Transformational leadership refers to a style by which an intellectually stimulating environment is created in the workplace through effective communication. This leadership style profoundly influences others and raises the performance level of the other members of the organization. Following are things that transformational leaders do:
- Inspire – Transformational leaders challenge the status quo and encourage creativity. They encourage others to explore new ways of doing things.
- Challenge – A recognizable trait of the transformational leader is that they will challenge others to come up with new ways to advance the company vision. They discourage complacency and look for ideas from others.
- Engage – The transformational leader engages others in developing paths to drive the business forward. Directions are not developed in a vacuum but are arrived at in a collaborative fashion.
- Develop – People who are influenced by a transformational leader tend to grow and advance themselves. Thus this type of leadership raises the performance level of those around them.
- Align – The transformational leader will naturally align the actions of those around them with the objectives of the business.