As you may have guessed from the name, transformational leadership is a leadership style. It is defined by leadership characteristics that encourage and inspire their subordinates. What transformational leadership looks like is a leader who has a clear goal and is aware of how to get there. Thus, they easily guide and foster their teams towards success. Through this process, they often help their team exceed expectations and cultivate personal growth. Overall, transformational leadership is a harbinger of positive changes in an office. Part of the reason for this is that the entire team’s growth is valued.
The GCC and MENA regions are rapid adopters of technology. Therefore, local work landscapes change on a year on year basis. However, this also spikes the demand for leaders who offer more than authority. Regional managers and C Level leaders are expected to be abreast of new developments. Additionally, they are expected to be able to convert their vision and ignite change. Thus, there is a big call for transformational leadership in the Middle East. This blog will be the initiate’s guide to transformational leadership.
First things first, what is Transformational leadership, really?
Transformational leadership as a concept has many thought leaders who ushered it into popular streams of thought. First crafted by James Downton, it was refined later by James MacGregor Burns. In the 1980s, Bernard Bass expanded it, building a framework and identifying key elements. These key elements are viewed today as the four pillars of transformational leadership. They are:
Idealised Influence: Leaders should lead by example. Thus, they should act as role models and nurture a culture of trust and respect within the team.
Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leadership involves leaders building a vision for the future. In turn, this inspires their team to believe in it and work to realise the same.
Intellectual Stimulation: According to Bernard Bass, a transformational leader challenges assumptions, encourages innovation, and fosters creative problem solving.
Individualised Consideration: Transformational leadership includes mentoring and uplifting your team. This includes recognising their unique needs and supporting their personal growth.
What truly sets transformational leadership apart is this: inspiring leaders cultivate intrinsic motivation. This stands in direct opposition to transactional leadership, which ‘buys’ compliance with rewards and penalties.
Why Transformational Leadership Matters
Let’s explore the importance of transformational leadership through a hypothetical. Imagine that a healthcare provider in Dubai faced low staff engagement and high turnover. You are its new CEO. Based on what you have learned about the pillars of transformational leadership, what would you do?
We know what a leader following the pillars would do. If you started off with sharing your vision with the staff, you’d be right. Ideally, you would inform your new team of the future clearly, and consistently bring it up in monthly meetings.
Secondly, it would be great for team rapport and morale to listen to their ideas and suggestions. Your new employees bring their own unique perspectives, and it’s worth your time to truly consider what they have to say. If you implement an employee’s idea, would you reward good ones with public recognition? We suggest you do so. Third, you could install a system of personal check-ins, where you hear directly from your staff. It’s important to understand their aspirations and concerns, too.
We can predict the result of your actions. A Kapable article revealed that transformational leadership leads to a 30% productivity increase. It also explores the healthcare industry in depth. The same article reveals that the safety rating under transformational leadership increases by 25.4%.
Mini Exercises: Practising the Pillars
If you’re on track to join management or leadership roles, learning how to implement transformational leadership pillars can help you achieve your goals as a leader. Thus, we have crafted two small exercises you can practice to reframe your perspective and cultivate transformational leadership skills.
Crafting and Sharing Your Vision
1. Write one sentence that describes your team’s best possible future in two years.
2. Read it aloud: Does it spark enthusiasm? Would you be inspired if your boss had said those words to you? If not, alter it till it does. Inspiring intrinsic motivation in your staff is a core feature of transformational leadership.
Honing your Mentoring to Support
This one is harder to do without already being a manager. However, you could implement it in another setting where you occupy an ‘elder’ or ‘mentor’ role.
1. Schedule a five minute chat this week with somebody who looks up to you and ask about their biggest challenge and one personal goal.
2. Listen without interrupting; note one action you can take to support them. Follow through and act on it.
What Role Does Education Play in Transformational Leadership?
True leadership isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about inspiring others to grow, innovate, and exceed expectations. By embracing the four pillars of transformational leadership and weaving them into daily practice, you can spark real change and leave a lasting impact.
The truth is that while you can learn the pillars of transformational leadership in class, you have to practice its application yourself. If your school encourages strong alumni bonds like LSM, you can ask a senior alumnus. Alternatively, some leadership modules cover it in the courses we offer. At LSM, we believe in transformational leadership as a tool for the future. That is why our courses include real case studies contextualised for the Gulf region. With a decade of experience and over five thousand graduates, we believe in imparting wisdom as much as knowledge. Are you ready to transform? The next chapter starts with you reaching out to us.