Whether you’re thinking of starting a business, basketball team, zumba club, or even a secret ninja association you are going to run into the critical challenge of leadership.
In this article we will discuss Transactional Leadership vs Transformational Leadership,but more importantly will discuss concrete ways to view these two strategies that will enable you to be a better leader.
A great way to understand these two leadership styles is by understanding prostitutes vs relationships. So let’s ask the question. What do we need to understand about relationships and prostitutes in order for us to learn more about leadership?
Lets break it down nice and easy:
1.Prostitutes
When a man or woman is seeking is prostitute they have a short term need that must be satisfied.
Now lets ask. What do you need from a prostitute? (Well, besides a good time)
– Satisfaction of a short term need – getting what you want
– Speed and Effectiveness – getting what you want fast without the hassle
– No Worries – There is not trace that this ever happened and you will not have to talk to the prostitute ever again.
What do you need to give up in order to get what you want?
-CASH!
2. Relationships
When a man or woman is seeking a relationship they have a long term need that must be satisfied.
What do you need from a relationship?
– Satisfaction of a long term need – getting what you want continuously
– Growth – as time goes on you want the relationship to get better
– Dependability – someone you can count on in the long run
– Fun – someone that you are willing to be around for hours
– Etc..this list could go on and on
What do you need to give up in order to get what you want?
– Time – you need to put in hours to get to know they person and learn how they want to be treated.
– Money – dates, gifts, in-laws, weddings, this is a never ending list
– Heart, Brains, commitment – you need to power through the hard times or its just not going to work.
Now you must be wondering, what does all this have to do with leadership?
Is this even relevant?
Well it’s very simple.
Transactional leadership is like having a prostitute.
You pay money to get what you want in effective and speedy procedure.
Transformational leadership is like a relationship.
You put in work, time, and money to satisfy a long term need.
Now what does this look like in the business world?
Transactional leadership is your regular grocery store worker who gets paid an hourly wage, does there job, and goes home.
Transformation leadership is when your friend comes up with a big idea and convinces you to work for his company for free in the belief that one day you will all be rich.
So what’s the best option when you start your company, club, activist group, or ninja association?
The One Two Punch – knowing when to get a prostitute and when to build a relationship.
For example say you are starting a bug extermination business. Let’s say you need a designer for your logo and website. In this case, your going to want to find a good prostitute graphic designer who can do a great job fast. Since you are running a bug extermination business you will not need a graphic designer on a daily basis. Therefore, YES, it is ok to hire a “prostitute” in this scenario.
On the other hand let’s say you want start a company that creates apps for people. In this case you are going to build a very strong relationship with a graphic designer because he/she will be a crucial part of your operation. You will need to give him/her pump up speeches letting him know that if he puts his time and effort into your company it will one day be worth it. This is because he/she might be earning little to nothing before you start earning profits. The whole idea of being transformational is leading for a prosperous future.
Note: I can’t stress this enough – In transformational leadership you need to get people excited about a better future, in transactional all you need is cash.
Overall it comes down to what type of leader you want to be.
Are you the next Zuckerberg convincing your friends to join you in taking over the world?
Are you the business owner who has employees that perform the tasks quickly but don’t care about the company?
Or can you come up with the secret sauce to build the right relationships and hire the right prostitutes?
Prostitutes, Relationships, or both?
Choose wisely!
We want to know what you think.
If you are a leader:
What type of leader are you?
Can you use the prostitute relationship method to become a better leader?
If you are an employee:
Are you a prostitute in your own workplace? (maybe its time you seek another job)
Or are you a valuable member of the team who has a stake in the future?
This is our first article at Akunkinga!
I hope your thoughts have been provoked.
Please feel free to disagree…write your thoughts, comments, arguments, and ideas in the comments below.
Akunkinga 