TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP

FOUR “I's of TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMPONENTS

Have you ever been in a group where someone took command by expressing a clear vision of the group's objectives, a love for the job, and the capacity to re-energize the group? This individual may be a transformative leader or transformational leader.

Thousands of years of literature from religions to governments told about transformative leaders , who were either favored or feared. One undeniable common thread that binds history's most prominent leaders are they all acted as catalysts for change in some way.

A transformative leader chooses to be one by choice. Among the different leadership styles, this is one of the more popular ones in modern leadership and management practice. But few managers or CEOs are transformative. Most want to preserve things as they are.

The number of transformational or transformative leaders are growing everywhere. For example, to expand a small firm into a huge one, entrepreneurs must be change agents. This is where leaders appreciate the concept that transformative Leadership assumes that everyone can lead, and that everyone contributes to and co-creates the society we live in, whether or not they are aware of it.

TRANSFORMATIVE leadership inspires good transformation in those who follow.

TRANSFORMATIVE leaders are often passionate and vivacious. Not only are these leaders attentive and participating in the process, but they also want to see everyone succeed.

The concept of TRANSFORMATIVE leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."1

Through the strength of their vision and personality, TRANSFORMATIVE leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work towards common goals.

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.2

Bass also identified four elements of transformative leadership

FOUR “I”s of TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP COMPONENTS

1. Insightful & Intellectual: Transformational leaders not only question the current quo, but also inspire followers' inventiveness through creativity. The leader pushes people to try new things and learn new things.

1. Individual & Personalise: Individualized Help and Encouragement: TRANSFORMATIVE leaders support and encourage individual followers. TRANSFORMATIVE leaders have a strong vision that they can communicate to their people. These leaders may also inspire others to achieve similar aims.

1. Inspire & Motivate: Transformative leaders keep channels of communication open so followers may freely express ideas and leaders can directly acknowledge each follower's unique contribution.

1. Influence & Impact: Idealized Influence: TRANSFORMATIVE leaders inspire followers. Because followers admire and trust the leader, they imitate and absorb his or her values.

So, what characterizes a transformative leader? This leader's groups tend to be successful and loyal. They provide a lot to the team and care greatly about its success. Turnover is minimal because transformative leaders may inspire a lot of commitment from their followers.

Every decision, action, dialogue, and encounter reflects our own personal values. Transformative Leadership asks everyone to consider the impact of their ideas, beliefs, actions, and relationships on the world. Transformative leadership is a collaborative process of mutual gain. Transformative Leadership is based on four guiding principles: Being, Relating, Knowing, and Doing (Montuori & Donnelly, 2018).

Researchers observed that workers who felt their bosses had more transformative leadership also reported better levels of well-being. The impact remained substantial even after researchers adjusted for well-being indicators including work stress, education, and age.Now, we would like to take your understanding of transformative leadership to the next level.

When you welcome more transformative leadership qualities into your teams and organisation, how would you use the endless future transformative possibilities to navigate our uncertain times!

References

Montuori, A., & Donnelly, G. (2018). Transformative Leadership. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from ResearchGate website: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319019519_Transformative_Leadership