Transformational Leadership Case

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Envisioning my inner leader

Therefore, when I envision my inner leader as the effective transformational leader I am striving to become, I envision a leader that is exceptional at vision articulation, is environmentally sensitive, takes strategic risks, is considerate of her subordinates feelings and ideas, and takes actions against the status quo.

Practical application of lessons learned to leading positive change

As my inner leader matures and adapts, the leader I am today does not always have the capability or resources to initiate organizational change from her level. But, within my own office, I advocate for change as often as possible, especially when the change will benefit not only our office, but other departments within the organization. My ideas are not always accepted or even considered, but I have learned from past experiences that an effective leader does not easily forego his/her ideas. Instead, the transformational leader knows that consensus and buy-in of an idea is better than trying to go it alone.

This revelation early in career has helped me to develop my self-efficacy. According to Avolio and Yammarino (2002), state that the concept of self-efficacy provides a theoretical framework that can link the wish to lead with the sense that one is capable of being a leader. Another way to think of self-efficacy is a self-perception that is formed in the context of behavior in specific areas whereby one receives feedback from various sources regarding his/her abilities in a specific area of functioning (Avolio & Yammarino, 2002). From the use of 360 feedback assessments, leadership assessments, my performance evaluations, and conversations peers, friends, and family, I have had to change my self-perception of the leader I believed I was.

However, in today’s environment, I have learned to keep my self-perception aligned to the reality of what others may perceive. Doing this, I have found, that my self-perception and the perception of me from others influences my behavior, my thinking, my emotional response, my decision-making, and choices I make. Overall, I believe my self-efficacy has taught me to be more perceptive to my emotional intelligence, more empathetic to others, and better capable of being able to search for opportunities, take sensible risks, communicate a vision, empower my subordinates, develop my subordinates, demonstrate role model behaviors, and recognize the accomplishments of others. All of this assists me understanding my organization better and assist in developing the strategies that will lead to positive change and attainment of organizational goals.

Development plan

To ensure that I become the transformational leader I want to be and achieve the level of success I am seeking, I continue seeking out the best mentors in my organization. I use social networking with colleagues and co-workers to gather information and discuss new ways of thinking and doing things. I also continue my self-development by completing a doctorate program, attending mandatory and non-mandatory organization training. As part of my plan, I am currently applying to take a Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development course that is 10 months long. This particular will assist me in developing my executive core qualifications, which are specific milestones I must complete prior to applying for a Senior Executive Selection (SES) position. In three to five years, I want to be a SES leader within the federal government. The training courses and advanced schooling I am doing now make up my development plan to achieve my goals.

Conclusion

To this end, I will continue to hone my current leadership skills and strive to add new ones to my repertoire. As a leader, I use education and information to ensure I reach my goals. I will continue to work subordinates, colleagues, peers, and friends to develop clear shared goals and values. Finally, I will continue to improve my teambuilding skills. Although I feel my leadership skills adequate for today’s environment, I worry they will be inadequate for higher, more senior positions within my organization. To bridge the schism between my experiences, education, training, and leadership development, I will continue with the development plan current in place; and look for opportunities to expand it. This will be completed by doing what good, effective leaders do naturally – by observing and learning from my organizational environment.

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References

Avolio, B., & Yammarino, F. (2002). Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road

ahead. (Vol. 2, pp. 260-261). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Bennis, W. (2009). On becoming a leader. (pp. 19-26, 29-31). Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books

Group.

Clawson, J. (2012). Level three leadership: Getting below the surface. (5th ed., p. 417). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Sashkin, M. & Sashkin, M. (2003). Leadership that matters: The critical factors for making a

difference in people’s lives and organization’s success. (p. 180-185). San Francisco,