There are several key characteristics that describe what it
means to be a "transforming" or "transformational" leader.
One such feature is vision. Transforming leaders have a clear idea or vision of
the future, and they are able to articulate it clearly so that their followers
can comprehend and adopt it. Another characteristic is empathy. A transforming
leader is able to understand and relate to the thoughts, feelings, and motives
of their followers. This involves listening and engaging in genuine
conversations with them. Furthermore, transforming leaders are often perceived
as being able to foster change and innovation within followers. By enhancing
their creativity and expanding or developing their core competencies, followers
receive the support they need to implement and initiate successful changes
within the organization. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in
this. The capability to perceive, control, and evaluate one’s own emotions is
combined with an ability to perceive, assess, and influence the emotions of
others. This allows leaders to develop high-quality exchanges and relationships
with followers that encourage the emergence of positive attitudes and
behaviors. Good emotional intelligence supports nurturing, testing, and
eliminating these ideas. Leaders need to adapt to their environment and
capabilities. By having excellent communication skills, leaders can ensure that
they have a complete understanding of the organization and represent this in
formal and informal conduits back to their subordinates. It also means that
communication is bi-directional, with the leader being receptive to acquiring
the views of followers. Authenticity is also important for transformational
leaders. They must act in a way that is consistent with their beliefs and values,
and they should be open about doing so with everyone around them. Finally,
resilience is another key feature of transforming leadership. The charismatic
and inspiring nature of transforming leaders can draw fire from inside and
outside the organization. Scrutiny by individuals in the media, or who hold
opposing political, ethical, and/or moral beliefs can also challenge the leader
in unexpected ways. As such, resilience is a critical characteristic for a
transforming leader to have. Many believe that developing a sense of excitement
with team members creates a fun environment to work in. As such, creating
teamwork and a positive sense of camaraderie is key to transformational
leadership. This is reflected in two particular ways. First, positive emotions nurture
open-mindedness in organizations, broadening people’s abilities and building
resources such as relationships. The hope is that this increased level of
resources will also breed change to those around them, which, at this stage,
includes team members. Consequently, the behavior of the leader has a big
chance of influencing those who are involved, and therefore they will develop
similar feelings and beliefs.
How do you adapt to the needs of your environment and the capabilities
of your team?
No comments:
Post a Comment