handling disasters.
However, transformational leaders are not detail-oriented. In the event of an emergency, they may fail to address all issues that contribute to a crisis. According to Dinh et al. (2014), these leaders disregard veracity and truth. They rely on emotion and passion. Consequently, during emergencies, they may not apply logical reasoning or conduct research to understand the nature of a crisis. Consequently, they find it challenging to contain the disaster.
This theory has taught me as a human resource administrator in the field of emergency services management the significance of creating a sustainable working environment that promotes innovation. I have learned that empowering workers allows them to be creative, hence boosting their efficiency.
Authentic Leadership
Authentic leadership underlines the significance of leaders being truthful to their followers and abiding by the established ethical principles. Leroy, Anseel, Gardner, and Sels (2015) maintain that authentic leadership is not prone to ethical and legal challenges. High moral standards guide authentic leaders during emergencies. Therefore, they are not blamed for misusing their power. Authentic leadership nurtures a collaborative environment. It goes a long way in helping leaders to make decisions and rally employees behind actions aimed at dealing with a crisis.
Nevertheless, authentic leaders spend time seeking opinions and evaluating the needs of their followers. Therefore, it may be hard to make prompt decisions during a crisis. Employees may sometimes decline to embrace these leaders’ decisions, especially if they go against their values. Such an incident makes it difficult for them to tackle a prevailing emergency. In line with my HR position, authentic leadership theory reminds me of the significance of seeking employees’ opinions before making decisions. I have to factor the values and views of my followers in every decision-making process. As a result, it enables me to unite workers.
Servant Leadership
Servant leaders do not impose policies on their followers. Instead, they serve as facilitators who allow workers to participate in decision-making. This leadership style is essential because it promotes teamwork during a crisis (Rachmawati & Lantu, 2014). It helps to facilitate brainstorming, thus enabling emergency responders to come up with efficient solutions to existing challenges. Servant leadership creates a sense of ownership.
Nonetheless, servant leadership deprives leaders of their authority. Emergency managers may have to implement major changes in case of disasters to effectively deal with the underlying challenges. Servant leaders find it difficult to enforce changes due to their lack of authority.
Servant leadership theory reminds me that leaders should serve their followers. Consequently, I ensure that my employee’s and customers’ needs take precedence. I encourage them to be proactive when handling emergencies.
Conclusion
Transformational, authentic, and servant leaders succeed in dealing with crises because they rally workers behind common goals. Moreover, they establish healthy working environments, which encourage creativity among employees. However, as discussed above, they have various weaknesses, which make them inefficient in their work. Significant lessons drawn from these leaders will help me to perfect my role as an HR administrator in the field of emergency services management.
References
Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., & Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 36-62.
Leroy, H., Anseel, F., Gardner, W. L., & Sels, L. (2015). Authentic leadership, authentic followership, basic need satisfaction, and work role performance: A cross-level study. Journal of Management, 41(6), 1677-1697.
Rachmawati, A. W., & Lantu, D. C. (2014). Servant leadership theory development & measurement. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 115, 387-393.