What Really Sets Transformational Leaders Apart From Other Leaders?
What really sets transformational leaders apart from other leaders? Transformational leaders are the term used in defining those kinds of leaders who identify a target and use inspiration and the ability of individuals to connect to the target in achieving the desired change in his or her followers. He or she is the kind of leader who is always concerned about the welfare of those who work with him and makes sure that all their needs are adequately catered for without allowing the target to assume much importance than the workers or followers. Even though they are there to ensure that the group is able to achieve all the targets that have been set, they do so through making sure that each and every individual is committed to the cause of the organization. It is only when they are committed that they will put in the maximum best to ensure the organization achieves its goals and that kind of commitment stems from how the leader interacts with his or her followers.
There are two main kinds of leaders and they are the transactional leaders and the transformational leaders and they are all goal-oriented but how the set out to achieve their goals is what makes one different from the other.
The transactional leader makes sure that he or she clearly underlines what is to be achieved by the organization and works towards ensuring that the people have understood it perfectly well. The type of response gotten from the followers towards the execution of tasks is that of compliance.
The transformational leader makes sure that whatever the goals of the organization, the individuals working within it are always properly treated and made to feel that they are all equal. The response gotten from these kinds of followers towards the execution of tasks is that of total commitment.
Complying with something does not necessarily mean that the person has any interest whatsoever in what he or she is doing but for those who are committed to the task at hand, they always make sure that it is done to perfection as if their whole life depends on the successful completion of that task.
It all comes down to how each of these leaders sets out to lead his or her people and these have been further discussed below:
He or she creates a vision first: The transformational leader first sees to it that he or she identifies some shortcomings in a current condition and therefore does everything possible to ensure that he or she creates a mental image of how things are supposed to be. This is what is referred to as the creating of a vision and it is the main thing that will push people to work beyond their limits just to ensure that achieve their goals. Even in those organizational structures, a transformational leader will still be able to create some kind of vision that will be in the same direction with what has already been given to them just to ensure that the people are able to better connect with the target of the organization. This is mostly done when they realize that a particular vision is a bit ambiguous.
He or she thinks of the action or steps to be taken: A transformational leader after coming out with his or her vision makes sure that the various ways through which that can be achieved are laid out in order to analyze which of the methods will bring the best results taking into consideration the general wellbeing of the followers. Giving yourself time to strategize the action to be taken will help you to make use of the alternative that best suits each and every member of the organization.
He or she steps into the vision by taking the necessary action: A transformational leader is the leader who is leading by example and therefore embarks on a journey to reach a stated target by initiating the activity involved. Such a leader does not wait for others to come on board first before executing a particular task. He or she starts the work and through the commitment and inspiration that he or she will display, others are also automatically drawn to him or her. He or she does not wait to see if the vision will naturally materialize or not but rather steps into it by taking the much-needed action involved.
This can be made clearer in the saying that “If Mohammed will not go to the mountain then the mountain will go to Mohammed”. This is to show that transformational leaders do not wait for their vision to come to them, they rather step into the vision they have created which is evident in people like Jesus Christ, Mohammed, and Buddha. These three main things are what set transformational leaders apart from the other leaders.
Now, ask yourself what really sets transformational leaders apart from other leaders?
About the Author
Dr. Jeff Evans
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