The management and leadership styles within a residential treatment center impact the program’s climate and culture and ultimately the quality of care families receive. It is essential for client families and program employees to be aware of these influences and the leadership styles residential treatment centers use. These styles ultimately influence others for the benefit of the organization, which benefit the students and families served in residential treatment.
Types of Leadership Styles
A manager has both positional and personal power and must understand how to use both. One author reports studying several managers of large U.S. corporations. The author reports that top managers possess a high concern for influencing people. These managers actively worked improve this influence so it is directed toward the organization as a whole and not for the personal aggrandizement of the individual. (Burnham, 1989)
I have seen leaders who use personal power and positional power in different ways. Two common type of leaders are transformational leaders and servant leaders. Both types of leadership use soft power qualities to yield influence and increase performance within organizations.
Pierro et al. (2013) noted “Attesting that transformational leaders are more likely to utilize soft power bases, these authors posited that charismatic influence stems from the leader’s personal idiosyncratic power (referent and expert powers) rather than from position power (legal, coercive, and reward powers) determined by organizational rules and regulations. Thus, with transformational leadership, the followers’ compliance is the result of internalization of the leader’s vision and of self-efficacy beliefs, rather than a consequence of a position power base” (p.1125).
As I look at my current managerial position I want to influence Sunrise to further impact the lives of those around me. I also want to lead from a transformational and servant leader style. Choudhary, Akhtar, Zaheer (2013) stated “In the present times, organizations have become very complex and thus require dynamic leadership. Both transformational and servant leadership are diverse in nature. Through this research it has been acknowledged, that transformational leadership has more impact on organizational learning than servant leadership. The main idea that both leadership styles affect organizational learning stands true. Empirical research and statistical results show that both leadership styles promote organizational performance through the mediating effect of organizational learning.” (p.439)
Sunrise Mission & Vision
Sunrise Residential Treatment Center is an organization who has many leaders who use Transformational and Servant leadership styles. I also know the vision of the leaders and the organization. I have seen them work toward a common vision and mission within the Sunrise. These factors have kept the organization and employees working toward and common vision and mission.
Our mission is “Facilitate lasting change in girls and their families by restoring empowerment within nurturing relationships.”
Our vision is “ A world where girls make peace with their past, thrive in the present, and move boldly into their future.”
These two statements and the leaderships styles used at Sunrise have impacted my desire to stay with the organization. Pierro et al (2013) states:
“Influence of charismatic leaders on their employees tend to be driven by soft power bases, and that compliance with soft power bases influences employees’ degree of OC (organizational commitment) (p.1131).”
–By Brad Simpson, Clinical Director at Sunrise Residential Treatment Center
References
Burnham, D. H. (1989). Power is the great motivator. Designing and Managing Your Career, 160.
Choudhary, A. I., Akhtar, S. A., & Zaheer, A. (2013). Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis.Journal of business ethics, 116(2), 433-440.
Pierro, A., Raven, B. H., Amato, C., & Bélanger, J. J. (2013). Bases of social power, leadership styles, and organizational commitment. International Journal of Psychology, 48(6), 1122-1134.
