Many people may have studied the theories of transformational leadership. This type of guidance is based on a theory that has been put forth by Bernard Bass and his colleague Bruce Avolio. This theory consists of four elements – individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence. But these theories themselves cannot make anyone a person who can transform. It is best to learn the practices followed by top transformational leaders in leading companies.
Taking Personal Accountability
This is something that every transformational leader practices according to XLRI transformational leadership certification courses. They think about what can be done and how their contributions help to achieve organizational objectives. Such people don’t find fault with the company, its culture, management, or other factors. There is no waiting for change to come from outside. These managers change themselves first to acquire the power to bring change. Asking questions to their own selves about what they have done makes them remain accountable consistently.
Focussing On Their Strengths And Values
Leaders who use their strengths, purposes and values at work are the ones who can transform themselves and others for the benefit of companies. There are various challenges that people face at work. Online transformational leadership training courses say that those who know their values and have a sense of purpose are more resilient in the face of obstacles. They are also more courageous and confident in making a difference in an organization. Reading a list of your attributes every morning will expose your authentic self.
Willingness To Change Behavior
Strong leaders are expected to be firm in their beliefs. But that doesn’t prevent them from changing their behaviors if that is needed in a particular situation. XLRI transformational leadership certification courses want you to experiment with a new behavior if your regular one doesn’t work. They are very agile and can change parts of their personality if a situation warrants. For these individuals, being comes before doing. How one should be to serve a purpose in different circumstances is what they ask themselves before action is taken.
Developing A Mindset Of Curiosity
Online transformational leadership training courses say that leaders exhibit curiosity instead of judgment when the abnormal happens. Everyone is so used to taking routine decisions that they don’t want to tax their brains into thinking out of the ordinary. When change happens in an activity or a person, people tend to be judgemental rather than thinking whether there is anything that can be learned from it. Transformational leaders become curious and see if the change can be good for achieving the final goal. They see opportunities in change instead of feeling discomfort.
Instead of simply reading about these practices that were adhered to by great transformational leaders, one should try and emulate them. It is not easy at first to change your regular thinking and action. But the way one can change and adapt to new situations is what will make him or her a transformational leader. Preparing a set of questions and asking them to yourself every day helps to bring about the change that you would like to happen.
You must be aware of how intricately your leadership strategy is connected to the overall organizational growth. After all, the role that has the biggest and most direct impact on a company’s performance is its leadership pool. If you undertake any of the leadership courses online you will learn more about this linkage.
Meanwhile, let us take a quick look at how you can transform your current leadership strategy to drive your organization’s growth.
Value Alignment – We do want our leaders to be high performers and self-motivated achievers. But alongside that we want our leaders to also be aligned to what the organization stands for. If the focus is only on achieving some results or moving into the next position of power, there is a serious issue with the leadership strategy. So change that aspect to make the development process more holistic and factor in the aspect of how leaders need to align their thought process to the company’s values and beliefs. That is what will lead to long term and sustainable growth.
Business clarity – We assume that our leaders know exactly what the business needs. We also assume that they are clear about the business goals. While this might be true in many or some cases, communication of the goals, to ensure that business clarity is present right through all levels of leadership, is very important. This clarity is what will lend the right kind of focus for organizational growth.
Agility – Very often organizations design their leadership strategy and stick to it, irrespective of market conditions or internal upheavals. That is not necessarily helpful for the growth of the company. Transform your leadership strategy to create the kind of buffers it needs to have for it to be changed quickly if the need arises. Having an agile business strategy is important because how you develop your leaders will be determined by what the market is doing as well as what your organization needs at that point in time.
Accountability – This seems like stating the obvious. It is obvious that leaders are accountable for organizational growth. But is it obvious that they are ready to be accountable for changes that they need to make at a personal level? The leadership strategy is usually focused on providing experiences from within the organization. There are hardly any initiatives or experiences that are designed to make the leader introspect or become mindful. Factor that element into the strategy because that is what will make a big difference.
These are some basic but effective ways in which to change your leadership strategy. The changes have a direct impact on the kind of growth the organization follows.
More Information:
10 Benefits of Leadership Courses
How Do You Become a Better Leader?