Introduction
Leadership and management theories have helped form and shape the way organizations are governed. However, these theories are different and can be applied to achieve different organizational purposes. For example, transformational leadership is one of the classic theories where leaders motivate their followers by increasing self-efficacy (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). This allows followers to feel more determined at achieving organizational goals. However, Cross-cultural Leadership entails the ability to inspire and impact people’s attitudes and behaviors in the international society to attain the aims of common enterprises (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). The main purpose is to help employees transform and work together with other people regardless of their age, gender, and culture. Therefore, despite the slight similarity, transformational leadership and cross-cultural leadership approaches are different.
The Similarity Between the Two Approaches
The focus of transformational Leadership and cross-cultural Leadership are the people. They both believe that appropriate leadership is attained only when people are engaged in an organization’s operations (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). People are required to achieve and maintain performance through the attainment of objectives. Organizations fail when the people involved do not understand, believe in or engage in its major operations. For example, the two approaches major in improving people’s behavior to achieve a given objective. Transformational leadership involves motivating people to achieve organizational goals (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Similarly, cross-cultural management entails making people aware of the value of diversity. As a result, these approaches center on people to attain organizational objectives.
Both approaches depend on effective communication to motivate people. Communication is an important part of managing an organization to achieve goals. A vision for change and transformation is only as powerful as the communication that provides support (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Effective communication offer clarity for why the management is required and mobilizes employees with a sense of urgency for the process. Communication also assists leaders in identifying potential impediments to achieving organizational goals before they become an issue. Identifying obstacles ahead of time allows organizations to respond to and resolve challenges experienced during management. Therefore, effective sharing of information is essential for proper implementation of the theories.
These approaches majors on creating an environment that supports creativity and innovation. Transformational leadership ensures that followers are comfortable through motivation (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). A satisfied and committed follower is likely to commit themselves to the affairs of an organization actively. Likewise, cross-cultural leadership also ensures that employees feel respected and included. When employees appreciate one another and get along in the workplace, they become productive. As a result, this leadership approach encourages sharing diverse opinions, supporting innovation.
The Differences Between the Approaches
Transformational leadership is a kind of leadership that affects both individuals and organizations. It stimulates important and good development in followers in its ideal, with the main goal of turning followers into leaders. Transformational leadership uses a range of strategies to improve followers’ enthusiasm and performance (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). For example, creating a link between a follower’s sense of self and the organization’s strategy and a common identity encourages followers by serving as a mentor. According to this theory, leaders motivate their followers to take greater ownership of their work and recognize their own strengths and limitations to assign projects that maximize their performance.
In comparison to transformational leadership, cross-cultural leadership is a new concept. It enables some leaders in a new globalized market to operate effectively. This approach comprises the ability to influence and motivate people’s attitudes and behaviors to achieve a unified organizational objective. Cross-cultural leaders possess the leadership qualities required in areas with diverse cultures and an understanding of the cultural distinctions among states (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Because it must be equally effective as traditional or face-to-face leadership, the method is a sophisticated and challenging leadership style to master. Similarly, cross-cultural leadership demands the leader’s talents in addition to their leadership expertise.
Approach
Transformational leadership focuses on motivating and transforming the followers to perform assigned roles in an organization. This type of leadership depends on the influence of a leader on their followers. A leader must appear as the role model of the followers for them to achieve the intended objectives (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). They are supposed to understand the follower’s strengths and shortcomings and use them to achieve organizational goals. Additionally, the most influential leaders employ motivational strategies such as talking openly, establishing a clear goal, and acknowledging achievements. Thus, this leadership also focuses on an individual’s ability to encourage followers to perform their operations effectively.
On the other hand, the main focus of cross-cultural leadership is effectively managing a diverse team. A culturally identical workforce has been a thing of the past as workplaces grow increasingly multicultural and firms continue to expand internationally (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Cross-cultural leadership qualities are vital in today’s global economy. Global markets increasingly recognize the strength and economic benefits of a diverse workforce. The vast majority of companies engage on worldwide projects with staff from diverse countries. As a result, leaders want to work with employees and partners from other cultures.
