Home

Transformational Leadership
Results in Positive Change

Change is necessary for organizations to remain competitive or to survive.

Achieving high productivity and sustaining it require drawing up plans that necessarily involve making changes.

Almost two decades ago, Van Setters and Field had stated that leadership had evolved into transformational leadership.

You may have leaders in your organization who are demonstrating this quality. You may not have noticed them because they were never acknowledged. But the positive changes are occurring nevertheless.

Transformational leadership is essential to ensure effective implementation of strategic Human Resource Management.

(The photo on this page is by Mike McCormick)

Qualities of an Effective Leader
The combination of several qualities will make you a more effective leader.

To some writers, the effectiveness of a leader is the result of the interaction between several variables. He or she is one who:

• is a visionary
  
• is a risks-taker
  
• can and is ready to delegate
  
• exemplifies the values, goals and culture of the organization
  
• is highly aware of environmental factors
  
• places emphasis on innovation
  
• is able to communicate the SWOT analysis to peers and subordinates alike
  

They further state that these qualities have a direct and a very strong link to Human Resource Management and the evolution towards Strategic Human Resource Management.

Vision is necessary to focus on where the organization wants to go and how to get there. This is "keeping the end in mind".

When you have such a vision, and being aware of the environmental factors, you can help steer the organization towards its objectives.

From arguments such as these, you can conclude that these qualities enable your gifted people to effect positive change for the good of the organization.


A Leader Is Not Afraid To Take Bold Decisions
It has been said that when an organization achieves success, it indicates thatthere was someone who had made some bold decisions in the past.

You need to take calculated risks at the appropriate time.

Identifying Leaders
When we talk about leadership in an organization, we refer to senior management.

Unless there is an executive chairman, a senior executive usually given the title "chief executive officer" will head your organization.

They are the policy makers who make strategic decisions on the overall organizational business plan.


Culture and Values That Recognize People's Abilities
As a leader, you must demonstrate the culture and values of yourorganization.

Such culture must recognize abilities of people, clearly indicated by practicing delegation and empowerment. This builds trust, confidence and competence.

Innovations
Organizations must innovate if they want to progress further.

Recognize innovative ideas from your people, rewarding them for positive results.


SWOT Analysis
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as the opportunities and threats. Clearly communicate these to your people.

The strengths and weaknesses refer to the internal strengths and weaknesses of your organization.

The opportunities and threats refer to those opportunities and threats outside your organization.

Conduct focus group discussions to identify your organization's HR strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats within the environment under which your organization conducts its business activities. Align these to the organization's business objectives.

Transformational leadership requires preparation of SWOT analysis and communicating it clearly to every level of employees. Everyone will see the required changes if things are to improve. This is even more necessary during difficult times.


A Leader Manages Change Effectively
Change is inevitable if your organization is to remain competitive. The business environment is in constant change. Adapt accordingly.

You may have some of the leadership qualities necessary to manage change so as to minimize the negative effects.

Show your people that change is not necessarily bad. Effective communication is crucial to ensure that there is a general acceptance of change required to effect transformation.

Draw up an action plan in consultation with your people. Their participation is essential at every stage of implementing change. This makes them feel that their views are important to management.

The more informed are your employees, the more readily will they accept change.

When you demonstrate the critical leadership by accepting the change yourself with a purpose, you motivate your people to accept change. This is part of the process in the transformation of people and organization.

In order for the change to have some degree of permanency, your people need to change from the inside out.

Important Quality
This transformational leadership quality is one of the critical leadership qualities. This involves effecting changes that transform your organization in every way. And this also includes your employees.

You would want to picture your organization as doing much better financially in the future if not now.

Availability of resources in the form of finance and competent people can assist you to realize this.

Transformational leadership skill is one of the required competencies of your people especially those in senior executive positions.

You need people who demonstrate the characteristics of a transformational leadership quality to change your organization and people to improve your organization's bottom-line.

If you have the right leaders, your organization can retain its competitive edge.

Custom Search

To Home Page