How To Become A Transformational Leader
Transformational Leaders Inspire Others to Become Better People
How would you describe a transformational leader? What makes them unique?
Transformational leaders inspire their followers to become better people. They create a culture where everyone feels valued and respected. They encourage their team members to take risks and try new things. They don’t focus only on themselves or their personal goals. Instead, they help their teams achieve success together.
- Transformational leaders inspire their followers to become better people through selfless acts of service.
- They show empathy and compassion towards those around them.
- They give back to society and contribute to the greater good.
- They are humble and teachable.
- They are authentic and genuine.
We’ll look at transformative leadership and learn what it requires to be a transformational leader.
What Is Transformational Leadership?
According to author James MacGregor Burns, transformational leaders inspire people to become better than they were before.
A transformational leader:
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness.
- Sets clear goals.
- Has high expectations.
- Encourages others.
- Provides support and recognition.
- Makes people feel things.
- Gives people something they want even if it doesn’t benefit them directly.
- It inspires people to strive for the impossible.
Many years after Bass’ work, Transformational Leadership is still one of the key concepts in business leadership.
How to become a transformational leader
I’ve distilled Bass’s thoughts into a simple process for those who want to become transformative leaders. It involves you doing these things:
- Creating a vision for the future.
- Motivating people to believe in and deliver the vision.
- Managing the delivery of the vision.
- Build stronger, trusting relations with your employees.
Note:
You can clearly identify the traits that Bass identified. These traits translate well into actions.
Step One: Create an inspiring vision for your business.
Creating and sharing an inspiring vision of the future will motivate people to follow your leadership.
Your mission statement describes who you are and why you exist. It helps you understand the values of the people you serve and the capabilities and resourcefulness of your organisation. It also enables you to assess your environment intelligently and select the best strategy for moving forward.
Business units are the subjects of strategic planning, and developing a coherent plan requires a lot of thinking and careful planning.
Start by exploring the mission and vision of your business. Then, think about how your employees can help achieve these goals.
Step 2: Getting people onboard with the vision and delivering it
Start by writing down your vision for your company. You want to write something that inspires your team members and shows them where you see yourself leading them.
Use storytelling as part of your call to action. This will allow others to understand why they need to be involved.
Next, discuss your vision frequently. Make sure to link it to people’s goals and help them understand how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.
Transformational leadership involves encouraging others to perform at their best. Knowing about different types of motivation will help you motivate your team members.
Step three: Implement the vision.
A good plan without action is useless; however, many people make the mistake of developing strategies for their business but don’t put in the challenging and often tedious work of achieving them.
You can’t plan without knowing who needs to do what. That’s why you must identify the individuals involved in delivering your project. Then, you assign them specific tasks and give them responsibility for achieving them. Once you’ve done that, communicate the work results. Finally, you must review the project’s progress regularly and make adjustments where needed.
Stay visible by taking part in daily activities. This is an ideal strategy for transformational leaders who want to be available to their teams and answer questions when they occur.
Tip:
Clear communication is essential for transformative leadership.
You must ensure that your communication is heard and that you give clear regular feedback. Otherwise, your employees won’t know what you expect from them.
Step 4: Develop stronger relationships based on trust.
You must focus on your team members and help them achieve their goals.
Use Dunham and Pierce’s Leadership Process Model as your guide for developing practical leadership skills. It outlines how important your team members are to your success as a leader.
It also highlights that leading is a long-term activity. Leaders must continually develop their skills and abilities by building strong personal connections, earning trust, and helping others grow.
- Meet your people individually.
- Understand their developmental needs.
- Help them to meet their career objectives.
- What do they want?
- Where do they see their future?
- How can you help?
To build trust with your team, be open and honest when sharing personal information about yourself.
Lastly, set aside some spare time to coach your people. When you teach them how to solve their problems, you develop them into a skilled group and increase their confidence and faith in you.
KS Key Points
According to leadership expert James MacGregor Burnes, transformational leadership is a process where “Leadership and its Followers Raise One Another to Higher Levels of Morality and Motivation.”
Transformational leadership inspires great loyalty and trust among its followers, and the characteristics displayed by transformational leaders include:
- Demonstrating honesty and fairness.
- Setting high standards for others.
- Helping them achieve their personal and professional objectives.
To be a transformative leader, follow these five simple rules:
- Inspire people by creating a vision of the future.
- Encourage people to believe in and support the concept.
- Deliver the vision.
- Build a stronger, more trustworthy relationship with your team members.