Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations Essay Example

matter. The author's vision is evident through the elaboration and has been well served.

The author of this book had specific objectives in mind, which I believe were successfully achieved. It is a challenging task to compile insights from different sources without a clear goal. However, the author has done an honorable and purposeful job of gathering valuable information and finding commonalities among the featured leaders. The result is this publication, which provides readers with rich insights and a shared vision for improvement. Various leadership theories were discussed, including Maslow's need theory, Alderfer's model, the Path-goal theory, and the contingency theory. In addition to citing famous researchers' work on leadership, the author uses real-world situations and success stories of transformational leaders such as Steve Jobs, Lee Iacocca, Roosevelt, JFK, Gandhi, de Gaulle, and Kemal Ataturk to further illustrate key points.

In this book, the author not only collects thoughts from around the world, but also embraces diversity by appreciating and engaging with the different perspectives, approaches, and styles of each researcher and world-class leader. The collection of individuality in this book provides multiple perspectives on understanding exceptional leadership. While leadership principles remain constant, this publication presents diverse practices and viewpoints. The author concludes with a Leadership Questionnaire, intended as a tool for self-evaluation of both transactional and transformational traits.

Regarding ethics, the author acknowledged the importance of morality in leadership. In accordance with Burns (1978), transformational leadership should be guided by ethical principles, which include respect for human dignity and equality of human rights. In the long term, a morally-driven leadership approach will benefit the organization's well-being by addressing real needs and producing proven benefits.

Leaders' personal

values are closely connected to their integrity, influencing how they lead and manage a team. Immoral leadership is highlighted in this book, arguing that leaders are considered immoral when they raise their followers' needs without authenticity. The book cites Adolf Hitler's leadership as an example of unethical leadership, which had a negative impact on both the country and society. Hitler's leadership promoted immorality and brutality to achieve goals, resulting in global condemnation. The author even exemplifies ethical behavior by citing all the references used in the book, spanning from centuries-old quotes to contemporary sources.

Even though it may only be a small contribution to leadership, being an ethical writer who checks for plagiarism can make a difference. Empowerment is the act of encouraging group members to actively engage, and it involves enabling their involvement and conveying power to them. Unfortunately, this publication does not specifically discuss empowerment. However, it does touch on delegation, suggesting that transactional leaders delegate responsibility as agreed upon in contracts while transformational leaders delegate to encourage subordinate development. Although delegation of responsibility is apparent, there is no mention of passing power and trust or the associated risks. It appears that the concept of empowering members was either undiscovered during the publication of this book or is still new with less proven and reliable documentation available.

In this book, the author empowers the reader by giving them the authority and trust to interpret and implement leadership styles and traits that they believe are most suitable. The process of becoming an exceptional leader involves being aware of how everyone interacts and understanding its impact on the group's work. The book also encourages individual involvement,

decision-making, and task handling. For instance, transformational leaders who practice ethical leadership view it as a moral principle that must be adhered to. They value the organization's process and outright participation as a means to gain employee support for decisions.

Both transformational and transactional leaders believe in the importance of process to achieve their objectives. Transactional leaders, despite their reputation for being focused on rewards and punishment, also recognize the value of process and trust it to guide them towards success. They operate under the belief that positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator for employees who work diligently towards their goals. Conversely, they also utilize contingent punishment as a means of correcting negative behavior or addressing situations where members fail to meet expectations. Ultimately, both types of leaders are concerned with achieving efficient processes to accomplish their aims.

In this book, the author emphasizes that comprehending its theories and concepts requires intentional effort. As both author and leader of the project, Bass collaborated with participants to gather insights that have influenced contemporary leaders. "Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations" has significantly enhanced my understanding of leadership despite being available for over two decades. I continue to uncover novel aspects of leadership in this publication that are absent from other works on the subject.

Reading the publication has provided me with valuable insights into leadership and being a leader. Previously, I believed that leadership was only about choosing different traits, styles, and approaches based on the type of followers one is leading. However, after reading this book, my understanding of leadership has broadened significantly. The book documents numerous studies conducted on leadership and serves as a research reference for

identifying the traits of an exceptional leader.

In this book, the author provides a detailed overview of different theories on capacity from that era. Although I largely concur with the author's perspective, there is one point where I diverge. Hollander (1978) proposed that leader and follower roles can be interchangeable, meaning that being a follower doesn't necessarily prevent someone from becoming a leader. While I do agree that followers possess leadership potential, I don't fully support the notion of complete interchangeability between these positions.

My preference for transformational leadership aligns with Burns' (1978) belief that these leaders can empower their followers to become leaders themselves, resulting in the development of "mutual charisma." This is demonstrated by the positive impact of mentoring. I highly recommend this book to anyone studying leadership who wants to explore this topic further. It's a comprehensive resource that would be a valuable addition to any academic reference collection on leadership. However, it's important not to rely solely on this book as there are many other sources of knowledge available.

In addition, the book mainly consists of leadership literature from different sources and does not provide detailed explanations for most theories and concepts. It is suggested as supplementary reading for individuals who desire a better understanding of the subject matter. If I were to create another version with the same title, I would incorporate current expectations for leaders in their specific environments. As societal expectations continue to progress and broaden, there is an increasing need to explore this topic further.

One aspect of empowerment that has not been addressed in detail is a practice that is now widely used and accepted worldwide. This practice can provide

additional insights to complement the author's previous presentation and create a nearly comprehensive leadership resource up to current standards. Additionally, I will include the latest notable accomplishments of prominent leaders, which should be more recognizable and meaningful to today's audience.