Assignment Sample on Leader Interview
Introduction
A leader interview is a special kind of interview where questions are put to someone in a position of leadership to assess their leadership style, skills, and experiences. The purpose of the interview is to learn more about the candidate’s style of team management and leadership. As responsible for a chief group of staff, I shall conduct a meeting with them in this study. The goal of the interview is to find out more about the manager’s background, leadership style, and relationship to academic leadership theory. The study highlights a summary of the interview application of leadership theories about an interview conducted.
Summary of the Interview
Maria, the interviewee, works as a supervisor for a small to medium retail company. Ten employees’ work schedules are managed by Maria, who also oversees their performance and provides guidance and support. Maria emphasised during the interview that she develops strong ties with her team members to lead by example. She thinks that building a relationship on mutual respect and trust is crucial to success. Maria also emphasised the value of leading by example, being honest, and offering feedback. The questions for the interview and the written consent of the Interviewee are presented in Appendices below.
After learning more about her initiative style, Maria presented herself as a leading leader. She is dedicated to inspiring and motivating team members to reach their maximum potential and make a difference. In such a context, Galvin et al. (2021), stated that leaders must establish a culture of mutual respect and trust to help their team members reach their maximum potential. They should be passionate about the success of their group and inspire them to strive for greatness. In support, Nani and Safitri (2021), analysed that leaders must also motivate their staff by establishing clear goals and offering helpful criticism to support their workforce in achieving their best level of performance.
Maria added a further emphasis on the need for communication and teamwork. She works closely with her staff, giving them the freedom to be accountable for their job while also giving them the guidance and support they require. Maria claimed that she always puts her colleagues’ needs first, making an effort to understand and swiftly address any issues they may have. Moreover, it has been found that Maria aims to offer her team members a sense of purpose by coordinating their goals with those of the company. She also thinks that providing her team members with learning and development chances inspires them to take on new challenges and advance. Additionally, when asked about her leadership style, Maria identified as a transformational leader. She is dedicated to inspiring and motivating team members to reach their maximum potential and make a difference. Maria aims to offer her team members a sense of purpose by coordinating their goals with those of the company. She also thinks that providing her team members with learning and development chances inspires them to take on new challenges and advance.
Knezović and Drkić (2020), stated that leadership that transformational can increase productivity and morale, foster innovation and creativity, and help staff members realise their full potential. It also promotes teamwork, open communication, and trust inside the organisation. However, on the contrary, Johnston and Sullivan (2020), stated that pioneering authority is that it can lead to excessive reliance on the pioneer, create a culture of preference and prohibition, and be challenging to maintain over the long term. Moreover, to ensure that their vision is understood and carried out, trailblazing pioneers should frequently alter the way they conduct themselves. Hence, for a leader, it is important to consider the fact.
Another topic that came up in the interview was employee development. Maria stated that she makes an effort to provide opportunities for her staff to learn and develop, whether it be through on-the-job training, mentoring, or outside training. She stated that if one wants to create a team that is strong and engaged, it is crucial to invest in employee development. Maria’s experience is consistent with the scholarly management theory, which emphasises the need for representative improvement in fostering authoritative accomplishment. According to Jyoti and Rani (2019), managers can support employee development by providing them with opportunities for coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback. Additionally, Amor, et al. (2019), asserts that transformational leaders are more likely to support employee growth since they are committed to fostering a supportive and empowered workplace. Finally, Maria’s interview has shed important light on the leadership philosophies and real-world experiences of managers.
The approach in reference to a leadership theory
Implicit Leadership Theory
The concept of the implied initiative hypothesis (ILT) suggests that people make assumptions about the qualities and behaviors that make a good pioneer. These beliefs are frequently shaped by personal interactions, culture, and conventional wisdom. ILT suggests that people use these presumptions to choose who they will follow and how well-suited the pioneers were (Lord et al.2019)(Refer to Figure 1). According to this notion, some persons are seen to be more effective leaders than others, even though they have the same credentials or experience. Maria’s leadership style is consistent with the Implicit Leadership Theory, which maintains that leadership is dependent on followers’ impressions of what defines good leadership. The ILT contends that based on their prior experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations, followers create models of effective leaders. These models inform their perception of how pioneers behave, leading to clear-cut pioneer models that are frequently discussed in groups.
Maria’s emphasis on developing connections based on respect and trust is supported by empirical evidence. According to a study by Ahern and Loh (2020), effective leadership requires trust. Trustworthy leaders are more likely to be obeyed and have a beneficial impact on the productivity of those they supervise. In a similar line, a study by Chen and Sriphon, (2021), found that good leaders foster openness and trust with their followers, offer encouragement and guidance, and develop close bonds with them. Another significant element that emerged during the conversation was motivation. Maria stated that one of her primary responsibilities as a manager is to motivate her staff to give their all. She stated that she searches for possibilities to provide meaningful work experiences and growth opportunities for staff and attempts to give them good comments and recognition when they perform well. Maria’s experiences are consistent which highlights the importance of worker motivation in influencing success. Asaari et al. (2019), evaluated that managers can inspire their staff in several ways, including by providing them with rewarding work environments, opportunities for advancement, and recognition. Additionally, Rivera and Zapata (2019), discovered that transformational leaders who inspire and encourage their workforce are more likely to achieve high levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction.
