A study of better Leadership
Transformational Leader-ship is a type of leader-ship style where one or more persons engage with others in such a way that lead-ers and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Transformational leadership inspires positive changes in followers. Transformational leadership transforms people - both lead-ers and supporters, and helps organisations achieve break-through results.
Transformational leader-ship has proved to improve performance, morale, motiva-tion, and dedication of both leaders and their teams/follow-ers. The qualities that reflect off transformational leaders are endless energy, enthusiasm and passion for what they do. Transformational leaders are multi-dimensional personali-ties and, while positively driv-ing strategy, process, imple-mentation and growth, they lend equal focus to ensuring that every member of the team succeeds as well.
Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focussed on helping every member of the team win their place in the sun.
Why this particular leader-ship style is so needed in to-day’s organisations?
The market being subject to constant change, unpredict-ability is the only constant that companies are facing. Every industry faces challenges and opportunities of new technol-ogy, new markets and new competitors.
The increased complexity that business en-vironments operate in demand not a single leader but a grow-ing battalion of inspired men and women on a continuous basis. No single person can handle the demands a growing business in a growing econo-my/market places on him. It is not a question of time manage-ment alone but having a varied knowledge and skill package to meet an unforgiving mar-ket place head-on. The answer lies in transformational lead-ership which prescribes to the theory of creating leaders out of others and enabling them to run business units success-fully. Transformational leaders
who have identified this truth have created leaders around them who are much closer to where the change is happening so that they can anticipate and respond appropriately.
Organisations that stand for creativity and innovation and allow their employees to explore other realms and take calculated risks are winning it big. Transformational leaders are setting the trend of letting their underlings find innova-tive ways to solve problems, mentoring and hand-holding them when necessary.
The four I’s of Transfor-mational Leadership
The key elements of trans-formational leadership, known as the “4 I’s,” are as follows:
Idealized Influence
Transformational lead-ers are charismatic role mod-els who build confidence and trust. Followers trust and re-spect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.
Inspirational Motivation
Transformational lead-ers provide a clear and real-istic vision to a great future and communicate it clearly to their followers. They also help generate the same experience, passion and motivation in their followers.
Intellectual Stimulation
Transformational leaders encourage creativity in their followers by questioning com-mon assumptions and beliefs. They prod their followers to explore newer ways of doing things bringing them opportu-nities to learn.
Individual Consideration
Transformational leaders are mentors first. They offer individual support and encour-agement to each member of their team and maintain free and open lines of communication. They plan and aid ca-reer growth in their followers.
| Idealized Influence | Individual Consideration |
| Set an example & model the way | Enable others to act by providing coaching & support |
| Inspirational Motivation | Intellectual Simulation |
| Get people exited about going to newer places | Take people where they have never been. |
What a great transformational leadership does
Transformational leadership
- creates greater alignment around strategic visions and missions
- directly impacts an increase in performance both of the organisation and employees
- drives higher levels of product innovation, increase in sales, market share, earnings and ROI
- generates greater unit cohesion, commitment, and lower attrition
- creates safer work environments
- invites disruptive innovation, encourages others to approach problems creatively rather than by procedure
- teaches how to take balanced risks
- communicates openly and without personal agenda
- inculcates a culture of transparency
- focuses on individual growth of every person in the team
- acts as the fulcrum of intellectual and emotional stimulation and inspiration.
Psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio is to have said, “research has shown that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of perfor-mance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders”
Checklist for the leader who is breaking into the league of transformational leaders:
- Given the unique challenges my organisation is fac-ing, how can I re-engage in making a contribution to my organisation?
- Do I have clear and stimulating goals for myself and every individual in my team?
- Do I engage and inspire others to perform as well as I do?
- Have I taken my team places they have never been intellectually?
- Have I made my team proactive by habit?
- Will I be leaving behind a legacy that is bigger than my achievements?
- How often am I engaging with my team in a way that builds the team’s creativity?
- How am I rewarding innovation on the part of the teams and people I work with, regardless of outcome?
- What are my core values? Does it reflect in my and my team’s performance?
- Am I being respectful and transparent in my transac-tions with others?
- Is every member in the team inspiring others in their journey at work?
Beware of the traps
When transformational leaders exude passion and confidence, it may be mistaken for truth and reality. Be sure to convey the right picture to followers.
A trans-formational leader needs to do things by foreseeing the outcome and not because they believe they are right. Many a time has a leader fallen because of their mis-placed enthusiasm. Being the logistical backbone to a lot of things including people, the load is never easy to carry and transformational leaders tend to focus on the big picture forgoing the details. Remember, the devil is in the details. Enthusiasm and charisma can take a beat-ing in the hands of rejection or refusal to change by up-per management. Be ready to bounce back.
BUDDING MANAGERS
MARCH 2014 ISSUE
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Posted On: Thursday, 10 April, 2014 - 16:25