Process
Transformative leadership processes are open and adaptable. These changes are determined by the organization’s leaders’ desires and what is important to many people who work there, as long as they are consistent with the larger vision. For the new operations to be adopted quickly and successfully, these changes require staff buy-in (Darling & Heller, 2009). When something is not working, these leaders are quick to change. However, they are so focused on achieving the greater objective that these pivots appear insignificant, waiting and drawing out process changes.
On the other hand, cross-cultural leaders take their time and analyze. For a process to be regarded effective, information must be clear. If modifications are made, it must be for a good reason, and the old procedure must have a major flaw (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Many people are frequently involved in these decisions to ensure that everyone feels like part of the business. Documentation explaining why procedures are being discarded or renovated is required, and personnel will be appointed to analyze the performance of these improvements. Therefore, the participation of people is crucial in the process.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of transformational leadership is determined by the followers’ level of engagement to achieve organizational goals. An engaged follower is actively involved in the affairs of an organization (Van Quaquebeke & Eckloff, 2010). Everyone is driven to collaborate when their staff or team is engaged and when individuals believe in their vision and objectives. These leaders measure their success by their team’s hard effort and dedication to a common objective. These leaders can still regard this as a success as long as they continue to move forward, despite disappointments and as long as learning is applied.
The success of cross-cultural leadership is the ability of employees to feel included in the operations of an organization regardless of their cultural differences. Practicing inclusion entails assessing individual requirements and attempting to meet, support, and respect those needs (Carter & Carmichael, 2009). This frequently necessitates organizations ensuring that they are providing the appropriate resources for their employees, taking into consideration their histories and abilities. It allows employees to feel welcome at work, regardless of their differences with their coworkers. Practicing inclusiveness tends to level the playing field for everyone, which can help avoid production delays or limit group cohesion. Organizations that practice inclusion must assess what they now provide for their employees and determine what may be improved.
Priority
Transformational leadership puts their team, group, and people at the company’s center. They recognize and feel that their organization would not exist if not for the people. What helps these leaders earn and maintain their team status is their feelings, views, and aspirations (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). The composition of their team is a top priority for these leaders. These leaders can develop different and special organizations and stand apart from every other organization by creating a culture for success based on a shared vision. They recognize that their employees are what makes them special.
On the other hand, understanding the value of diversity is prioritized in cross-cultural leadership. This is exemplified by the fact that these leaders and their organizations operate in a diverse workplace (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Encouraging people to appreciate diversity allows them to value each other. This can be highly beneficial for everyone because they are required to be aware of individual differences such as language and beliefs. Their work, skill, and energy can all have a direct impact on their final result. This type of leadership is set up to prioritize the person and the outcomes they may generate by appreciating the value of diversity based on their specialized successes.
The Attributes of Leaders in The Two Approaches
Transformational leadership relies on the charisma of a leader to achieve the anticipated organizational goals. Charisma is the ability to attract, charm, and influence people. They are usually viewed as a positive force to mobilize an organization. In addition, they have the ability to influence other people to join their courses (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). For example, if a transformational leader understands wants to change the status quo, it will be easy for their followers to take their direction. With charisma, transformational leaders may be able to persuade and encourage their people to undertake seemingly impossible feats (Treacy, 2002b). They will have the ability to inspire individuals to complete difficult tasks.
On the other hand, cross-cultural leadership does not depend entirely on the leader’s charisma. This leadership style usually relies on the leaders’ ability to work with a diverse workforce. Open-mindedness and flexibility are crucial in determining whether or not a person is a good cross-cultural leader (Plachy, 2009). These leaders must have the ability to adapt to a variety of cultural norms with ease. In addition, to respond to the needs of ever-changing markets and people, leaders will need to evolve. However, to some extent, a cross-cultural leader will use charisma to ensure that employees follow their directives. This is important when a leader wants the followers to take a certain direction.
