Transformational Leadership

In my last article, I talked about four type of leadership styles i.e., Transformational, Transactional, Autocratic & Bureaucratic styles. Today, my write-up is about Transformational Leaders and how they gain commitment to their vision and the mission of the organization. It draws on the main theories of transformational leadership to present the key behaviors that distinguish transformational leaders from transactional leaders. We will also transcribe how transformational leaders show individualized consideration, intellectually stimulate their followers, provide inspirational motivation and idealized influence.

Over the past decade, researchers have focused on transformational leadership as a being an effective leadership strategy to implement within public and private sector organizations. Transformational leaders work with their employees to implement change. They create a vision for their followers and guide the change through inspiration and motivation and are excellent role models. They also inspire through activating follower self-efficacy so that followers believe that they can go beyond expectations.

Transformational Leadership is comprised of 4 main components

Instead of managers who continue to move organizations along historical tracks the new leaders must transform the organizations and head them down new tracks. What is required of this kind of leader is an ability to help the organization develop a vision of what it can be to mobilize the organization, to accept and work toward achieving the new vision and to institutionalize the changes that must last over time. This resurgence of interest in outstanding leadership generated a substantial body of theoretical and empirical investigation of transformational leadership.

Individualized Consideration is the extent to which a leader attends to each follower’s needs and is a mentor, coach or guide to the follower. This leader listens to the concerns and needs of each follower and provides support and is empathic of each person’ situation and background. When a leader shows individualized consideration they are also aware of the unique talents that each follower brings to the workplace and support them in developing and demonstrating these key skills and behaviors. This leads the follower to aspire to develop further and they show intrinsic motivation when performing their work.

Inspirational Motivation is the degree to which a leader articulates an appealing vision that inspires and motivates others to perform beyond expectations. Leaders who use inspirational motivation have high standards and expectation for their followers. They are optimistic about follower ability to meet goals and they always provide meaning to their followers through showing the importance of all duties and responsibilities. In fact, they are able to motivate their followers to have a strong sense of purpose so they provide purpose and meaning to drive their group forward. This encourages followers to invest more effort in their tasks and to be optimistic about the future and to invest in their own abilities. Team spirit is usually enhanced by this type of leadership. Here is an example of speech that was used in a research study by Howell and Frost and exemplifies transformational leadership:

Transformational leaders who show Idealized Influence are role models for their followers because they engage in high standards of ethical behavior. Followers identify with these leaders, and want to emulate them. These leaders usually have very high standards of moral and ethical conduct and can be considered to doing the right thing. They are deeply respected by followers, who usually place a great deal of trust in them. They provide followers with a sense of vision and mission.

Intellectual Stimulation is the extent to which transformational leaders challenge assumptions, take risks and solicit followers’ ideas. They recognize followers through stimulation, creativity and innovation. The leader support and collaborates with the followers as they try new approaches and develop innovative ways of dealing with organizational issues. The leader encourages followers to think things out on their own and encourages followers to think independently so that followers become autonomous.

Transformational Leaders are Positive Thinkers

Transformational leadership is visible at all levels of an organizations. Managers can use empowering language to gain commitment from their subordinates. There is no doubt that CEOs who are transformational have a significant impact on the performance of their organization mainly because they are seen as positive role models whose behaviors are emulated throughout all levels of the organization. Successful CEOs also practice “management by walking around” and use language that is appropriate for a particular, individual, group, or department. This ability to connect with others regardless of hierarchy is a behavior that transformational leaders practice on a daily basis. Transformational leaders also have close contact with their followers and are authentic in showing their strengths and weaknesses within the firm. Transformational leadership has been observed at all levels of management. Transformational leadership can cross hierarchical echelons so is transparent on the shop floor as well as at the top of the hierarchical chain.   

Transformational Leaders Better The Financial Performance

There is also empirical evidence that transformational leadership is important in helping to elevate the effectiveness and efficiency within organizations. It has been found through various studies that transformational leadership was positively associated with performance. A meta-analysis that focused on the use of the Multifactor Leadership questionnaire, which measures Transformational Leadership, also found a positive association between transformational leadership and organizational effectiveness. In another study, presidents of 27 simulated business firms who were described as transformational had higher financial performance in their firms compared to other type of leaders. Transformational leaders are effective in the vision and mission that they disseminate throughout the organization. In a survey of 183 entrepreneurs in the woodwork industry, it was verified that company visions that were effectively written and communicated throughout the organization and contained attributes of future orientation and challenge, affected subsequent venture growth. 

This dossier centers around those practices that separate transformational pioneers from value-based pioneers. There are four principle segments of transformational administration: Individualized thought, Intellectual incitement, Inspirational Motivation, and Idealized Influence. Every one of these parts are emphatically identified with individual and authoritative execution. Transformational pioneers empower their supporters to go past desires though value-based pioneers simply give unforeseen rewards in return to exertion and are less successful than transformational pioneers.

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