Today our Nation is fighting for nationwide health, to stop the spread of the COVID-19 Virus. This situation had affected many people, being laid off work, resources being scarce, and let’s not forget affecting the way we get to live out lives. In and out of the United States we are faced with being on what is called “Lockdown” we are advised to limit travel and to stay inside. Rapidly this virus continues to find and invade new hosts. However, despite the efforts we are taking, government officials are taking into their own hands to figure out financially how are they going to help individuals, business etc recover and in the mean time how are we going to help everyone. Getting down and dirty, the Healthcare Professionals are the ones on the battlefield, trying to save lives of out loved ones.
Healthcare Professionals are essential in the COVID-19 Pandemic, they are testing individuals who presume to have the virus, taking care of patients who have the dangerous virus and they are working in labs as well as scientists trying to figure out a vaccine. These Healthcare individuals represent transformational leadership. “Transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standard, and long-term goals, Transformational leaders move followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them. Transformational leaders are passionate, driven individuals who are able to paint a compelling vision of the future. They are able to generate high levels of excitement among followers and build strong emotional attachments with them” (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2012). These individuals all have the same mission and vision while working through this pandemic, treating and preventing other from the virus. Watching the news for latest update as i’m sure many of us are doing, I came across a segment. New York City Nurse, Kious Kelly who had been on the frontlines helping treat sick patients, had picked up the virus and died in the battle. We may use him as a figure of a leader. Many nurses and doctors fear from the virus, but see the bigger picture, they took an oath as healers to heal others. They use that oath as motivation, and try to get others to see this as well. With us seeing their battle through the news and hopes that we are doing out part by staying home since we don’t have a choice, making their job a little easier because we’re attempting to stop the spread.
SOCIAL MEDIA FACT VS FICTION
On the opposite end of this I will demonstrate to you a bad form on transformational leadership. Social media, the life line of many, some people eat sleep and breath it, some employed from it and i’m not saying that it is a bad thing but for COVID-19 I think that it has done an awful job. When we think of a transformational leader, we except motivation, greatness, and a promising future. As Social media is pretty popular for our younger and middle generations, this pandemic has somehow made out to be a joke. Tiki’s-tok, instagram, twitter, all from of social media we see people making jokes, memes and videos about how not-serious this scenario is. Once that first video or meme takes off, it get’s a ridiculous amount of popularity then its follower will try to do the same. However, in this case people are disregard the news about practicing social distancing, for example college students are partying, they find it as a joke to be away from people at least 6ft, even though this is crucial. The social media tends to spin out and the wrong way in these types of scenarios, they don’t help they more cause hurt.
With all the negatives that the social media has leaked, there positive influencers like the CDC. I would chose this website to be a leader of social media, they are sharing facts about the virus, what to do if symptoms occur, steps to prevent. You see advertisements so that if you have questions, or want more information about the virus you may visit their website, the provide videos of proper hand washing. The whole idea behind this platform is to influence “followers” so that they will spread FACTS. Finally, the transformational leader to me is not viewed as just a person but as for the COVID-19 the leaders in this pandemic are the ones who are leading toward a healthier future, to beat this virus and to influence others to do the same.
To recap, “Transformational leaders make clear the emerging values and norms of the organization. They involve themselves in the culture of the organization and help shape its meaning” (PSU, WC, L10). Leaders are to set examples, we have learned that there are many characteristics that shape a leader and their ability to have followers. By having followers this not only motivates them but motivates the leader to continue striving for that goal, in this case to defeat the COVID-19 Pandemic. Through fact and fiction and Healthcare professionals putting their lives on the line for us, we need to listen to our leaders, choose them wisely. “Transformational leadership is a better predictor of organizational effectiveness than transactional or laissez-faire leadership”(PSU, WC, L10).
References:
canvas learning management system. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2040131/modules/items/28001793
https://www.campaignlive.com/article/memes-serious-turn-response-covid-19/1677286
Lisa Ford says
Corrected reference:
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2020). Lesson 10: Introduction to transformational leadership. PSYCH 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2045005/modules/items/28166657
Lisa Ford says
This is a good entry! I appreciated your portrayal of healthcare providers as transformational leaders. It is quite apt in my opinion, because transformational leaders move followers to do more than is expected of them (Pennsylvania State University World Campus, 2020). At minimum, doctors and nurses are asking people to maintain social distancing. Their pleas have motivated people to not only heed that direction, but to take it further by staying home.
One way transformational leaders can influence others is to model the behavior they are asking of their followers (Northouse, 2016). The doctors and nurses that are self-quarantining away from their loved ones are doing just that. Modeling this behavior is a powerful statement to their followers because it demonstrates that the needs of others are why they are encouraging us to follow their instructions.
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2020). Lesson 10: Introduction to transformational leadership. PSYCH 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Retrieved from: