Transformational Leadership

Becoming an Inspirational Leader

Everyone respects Molly. Her team members are fiercely loyal, and they're highly
successful – as individuals, and as a team. By contrast, other leaders in the
organization report that their people seem disengaged. They experience high staff
turnover, and their results are often disappointing. So, what does Molly do that other
leaders don't? Molly is a transformational leader and, in this article and video, we'll
look at how you can be one, too .

A good leader is easy to spot. His or her team members are successful, highly
motivated, fiercely loyal, and prepared to go the extra mile to get the job done. But
how exactly do you become such a leader, so that you can take your team to the
highest level? This is where transformational leadership comes in. 

If you practice transformational leadership, you'll be able to motivate people to reach

their goals – and more. They'll push themselves beyond their usual limits and feel a
great sense of job satisfaction. 

To start, follow these four steps. Step one is about creating an inspiring vision for
your team. Your team will want to follow you if it sees that it can be part of a great
future with you. So, take a look at your organization's mission statement, vision
statement, and business plan, and think about how your people can contribute in a
way that's meaningful and compelling to them. (If you're a senior leader, it's down to
you to do some serious strategy work to develop an inspiring and worthwhile plan for
your whole organization!) 

Don't assume team members will automatically buy into and deliver the vision.
Instead, find a way to motivate them to do so. Business storytelling is a powerful tool
here. Is there a success story relating to your vision that will help your team visualize
the future? 

Talk about your vision often, and link it to people's daily goals and tasks. This shows
the team that it's part of something bigger, and that it owns the vision too. 

Step three involves you managing the delivery of the vision, day to day. Be sensitive
about introducing change to the team, and set a good example by being hardworking
and resilient yourself, just as you'd like to see in others. Communicate each person's
roles and responsibilities clearly and give regular feedback. Practice Managing by
Wandering Around, so you're accessible to your people and can answer their
questions as they arise. 

Long-term successful leadership can be yours by, finally, following step four: building
an ever-stronger team, based on trust. Meet regularly with individual members of
your team to understand their development needs and to help them meet their
career goals. Set aside time to coach your team. Enabling people to find their own
solutions to problems improves their self-confidence, and their trust in you. 
Then build trust further by being open and honest in your interactions and disclosing
safe personal information. 

You, your team and your organization will all benefit when you adopt
transformational leadership. You'll likely see increased efficiency, innovative ideas,
and personal and business growth. And your people will become confident,
enthusiastic and loyal. 

To begin with, Molly regularly reminds her team members of the purpose of their
work. And she knows that she's a role model for her team, so she demonstrates
integrity in all of her working relationships.

She sets high expectations, but "walks the walk" to demonstrate the standards that
she expects. In this article, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and
we'll outline how you can become a transformational leader.

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership expert James McGregor Burns introduced the concept of

transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He defined
transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise
one another to higher levels of morality and motivation."
Bernard M. Bass later developed the concept of transformational leadership further.
According his 1985 book, "Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations,"
this kind of leader:
 Is a model of integrity and fairness.

 Sets clear goals.

 Has high expectations.

 Encourages others.

 Provides support and recognition.

 Stirs the emotions of people.

 Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.

 Inspires people to reach for the improbable.

More than 25 years after Bass' book, transformational leadership is often argued to
be one of the most important ideas in business leadership.
How to Become a Transformational Leader

We've distilled Bass' ideas into a process that you can use to become a
transformational leader. This involves you:

1. Creating an inspiring vision of the future.

2. Motivating people to buy into and deliver the vision.
3. Managing delivery of the vision.
4. Building ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people.
Note:
As you can see, our process doesn't map directly onto Bass' list. However, it does
translate the traits that he set out into clear and actionable steps.
Use these steps, along with the tools we outline below, to develop your
transformational leadership skills.

Step 1: Create an Inspiring Vision

People need a compelling reason to follow your lead, and this is why you need to
create and communicate an inspiring vision of the future.

