Why is this case included in a chapter about charismatic and transformational leadership?
Charismatic and transformational leadership styles are popular and effective leadership systems in most places of work. The aforementioned styles of leadership are effective in facilitating organizational change, enhancing teamwork, moderating employees’ operations, and creating the best working environment for attaining the vision of an organization. Charismatic leaders are outstanding in propelling their organizations and linking operations towards long-term objectives (Dunn, Dastoor & Sims, 2012).
The given case study reflects massive studies on charismatic leadership and the impacts on service provision, employee performance, and workplace environment. While Heather Osaka is the focus of the study, her personality is the core driving force for change at Willow Pond. Her leadership skills as well as the working environment are very crucial in defining the ultimate effectiveness. The inclusion of this case study in the book demonstrates the characteristics of charismatic and transformational leadership and traits in management that usually create the best environment for employees and other stakeholders in organizations. The success of Willow Pond requires effective leadership at all levels (Du Brin, 2013).
Besides, the case study is a deep evaluation of major issues affecting management in organizations. For instance, charismatic and transformational leadership styles can impart the desired changes in the workplace. Moreover, the performance of institutions, management of resources, and improved work environment may be swiftly facilitated when the right leadership style is put in place. It is agreeable that the positive attributes of transformative leadership are evident in the case study. The desire by Osaka to play a role in transforming operations at Willow Pond is can be seen as a major leadership ideal in fast-tracking the growth of Willow Pond (Du Brin, 2013).
What aspects of transformational leadership should Heather emphasize in her approach to rehabilitating Willow Pond?
Idealized influence is indeed one of the key attributes of transformational leadership in organizations (Edwards, 2005). This type of leadership is the main driving force behind change management bearing in mind that change is a crucial aspect of growth in any firm (Somech, 2003). By maintaining a clear focus on the objectives of transforming operations at Willow Pond, Heather will generate a strong identity within the workforce when she emphasizes the importance of core organizational values and ethical issues (Du Brin, 2013).
Inspirational motivation
Heather can employ inspirational motivation to create a sense of purpose, motivate employees, and inspire confidence among workers at Willow Pond. Bititci, Mendibil, Nudurupati, Garengo, and Turner (2006) elaborate that the aspect of motivational leadership emphasizes professional development, recognition of employees, and rewarding workers who are productive in the workplace. This latter also necessitates the need to focus on success especially at all levels of management.
This principle has perhaps been the most critical factor in motivating workers (Dunn et al., 2012). Success at Willow Pond will result from personal and group efforts based on the objectives set aside by the organization. In tandem with Vroom’s valence expectancy theory, Heather’s success through inspirational motivation will lead to a two-fold achievement namely progress among individual workers and organizational development (Somech, 2003).
Individualized consideration
The case study strongly calls for the need to exercise collaboration between Heather and immediate members of staff in order to increase mutual understanding. Individualized consideration is necessary for recognizing the input of every member of staff. At Willow Pond, various challenging needs such as food shortage, poor sanitation, high staff turnover, and unreliable healthcare services require a robust leadership style (Du Brin, 2013). Owing to the emerging workplace dynamics as evidenced in the case, Heather must establish better models of understanding the dynamic work environment and modern methods of organizational operations.
How might emphasizing the charismatic aspects of her personality help heather bring about necessary changes?
Qureshi and Vogel (2001) explore the effects of charismatic leadership in organizations. According to the authors, charismatic leaders embrace behavioral patterns that positively influence their subjects and motivate the entire workforce in meeting the set goals and objectives. In addition, the empathetic qualities of charismatic leaders create important links that draw identity and affiliation between management and employees on the lower ranks (Dunn et al., 2012). Heather should empower other members of staff as part and parcel of injecting the much-needed changes at Willow Pond.
Empowerment, empathy, and envisioning can also assist the leader to improve the productivity of workers. Individual leaders drive charismatic leadership ideals in the workplace (Parker & Wood, 2002). Unlike employees on the lower levels, Heather must be able to visualize their expectations and link the organizational objectives with productivity. From an early stage of applying charismatic leadership, members of staff at Willow Pond should be motivated in such a way that they can foster openness and creativity.
From the case study, slow internet and poor nursing services are obvious challenges (Du Brin, 2013). Therefore, Heather should embrace a better technological platform and incorporate it into the operations of the organization. This will improve the overall efficiency in communication and other operations. She should focus on ensuring that staff participation is encouraged on all matters that affect their wellbeing at the organization. This will improve innovation and creativity among members of staff.
References
Bititci, U. S., Mendibil, K., Nudurupati, S., Garengo, P., & Turner, T. (2006). Dynamics of performance measurement and organisational culture. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 26(12), 1325-1350.
Dunn, M. W., Dastoor, B., & Sims, R. L. (2012). Transformational leadership and organizational commitment: A cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 4(1), 45-60.
Du Brin, A. (2013). Leadership: Research findings, practice and skills. Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning.
Edwards, M. G. (2005). The integral holon: A holonomic approach to organisational change and transformation. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 18(3), 269-288.
Parker, S., & Wood, R. (2002). Organizational behavior in Australia and New Zealand: Introduction to the special issue. Australian Journal of Management, 27 (2),1.
Qureshi, S., & Vogel, D. (2001). Adaptiveness in virtual teams: Organizational challenges and research directions. Group Decision and Negotiation, 10(1), 27- 27.
Somech, A. (2003). Relationships of participative leadership with relational demography variables: A multi-level perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24(8), 1003- 1018.