Why transformational leadership is the need of the hour
Nick Fewings, who is the CEO of UK-based leadership consultancy firm Ngagementworks, believes that transformational leaders inspire through strong beliefs and not through loud words. Transformational leadership includes inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence and individualized consideration. These are the four well-known elements of transformational leadership. Any form of leadership that lacks any one of the elements will not transform managers into leaders and employees into achievers. There is a dire need for transformational leadership in the corporate world.
Employees need to be made to feel more than just like employees
Managers are in the company to get the job done. However, when a manager leads a team of people the right way instead of just performing managerial tasks, he or she transforms those employees into achievers, and the company’s goal of the becomes that of every individual. Transformational leaders make the employees feel less like employees and more like family members. Motivation and inspiration play a vital role in transforming people and are crucial elements of transformational leadership.
Transformational leadership can help in change management
The famous quote “the only thing constant is change” stands true in every aspect, including the corporate world. Time changes, with time people and their needs change, that results in the change of industries and a change in industry results in change of the way corporates function. Despite the importance of change, it is difficult to manage it in a company. People don’t like to step out of the comfort zone even when it’s for the best. Transformational leaders play an important role in change management by making the employees understand the importance of that change in their and company’s future.
With respect to the previous points, when employees understand how their contribution can impact the overall performance of the firm, their performance is drastically improved. Transformational leadership focuses more on impacting the hearts of people and not their mind. It is not about profits in numbers but about the overall benefit of the firm and the work environment. When employees are motivated in the right way, performances organically improve. Transformational leadership can change how a company functions and the company perceives its employees.
Better future, realistic goals
Transformational leadership theories help people understand the importance of realistic goals. While companies often have a culture wherein a manager sends out unrealistic targets so that the employees are motivated to achieve at least the half of what is expected, transformational leadership focuses more on realistic goals that are achievable and mainly on ways that will make teams and people of a company achieve them. Such leadership helps bring down stress levels in all employees and make them feel more accomplished.
Transformational leadership is not about how an employee’s effort can benefit a company, but about how a company can benefit an employee and the people at large. Many companies are implementing transformational leadership theories in their culture as it has become a need of the hour.
