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Leadership

Positional vs Transformational Leaders

By Lawrence E. Thompson Jr.Published 5 years ago 4 min read
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Have you ever had a boss that you felt is only leading because of their position?

Or you had a boss that you would do anything for because you saw they really are more than the job?

Well I have both in the military and the civilian world. I can say that it was very hard to position myself to receive them both, but it was necessary. The leader who is positional cares about how they look and has no regard for their team. A transformational leader, though they are looking out for the well being on the team, they have the tenacity to not allow you to slack. So, as you can see both can have their different challenges but I feel one is better than the other.

In this article, I want to break these two down and give you a small peek to how they can help or harm leaders.

The first one I want to highlight is the positional leader. This leader has a few attributes that help them to be beneficial but also a hindrance.

1. Positional Leader

Pros:

  • Are Great at Administration. They understand what needs to be done and who needs to be there. They have their finger on all moving parts.
  • Persistent. Have a way of sticking to a task and never wavering on the job at hand.
  • Boldness. Is willing to confront issues or people head on.
  • Loyal to the Company. Take pride in the company and would remain loyal to the opportunity.

Cons:

  • Micro-Manager. Wants to have their hand in everything for the fear it will fail without them.
  • No Loyalty to Team Members. Have loyalty to the company but rules out the people because they believe that the company values work first.
  • Not Open to Hear. They often times hear what they want to hear. If it has nothing to do with the narrative of how their day should go then it is out of the question to hear anyone else out.

To sum this up a positional leader can be effective for a group or company until the team loses respect for them. A positional leader should be mindful of their blind spots, so the team could operate at their highest level of potential. The greatest thing about them is that they are mission-minded which will keep the company moving but what is the company without the team to runs it.

2. Transformational Leader

Lastly the transformational leader. This is one who pulls everyone up as they lead the team and company. Transformational Leadership should be a goal because it embodies the 4 keys, I say effective leaders should have, that is L.O.V.E. I know it may sound like I lean more one way than the other, but I have found that being on both ends of receiving and giving that this leader produces the best results. Now let us look at the pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Have a full understanding of leaders lead with L.O.V.E. (You can read more about that here.)
  • Mission Minded. Understand that the main goal is the mission and is willing to find a way of getting it done by using their resources which includes the team.
  • No Fear. Not afraid to step up to the plate and take responsibility for if a team or team member fails. Is open and willing to correct this failure but not place extra stress to get it corrected.
  • Fully Aware of Blindspots. Understands the blind spots or the areas of attention they need to be effective for the company and the team.

Cons:

  • Emotions. Have the tenacity to allow their emotions to run them at times because they want the team to be together and they are seen to be that person.
  • Chances. Often gives chances to see if someone or the company would correct itself instead of taking this moment and allow it to become a teaching moment.
  • Favoring. This leader will often favor one or few people to get the mission done hoping that this is the best way of building the next leaders in line.

The transformational leader is great for any team or company simply because they take the wholistic approach to leading. Often times they are the one whose groups seem to work together with the best, but sometimes find themselves always in a honeymoon stage. The transformational leader must understand that even though you got everyone on your team flowing and the company is moving, never get caught enjoying ups and abandon ways to move your team or company forward.

As you can see, these are two totally different leadership traits, but they can be useful if they are combined.

In the end, I believe that as a leader, if you are not making your team better so they can replace you, than I feel that you have failed them and yourself to max out your potential as a leader.

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About the Creator

Lawrence E. Thompson Jr.

Leadership and Media Strategist. US Military member that has a passion to inspire and inform methods to improve leadership skills and media influence. Author of 2 self-publish books and podcaster.

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