Are You a Transformational Leader? Here Are a Few Ways to Find Out

To find out if you are a Transformational Leader, respond to the following 8 statements with yes or no:

☐ It has always been easy for me to inspire people.

☐ My team would say I am attentive to their concerns and needs.

☐ I would never ask a member of my team to do something that I wouldn’t do.

☐ I believe the keys to success lies in innovation and creativity.

☐ I have been told my positive energy is catchy.

☐ My group knows what I stand for.

☐ I encourage my team to question automatic conclusions.

☐ I delegate tasks with the objective of increasing my team’s skills and capabilities.

If you’ve answered yes to six of them chances are high you are already a transformational leader.

What are the Keys to being a Transformational Leader?

There are four elements of transformational leadership:

• Stimulation
• Motivation
• Influence
• Consideration

#1 Key to Transformational Leadership: Stimulation

The leader encourages followers to be creative and innovative. This way, they are always challenging them to perform at the highest level.

#2 Key to Transformational Leadership: Motivation

The leader motivates and inspires his team. They are charismatic and always have a positive attitude.

#3 Key to Transformational Leadership: Influence

A transformational leader leads by example. They are the perfect role model for their team.

#4 Key to Transformational Leadership: Consideration

These leaders show genuine consideration for the feelings and needs of their followers. They always find the time and make an effort to give each team member personal attention. Without this, one couldn’t reasonably expect employees to give tasks and projects their all.

There are certain personality traits that transformational leaders share

These include honesty, openness, consistency, flexibility, creativity, and kindness. They are visionaries who are capable of transforming ideas into reality. They delegate responsibility and empower action and invest in employees’ professional development.

Transformational leaders are confident, decisive, and resilient. They include others in their decision-making process and are well-aware of how unproductive and even damaging uncertainty can be. And they set boundaries. They are not afraid to take risks and demonstrate entrepreneurial flair and they are also not afraid to admit to making a mistake. They’ll choose the “road not taken” when an issue needs to be resolved and can manage changes with a combination of skill and sensitivity. Finally, a transformational leader encourages strategic and critical thinking.

Why is Transformational Leadership Important?

The principles of this type of leadership are essential to modern-day organizations facing urgent and complex challenges. Leaders who have the skills to adapt, connect and deliver are capable of encouraging innovation and promoting top performance change to ensure lasting success.

Transformational leadership skills can be learned, so even if you feel you’re not born with it, here are a few ways to get started:

# 1 Way to Become a Transformational Leader, Set an Example:

Setting an example for your team to follow is the most important part of inspiring them. When things become challenging, transformational leaders succeed by modeling positive attitudes, behavior, and actions that will bring about the best possible results. Employees always watch their leader to see if they are following the same rules and holding themselves accountable to the expectations they communicate to the team. Setting an example helps leaders foster collaboration, build trust, and inspire greater engagement.

#2 Way to Become a Transformational Leader, Be Aware of System Interconnection:

Today, many leaders operate within extremely complicated structures characterized by overlapping operations and a myriad of interconnected divisions. A change in a certain area of the system will impact other areas and the mechanisms of this may not always be easy to predict. Improving one’s understanding of system interconnectivity allows leaders to anticipate the impact of changes and take preventive measures so they don’t spiral out of control.

#3 Way to Become a Transformational Leader, Nothing is Permanent:

This is a fact of life that transformational leaders are well aware of. Situations can change dramatically at the speed of light, compelling people to adapt. Both external and internal events can have great and unexpected impacts. A transformational leader will apply different strategies in different situations, adapt, and find different solutions that work at a specific period in time. These leaders possess profound knowledge of the company’s goals and culture and adjust to changing circumstances to guide the company towards long-term success.

#4 Way to become a Transformational Leader, Foster Agreement

A transformational leader is not authoritarian – they coordinate their decision-making process with relevant stakeholders at all organizational levels. Transformational leaders work in close cooperation with counterparts and followers to set the right expectations. They empathize with those impacted by their plans and decisions.

#5 Way to become a Transformational Leader, Stay Focused

Transformational leaders strike a unique balance between situational awareness and awareness of long-term strategies and commitments. This is no easy feat as one can lose focus on larger organizational goals as they work on solving day-to-day issues. Staying focused is crucial for leaders who are trying to fight poor performance or low engagement. An effective leader finds ways to cope with short-term issues without compromising their organization’s long-term goals. They address change effectively as a result. A business going through disruption and change will benefit from transformational leadership more than any other organization.