If you’re interested in running for office, some degree of charisma or charm is often a prerequisite. Politicians can’t just tell voters what to do—instead, they use passion and enthusiasm to make voters believe that their vision is what’s best. They rely on catchy slogans, campaign t-shirts, and soaring political speeches. If every candidate is working with the same basic tools, what makes one succeed while another flops?
Politicians prosper when voters believe in their vision—they need to use their leadership abilities to create genuine excitement. In other words, they cultivate an aura of truly transformational leadership. This leadership style is especially common in politics and activism, but that doesn’t mean business owners can’t also utilize the same approach when rallying their troops. Learn how transformational leadership works in a business setting.
What is transformational leadership?
Transformational leadership focuses on motivation, change, and uniting your team or followers under a single purpose. This leadership style requires a charismatic leader, a collaborative environment, and organizational flexibility. Transformational leaders have a clear vision and can communicate it effectively to ignite genuine passion.
4 features of transformational leadership
Bernard Bass, a key scholar on transformational leadership, introduced four key components of transformational leadership, known as the four I’s, in his book Transformational Leadership Theory:
1. Intellectual stimulation
Transformational leaders challenge followers to learn and grow. Intellectual stimulation helps teams discover innovative solutions, and employees are empowered to test out bold, new ideas. A commitment to intellectual stimulation helps ensure that team members feel engaged, are never bored, and have opportunities to grow as individuals.
2. Individualized consideration
Transformational leaders demonstrate empathy and understanding toward team members. They provide mentorship where needed and empower employees to propose bold new ideas. This helps create a nurturing environment where employees can thrive.
3. Inspirational motivation
Transformational leaders inspire employees with a bold vision for the future—and they shine a light on the steps necessary to get there. They use strong communication skills and enthusiasm to motivate followers, providing big-picture context that inspires even granular decisions.
4. Idealized influence
Transformational leaders function with integrity and are often role models for employees. Idealized influence requires leading by example and taking on a mantle of integrity, confidence, and action for your team. Teams with transformational leaders have a high degree of trust—leaders delegate important decisions to subordinates, who in turn feel comfortable with proposing changes or raising concerns.
Transformational vs. transactional leadership
To better understand transformational leadership behavior, it helps to compare it with its opposite: transactional leadership. While transformational leaders inspire with bold visions and big ideas, transactional leaders focus on structure, results, and short-term goals. Where transformational leaders rally a team around a mission, transactional leaders reward the team for hitting the target.
Transactional leadership revolves around a system of clear roles, rules, and rewards. Leaders of this type set specific expectations and offer performance-based incentives, like bonuses, promotions, or public recognition, when goals are met. They’re more focused on maintaining order than shaking things up. You’ll find this leadership style in fields where precision, consistency, and efficiency are critical, like manufacturing, logistics, or finance.
The key difference between transformational and transactional leadership lies in each’s approach to motivation. Transactional leaders motivate through external rewards, while transformational leaders aim to ignite intrinsic motivation by connecting people to a larger purpose. Where transactional leadership thrives on predictability, transformational leadership behavior embraces innovation and adaptability.
Pros and cons of transformational leadership
Successful transformational leaders can build an innovative organization with an engaged workforce, but it may not be the right choice for every company or organization. Learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of transformational leadership.
Pros of transformational leadership
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Inspires employees. A strong company vision helps employees understand the purpose behind their work. In transformational leadership, team members feel increased motivation and a strong sense of belonging.
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Improves flexibility. With transformational leadership, employees feel comfortable exploring new ideas. This gives your company a competitive advantage when circumstances require a novel approach or nimble pivot.
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Supports positive culture. When transformational leaders succeed, employees will feel both inspired and understood. Strong transformational leadership contributes to a healthy, productive organizational culture and higher job satisfaction amongst employees.
Cons of transformational leadership
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Burnout potential. Transformational leaders try to lead with passion and enthusiasm 24/7/365. This work requires a lot of energy and may become exhausting or contribute to burnout over time.
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Not suitable in some industries. Transformational leadership excels at generating new ideas and driving innovation. This leadership style may not be effective in rigid or highly regulated industries.
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Risk of indecision. Employees rely on transformational leaders for inspiration. In some cases, teams may become too dependent on the leader’s vision and struggle to make autonomous decisions.
What is transformational leadership FAQ
What is transformational leadership in simple terms?
Transformational leaders focus on inspiring and motivating employees to achieve results. Transformational leaders use clear vision and goals to rally their team. They focus on supporting employees and encouraging new ideas.
What are the 4 characteristics of transformational leadership?
Bernard Bass defined four key characteristics of transformational leadership in his 1985 book Transformational Leadership Theory. These traits, called the four Is of transformational leadership, are: intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence.
What best describes a transformational leader?
Transformational leaders are visionaries. They use bold ideas to unite employees or followers and motivate them to pursue a common cause. Their passion and confidence naturally inspire others to follow. Transformational leadership skills include communication, empathy, and vision.
Who is an example of a transformational leader?
Activists, politicians, and business leaders can all use transformational leadership to inspire followers and drive change. Jackie Robinson is an example of a transformational leader. His passion and integrity helped him drive change in the world of Major League Baseball when he broke the color barrier in the sport. This, in turn, led to an increase in racial integration throughout other sports leagues and in society at large.
