Transformational Leadership

What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational Leadership is a leadership style where one or more people engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and performance.

Transformational leaders offer a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order intrinsic needs. This results in followers identifying with the needs of the leader. The four dimensions of transformational leadership are said to be

• Idealised influence or charisma
• Inspirational motivation
• Intellectual stimulation and
• Individual consideration

Developing a Transformational Leadership Style

To develop your style towards being transformational… we need to look beyond the process and the mechanics of day to day business. Transformational leaders empower their people to achieve the goal their way. We coach and mentor them. We do not instruct them.

The clearer we are about the goal or end RESULT that is required, and the better we develop our people to be thinkers and problem solvers, the further along the journey we are.

The biggest clue to what constitutes being a transformational leader is in the title. be transformational. that means doing things differently. Moving from one state to another. In the same was as ice can transform into water. It just needs energy (motivation). In the same way that there are many ways to melt ice, so there are to lead and do tasks. If we consistently use the same method, that is a process. there is no room for improvement.

The transformational leader is seeking process improvements. The manager applies the known process.

Leadership and Follower-ship

Transformational leadership is different as it requires proactive follower-ship rather than just compliance.