What Is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership is a broad term that describes a team member’s ability to encourage and guide their reports. According to McKinsey, “leadership is a set of behaviors used to help people align their corrective direction, to execute strategic plans, and to continually renew an organization.” 

There are several effective leadership styles, including democratic, transactional, and transformational. Transformational leadership is one of the best leadership styles, especially in cases where productivity and employee satisfaction are top priorities. 

Transformational leadership inspires innovation by uplifting team members and working towards progress. In this article, you’ll learn about what it means to be a transformational leader and what practical steps you can take to become a transformational leader.

Who Is A Transformational Leader?

A transformational leader uplifts their team to allow them to reach their full potential while reaching the goals of the organization. They align their team with a common purpose to motivate them towards success. 

Transformational leadership was created in the 1970s by theorist James MacGregor Burns. He was the first one to distinguish the difference between transactional leadership (exchanging performance for rewards) and transformational leadership (leading through inspiration to achieve ambitious goals). All leadership takes some combination of morality, power, conflict, and the role of followers. 

In transformational leadership, morality is defined as the leader acting ethically, power is related to the leader’s ability to make changes, conflict is essential, and the role of followers is to make informed choices and hold themselves accountable.

Transformational leaders have the following characteristics. 

• Visionary. Transformational leaders have a vision for the future of the company. They can clearly see where the company is going, how to get there, and how to explain that to their team.
• Team-centric. Transformational leaders value their team first and foremost. They are open to new ideas and teamwork.
• Engaging. Transformational leaders are charismatic and engage the people they work with.
• Inspiring. Transformational leaders inspire their team members to do their best.
• Emotionally intelligent. Transformational leaders are in control of their emotions and understand the emotions of others.
• Collaborative. Transformational leaders are great collaborators. 

Noteworthy transformational leaders include Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Mahatma Gandhi. These individuals are inspiring and engaging. They were able to clearly communicate their values to their followers to enact change. 

Additionally, several large companies have found success using transformational leadership models. 

• Apple. By consistently focusing on innovation, Steve Jobs’ leadership was transformational. 
• IBM. IBM highlights its transformational leadership through environmental, equitable, and ethical pillars.
• Microsoft. Microsoft values of employee morale and collaboration utilize transformational leadership.
• Walmart. Walmart promotes managers who show excellence in innovation to motivate associates. 
• Google. Google works towards making unified decisions by training management in transformational leadership.

Studies have shown that transformational leadership remains one of the most effective leadership styles. Despite new leadership trends all around, transformational leadership is a tried and true method of leadership. It’s effective for small, medium, and large teams alike. While ethical, servant, and authentic leadership are valid models, transformational leadership is the overall best. 

Many also ascertain that transformational leadership is more beneficial than democratic leadership. With democratic leadership, everyone’s voice and opinion is heard and valued. This can be great for some teams, but for others, it takes too long to come to a decision, and time is wasted considering undesirable options. 

Transformational leadership takes strategies from the democratic leadership style, such as empathy and clear communication, and adds motivation and inspiration to create a winning organizational leadership style.

Additionally, there are four key factors that outline transformational leadership.

• Idealized influence. Transformational leaders show rather than tell their employees how to perform, thus influencing them to perform at their highest level.
• Inspirational motivation. Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their staff by communicating their vision and setting high standards.
• Intellectual stimulation. Transformational leaders encourage their reports to question their methods and challenge their decisions, leading to stronger outcomes.
• Individual consideration. Transformational leaders consider each of their reports individually, making them feel especially important.

One of the goals of transformational leadership is to give followers a conscious choice of what they do. Rather than being told what to do, as in authoritative leadership, or using a rewards system, as in transactional leadership, transformational leaders give their followers a choice. 

They let them see the options for themselves, so they can make an autonomous decision of what they’d like to do. Will they work hard and be an indispensable member of the team or will they keep to themselves and feel isolated? 

By giving them two options, they will make their own choice and become an asset to the team.

How To Be A Transformational Leader

Now that we understand what transformational leadership is, let’s get into how to become a transformational leader. 

Follow these steps to be a transformational leader for your organization.

• Be empathetic. Transformational leaders are empathetic. You can be an empathetic leader by getting to know your employees personally. By understanding their personal goals and concerns, you’ll build stronger relationships with them. Even more, you’ll understand how your reports will react to change and learn how to motivate them.

• Be charismatic. Although being more charismatic is easier said than done, you can practice your charisma. Be present in each moment, be positive, and be aware of your surroundings. Doing so will allow you to appear charismatic to those around you.

• Be collaborative. Transformational leaders are collaborative. To increase collaboration, you should have regular team meetings. You should also show your employees how their tasks contribute to the overarching goals. This will motivate them to collaborate more with others so they can do their jobs better.

• Be encouraging. Encourage your reports by being open to suggestions and ideas, embracing failure, and praising success.

• Be communicative. Transformational leaders are effective communicators. Have open lines of communication between you and your reports. Give your employees ample opportunities to talk to you and their teammates, such as office hours or online communication channels.

• Be flexible. Be flexible to other perspectives. Transformational leaders are flexible, open to new ideas, and adapt to changes. 

• Be purposeful. Transformational leaders have a clear purpose and know how to give their employees a clear purpose. Communicate your expectations and goals clearly to create a purposeful team.

Contact Mythos Group To Learn More

Ready to become a transformational leader? Contact Mythos Group to learn how to implement these tips as you lead your team.