Maria’s focus on providing her coworkers with opportunities for growth and advancement is consistent with her accurate knowledge of strong authority. According to a study by Akdere and Egan (2020), effective leaders give their followers opportunities for training and growth to assist them to perform better. Similarly to this, Dappa et al. (2019), discovered that transformational leaders encourage their followers to take on new tasks and grow in their careers, leading to a sense of ownership and involvement in the goals of the organisation.
Transformational Leadership theory
The theory of transformational leadership focuses on how a leader may inspire and encourage followers to realise their full potential and enhance organisational performance through their charisma, vision, and empowerment Bakker et al. (2022) (Refer to Figure 2). Maria’s initiative style is classified as a pioneering authority, which focuses on energising and inspiring coworkers to perform at their highest level. In the meeting, Maria stated, “ I am committed to influencing and persuading my colleagues to reach their highest potential and have an effect.” This statement is in keeping its concern with the transformational leadership philosophy, which emphasises developing a climate of mutual respect and trust to support the success of the team.. Transformational leaders encourage and inspire their followers to realize their greatest potential and make a difference. They offer chances for growth and learning, teamwork, honest communication, and a sense of direction. It has been said that groundbreaking initiatives increase efficiency and determination, foster innovation and creativity, and help staff members comprehend their maximum potential. Although Maria’s leadership style is consistent with the research on effective leadership and transformational leadership theory. However, in opposition, Asbari et al. (2020), argued that transformational leadership may also have some potential disadvantages. For instance, as demonstrated by Wurzel et al. (2020), the pioneering initiative can occasionally result in reliance on the pioneer since followers may wind up being overly reliant on the pioneer’s guidance and support. Additionally, transformational leadership may produce a culture of favoritism and exclusivity since some followers may get more consideration and assistance from the leader than others. Therefore, a transformative leader should foster a culture that is evident and flexible to the situation at hand.
Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded that Maria’s interview has shed important light on the leadership philosophies and real-world experiences of managers. Maria emphasises the value of inspiring and encouraging employees while also adjusting to their needs and abilities in her implicit leadership and transformational leadership style. Her strategy is in line with the servant leadership paradigm, which emphasises the need of giving people what they need to be successful and giving them the resources to do so. Maria’s emphasis on communication and collaboration is a piece of evidence that good communication and collaboration are important in leadership.
Reference
Akdere, M. and Egan, T. (2020) ‘Transformational leadership and human resource development: Linking employee learning, job satisfaction, and organizational performance’, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 31(4), pp. 393–421.
Amor, A. M., Abeal Vázquez, J. P. and Faíña, J. A. (2019) ‘Transformational leadership and work engagement: Exploring the mediating role of structural empowerment’, European Management Journal, 38(1).
Asaari, M. H. A. H., Mat Desa, N. and Subramaniam, L. (2019) ‘Influence of Salary, Promotion, and Recognition toward Work Motivation among Government Trade Agency Employees’, International Journal of Business and Management, 14(4), p. 48.
Asbari, M., Santoso, P. B. and Prasetya, A. B. (2020) ‘Elitical And Antidemocratic Transformational Leadership Critics: Is It Still Relevant? ( A Literature Study)’, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL, POLICY AND LAW, 1(1), pp. 12–16.
Bakker, A. B. et al. (2022) ‘Daily transformational leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance?’, European Management Journal. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004.
Chen, J. K. C. and Sriphon, T. (2021) ‘Perspective on COVID-19 Pandemic Factors Impacting Organizational Leadership’, Sustainability, 13(6), p. 3230.
Dappa, K., Bhatti, F. and Aljarah, A. (2019) ‘A study on the effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction: The role of gender, perceived organizational politics and perceived organizational commitment’, Management Science Letters, 9(6), pp. 823–834.
Epitropaki, O. et al. (2013) ‘Implicit Leadership and Followership Theories “in the wild”: Taking stock of information-processing approaches to leadership and followership in organizational settings’, The Leadership Quarterly, 24(6), pp. 858–881.
Galvin, P., Tywoniak, S. and Sutherland, J. (2021) ‘Collaboration and opportunism in megaproject alliance contracts: The interplay between governance, trust and culture’, International Journal of Project Management, 39(4).
Johnston, J. R. and Sullivan, M. J. (2020) ‘Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory’, Family Court Review, 58(2), pp. 270–292.
Jyoti, J. and Rani, A. (2019) ‘Role of burnout and mentoring between high performance work system and intention to leave: Moderated mediation model’, Journal of Business Research, 98, pp. 166–176.
Knezović, E. and Drkić, A. (2020) ‘Innovative work behavior in SMEs: the role of transformational leadership’, Employee Relations: The International Journal, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print).
Lord, R. G. et al. (2019) ‘Implicit Leadership Theories, Implicit Followership Theories, and Dynamic Processing of Leadership Information’, Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7(1).
Nani, D. A. and Safitri, V. A. D. (2021) ‘Exploring the Relationship between Formal Management Control Systems, Organisational Performance and Innovation: The Role of Leadership Characteristics’, Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, 14(1), pp. 207–224.
Rivera, J. I. – and Zapata, E. L. – (2019) ‘Transformational leadership, organizational climate and job satisfaction in work teams’, www.um.edu.mt, 22(3).
Wurzel, R. K. W., Andersen, M. S. and Tobin, P. (2020) Climate Governance across the Globe: Pioneers, Leaders and Followers, Google Books. Routledge.
Xenikou, A. (2017) ‘Transformational Leadership, Transactional Contingent Reward, and Organizational Identification: The Mediating Effect of Perceived Innovation and Goal Culture Orientations’, Frontiers in Psychology, 8(1).
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