Introduction
It is important to note that employee-related regulations established by the United States are necessary to protect workers from discrimination, exploitation, and abuse. Some might say that common sense and compassion in the workplace have been replaced by litigation. Although these laws put a strain on how the workplace operates, a leader understands the significance of these regulations, which is why he or she works around them. The employee-related regulations are about ensuring a supportive workplace, which is why transformational leadership should be used by leaders, and empowerment should be directed at the staff.
Leader Behavior: Transformational Leadership
All four major laws are designed to protect the workers in order for them not to rely on an employer’s common sense and compassion solely. One leader might see it as highly restrictive, but another can understand its significance and utilize appropriate leadership styles to guide their own behaviors. A leader’s ability to drive change and provide support is directly and profoundly affected by the organizational culture, which needs to be non-hostile to avoid litigations. However, the most important aspect of the transformational leadership style is the fact that it is about support at its core (Prochazka et al., 2018). In other words, the sole purpose of transformational leadership is to cause positive change through supportive measures leading to performance improvements, which is why it is potent and powerful at overcoming problems related to organizational culture.
Therefore, the core competencies include leadership knowledge, emotional intelligence, empowerment, interpersonal relationships, and problem-solving. A study found that “organizational climate was positively related to knowledge-sharing behavior … knowledge-sharing behavior was found to affect organizational learning and to be a mediator in linking transformational leadership and organizational learning” (Kim & Park, 2020, p. 761). In other words, leadership knowledge under the transformational framework improves knowledge-sharing, which betters the organization’s climate and learning. Emotional intelligence is positively correlated with transformational leadership effectiveness (Kim & Kim, 2017). Problem-solving is an essential skill, which is both improved by and necessary for the transformational leadership theory. Transformational leadership is more intricate and complex compared to transactional one, where precise order and structure are established. Although transformational leadership might be less organized and rigid, it can achieve more due to a bigger vision and proactive nature.
Staff Behavior: Empowerment
Although creating a supportive environment is necessary from the leader’s perspective to avoid any triggers of litigations, performance is essential as well. Therefore, leaders should not only support the workers but empower them as well through diversity and inclusion. In order to encourage collaboration, communication, and positive attitudes, it is appropriate to use the strategy of empowerment of the staff. The leadership strategy of empowerment is positively influenced by the transformational leadership theory as well. A study suggests that there is “the linkage between transformational leadership and work engagement is partially mediated by structural empowerment … by enabling access to information, opportunities, support, and adequate resources” (Amor et al., 2019, p. 169). In other words, being an effective transformational leader is impossible without the approach of empowerment, which is a necessary ingredient in improving engagement among subordinates. The given strategy is tightly tied to leadership knowledge and knowledge-sharing, where increased access to information as well as support creates positive changes in a group or organization.
In the case of sustaining positive changes in the staff, equity and inclusion are essential when making such transitions. It is stated that “for the public good and sustainability, that diversity plans evidence progress and success” (Stanley et al., 2019, p. 255). Thus, equity and inclusion bring diversity to the workplace and organization, which provide sustainability, representation, and the public good. Inclusive and diverse team members needed to plan and implement changes will include HR managers and top managers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that employee-related laws do not have to be a replacement for common sense, where litigations are only outcomes. Leaders can adapt their approaches to making the method fit with these necessary worker protection regulations. The key answers for a leader’s ability to guide his or her own behavior include transformational leadership. However, guiding the staff behavior should be done through empowerment, where the environment is created with high levels of inclusion and diversity. A leader with competencies in communication should value and encourage decisions related to enhancing diversity, shared decision-making, and worker satisfaction.
References
Amor, A. M., Abeal Vázquez, J. P., & Faíña, J. A. (2019). Transformational leadership and work engagement: Exploring the mediating role of structural empowerment. European Management Journal, 38(1), 169-178.
Kim, H., & Kim, T. (2017). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership: A review of empirical studies. Human Resource Development Review, 16(4), 377-393.
Prochazka, J., Vaculik, M., Smutny, P., & Jezek, S. (2018). Leader traits, transformational leadership and leader effectiveness: A mediation study from the Czech Republic. Journal of East European Management Studies, 23(3), 474–501. Web.