LEADERSHIP: WHAT MATTERS

Introduction
There are different types of leadership that can be distinguished from one another based on their features that can be expressed through the leaders using these styles of leadership. Leadership has been the focus of the contemporary organization. Most organizations spend too much resources in building their leaders. This paper answers some leadership related questions and therefore expounds on different leadership theories.
Leadership Features
  The first characteristic of charismatic leadership is communication that helps bring out the leadership quality (Chemers, 2000).
Charismatic leaders have vision that they communicate to their subordinates (Yukl, 1999). The leaders establish trust relationship with the subordinates (Yukl, 1999). The other features of charismatic leadership are confidence, compassion, and humility, impression management through good body language, self-improvement, self-monitoring, and expertise that ensures that the leaders are able to respond to any given status quo (Yukl, 1999). On the other hand transformational leadership is a change based form of leadership in both social systems and individuals.
Transformational leaders attend to each followers needs acting as a mentor to them. There is also intellectual stimulation where the leader challenges all the assumptions, involves the followers and takes risks (Yukl, 1999). Transformational leadership involves inspirational motivation that ensures that the vision is articulated amongst the followers (Antonakis & House, 2014). Lastly, transformational leadership involves idealized influence in order to have ethical behaviors, pride and respect as well as trust on the leader (Yukl, 1999).  Unlike charismatic leaders the transactional leaders mobilize the followers, influence them, and transform them into a performing team thus achieving personal interests (Yukl, 1999). On the other hand as well these two are completely different from transactional leadership where the relationship between the leader and the followers is based on transactions that mutually benefit the two groups. Transactional leaders are able to use contingent rewards, corrective coaching and negative feedback to enhance their leadership styles.
Behaviors to be included in the Transformational Theory
There are three behaviors at the dyadic, group and organizational levels that should be included in transformational theory (Yulk, 1999). At the dyadic level leaders should be inspiring so that they are able to infuse work with meaning to their followers. They should also be development oriented such that they are able to enhance the self-confidence and skills of the subordinate (Yukl, 1999). Lastly, they should also be empowering so as to have a voice and delegating leadership roles to the subordinates. At the group level, transformational leaders should be able to facilitate agreements concerning strategies, goals and objectives. Secondly, they should foster mutual cooperation and trust. Lastly, they should build the holistic efficiency of the group as well as build a group identity. At organizational level, the leaders should articulate the vision to the followers so that they are aligned on a common path, communicate the strategies for achieving set goals, facilitation and guiding of change and promotion of life long organizational learning for sustainability of the organization (Yukl, 1999). All these are currently lacking in transformational leadership literature even though they are important.
Criticism of Current Theory on Transactional Leadership
The definition of transformational leadership itself is not complete. Yukl (1999) notes that, even though transformational leadership is defined as the process of leadership exchange, the theory fails to illustrate on the strong links that exists between the process and the behaviors of transactional leaders (Tyssen, Wald, & Spieth, 2014). As such, the leader behaviors end up being baseless (Yukl, 1999; Tyssen, Wald, & Spieth, 2014). Contingent rewards used may include impersonal exchange between the leader and the followers (Yulk, 1999). In this case the leader provides praise and recognition on that are usually more personal and are used in transformational and transactional leadership alike (Yulk, 1999). Transactional leadership is only effective involves management by exception that means that not until a serious problem happens, the leader cannot respond (Yukl, 1999). Even though this is included, its theoretical foundation lacks in transactional leadership since it ideally lacks the process of exchange. Instead, the behavior is a reactive inclined behavior. Yukl (1999) further opines that there lacks a proper explanation theoretically, that includes management by exception in explaining transactional leadership.
Interview Answers
Interview One-Mark
My football team coach
He is inspiring to the employees at the workplace and Self-confident especially in crisis.
My supervisor he is so egocentric and does not acknowledge any one even when their performance is good. Additionally, he is not able to handle crisis situations. He does not delegate the duties of leadership even when on business trips. To sum it all he is power hungry.
Leaders are not born but rather shaped by the environment that they grow in and the traits that they acquire along the way as they grow.
Interview Two-Johnny
My Human Resource manager
He is goal-oriented and empowering to all the workers despite their diversity.
My Safety officer. Because he lacks interpersonal skills and is more inclined towards his own understanding rather than the vision of the organization I work for. He is also bossy, lacks compassion, and is not humble at all. When making decisions he is not self-confident at all.
Leaders cannot be born. Instead, the leaders are able to integrate with their followers thus exemplifying their leadership skills.
Interview Three- Alex
My Operations Manager.
He is has articulate vision and is inclined towards developing his subordinates.
My Unit Manager. She lacks good interpersonal relationship and does not feel like at one point whether sick or on off, she can delegate leadership duties.
Most Relevant Theory
The interview answers touched on communication, humility, compassion, vision articulation, and trust relationships that are the core features of charismatic leadership that also . It is therefore eminent that the most referred leadership theory is charismatic leadership theory. Charismatic leadership theory describes what to expect from both followers and the leaders. In this form of leadership, the leaders engage in some extraordinary behaviors that reflect their expertise in leading. The best situations that this works in is the crisis situation. Charismatic characteristics that are exhibited by charismatic leaders include communication skills, vision articulation, impression management, delegation of authority, and expertise (Bell, 2013). The followers in this case are guided by the leader’s behavior as well as the situational context that calls for that form of leadership. Charismatic leaders are able to display effective communication skills that help them motivate and develop employees (Bell, 2013). Through their speeches, such leaders inspire their subordinates who in turn heed to what they are told. The leaders in this leadership style have visions that they share with the followers. The vision is usually solution oriented and differentiates other leadership styles from charismatic leadership (Bell, 2013). The leaders are able to engage the followers for radical change within the organization. Such leaders express the highest degree of transparency thus popularity among the followers (Bell, 2013). Lastly, charismatic leaders are able to delegate their positions of leadership and make personal sacrifices that ensure there is trust between them and the followers.
Conclusion
From the above discussion of leadership theories I believe by now that there are various forms of leadership theories that are dictated by the status quo. In leadership there is the leader and the follower. There are some missing tenets on the essential traits or behaviors a transactional leader should have. I have also seen that leadership determines the behavior of the followers and thus the performance of the organization. I have seen that the best form of leadership especially in crisis situations is charismatic leadership.

Bibliography
Antonakis, J., & House, R. J. 2014, "Instrumental leadership: Measurement and Extension of Transformational–Transactional Leadership Theory". The Leadership Quarterly, 25(4), House.
Bell, B. M. 2013, “Charismatic Leadership Case Study with Ronald Reagan as Exemplar”. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 6(1), 66-74.
Chemers, M. M. 2000, "Leadership Research and Theory: A Functional Integration". Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 27-43.
Tyssen, A. K., Wald, A., & Spieth, P. 2014, "The challenge of transactional and transformational leadership in projects". International Journal of Project Management, 32(3), 365-375.
Yukl, G. 1999, “An Evaluation of Conceptual weaknesses in transformational and Charismatic Leadership Theories". Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 285-305.