Transformational leadership is a new milestone when it comes to managing teams and establishing win-win working dynamics. Transformational leaders are those who directly influence the changes that take place in society, have an exceptional charisma and are concerned about remaining faithful to their followers.

As the word “trans” indicates, it is a change of vision, perspective and attitude about others that a person with leadership exercises. Some of the most important values of this model are honesty, altruism or ethics .

What are the basic principles of this model?

Transformational leadership has emerged as a representative of “the culture of change”, starting from the precept of wanting to eliminate individualistic selfishness, overcome its limitations and walk towards the collective good .

A group, institution, work team or any entity with more than 3 people is directed so that its members develop and strengthen their capacity to solve problems in a collective way.

In this way, the members of the group are always expected to perform above expectations, exceeding the marked expectations as a result of the high motivation that the transformational leader transmits to them.

7 essential characteristics of transformational leadership

In this section we will analyze the main points to implement the model based on transformational leadership.

1. Motivational Spirit

Taking into account the values that make up the transformational leader, which are creativity, morality, ethics and enthusiasm, the whole thing provokes a degree of motivation in his followers that other models do not achieve.

It transforms the members of the group because the model is closely related to human development , participation and, above all, to the self-esteem of the workers who will be more efficient in cooperating with each other.

Thus, transformational leadership assumes that being a leader does not consist of initiating a chain of actions that begins with the person who has the power and ends up being executed by the subordinates, but rather it is based on a process supported by what was already latent in the people, and whose main change lies in the modification of the context. An adequate context makes people capable of giving the best of themselves, and this applies to the world of work as well as to any other aspect of life.

2. Charism

Transformational leadership needs leaders with a high dose of charisma , above and beyond professional qualities, and encourages this attitude towards others by having an exemplary behaviour.

This type of characteristic is given by the respect and trust that transformational leaders gain over time, allowing them to create a direct impact on the rest of the members by becoming role models.

3. Emotional ties are generated

At a time of fierce competition, professional demands and work tension, the transformational model allows for a closer and more affective environment . Its leaders are constantly in charge of attending to the needs and concerns at the individual level of each member of the group.

4. Cooperation and support is emphasized

In these group dynamics, the leadership given can also demand certain “extra” responsibility from the leader, such as directly attending to the majority of proposals and suggestions from his subordinates , thus forming a horizontal participative scale.

It should be remembered that a good leader is not one who gives orders and dictates rules , but one who is involved with his or her members in all aspects of the organization, assuming responsibility when the situation demands it.

5. Domino effect

By the same nature and dynamics of the model, the followers or team members end up adopting the figure of the transformational leader. As they actively participate in all types of decisions , when the moment demands it, the workers themselves will take on the role of the leader in his absence.

That is, on special occasions the leader has to learn to delegate with the rest of the colleagues so as not to interrupt the progression of the collective.

6. Interactivity and corporatism

Organizations that adopt transformational leadership often work in a dynamic environment. The leader strives to keep his workers up to date with training, updating and development of new technologies .

The more the members of the group see that the company or institution cares about them, the more involved and dedicated they will be to the firm .

7. Increases creativity

As a result of the participation and protagonism of the group members, the transformational leaders encourage creativity through the exposure of new ideas by the group members.

The leader does not have to be the only person responsible or the highest authority when presenting solutions or ways of doing something to a new challenge. It is necessary to have a future perspective to apply the best methods, leaving behind conventional leaderships.

There are exceptional cases

As this is an ideal “archetype” for future generations, it is not entirely perfect. We must be very careful to know where and in what work environment we should give way to the transformational model of leadership.

For example, in a company or organization where the work dynamic is stable, linear and whose activities or tasks are rather unchanging, it is advisable to apply a slightly more classic model, such as the transactional model , since the members enjoy a certain status, are experts in their field and have self-control.

Bibliographic references:

  • Daft, R. L. (2002). The experience of leadership . Cengage learning. Third edition.

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  • Gutiérrez Valdebenito, O. (2015). Leadership studies of men and women. Revista Política y Estrategia N° 126, 13-35.
  • Nye, J. C. (2011). The qualities of the leader. Barcelona: Paidós.