Self-Management
Self-management is an essential leadership characteristic because it symbolizes the ability to govern their actions, ideas, and emotions in a conscious and efficient manner. Anyone with good self-management skills knows what to do and how to act in a variety of situations (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). Transformative leaders do not depend on others to direct their actions. They can prioritize, decide on a plan of action, and be held accountable for the outcomes. They also understand how to use their internal motivation to motivate those around them (Treacy, 2002a). These executives are enthusiastic about their work, and their beliefs align with that of the institutions they serve.
However, self-understanding is a crucial trait for cross-cultural leadership. This is the ability to be aware of oneself and how one’s actions, thoughts, and feelings align with their internal standards. If a leader is exceptionally self-aware, they can objectively examine themselves, regulate their emotions, connect their actions to values, and precisely understand how others perceive them (Yukl & Gardner, 2019). To become an effective cross-cultural leader, it is important for one to first understand themselves before understanding other people. In addition, a leader should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in regards to behavior when interacting with diverse people.
The Efficacy of Transformative and Cross-Cultural Leadership
Transformational leadership help create a strong relationship with followers. These people recognize that in order to construct a good firm, they must first establish strong and healthy connections (Pinck & Sonnentag, 2018). Open and honest communication is the foundation of all good partnerships. Internal conflicts can be reduced, and unique abilities can be cultivated through building partnerships within a team. Furthermore, these leaders contribute to the removal of problematic links and the advancement of teamwork. For an individual to be a transformational leader, they must have the ability to inspire others in following their vision.
The leadership approach promotes employee retention in an organization. Employee retention is crucial for an organization’s performance, partly because hiring and onboarding are costly. In addition, high employee turnover can harm team morale and create inefficiencies in work processes (Perkins, 2009). By enhancing employee morale and supporting them in obtaining personal satisfaction, transformational leaders are generally able to retain more employees than other prevalent leadership styles. Instead of treating their work as a dictatorship, they typically employ an inspiring technique to gain the trust and commitment of their team members. People trust their boss as a result, and they are less inclined to resign.
To change, organizations must be prepared to adjust and expand over time. When new programs are implemented, transformational leadership is the most effective method for bringing others to be comfortable with the ideal vision (Pinck & Sonnentag, 2018). They are able to promote the improvements if necessary, upgrades, or expansion since they already believe in the process. They make this change on their own, which inspires others to follow suit (Anderson & Anderson, 2009). A transformational leader has the ability to persuade others to listen and follow their direction. When used correctly, this strategy assists the leader, followers, and organization in reaching their full potential.
Transformational leaders look above attaining a specific goal or vision. Instead, they also seek greater efficiency in themselves and their followers. This leadership style is among the most efficient at engaging employees in the job-learning process (Pinck & Sonnentag, 2018). These leaders aim to stretch their workers’ minds, promote a positive culture, and provide tailored learning support. In return, they usually get a higher level of participation and productivity from their team.
Cross-Cultural Leadership
Cross-Cultural leadership brings personnel from many countries and organizations together. If this leadership is properly applied, employee churn will be minimized, and committed staff will remain in an organization (Khan, 2018). This means that workers from different cultures will be comfortable working with colleagues from other cultures. Furthermore, the integration of more than one culture in a workplace encourages a generation of different ideas, which can be helpful when promoting creativity. In addition, because of globalization, this kind of leadership enables a leader to lead a diverse team. They will find it easy to foster a positive relationship with people from various cultures. This style of leadership is effective in making sure that diverse individuals work as a team.
Conclusion
Although there are some similarities, transformational leadership and cross-cultural approach to leadership are different and impact an organization differently. These leadership approach focus on creating a conducive environment for all employees. These leaders also depend on effective communication to achieve their goals. However, the leadership approach used by these leaders has a significant impact on different situations. For example, transformational leadership is effective when organizations want to motivate employees to achieve set objectives. On the other hand, cross-cultural leadership is effective when an organization has a diverse team. As a result, this leadership approach leads to active innovation and ideas from the followers who turn the usual way of thinking about the arrival of common beneficial solutions.
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