What Is Transformational Leadership? | Indeed.com

What Is Transformational Leadership? (And How To Lead With Motivation)

Updated February 12, 2024

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You may encounter and use several different leadership styles in your career whether you are leading a team, project or meeting. Transformational leadership is often used to develop a group of people, ideas or products with a positive and motivational approach.In this article, we will define transformational leadership and discuss its role in the workplace with specific examples. Related: Leadership Skills: Definitions and Examples

What is transformational leadership?

Transformational leadership is an approach in which a leader inspires and motivates team members to create positive changes within an organization. This leadership style can increase group morale, lead to rapid innovation, improve conflict resolution, decrease turnover and foster a sense of ownership amongst a team.Transformational leadership is a process where leaders and followers raise each other to higher levels of motivation and morality. A good transformational leader does the following:

Provides encouragement
Sets clear goals
Provides recognition and support
Models fairness and integrity
Provokes positive emotions in others
Inspires people to achieve their goals

To understand the transformational leadership style, you must first define “transformative,” which means causing meaningful change. Through transformational leadership, both a leader and her team develop their skills and qualities as individuals. To benefit from this model, a leader must understand the steps involved in the process as well as how transformational leadership can benefit the entire team.

Transformational vs. transactional leadership

Because transformational and transactional leadership are often confused, it is important to differentiate between these two very different leadership styles. Transactional leadership focuses on compliance through the withholding and providing of benefits and rewards.Transactional and transformational leadership differ in that transformational leaders focus on intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation and individual consideration. Transactional leaders look at the short-term by offering rewards for certain behaviors rather than inspiring overall change. Those following this style of leadership may also micro-manage to ensure their standards are met.

Leading with an inspired vision

For transformational leadership to be effective, you must have a clear and inspirational vision of your team’s future. This vision should outline the purpose of the organization as it is relevant to the business and its mission as a whole. Your purpose may incorporate some of the core values of those you lead, as well as their capabilities. Once you have identified and defined your purpose, you can help others determine how they can contribute to your vision for the organization. OKRs, or “opportunities and key results” can be a helpful framework to use when setting goals for your team.

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Motivating your team

Even with the most inspirational purpose, you still need those around you to believe in it enough to find common motivation. To gain their trust in your ability to lead, you must appeal to the values of your team members. Keep the purpose fresh in their minds by connecting it to goals, talking about it often and finding ways everyone can meaningfully contribute to it. Every individual has needs that shape how they interact with others and complete tasks. A transformational leader requires strong self-actualization and self-esteem to inspire others to change.

Focus on the big picture

A transformational leader is more likely to look at the larger picture, rather than get stuck on small details along the way. To succeed as a transformational leader, trust that those you are leading to work independently on delegated tasks without requiring constant supervision is crucial. Transformational leaders spend more time reviewing the mission and values of their organization, while the team they lead tackles smaller tasks that help them achieve the goals they’ve set.

Characteristics of transformational leaders

Some of the most common character traits among successful transformational leaders include mutual respect, organizational skills, creativity, responsibility and integrity. It is vital to intellectually challenge those you lead, consider each of their individual ideas carefully, motivate them and serve as a positive role model. For example, you should be willing to do whatever it is you require of your team. Related: 15 Leadership Qualities That Make a Great Leader

Comparing transformational leadership to other leadership styles

Other leadership styles commonly discussed in the business world include coaching, serving, leading by vision, taking a hands-off approach, leading by authority, and participative leadership. Coaches often recognize the strengths of their team members, assisting them in setting goals and providing constant feedback to encourage growth. Servant leadership involves focusing on the individuals on the team, ensuring they feel professionally and personally fulfilled. Those who lead by vision must be able to adapt well to change and establish strong bonds among members of the organization.A hands-off or laissez-faire leader provides little supervision by delegating tasks to trusted team members. On the opposite side, an authoritative leader focuses almost exclusively on efficiency and results, often heavily supervising their team. Participative or democratic leaders allow their teams to participate in decision making, asking for feedback before making big decisions.As you determine your own leadership style, assess the needs of your team and the organization as a whole. Transformational leadership tends to be extremely successful for outdated businesses that must change to grow. Teams who are struggling to collaborate and identify with the mission of the organization may also find that transformational leaders can help them become more involved. By evaluating your skills and weaknesses, you can play to your strengths and make improvements to how you lead.

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