Your vision sets out your team or organization's purpose  – why you all get up in the
morning to do what you do. You develop this partly by understanding the values  of
the people you lead, partly by understanding the capabilities  and resources  of
your organization, and partly by conducting an intelligent analysis of your
environment, and selecting the best way forward within it.
This is the subject of business unit strategy, and developing a coherent strategy
takes a lot of hard work and careful thought.
If you're developing a vision for your organization, use Mullins' Seven Domains
Model  to analyze your environment. Then, use tools such as Lafley and Martin's
Five-Step Strategy Model  to develop your strategy. This is usually then expressed
in a business plan , and summarized in a mission statement .
If you're developing a vision for your team, start with the company's mission and
vision, and explore the ways in which your team can contribute directly to it.

Step 2: Motivate People to Buy Into and Deliver the Vision

Now, starting with your mission statement , you need to appeal to your

people's values , and inspire them with where you're going to lead them, and why.
Use business storytelling  as part of your call to action: this will help people
appreciate the positive impact of your vision on the people you're trying to help.
(Hint: if the only person you're trying to help is yourself, you won't inspire anyone.)
Then, talk about your vision often. Link it to people's goals and tasks to give it
context, and help people see how they can contribute to it.
Transformational leaders also know that nothing significant happens unless they
encourage their people. So, make sure that you know about the different kinds
of motivation, and use these to inspire your people to deliver their best.

Step 3: Manage Delivery of the Vision

A vision is no use on its own: it needs to become reality. However, many leaders
make the mistake of developing a vision, but of not putting in the hard and often
mundane work of delivering it.

To manage the delivery of your vision, you'll need to combine effective project

management with sensitive change management . This will help you deliver the
changes you need with the full support of your people. Communicate each person's
roles and responsibilities clearly, and connect these to your plans. Everyone should
fully understand what they're responsible for, and know how you will measure their
success. Next, set clear, SMART  goals for everyone, including some short-term
goals that will help people achieve quick wins and stay motivated. Use management
by objectives  to link short-term achievement to your longer-term goals.
You may need to build your self-discipline  and stamina, so that you don't let
yourself down. And, set a good example to your people – especially if they're
affected by delays or difficulties – by being a model of hard work and persistence.
Also, stay visible by practicing management by walking around . This is an ideal
technique for transformational leaders, because it helps you stay connected with
daily activities, and allows you to answer questions as they arise.

Tip:
Clear communication is essential to transformational leadership.

Take time to make sure that your communications are heard and understood, and
give clear, regular feedback , so that your people know what you want.

Step 4: Build Ever-Stronger, Trust-Based Relationships With Your People

As a transformational leader, you need to focus your attention on your people, and
work hard to help them achieve their goals and dreams.

Use Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model  as your starting point. This
tool outlines how important your people are to your success as a leader.
It also underlines the fact that leadership is a long-term process, and that, as a
leader, you need to work constantly to build relationships, earn trust, and help your
people grow as individuals.

Meet your people individually to understand their developmental needs  , and help
them to meet their career goals. What do they want to achieve in their role? Where
do they see themselves five years from now? How can you help them reach this
goal?
You can build trust  with your people by being open and honest in your interactions.
Use the Johari Window  to disclose safe personal information  about yourself,
and to get a better understanding of "what makes your people tick."
Lastly, set aside time to coach  your people. When you help them find their own
solutions, you not only create a skilled team, but you also strengthen their self-
confidence and their trust in you.

Key Points
Transformational leaders inspire great loyalty and trust in their followers. They have
high expectations, and they inspire their people to reach their goals.

You can become a transformational leader by following these steps:

1. Create an inspiring vision of the future.

2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision.
3. Manage delivery of the vision.
4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people.
Keep in mind that, to succeed as a transformational leader, you'll need to work on
your own skills, and set aside time and space for personal development.
Gain a team who will go that extra mile to get the job done.