Essential Qualities Of A Leader In Transformational Leadership

The term “transformational” is used because any successful individual or organization needs to have the ability to adapt to change. Transformational leadership is all about creating a positive change in the team while taking care of each other’s interests as well as the interests of the whole team. It is an approach of leadership that values each member of the team as an individual and inspires .the growth of the organization. Qualities of a leader are always there to be seen. The leader will aspire to help the individual members of the team to realize their true potential by finding out their goals, aspirations and purpose in life. How individuals see themselves is reflected on their overall performance as well as their interaction with others. The good leader knows that the greatest asset that an organization can have is the people. Therefore the success of the organization depends on the quality of the people working within. The team members should be encouraged to follow their dreams and exploit their potential as they work to achieve the goals of the organization. This will help the leaders to inspire outstanding performance especially when they validate individual contributions. The result will be the individual members of the team owning the mission and vision statement and purpose of the organization. The transformational leader inspires change in the team, thus acting as a mentor as he/she will guide them to achieve their true potential. They will assist individual team members to be self-actualized as they will focus on their life goals. He/she will work on the strengths, values and attributes of the individual members. He/she will work towards solution based performance as opposed to performance based. This drives the organization to excellence as it works towards its vision. A transformational leader needs to possess some qualities that will make his/her style to outstanding. He/she needs to be able to give intellectual stimulation. This means that he/she is able to encourage and stimulate creativity in the team while challenging assumptions. They will feel that they can overcome any obstacles standing in their way. A charismatic leader is a leader who sets an exemplary example to be followed. Their behavior will be that which can be admired and they will display convictions that the team can identify with. Their set of values is clear and the team will make their leader a role model. The transformational leader gives inspirational motivation by the way they articulate the vision. This inspires the team positively by acting as a driving force which motivates them to work towards the actualization of the goals of the organization. The good leader gives attention to the individual needs of every member of the group and therefore he/she should be a good listener. He/she will acknowledge and appreciate the individual contribution of every member of the team. This enhances the members’ sense of self-worth and self-fulfillment and inspires them to achieve more. This approach of leadership depends on winning the trust of people in the assumption that they too will be somehow transformed and be able to emulate the leader. All this form qualities of a leader.