Transformational leadership

Transformational leadership is one of the recognized typologies of how one can lead in a group, it is characterized by functioning as a method to guide and also influence others. That is, whoever exercises the role of leader and decides to adapt this style will focus on instructing the people in their charge to be able to fulfill a common goal .

There are many ways in which leadership is carried out, each of them has its own particular characteristics; which correspond to different contexts. In this case, we are talking about a leadership that maintains a positive approach in terms of its search to create an environment where mutual support and help prevail.

The leaders who belong to this classification guide and influence the group with which they work, but they also become a figure with the innate ability to maintain good communication . The interaction between leaders and their collaborators is based on the possibility of accessing mutual benefits, for this it is essential that the leader be able to understand the needs, opinions and values of the people with whom he works.

What is transformational leadership?

Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership typology which is characterized by being adopted by people whose approach is to work through mutual collaboration. That is, these people will use any resource that allows them to establish a close and personal relationship with those who are in their charge.

Leaders are described who have the ability to change and influence the motivations and expectations of each of the people in an organization or group. For this, worked in a much more practical way, in which skills such as analysis and empathy prevail . In this way, it is possible to detect any opportunity that arises and also the possibility of receiving proposals of any kind.

These leaders work to gain the respect and trust of their peers, but they may even earn admiration for their actions that demonstrate their commitment. These aspects are elementary when it comes to creating a professional relationship that has certain traces of emotional and affective relationship.

The relationship that is created between the leader and his subordinates is much closer, so there is more confidence to share ideals, dreams, values ​​and objectives . It is a leadership model in which the establishment of a superficial relationship is ruled out, it is not only about rewarding the efforts made because it actually goes much further.

In the same way, the use of rewards and punishments is used , however this technique is used in a different way than the more conventional one. They turn out to be tools that allow you to guide towards a vision that you are trying to fulfill, so it is more useful to identify which elements allow you to inspire and motivate so that there is a greater degree of personal commitment.

What are its basic characteristics? 

Some of the world’s top leaders in politics, society, economics, and even technology display transformational leadership characteristics. These qualities are easily identifiable, especially when it comes to analyzing the relationship that exists with employees. These are the main features:

• The leader is able to motivate his followers by indicating that they will be able to find solutions to their problems. But it is also about providing the same solutions to solve common problems.
• These leaders maintain direct and personalized communication with each of their subordinates, this is how they manage to relate to them, generating more effective communication.
• Workers and collaborators who belong to the same team as the leader adopt the model or plan to follow, this they do so voluntarily because they understand its fundamentals. In this case the leader manages to inspire these people to do so.
• Leaders use a type of motivation that is close to intellectual capacity, for this , creativity and the intention to allow receiving varied opinions and proposals is continually promoted . In this way subordinates feel comfortable in expressing themselves freely.
• It focuses on providing personalized attention to each of the participants in a work project, so the leader knows what the skills and knowledge each person possesses; both professionally and personally.
• The leader depends on the collaboration of his associates and employees to be able to develop his activities. This is why it is necessary to create a past bond in trust.
• All the successes that have been provided by each of the members of the work team are respected and also celebrated .
• Leaders in turn motivate employees to have the same degree of commitment to the organization. He will be in charge of proposing a specific goal that will later have a special meaning for everyone.
• The leader symbolizes being a role model , this is possible because his actions are considered admirable.

Some practical examples 

Here are some examples of how some important historical figures have led through transformational leadership. They are an ideal study tool to understand how your application is, what are the results that are obtained. They are as follows:

Steve Jobs

The recognized founder of the Apple technology brand has international recognition, however the most important contribution lies in how the perspective of the use of equipment designed to communicate has changed . We are precisely talking about smartphones, this is perhaps the most important invention of the new century, it meant establishing a before and after.

As the leader of this popular American company, he highlighted his charisma and also his efforts to develop in his workers a specific vision about what current technology should be. That is, those who collaborated with him affirm that they learned concepts such as simplicity, sophistication and above all the usefulness and perception of these equipment.

As a result, it can be seen that their products are in high demand due to the innovations integrated into them. Many consider that they are the highest quality and therefore there is a high demand for their acquisition. Those who work in this company affirm that he was a leader capable of inspiring and motivating everyone, which has had a positive impact on the quality of the services they offer.

Mahatma Gandhi

Recognized for his efforts to achieve important social reforms , it was through peaceful resistance and also disobedience that he managed to radically change the society of his home country. Not only was he a political activist, he is also considered the most important pacifist because he preached to millions of people a philosophy based on understanding and helping others.

It means being a clear example of transformational leadership because it has had a very important influence. Even though decades have passed since his passing, his innovative ideas and influence are still relevant today. Some consider that it is against fascism and also against the segregation of groups in society due to their social and economic conditions has radically changed the mentality of the masses.

What are the advantages and disadvantages? 

As in other typologies, it is possible to detect elements that represent advantages, but also some others are considered disadvantages. These features can bring benefits just as much as how they might avoid achieving certain goals . When it comes to establishing which of them prevail compared to others, it must also be taken into consideration which need to be solved.

Among the many advantages that can be identified, one of them is the possibility of increasing the performance of the employees involved with the work. However, it is also important to mention the possibility that opportunities to learn from new experiences may be limited. That is, this model does not maintain a specific methodology, sometimes it is difficult to find an ideal way to achieve motivation.

The most important advantages of applying transformational leadership within the work environment are described below. They are as follows:

• The performance of the workers increases in a way that positively affects the final work. Each person strives to the maximum in order to achieve the objectives proposed by a leader or the organization as a whole.
• It is observed that inspiration and motivation intend to make an integral part of the interrelation that exists between each of the members. In working groups there is the capacity to correspond to the needs that are in common.
• There is flexibility for the possibility of adapting to changes , this is a quality that is ideal for when it comes to performing more efficient work under high levels of pressure.
• Leadership is carried out in a positive way which affects the self – esteem of the workers . Because the leader promotes aspects such as sharing and being creative, each person will begin to work in a more active way.
• From a psychological point of view, the quality of his mental health improves significantly . These work environments can be observed in a generalized way that the performance of the workers benefits the activities carried out in it.
• There is greater opportunity for each individual to develop social skills . 
• The leader begins to be considered as a role model, there will be some admiration for his work at a professional level but also from a personal point of view.
• It is open to the possibility that all participants have the initiative to propose new ideas . The ability to innovate increases.

The most important disadvantages of this model are described below. They are as follows:

• On some occasions the leader might assume that the motivation must come from the workers themselves. This is because when a good relationship is perceived between them, it is expected that they themselves are in charge of inspiring their colleagues .
• Only good results can be visible in the long term. That is, although positive measures can be implemented from the beginning, it will take time to achieve fluidity and coordination in the activities that are being carried out.
• Not all leaders have the ability to transform the way their employees work. This has a significant impact on the plans and strategies they want to carry out.
• It is necessary that the specific leader that each one of the details of the plan that is designed, when there is not good communication it is difficult for each worker to understand what their responsibilities are. 
• There is the potential for some kind of moral abuse to happen , this is because some leaders do not have enough capacity to maintain patience and empathy . As a result, the generation of conflicts is observed during communication with their subordinates.
• Some workers may assume that some of the project work is their own. This happens when excessive confidence is placed in their participation or in their contributions. As a consequence, frictions arise with the following activities and decisions.
• A leadership model that can only be carried out successfully when the leader has charisma and good communication skills. Otherwise it is difficult for you to achieve the same good results.