What is transformational leadership?
Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by James V. Downton, the first to coin the term "transformational leadership", a concept further developed by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. James Burns shifted the focus of leadership studies from the traits and actions of great people to the interaction of leaders and their constituencies as collaborators working toward mutual benefit.
Transformational leadership is an alternative approach to transactional leadership where managers are focused on performance-related tasks and goals. Transactional leaders promote compliance by followers through both rewards and punishments, an approach that can work well for short term goals. Transformational leaders in contrast empower their followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to achieve long-term goals or change company culture. Burns theorised that transforming and transactional leadership were mutually exclusive styles, while later theory from Bernard M. Bass suggested that leadership can simultaneously display both transformational and transactional leadership.
Key concepts of transformational leadership include:
- Being a good role model
- Enhancing team motivation and morale
- Understanding a team member’s strengths and weaknesses
- Allowing each team member to have a sense of identity and pride in their work
- Creating a sense of collective identity and pride in working towards a common goal
- Creating an ethical climate (share values, high ethical standards)
- Encouraging the team to look beyond self-interests to the common good
- Providing positive expectations for team members, believing that they can do their best
This transformation approach to leadership has been shown to enhance commitment, involvement, loyalty, and the performance of the team.
For help with transformational change, Phil Baldey is often hired in Interim Management positions to inspire cultural change for teams. Phil can also assist with project management to get teams working together more collaboratively and efficiently. As an interim manager, Phil can plug the gaps in your top level quickly with advanced skills, without the risks associated with long-term contracts.
