Leadership styles case study

1. Northwest Center for Families (NCF) practices transactional leadership. This is because its director, after attending the conference on dual relationships in social work, has already created a clear structure on what she wants her subordinates to do and if they do not follow, necessary punishment has also been in-placed. She did this by sending out a memo prohibiting dual relationships in social workers’ relations with clients, which when disobeyed will result to their termination. Employees were even advised to report non-sanctioned interaction between them and their clients. The director’s directive also mentioned that employees should eat lunch only in the office when the construction of the new employee lounge is done.

2. Southeast Social Services (SSS), on the other hand, practices transformational leadership. This is because its director has primarily regarded and involved his subordinates in his plans regarding the problem of dual relationship in social work by calling a meeting. Here, he shares his experiences and thoughts about the conference and his personal mission to address the problem at hand. He motivates everyone and encourages the organization to be one in solving the problem, thus being more efficient in their profession and service.

3. I recommend that a health care or human service organization adopt or practice transformational leadership. This is because an organization involved in healthcare or human services needs a competent, professional, skillful, and personable leader. He or she must possess familiarity with the programs of the organization and the knowledge and skills to implement these. Furthermore, he or she must possess values and awareness on others’ welfare and situations (Rudnick, 2007). Since the healthcare and the human services fields require utmost and voluntary service, employees should be given proper, sensitive, and sensible motivation for them to function for the community and not be intimidated by rules of a tyrannical leader. In this sense, a transformational leader can ensure employees’ loyalty to the organization’s mission (Rudnick, 2007).