Distinguish between authentic leaders, transformational leadership, followership and leadership, and servant leadership. Include in your discussion the goals of each type of leadership.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Authentic leaders are focused on building long-term shareholder value, not in just beating quarterly estimates. Authentic leaders are individuals "who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others' values/moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths; aware of the context in which they operate; and confident, optimistic, resilient, courageous, and of high moral character. Authentic leaders acknowledge the ethical responsibilities of their roles, can recognize and evaluate ethical issues, and take moral actions that are thoroughly grounded in their beliefs and values.

Authentic leaders hold altruistic values and are concerned with achieving a common good for the group or organization for which they are responsible. Authentic leadership produces a number of positive ethical effects in followers that significantly influence the creation of an ethical organization environment and helps to promote values-based decision-making. Followers are likely to emulate the example of authentic leaders who set a high ethical standard. They are empowered to make ethical choices on their own without the input of the leader. They become moral agents of the organization.

Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that causes change in individuals and social systems. In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. Enacted in its authentic form, transformational leadership enhances the motivation, morale, and performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. These include connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to the mission and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work; and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that optimize their performance.

Transformational leadership is an ongoing process rather than the discrete exchanges of the transactional approach. Transformational leaders raise the bar by appealing to higher ideals and values of followers. In doing so, they may model the values themselves and use appealing methods to attract people to the values and to the leader.

The flip side of leadership is followership. The term followership is characterized as an independent relationship in which the leader's perceived legitimacy can affect the degree to which followers allow themselves to be influenced. This early work emphasizes the reciprocal relationship in which followers play an active role not only by receiving but also exerting influence.

Servant leadership advocates a perspective that leaders have a responsibility to serve their followers by helping them achieve and improve by modeling leaders' ethical values, attitudes, and behaviors that influence organizational outcomes through the fulfillment of followers' needs. The basic premise of servant leadership is leaders should put the needs of followers before their own needs. Servant leaders use collaboration and persuasion to influence followers rather than coercion and control. They understand their stewardship role and are accountable for their actions. Servant leadership helps to create an ethical, trusting organizational climate.

Trust is a key component in developing successful relationships between leaders and followers. A trusting relationship is built on shared values, respect, open communication, and accountability. Trevino et al.'s pillars of ethical leadership are the relevant behaviors that leaders can employ to demonstrate integrity to followers and build trust. The pillars are antecedents to trust and include role-modeling through visible action, the use of rewards and discipline, and communicating about ethics and values.

Followership, servant leaders, and authenticity all share one common characteristic: leader ethicality. De Cremer and Tenbrunsel define leader ethicality as the intention to demonstrate normatively appropriate conduct and to create an environment within which others will be encouraged to act ethically and discouraged from acting unethically. Demonstrating normatively appropriate conduct is in part determined by follower perceptions, thus leader intent is important.

Moreover, this definition takes into consideration the importance of moral perspectives and underscores the notion that ethical behavior is to some extent defined by how it is construed within the context of social prescriptions. In other words, the public interest ideal is the context within which leaders' model ethical behavior to nourish the perception that the accounting profession is an ethical profession with norms and values.

De Cremer and Tenbrunsel posit that, due to the socially construed nature of leader legitimacy, leaders are vulnerable to follower judgments. Leaders may gain legitimacy from followers when they allow themselves to receive follower influence and behave in accordance with followers' normative expectations. Thus, leadership and followership are reciprocal relationships with one influencing the other. Organizational dissidence is best controlled when both parties strive for high ethics in their behavior and decision making.

Summary of basic characteristics

Authentic Leadership
Actions grounded in beliefs and values
Transformational Leadership
Causes change in individuals and social systems
Followership and Leadership

Reciprocal relationship; leader's perceived legitimacy influences follower's identification with those leaders.

Servant Leadership

Leaders serve followers by helping them improve by modeling leaders' ethical values, attitudes and behaviors.