Innovative Leadership
To get better results from employees, leader is expected to work in more creative way. When a leader leads by his understanding of task and work in the light of increasing the productivity of employees and put efforts to get expected results, he may choose different leadership style in different situation and sometimes different leadership style for different person, it is called innovative leadership. It can be said that a mindful and creative leader behave as per the need of situation and focus on the goal.
Innovative Leadership has been derived from the theories of innovative leadership. Here, theories of innovative leadership are being discussed:
THEORIES OF INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP
Path-Goal Theory of Innovative Leadership
The path-goal Theory of innovative leadership refers to using different types of leadership in different situations and at different step of a process (path) by which team is to achieve the goal. The rationale behind using various type of leadership by single leader is to maximize the productivity of team members. Considering environmental factors and characters in job performance, leader chooses the suitable form of leadership by his innovative and critical understanding of task or situation. Path-Goal Theory gives the idea of applying different types of leadership in different situations by the single leader to get expected outcomes.
Leader Member Exchange Theory of Innovative Leadership
Another leadership theory named Leader-Member Exchange Theory advocates using different leadership style for different member in the same team. It follows the similar idea of using multiple styles of leadership but here style of leadership is selected for the member of the team instead of situation or step of continuing task. Researches have proven that following leader member exchange theory can results in a higher job satisfaction among the employees and increase their performance. Each individual in a team is different and reacts in a different way, therefore leading them in a different way can help them in enhancing their creativity, capabilities and level of comfort in the job which results in higher productivity.
Very first this theory was used in 1970s. This theory concludes leadership in the form of leader and member relationship. And this relationship is being developed through three stages:
Stage-One: At stage one, team Leader and members give time to understand each other. Leader list the strength and weaknesses of each member of the team and determine their roles for the institution/organisation.
Stage-Two: At this stage, leader categorized the members as in group member considering them trust- worthy and out group members considering them not being trust-worthy. Here, leader assign the task to the member on the basis of observation at stage one.
Stage-Three: At this stage, role of employee gets permanent status for long on the basis of his/her performance at stage two.
Various Leadership Style to be used in Innovative Leadership
Following are four types of leadership style suitable within path-goal theory:
Supportive Leadership
Considering the need and interest of team members as important aspect of leadership is called supportive leadership. Relationships are established to lead a team is important in this type of Leadership. A leader needs to be sensitive towards the feelings and needs of team members before assigning any task to them. Such attitude helps a leader in delegating the task in right way. In a stressful environment where workload is high, this leadership is more suitable.
Directive Leadership
To lead a new team or a team of inexperienced employees, leader is to prepare before in advance. Team leader works on the objectives, process and methods of task to be accomplished before delegating further. Here, team leader direct the team members and clearly assign them concerned task and duty. It is suitable in leading the complex tasks and assignments.
Participative Leadership
When decisions are not made by only leader, but a discussion between all the team members and leader is held to take any decision. All the members take active participation in making decision and leader give importance to viewpoints of each member. Group Leader participate as a group member and lead the task is the beauty of this style of leadership. Leader share all the necessary information with the group members. this style of leadership is also called Democratic style of leadership. leader take the decision after concluding remarks and viewpoints of all members. therefore, this style is also time consuming and sometime members whose points may be given less scope in final decision feels offended and then handling such situation is the challenge in front of leader.
Achievement-oriented Leadership
If a leader is confident in the abilities of team, he/she may set high exceptions. He/she sets goal for them in advance. Here, group leader follow achievement-oriented leadership style and clearly mention the targets to the team. Somewhere this type of leadership creates a competitive feelings in the team member. Whereas, it also causes pressure among team members. But for sure it motivates the team members to do their best.
Conclusion
Leadership theories are time and tested. According to the need, leader select the suitable theory. Thus, leader determines the goals, identify the challenges, plan for employee collaboration.
Rajni is an accomplished education professional who holds a PhD in Education and MPhil and MA degrees in Economics. She has extensive experience in research, having published over 16 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to articles in an edited book. Additionally, Rajni has authored a book in the field of education.
Rajni is passionate about making a difference in the field of education. She is an aspirant who is eager to do something innovative and valuable and is constantly striving towards creating a positive impact. She believes that education is a powerful tool which can change lives and that every student deserves access to quality education.
Rajni has a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to her profession. She is driven by her passion to learn, explore and contribute to the growth of the education sector. Her knowledge and experience in Economics and Education, combined with her intellectual curiosity and research skills, place her in a unique position to push the boundaries and creatively tackle complex challenges in the education field.
Overall, Rajni is an accomplished and driven professional who is poised to continue making a meaningful contribution in the field of education.