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[T1244]Transactional Leadership Transformational Leadership

by Akhil Shahani, Akh

Say the word “leader” and most of us envision a knight-like figure charging headlong, inspiring his troops and generally leading from the front. That's the dramatized version of a special type of leadership called “Transformational Leadership”. Transformational leadership is probably the ideal interpretation of leadership, and the most romanticized. Leaders of this kind are visionaries, full of enthusiasm and boundless energy and seek to transform their subordinates in the process of achieving organizational goals. How do you recognize or become one? Find out, right here, right now.

What does he believe in?

A transformational leader believes that passion and vision are prerequisites for a leader trying to inspire others. Not only that, a leader can get his followers to buy into his vision, only if he generates sufficient enthusiasm in them by displaying the same energy and enthusiasm himself.

How does he translate his beliefs into action?

The first and most important component of transformational leadership is a clearly defined vision, which the leader or senior management team is totally committed to. Mouthing mere platitudes will not work, and will fool no one. Belief has to start right at the top for it to go all the way down.

Then there's the all important process of actually securing buy-in from all the participants. That's easier said than done. Since transformational leadership by definition seeks to change, it's never easy to implement. Some leaders might have radical views which will not go down well, especially if there's an “old guard” in place. The only way to succeed is to persist till the idea is finally sold. Again, it rarely ends with a single idea, so transformational leadership is essentially a continuous process.

If you think this is pretty much a one-man show, nothing could be further from the truth. Transformational leadership certainly starts with the leader's vision, but delivering it is very much a team activity. In fact, transformational leaders tend to empower others rather than overpower them. This implies that they repose a great deal of trust and confidence in their team members. Quite often, the leader will not have chalked out a detailed strategy for implementation, and that's where he will rely on his support staff. Indeed, some transformational leaders focus so much on the larger picture that they forget that the devil lies in the details!

Practitioners of transformational leadership will always lead from the front, and enjoy being in the thick of battle. They come into their own in such situations, always inspiring and never letting group morale flag.

What are his tools of trade?

There's always a method to everything and transformational leadership is no exception.
Since change is of essence, and also includes the transformation of followers, the transformational leader uses certain “tricks” to achieve his goals. The leader will seek to change attitudes or behavior by creating a strong sense of ownership among employees for the change and its results. By getting the team to identify with the goals, he makes it easier to secure buy-in. A transformational leader will therefore appeal to the emotional side of his staff and play on their values, strengths and attributes.

He also makes a big deal of seemingly small successes – whether it's a letter of approbation or public praise, the transformational leader will not skimp on giving appreciation where it's due. Resources from walkthetalk.com provide greater insight on this subject.

Where's the catch?

Yes, of course there are some. Since transformational leadership feeds on change, it may not work in a situation where things are pretty much in order. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it – and this can be quite frustrating from the leader's point of view. Also, not everyone can sustain the high energy levels expected, and may give up or worse, opt out. And most important, just because the leader believes passionately in something doesn't necessarily mean that it is right for the organization. While transformational leadership can help create a trailblazing path, it could also plunge a business headlong into disaster.

So what is the magical ingredient to leading that makes it work? Well first of all, you probably know by now that there is no magic wand for life, or for leadership greatness. We can follow in the footsteps of those that came before us, and yet we might still not succeed.

Anyone that has ever attempted to create anything worthwhile knows that it is challenging, period. If it were easy, there would be little transformation of the person involved to create the result. It is often in the process and the journey that we ourselves transform, and that becomes the main reason why we succeed. We develop our own unique and special way of doing and being that really works, and creates the results we are looking for. Often a setback on a project can trigger a decision to do what it takes, pay the price, and get it right.

Being in a leadership position has many demands, some external, and other internal. Others and our own expectations we need to live up to - needing to be a certain way.
So as an example:
To be a transformational leader according to BASS and BURNS you need to be, have or provide:

1. Charisma or Idealized influence

2. Inspirational motivation

3. Intellectual stimulation

4. Individualized consideration or Individualised attention

or else you are not even playing the right game. But, you could do and be all of those 4 characteristics, and still not create the result you want.

You might ask why not? Good question.

Well, it's also very important that you be yourself. This is called being authentic. In a world that is constantly trying to make us anything but our unique and creative self, this is paramount.

YOU are the magical ingredient. Without YOU, nothing happens. Your unique, and authentic way of being you, creates the energy, drive, passion, or whatever you want to call it, that makes all the difference. How you engage your energy, time, integrity and power makes a massive difference to the outcome. It's like having a high performance car, and not using the best fuel. You will never get the best performance output if one aspect is lacking. You can have all the skills in the world, but if your execution is poor, so too will the results be.

It's about how you develop and grow as a leader. The personal choices and commitments you make, and break. What you will and will not stand for. It is you that lives with the consequences of your choices and actions.

Being authentic can be daunting, yet it holds the key to real sincerity and power. It can give you the personal edge and insight that most only dream about. If you gain the world, but lose yourself, you lose the game of life.

Being a Transformational Leader can be challenging, and when you bring your authentic self forward, the journey becomes personalised, powerful, meaningful and more enjoyable. Others respond to the genuine nature that they see in you.

Article Source : Southern Christian Leadership Conference

About Author

Both Akhil Shahani & Richard Cox are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Akhil Shahani has sinced written about articles on various topics from Buy a Franchise, Public Speaking and Education Toys. . Akhil Shahani's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

Richard Cox has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Leadership and Health. is dedicated to unlocking your transformation and leadership potential. Developing Tomorrow's Transformational L. Richard Cox's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.