Strategic Leadership Report: Change, Transformation, and Objectives

This report delves into the multifaceted aspects of strategic leadership, primarily examining the roles of transformational and change leadership in driving organizational objectives, plans, and strategies. It explores how effective leaders engage, motivate, and direct their teams during periods of change, emphasizing the importance of trust and collaboration. The report differentiates between change and transformational leadership styles, highlighting their distinct approaches and impacts on people and processes. It also underscores the critical role of collaboration in the change process, emphasizing the need for leaders to consider employee input and foster a cooperative environment. Furthermore, the report presents the data collection methods and findings of a research study, revealing the relationships between change and transformational leadership. The report concludes by discussing the importance of organizational design in responding to market changes and customer behavior, advocating for a transformational approach to achieve long-term growth and development. The report provides a comprehensive overview of strategic leadership principles and practices.

Running head: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Strategic Leadership
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Understanding How an Organization’s Objectives, Plans and Strategies are Driven by
Transformational and Change Leadership
Transformation leadership and change leadership in particular, specifically, the
leadership that is deployed at the time a company goes through a process of change, is one
that plays a vital role in driving the plans, the strategies and the overall objectives of an
organization. This is done by the person initiating such change leadership in the first place,
with the leader successfully engaging those who are working under him, motivating them and
providing them with every incentive to do their best, and to take specifically the direction that
has been chosen by him as their leader. Change leaders and transformational leaders require
their followers to submit to them and trust that the direction that they envisage for the growth
and the development of the organization is the best one and that it is in their best interest to
follow such a path or direction. Their leaders are successfully able to engage them in the
entire process of change and transformation with every attempt being made to be as
inspirational as possible to win the confidence of the followers. 1
2. Leadership Styles and the Impact these have following the Impact of Change on
People and Processes
There are two types of leadership styles that appear to have a significant influence
following the impact of change on people and processes. The first of these is change
leadership itself. Such leadership entails confronting the change that is taking place in the
organization in the here and the now. It involves addressing the change that is occurring,
what needs to change, why it needs to be changed and the manner in which the change is to
be achieved or brought about without causing a disruption to the organizational culture and
business process overall. Transnational leadership is also a leadership style that is seen to
1 David Herold, Donald Fedor and Steven Caldwell, 'The Effects Of Transformational And Change Leadership
On Employees’ Commitment To A Change: A Multilevel Study' (2008) 93 Journal of Applied Psychology.

2STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
have quite a large influence following the impact of change on people and processes. Unlike
change leadership however, which focuses on the immediate situation at hand,
transformational leadership is characterized by long term visions or goals. It envisages what
needs to be changed or transformed within the organization keeping long term objectives of
the organization in mind, with the entire process of transformation being a gradual one that is
brought about slowly and steadily with the passage of time.2
3. Role of Collaboration in the Change Process
Collaboration is something that plays an exceedingly important role in the entire
process of change. Change leaders and transformational leaders need to be people who are
ready to create or foster a collaborative environment at the workplace where they take their
employees opinions and views into account. If change is to be initiated or brought about
within an organization, then this is not something that can be readily achieved without
collaboration. It is the duty of the change leader to engage with those who are working under
him as much as possible in order to understand their readiness or willingness to embrace
change and how much it is that they wish to be a part of the process of change. The
requirements, desires, abilities and skills of each and every employee will have to be
discovered by the change leaders on a one to one level as well as through group discussions.
Workers need to be made to carry out their duties in collaboration with one another and with
their leaders, cooperation must be solicited and only if this happens can the initiation of
change in the organization actually take place.3
4. Data Collection Methods and Findings
2 'Determining Your Own Leadership Style'
<http://file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/3094170_3300037_ReferenceAT1Determineyourownle.pdf> accessed
24 February 2019.
3 David Herold, Donald Fedor and Steven Caldwell, 'The Effects Of Transformational And Change Leadership
On Employees’ Commitment To A Change: A Multilevel Study' (2008) 93 Journal of Applied Psychology.

3STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
The research was based on quantitative methods, that is, namely a survey or
questionnaire method of data collection was used with the sample size of the research study
comprising of three hundred and forty three employees across as many as 30 organizations.
All of the 30 organizations were those that were based in the south eastern part of the United
States of America, and were also organizations that were spread across a wide range of
sectors. At every organization that was selected for this study, it was the manager who served
as the point of contact and it was the manager who was asked to specifically identify or speak
about the changes that he could see taking place or was initiating within the organization.4
The findings of the research study reveal that change and transformational
leadership at the level of a work unit are those that are not significantly co-related to one
another. While conceptual overlaps do exist when it comes to both leadership styles, the
behavior and qualities exhibited by a change leader were not found to be entirely similar to
those exhibited by a transformational leader. Change leadership in particular was found to
have little or no impact on a person’s job. Also, commitment to change and change specific
behavior was not found to be positively related to one another. A change leader does not have
the same impact to a commitment to bringing about change the way a transformational leader
does, largely because of trust issues with regard to the former.5
Understanding of Organizational Design and Building with Regard to Changes in
Customer or Market Conditions
It is clear that in order to respond to changes in customer behavior or in market
conditions in the best possible way, it is the transformational design and approach that will
work best for an organization.6 While good practices in change management can also
4 David Herold, Donald Fedor and Steven Caldwell, 'The Effects Of Transformational And Change Leadership
On Employees’ Commitment To A Change: A Multilevel Study' (2008) 93 Journal of Applied Psychology.
5 Ibid
6 'Determining Your Own Leadership Style'
<http://file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/3094170_3300037_ReferenceAT1Determineyourownle.pdf> accessed

4STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
certainly help in this respect, the short sightedness or short term visions of change leadership
prevents it from initiating long lasting impact on the organization. While the organization will
be able to respond to changes that are taking place due to market conditions in the short term,
it is transformational leadership that will steer an organization to positive growth and
development over the long term, with a clearer vision and more specific and realistic
objectives for the organization to aim for.7
24 February 2019.
7 David Herold, Donald Fedor and Steven Caldwell, 'The Effects Of Transformational And Change Leadership
On Employees’ Commitment To A Change: A Multilevel Study' (2008) 93 Journal of Applied Psychology.

5STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
References
'Determining Your Own Leadership Style'
<http://file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/3094170_3300037_ReferenceAT1Determineyourow
nle.pdf> accessed 24 February 2019
Herold D, D Fedor Caldwell, 'The Effects Of Transformational And Change Leadership On
Employees’ Commitment To A Change: A Multilevel Study' (2008) 93 Journal of Applied
Psychology