Abstract
The advantage of transformational leadership if compared to the transactional one is that, instead of maintaining status-quo, it allows a leader to adjust the performance of the staff to the requirements of a complicated situation. Therefore, transformational leadership is a number one choice for a CDC director. Having accepted this model of leadership, a CDC leader would have been brought the struggle against Ebola up to a higher level. For such reasons, transformational leadership would have been my choice as well. In medicine, this approach to leadership is considered the most reliable; for instance, it is included into Magnet Recognition Program.
Introduction
For a CDS leader, the best model of leadership is the transformational one. This model allows a leader to fulfill the operations successfully in an unusual and dangerous situation, and it would have been my choice as a CDC leader. Transformational leadership is considered a perfect option in modern medicine.
The Best Approach for a CDC Leader
The difference between transactional and transformational leadership is that, while the former aims to maintain the normal flow of the fulfilled operations, the latter streams to bring the employees up to the new level of success and performance (Ingram, n.d., par. 2-4). The problem is that the Ebola outbreak was not a typical situation and, therefore, merely maintaining status-quo, as in transactional leadership, was not suitable. Having accepted transformational leadership as a model, a CDC leader would have been able to participate actively in the struggle against the epidemics, implement new patterns into the CDS’s organizational culture, motivate the employees through moral values rather than through rewards and punishments, promote the interest of the cause rather that encourage employees to pursue their interests, recognize each employee’s behavior as a unique set of features and use the best of them, and employ new ideas as problem solutions.
My Own Choice
As a CDC leader, I would have chosen transformational leadership as a model for the following reasons. First, to prevent a serious health emergency, I would have needed to perform significant changes in the mode of working of this organization in a short period, for which transformational leadership is the best option. Next, I would have needed my staff to perform on a higher level due to the extreme danger of the situation. Finally, to my opinion, among all the models, transformational leadership is the most consistent with the ethical principles of medicine.
Supporting Evidence
Transformational leadership has already been marked as a suitable model for the sphere of healthcare. This type of leadership has been assessed across a wide range of empirical data and successfully used in a lot of care settings (Gabel, 2012, p. 304). Numerous professional studies conducted in the years 2003 to 2010 have demonstrated that in the field of medicine transformational leadership is associated with greater satisfaction of employees, an advanced perception of leader effectiveness, and lower rates of burnout (Gabel, 2012, p. 305). Transformational leadership is recognized, for instance, in contemporary nursing as a perfect model for the future nurse leaders. This model of leadership is currently accepted by the International Council of Nursing and promoted in their Magnet Recognition Program (Feguson, 2015, p. 351).
Conclusion
For a CDC director, transformational leadership is the most suitable option. As a leader, I would have selected it as well. This model of leadership is highly respected in today’s healthcare.
References
Ferguson, S. L. (2015). Transformational nurse leaders key to strengthening health systems worldwide. Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(7/8), 351-353. Web.
Gabel, S. (2012). Transformational leadership in medical practice: Capturing and influencing principles-driven work. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 35(4), 304-310. Web.
Ingram, D. (n.d.). Transformational leadership vs. transactional leadership definition. Web.