A transformational leader is a person who is able to influence individuals and earns their trust; respect and admiration to a great extent thereby help them shift their focus from individual interest to the collective interest of the organization or the team. This in turn works to meet the organizational goals, improve productivity and efficiency. He focuses on the values and importance of a task, and influences his subordinates to let go off the personal goals to achieve a larger perspective-the corporate goals.
A transformational leader will inspire and motivate his subordinates, give due consideration to the followers, and provide intellectual simulation. Through the behavioral pattern of the leader, the subordinates are motivated to accept new challenges and develop better solutions. He motivates them to think out of the box, and develop new, viable solutions.
Research indicates that transformational leadership has yielded positive results in improving performance and in developing positive attitude amongst the subordinates.
Having said that, let us see how a leader can assume the role of a transformational leader.
First and foremost, a transformational leader is extremely social. He interacts proactively with the subordinates and tries to alter the group behavior to suit the organizational environment and strikes a chord with team members, to ignite a positive response from them.
Now, to be able connect with the team members, a leader must possess fantastic communication skills. Here, communication encompasses verbal and non verbal communication. A transformational leader understands the emotional responses and cues given by the team members.
The second trait that a transformational leader must have- is self awareness. Self awareness arises from self confidence. A leader will not over estimate or under estimate himself or his subordinates or his superiors. When a leader has assessed the true worth of him and his team mates, he is likely to achieve the goals along with his team mates. The leader focuses on his subordinates, evaluates them, and provides them coaching in areas where they need development and training.
Let us see this with an example: In a company selling FMCG goods, the transformational leader of a sales team will set realistic targets for his team, encourages them and trains them to achieve their targets, and asks them to think of novel ideas to promote the product. He is receptive of the ideas of his team mates. Here, the leader is not just passing orders to his subordinates about the goals to be met, but he is proactively taking interest and is trying to be the vehicle to meet the goals. He is keeping the communication lines open by asking them to think about novel ways, and he listens to their ideas, thereby building a mutual relationship of trust and cohesiveness in the team.
A point to be noted here is that he is setting realistic goals after assessing the skills of his team members. He fully understands the strengths and the weaknesses of his team members and is ready to help them overcome their weaknesses, and fortify their strengths. This is the reason why organizations look forward to transformational leadership.
