Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that creates valuable and positive change in followers, with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. Through the strength of their vision and personality, transformational leaders are able to inspire followers, to change expectations, perceptions and motivate them to work towards the organization goals. The transformational leadership style keeps employees enthused. It is based on the belief that if the employee is excited about the goal or vision of the organization that they will perform at a higher standard to achieve the common goal.
Transformational leaderships occurred when a leader transforms or changes his or her employees or team members in different direction with same goals (George & Jones, 2012). There are many ways a leader can enhance the ability of their team members. In the case of transformational leadership, the leader managed to make the followers or employees to trust on the leaders for its decisions, personal and its solutions. It means the leader will not backstabbed the follower, instead work along with the follower to complete a great thing. Then, the leader will perform his or her behaviors in order to increases the achievements of the organizational goals. Most leaders will ask their team members to complete this and that without giving proper directions. Not in the case of transformational leaders.
They remind, they repeated and they make sure their employees understand what they wants by working together with them to achieve their goals. It means that cooperation is highly valued by the transformational leaders when completing a task. Also, transformational leaders always motivate their employees to perform at the highest levels of their abilities.
As the markets are becoming more challenging, organizations need a good transformational leaders to keep the success floating. According to Jeffrey S. Shipley (2013) he states, “I see it as more of a mentoring or coaching role. It’s about motivation, empowerment and morale of the employees. You have to take the time to individualize, be the role model and understand people and how they think. You need to challenge long-term assumptions and beliefs and think about things a different way,” Steve Jobs is one of the examples of transformational leadership.
He changed the vision, mission and minds of his employees with encouragement and involvement into their works. He made them understand their works and appreciate their success over the launching of products and products sales. That is what an organization needs to keep the employees fit for the challenges in the market nowadays. As competitions are greater lately, the employees can be easily de-motivated. However, it can be accomplished when the leaders are involved in the life’s of their team and employees and motivating them to the end.
According to Zaccaro, Rittman & Marks (2001), there are several challenges that may arise for the leaders in leading the employees to success. One of the challenges is aligning the individual goals with a shared mission. In a team, it consists of several individuals with different goals, missions and vision that serve their purposes of works. A leader must be very good to align all those goals from individuals needs into one mission, vision and goal. For example, Steve Jobs always reminded his employees that they need to fulfill the mission, vision and goals he stated for them. It was to bring success and number one for Apple products which he managed to aligned each individual’s goals into achieving the organization’s goals. Other challenges are managing the resources among the teams, creating a good climate of trust and supports and aligning the ways information transferred between the members. If the jobs required different completion from one parties to other parties, the leaders need to motivate the employees to pass the jobs to the other parties and complete the tasks within the allotted time frame.
Transformational leaders always show consideration towards their followers when there are interpersonal conflicts among the team members. The leaders normally will try to keep the team members cooperate, and if there be any conflicts try to settle them within the same day. Normally, transformational leaders will listen to the conflicts and give best solution to keep everyone happy. Transformational leaders need to make sure that the group members are always working together towards the same goals, mission and purposes. Thus, it increases trust between each member and towards leaders.
Transformational leadership has been defined above in the introduction. It happened when a leader decides to changes his or her followers’ behaviors, minds and attitudes into completing a task together in a group. The leader himself or herself will work together with their team members into completing the task required by the organizations. Due to that, the leaders firstly need to be able to gain the trust of their team members. Normally, group members consists of several employees working in different departments and grouped together to solve a particular problem. This created problems when individuals have different goals, needs and purposes in solving the problems. Hence, transformational leaders have the abilities to match all those different goals, mission and purposes into one goal, mission and purpose by making the members trust in him or her as a leader. It worked well for most transformational leaders because followers certainly want to trust the leaders for his or her actions and decisions. That is how transformational leaders charmed their followers into trusting them.
Also transformational leaders have the abilities to increase their subordinates’ awareness of the importance of their tasks and the importance of performing them well. This is how the transformational leaders are able to align all the different goals, missions and purposes from different individuals in the team into one goal. Once the followers understand the goals, the leaders will be there to help in all the processes regarding to the tasks. Mostly, transformational leaders work together with their followers and motivate them all along the way.
In conclusion there are three things we can say about transformational leadership. It is one of the best leadership to increase job satisfaction in the business. Transformational leaders are more close to their employees which made them trustworthy and fun to work with. As leaders they know what to say to their employees when they are having a hard time and gave them space to keep them working along at their own pace. They do not rush the employees but they tend to take it slower. They have the abilities to motivate their employees with great words and great spiritual supports to make the best out of their employees.
They always involve their employees in tasks or projects without neglecting them alone in the process. It is because they believe every employee has different abilities, skills and knowledge that when it is combined, it makes great results. As leaders they believe that every employee has the right to be involved in a task that makes them learned about new things which are useful for their personal growth. Overall, transformational leaderships generate success in managing team and organizations.
References
George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2012). Transformational and Charismatic Leadership. In Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior (p. 382). England: Pearson. Braun, S., Peus, C., Weisweiler, S., & Frey, D. (2013). Transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and team performance: A multilevel mediation model of trust. The Leadership Quarterly 24, 270–283 www.cio/article/735121/how_to_apply_transformational_leadership_at_your_company? (p. 3)
