The Relational Leadership Theory

Abstract: There are numerous definitions of leadership, all of which contain elements related to people (the leader and the follower(s)), communicating in person or by the written word, actions (organizing, directing, coaching, and/or motivating), and for a purpose (meeting a goal(s) or accomplishing a task(s)) (ADP 6-22) (Fisher 2015) (Bolden 2013) (Hogan 2005). Additionally, everything done occurs within a given context. Effective leaders are poised, proficient, pertinent, and practical in the application of the art of leadership. This means leaders are ready to engage the group with effective methods and

Communities are a crucial element to society. This being said, as leaders it is equally critical to evaluate and understand communities. Chapter seven of Komives’s Exploring Leadership assesses the dynamics of communities. Under the relational leadership model, groups are viewed as communities. These groups may not be as simple as they may appear. The main points Komives discusses is the element, practice, and development of communities.

How have you been impacted by a leader that was invested relationally? How did they earn permission to lead you?

The article titled Relational Leadership written by James Freeman takes a look at the impact of Child and Youth Workers in the lives of youth, specifically the work of Brian Gannon. Brian Gannon is an experienced Youth Worker who took on a leadership role at St. Johns Hostel in Cape Town, South Africa in 1967, at the age of twenty-seven. St. Johns consisted of sixty four boys, with many of them left alone in the aftermath of World War I along with the influenza epidemic. Outside of the care provided for the boys, the program offered them a life parallel to anyone living in the city. Activities such as afternoon sports, free time and contact with friends and family outside of the institution were provided and endorsed by the institution for the boys. Gannon’s approach to working with youth focused on the following things highlighted in the article: “creating smaller living groups for the boys, less regimented routines, more experiences of childhood and adolescence in everyday life, and a focus on developing meaningful relationships with one another” (Freeman, 2015, p. 37). In other words, Gannon’s main goal was to lead and guide the youth so that they are given an equal chance at succeeding in life. Gannon is also a co-founder of CYC-Net where he has published a collection of approximately two-hundred child and youth care practice hints, each hint containing a background theory and a how-to element. The article then analyzes an excerpt from the works of Gannon, complimenting

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow developed the authentic leadership theory in 1971 (McEwen & Willis, 2014). This theory holds that an authentic leader is someone who is self-actualized, understands his or her capabilities, obtains noteworthy ethical standards, and is not easily persuaded (McEwen & Willis, 2014). Authentic leadership was designed to complement the basic roots and core values of leadership (Wong & Cummings, 2009). An authentic leader is unbiased and acts upon what needs to be done rather than to please people (Wong & Cummings, 2009). Due to the rising demands of the health care system, there is an increased need for DNP prepared NPs (Poghosyan & Liu, 2016).

The transformational leader, according to Burns (1978), is one who” raises the followers level of consciousness about the importance and value of designated outcomes and ways of reaching them; gets the followers to transcend their own self-interests for the sake of the team, organization, or larger polity; and raises the follower’s level of need on Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy from lower-end concerns for safety and security to higher-level needs for achievement and self-actualization.” The transactional leader use rights a reward/punishment paradigm to entice meeting the agreements and standards. Transactional leaders emphasize the exchange between leader and follower (Bass) where reaching objectives are rewarded and failing to reach objectives are punished, which is then reinforced by the leaders. The two factors which emerged reflecting the punishment/reward is contingent reward and management by exception. This type of leadership was the core of leadership theory up until 1970’s when transformational leadership theory was introduced as different from transactional (Downton, 1973). In 1978, James MacGregor Burns wrote Leadership which contrasted these styles which was followed by Bass’s work in 1985 in which he empirically demonstrated the positively correlated dimensions which represented a shift in the study of Leadership. (Bass).

My first leadership strength is my commitment / loyalty to the organization I work for. I

The Making of a Leader: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Women Who Have Served as President at U.S. Colleges and Universities

One theory based change that I can make is to reduce the amount of authoritative leadership that I express. As a situational leader, there is a time and place to use the authoritative leadership trait. The situational leadership theory suggests that a coaching approach is best to use with employees that are less motivated but capable of accomplishing a task (Situational leadership theory: providing leadership through flexibility, 2016). There have been many times where a task is assigned but does not get completed or is completed half-way. As an example, I assigned one of my more challenging employees to clean up and sweep a particular area of my warehouse. The employee only accomplished cleaning up the area but did not attempt to sweep. I know that I was clear with my directions and expectation when assigning this person the task. In this situation using a coaching style of leadership would have prevented the task from not being fully completed to my satisfaction. Conducting spot checks to ensure the task is being accomplished and coaching the employee on what remains to be completed would have been the best course of action because the task would have been completed as instructed.

Global Delivery Direct has always attempt to support a culture where innovation and employees are just as important as the customer base. Positive relationship that leaders can influence and inspire those around them to achieve organizational success. Leader that have demonstrated ability to perform in function required of their employees strengthen the positive relationship. As such the most effective leadership theory for GDD today is the relational leadership theory. Although GDD has naturally evolved to include the collaborative culture that is common in the 21st century corporate environment, there is a desire to maintain and built upon the family-like-clan culture. Finally, the executives recognize the need to develop and innovation their

Leadership is an important factor within a business environment and often plays a significant role in achievement of organisational success (Landis, Hill & Harvey 2014). However, leadership is an art, therefore there is no simple formula for effective leadership (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy 2015, p.33) and a leader’s effectiveness can often only be understood in the context of the leader-follower-situation interaction model.

Chapter sixteen discusses various leadership theories which can implemented by leaders to achieve success. The choice of leadership theory differs from leader to leader as they possess different vision and way of managing. A theory isn 't always perfect in itself, it is the endless effort of the leaders which makes the theory a perfect one. Two approaches of leadership that I prefer are Situational Leadership Theory and Servant Leadership Theory. Among many theories I prefer these two because I tend to practice those principles most of the time and I assume these are theories that I truly tend to continue in a long run.

Engender the trust and respect of their followers by doing the right thing rather than doing things right.

Over the years, scholars and management theorists have cultivated several leadership styles that they have encouraged people to apply and try to implement. However, most of these theories have shown various short comings. Typically, none of these styles has proven to work best in diverse situations. In the late 1960’s, the Situational Leadership Model was developed. In this paper, I will discuss the details about the situational leadership model. In detail, the paper begins with a defined introduction of what the situational leadership model is about and an interpretation of its origination. An outline of the model will follow after which a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of this model will shortly follow.

Leadership skills can be learned and practiced. It is not necessary to be an outgoing or charismatic person to be a good leader. A good leader learns from the different circumstances that their life presents and uses this to enhance their leadership skills.