The field of leadership has changed significantly in recent years. Many traditional styles of leadership no longer work in the modern business world. In fact, many business leaders and employees are reluctant to follow people who aren’t inspiring or motivational. Fortunately, a new style of leadership has emerged that is working extremely well in today’s business environment. This style of leadership is called transformational leadership.
What is transformational leadership?
Transformative leadership is a leadership approach where leaders are able to change their followers’ attitudes, values, and behaviors. Transformative leaders create an environment of inspiration, motivation, and empowerment. They are “change agents” who are able to make changes happen.
There are four common phases of definition of transformational leadership. The first phase is development, which is when leaders must discover who their followers are and what they truly want. The second phase is enablement, which is when leaders determine what their followers can do and work with them to make it happen. The third phase is empowerment, which is when leaders give followers the ability to act independently and make important decisions. And the fourth phase is transcendence, which is when leaders develop followers who are capable of leadership themselves.
Transformational leadership, qualities of the transformational leader
CTI Training India, Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is about inspiring employees to make major, positive contributions to their organization or community. Transformational leaders possess specific skills and behaviors that allow them to foster an environment of support, accountability, and growth.
Characteristics of the Transformational Leader
* Highly authentic, ethical, and visionary.
* Values others above self.
* Supports others in achieving their full potential.
* Encourages others to take initiative.
* Inspires others to become great.
* Seeks to understand others.
* Admits mistakes and failures.
* Promotes teamwork.
* Embraces change.
* Works effectively with people at all levels in an organization.
* Inspires others to follow her or his vision.
* Is decisive and takes appropriate risks.
* Is effective at communicating vision and values.
* Is good at developing and empowering others.
* Is visionary, inspiring, and motivational.
* Is always learning and improving.
* Inspires and motivates others.
* Is a good role model.
* Is adaptive, flexible, and able to think strategically.
* Is passionate about the organization and its mission.
* Makes time for others and has a passion for learning from people.
* Is a good listener.
* Is in tune with the needs of employees.
* Is focused on achieving the organization’s mission.
How transformational leadership changes employee behavior
There are different ways to lead people, but the best is through transformational leadership. This type of leadership changes the employee’s behavior and changes the way they think and act.
When leaders use transformational leadership, they motivate, inspire, and influence the employees. This also motivates and inspires the employees to do the same. Transformational leaders use different approaches. For example, transformational leaders can:
Develop the employees’ performance. They show their employees what is expected from them.
Inspire the employees. They inspire their employees with a compelling vision that the employees want to achieve.
Challenge their employees. They challenge the employees to come up with solutions to whatever problem they may be facing.
Empower the employees. They empower their employees to be independent and make decisions.
