Inspiration: Transformational Leadership

I think that one of the toughest jobs in the world is to be a great manager and/or boss. 

I am fascinated with leadership and what factors define a great manager and/or boss. In my work experience only a few managers were great and most of them were not. When I stumbled upon this article via twitter its title, "Four Things Employees Need From Leaders", got my attention and its content gave me a lot to think about.

I hadn't heard the term "transformational leadership" or "transactional leadership" before but just their names gave me a very clear picture of each models' definition. Transformational read to me that it is a way of transforming behavior and thoughts via leadership and transactional was based on transaction; money. 

Not only did these terms give me a different perspective on my past and current work experience but so did the Big Four. 

The Four Things by Dr. Cleve Stevens

1. The Need to Love and be Loved: Employees and employer/manager/boss/leader need to have a  reciprocal relationship full of  "focused concern and action directed at another exclusively for that person's good." I would agree that it's beneficial to employees to show that you care about them. 

2. The Need to Grow: Stevens' argument is that there are only two directions one can go: decay due to stasis or grow and expand. I would rather grow than decay.

3. The Need to Contribute: People like to contribute because it makes them feel like they belong. Contributing to the whole means belonging to the company.

4. The Need for Meaning: "We are meaning-seeking creatures. If our lives lack a clear sense of meaning, if we are engaged in some larger purpose, we will not be fully satisfied, regardless of whatever else we may have." 'Nuf said.