leadingtoday.org
Leadership Tip of
the Month
February 2003
Copyright 2003 ã weLEAD, Inc.
What is
“Transformational Leadership”?
In most areas of the world electrical
energy is provided by a power transformer. This boxy device is designed for a
simple purpose. It takes the existing energy coming into it and transforms
it to a different level. Electrical power is transported on a grid system at
one voltage and when it arrives at residential neighborhoods it is transformed into
a different and useful voltage. Within organizations, the right leadership
behaviors can also transform the company and individuals from one level
to another, and produce positive significant change! In the 1970’s, researcher
James McGregor Burns wrote a significant book entitled, Leadership. He
sought to define the processes or behaviors used by leaders to motivate or
influence followers. Burns described leadership behavior as falling within two
broad categories of influence. One category is called transformational
leadership. This behavior is founded on the belief that leaders and followers
can raise each other to higher levels of motivation and morality. The other
category is called Transactional leadership and is discussed in the January
2003 weLEAD “Leadership Tips of the
Month”.
The heart of transformational leadership is
the leader’s desire and ability to raise the consciousness of others by
appealing to powerful moral values and ideals. The leader is able to transform
followers beyond the dishonorable emotions of jealously, greed and fear to
higher principles of liberty, justice and humanitarianism. As Burns would say,
the followers are raised from their “everyday selves” to become “better
selves.” Transformational leaders influence followers by serving as a teacher,
mentor and coach. They seek to elevate and empower others to a higher level.
Transformational leaders can be found within any organization and at any level
in the organization. This is a leader that can influence superiors, peers or
subordinates.
Bernard Bass expanded upon the earlier ideas
of Burns with his own theory of transformational leadership. He defines this
supervision in terms of the leader’s motivational effect on followers. They
feel loyalty, trust, admiration and respect toward the transformational leader.
The followers are motivated to serve and achieve more than they originally were
expected to. They are inspired to achieve higher-order needs and are
made more aware of the organization’s needs for their unique skills and
talents. Today it is acknowledged that there are four various types of
transformational leadership behavior. These are as follows…
1. Idealized
Influence – This is a behavior that arouses followers to feel a
powerful identification and strong emotions toward the leader.
2. Inspirational
Motivation – A leadership behavior that models high values as an
example, and includes communication of an inspiring vision. It also promotes
powerful symbols to arouse greater effort and a feeling of belonging.
3. Individualized
Consideration – This behavior provides coaching, support and
encouragement of specific followers.
4. Intellectual
Stimulation – A behavior that influences followers to view problems
from a fresh perspective and with a new increased awareness.
The end result of transformational leadership
is empowering others to take more initiative in their work, inspiring them to
be more committed and building their self-confidence. Of course, these
activities can’t take place in a vacuum. Transformational leaders nurture an
organizational culture by giving attention to priorities and concerns,
maturely reacting to crisis situations, role modeling, wise allocation of
rewards, and by defining the criteria for success.
For weLEAD, this is Greg Thomas reminding you
that it was Steven Covey who once
wrote, "The goal of transformational
leadership is to “transform” people and organizations in a literal sense – to
change them in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight, and understanding;
clarify purposes; make behavior congruent with beliefs, principles, or values;
and bring about changes that are permanent, self-perpetuating, and momentum
building."
On
the weLEAD Website you will
find over 70 other free helpful
leadership tips. They are all available in a text version or as an MP3 audio!