Transformational Leadership: How To Inspire Others To Be Better

We’ve all known different types of leaders—some you want to emulate and others have taught you what not to do.

Some lead by example and encourage team members to learn and grow, while others give orders and expect perfection.

Others choose the laissez-faire approach—they don’t engage at all and manage from a distance. 

Leadership is a tough job, and it takes practice and time to improve. 

What kind of leader are you? As a manager of people, I strive each day to be a transformational leader. 

Why?

To be a transformational leader is to inspire others to be better. This style of leadership shows your team members they can achieve greatness if they stick with you and the mission of your work.

What is transformational leadership?

Transformational leaders are inspirational, first and foremost.

They see a key part of their role as leaders is to motivate their team members to strive for more, to go above and beyond, and to work toward a shared vision. They trust their people (and tell them so on a regular basis) and work to know what motivates them and how to best engage with them.

Well-known transformational leaders of the past include Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. In today’s world, transformational leadership can be seen within business models that have excelled to new heights. 

Steve Jobs’ transformational leadership took Apple to a new level with his vision of innovation and changing the world with technology.

Here are some other examples:

• Reed Hastings took Netflix from DVD mail-order rentals to a new level of in-home entertainment. According to Hastings, “Incredible people don’t want to be micromanaged. We manage through setting context and letting people run.”
• Oprah Winfrey has influenced millions of people from diverse backgrounds. Known as the “media mogul,” she inspires others to reach for more and she encourages self-empowerment. 
• Jeff Bezos, love or loathe him, had a dream of creating the biggest “everything store” online—now known as Amazon. He’s often referred to as a mentoring transformational leader who instills his vision and energy within those around him. 
• Dr. Condoleeza Rice the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, believes a leader must have integrity. In her work, Dr. Rice has demonstrated empowerment of others and courage to step out of her comfort zone.

Remember, as a leader, people look to you for guidance and direction. They need a positive role model who’s willing to challenge the status quo when possible.

Some days you might struggle with motivation yourself as a leader.

In those moments, put yourself in the shoes of your staff who look up to you and remind yourself it’s your duty to show up engaged and ready to take on whatever the day may bring with positivity. 

What you do makes a difference. 

In my own work as an Assistant Unit Head in the public-safety sector, I’m always working to grow and improve as a leader. I’ve learned people want to be led with engagement and excitement for the work and the big-picture vision. They want to be heard, and they want clear, honest responses.  

I make sure my team members and I meet regularly to discuss progress, wins, and areas of improvement. Sometimes these are difficult conversations, but learning to get comfortable being uncomfortable is part of the leader’s job. And, in the long run, these talks strengthen my relationships with colleagues. 

These transformational leadership principles are game-changers today, but they took root a while back.

A brief history of transformational leadership

In 1978, leadership expert James MacGregor Burns’ book Leadership introduced the idea of Transformational Leadership Theory. He defined it as a way of working together in which “leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation.” 

In 1985, Bernard M. Bass took the concept of transformational leadership further. In his book, Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, he described the transformational leader as a model of integrity and fairness, who sets clear goals and has high expectations. He believed transformational leadership was comprised of four components:

1. Inspirational motivation – the ability to inspire others to know better, do better, and be better. 
2. Intellectual stimulation – challenging others to be innovative change-thinkers.
3. Idealized influence – serving as a positive role-model and understanding others look to the leader for direction and guidance. The influence of leaders is key to any transformation.
4. Individual consideration – knowing the value of each team member and taking time to learn what motivates and energizes people on an individual basis.

​In 1991, Bass and Bruce Avolio introduced the Full Range Leadership Model—a look at how transactional and transformational leadership play into a hands-off leadership approach. 

In 2005, Bass and Riggio published Transformational Leadership, Second Edition, which included new examples of transformational leadership and its measurement and effectiveness.

As a transformational leader, you bring people up with you and you challenge them to reach the vision you all believe in. You aim to serve as a role-model every day you walk in the office, and you know the importance of motivating your people. 

The transformational leadership model is engaging because it requires leaders to be present and willing to challenge their team members—and also themselves. It also encourages high levels of accountability with support and encouragement.