Even if the leader is not aware of what kind of management style is typical for them, they still have an established behavior model. My former CEO is a striking example of a charismatic leader. He always had innovative ideas and endless optimism: employees rushed to work enthusiastically after his inspiring speeches at meetings. However, as soon as the goal was reached and the dreary daily work was required, he was bored and resolutely did not want to delve into legal nuances. As a result, the shareholders were forced to put a less bright but more diligent leader in his place.
Charismatic leadership concepts were popular in business decades ago. Now, it is considered that the charismatic leader is not suitable for a specific sphere and does not always lead to the company’s success (Ciampa, 2016). I would not be willing to work with the transactional type of a leader, either. A transactional leader’s characteristic features are that they clearly set goals for subordinates, define expected results, consider benefits and sanctions that will be applied to employees in case of successful or unsuccessful performance of their tasks (Harrison, 2017). Thus, the primary tool that affects the quality of work performance by employees is remuneration. However, employees need motivation and some freedom, along with clear-cut tasks and sanctions. Therefore, transformational leadership is often the best leadership style. A transformational leader is also focused on essential goals, and as a charismatic leader, they use enthusiasm to motivate workers’ creativity (Harris, 2017). Nevertheless, this kind of leader does not pursue self-interest and does not risk to seem authoritarian, like transactional.
In comparison, one can erroneously conclude that one of the leadership styles is more efficient than the other. No one leadership style is suitable for all situations; therefore, it is vital to understand the circumstances and consider the tasks set. An effective leader’s critical skill will be the ability to adapt their management styles depending on the current situation and the personality of a particular employee.
References
Ciampa, D. (2016). When Charismatic Leadership Goes Too Far. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Harrison, C. (2017). Leadership theory and research a critical approach to new and existing paradigms. Springer.