Ms. Vibha Khosla
Principal – Shri Ram Global School, Delhi-West

Every person has an aura which gives the special touch and presence. And if the person happens to be standing up the hierarchy as the leader then the fragrance is bound to spread in the entire organization.

What is transformational leadership? It is a path for motivating innovation. The transformational leadership style inspires the team to embrace change by fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and create a self-driven environment with autonomy.

What is transformational leadership?

Transformational leaders encourage, inspire, and motivate their employees to innovate and create the change necessary to shape the future success of any organization. This is accomplished by setting an example at the executive level through authenticity, a strong sense of culture, taking ownership, and independence and freedom in the workplace. Transformational leaders are the change makers in the any organization, who can identify innovative and shifting trends in technology, and then help the organization embrace the change.

Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their workforce without micromanaging — they trust their employees to take authority over decisions in their assigned task. This management style is designed to give their employees ample space to be creative, decision makers, critical thinkers, risk takers and take ownership of their work as well as the organization. Employees with transformational leaders will also be prepared to become transformational leaders themselves through mentorship and training.

How does the Transformational leadership work?

There are four main elements that define the transformational leadership model and style. These factors were developed by Bass in 1985 to help define what transformational leadership looks like and how to be successful as this type of leader:

1. The Idealized influence: Transformational leaders lead by example; they model the right behavior that is eventually replicated by the employees too. Leading with authenticity and maintaining a high standard of behavior motivates the employees to emulate the same more consistently.
2. The Intellectual stimulation: Transformative leaders make their employees feel comfortable and encourage them to work innovatively. They foster creativity and critical thinking, by creating an environment that facilitates growth.
3. The Inspirational motivation: Transformational leaders believe in encouraging the employees to commit to the organization, by giving them a sense of purpose and oneness with the organization. They motivate the workforce by making them feel that their effort contributes productively to the organization, rather than getting the work done through fear.
4. The Individual consideration: Fostering a sense of independence among the employees is an important part of having a strong organization. However, each individual joins the organization with a different purpose, and has different needs. Transformative leaders ensure that they support the employees by catering to this individuality and help them become the best versions of themselves.

It can, therefore, be noted how transformational leaders not only motivate the employees positively and uphold moral standards through exemplary behavior, but also have a clear goals and priorities. They create an environment wherein each individual feels the need to work with a growth mindset, cooperate with one another, and have an open communication. They are not just leaders, but coaches, mentors and guides who take the organization to new heights by empowering the employees.