What Is Transformational Leadership? [+ How It Drives Innovation]
Think about the best boss you’ve ever had. What made them great?
Were they open to new ideas? Did they lead with humility? Showed empathy when you needed it? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this person could be considered a transformational leader.
Transformational leaders empower and motivate others to achieve extraordinary feats and, in the process, sharpen their own leadership skills.
Here, we’ll cover the basics of transformational leadership, define the key characteristics of this style, and see how it differs from transactional leadership.
To get a better idea of how transformational leadership plays out in the workplace, we need to look at its four primary elements:
- Idealized influence — this is the degree to which a leader models the behavior they want followers to emulate. In doing so, they gain trust and respect from their followers.
- Inspirational motivation — this is the degree to which a leader articulates a vision and outlines future goals. By aligning followers under a singular vision, they can drive the group forward.
- Individualized consideration — this is the degree to which a leader tends to each follower’s needs and acts as a mentor or coach. As a result, followers feel empowered to make individual contributions to the team.
- Intellectual stimulation — this is the degree to which a leader challenges assumptions, takes risks, and solicits ideas and feedback. The goal here is to stimulate creativity in their followers.
Now let’s take a closer look at the impact of this leadership style in the workplace.
Why is transformational leadership effective?
1. Promotes psychological safety.
Transformational leaders know that psychological safety is key for encouraging participation, bringing new ideas forward, and uncovering solutions. They urge people to think independently and challenge the status quo.
Part of fostering psychological safety is replacing criticism with curiosity. For example, if an employee misses a few deadlines, transformational leaders don’t spend too much time on fault. Instead, they might say, “I’ve noticed you missed a few deadlines this month. I assume there are some factors impacting your performance. Can you walk me through what those are?”
Ultimately, it’s up to the leader to model the behavior they want to see from their employees. In doing so, they foster an environment of trust and respect.
2. Prioritizes career development.
Transformational leaders act as a mentor or coach to their employees. They make themselves available to support and advise others when they need it. Most importantly, they look for opportunities – and even create opportunities – to help their employees get closer to their goals.
3. Boosts innovation and high performance.
Transformational leaders don’t shy away from risks, and they often push themselves — and their employees — outside of their comfort zone. Sometimes, this means failure. But other times, it results in exciting, innovative solutions. This motivates employees to keep raising the bar and improving team performance.
4. Cuts down on …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
