Transformational leadership, as detailed in Course 15, is a concept centered molding Airman around you, from subordinates, to peers and benefiting all of those in the chain of command even those above you. One specific tenet of Transformational leadership that I find inspiring and critically important to a developing leader is Inspirational Motivation, or Charming.
It is important because if you cannot inspire others to follow you, developing and articulating your vision of the mission’s future, you cannot build your team to their full potential. Followers with a sense of purpose will work harder, not because they are afraid of the blowback of not doing so, but because they feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves. When your subordinates and peers do not want to let you down, they will work harder to ensure they do not. Inspirational leadership is, perhaps, one of the most difficult tenets of Transformational leadership and is something one must work to achieve every day. A leader must come to work full of purpose, with a positive attitude and ensure that they “walk the walk.” They must ensure that they project a sense of purpose and energy in everything they do and build their credibility
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We all benefit from having a clear goal and a sense of purpose in our every action. From the small to the large, it is important to know that we are contributing to the big picture. We are building a mountain, one rock at a time, and sometimes it is easy to get lost in the hills. We need a strong leader who can point us in the right direction, show us where to put our shovel and show us why we are here today. We are only as great as those whose shoulders, and works we stand upon today. We need to be that leader that paves the path for those next to us and coming behind
Transformational leaders exhibit personal and professional qualities that other want to emulate and follow. These leaders advance the mission in combative environments. Transformational leaders propel the growth of the team through communication. Finally, transformational leaders leave a legacy that instills pride, moral, and determination for future success.
With this mindset in place change can happen without any problems. Having transformational leaders being viewed as change agents, the culture within an organization should transform smoothly. Effective leadership is enhanced when leaders can inspire their followers to accept change by communicating a compelling vision of the future and motivating willingness to work in the new manner (Jones & Rudd, 2008).
I think many things, like large companies, effective government change, cannot happen easily or at all without leadership. Therefore, the purpose of leadership is to make more happen collectively as a whole rather than try to complete everything individually.
Realizing that although a way of doing a task might have worked for years there is always room for improvement. Also, incorporating the aspect of taking risk in changing a current practice to see if a new one works more efficiently (Judge & Piccolo, 2004). A transformational leader should foster creativity in their team members and show that even though there may be a designated leader, the team members or followers still have a voice that matters. In terms of importance, transformational leadership within my future career will be essential. I hope to be working in the field of Therapeutic Recreation as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) which is an emerging profession in healthcare. Advocating for change and taking risks will be key as I will need to show other health professions my benefits. Inspiring creativity, motivation and being able to lead a team and patients towards a goal will be essential. It will be part of my everyday job to create attainable, measurable goals for patients to achieve and I will be able to do this through the attributes and behaviours learned from transformational
There are many leadership theories that play an important role in the every day workforce. Some of the theories are successful in producing a strong and productive leader, while others lack the qualities required for the job. Out of the multitude of available theories out there, I feel that the Transformational Leadership Theory is the one that stands out as being the most successful. This theory is far from coercive and instead focuses on making a satisfied team that collaborates to form a productive work environment. An environment like this, ran by a top-notch leader, is needed for success.
listens to the various viewpoints in order to be able to develop a spirit of cooperation;
According to Yoder-Wise (2015), a leader can be defined as, “an individual who works with others to develop a clear vision of the preferred future and to make that vision happen” (p 35). As employees, we often have our own ideal of a good leader, which may be influenced by experiences and perception of workplace norms. While one’s opinion of an effective leader may vary, there are several recognized leadership theories. The following will focus on the transformational leadership approach.
Purposeful leaders are inspired by a clear and shared vision, motivated by a desire to improve conditions, and driven by commitment and integrity. Purposeful leadership is lived, not just performed as a job function.
Leadership is necessary for a group to accomplish goals. Leadership according to Lamberton and Minor (2014), is the ability to impact people to attain a goal. A leader according to Gaiter (2013), sets direction and influences others to accomplish goals and directs cohesiveness. A leaders’ goal is not just the success of the team but, also the success of individuals on the team, a leader must motivate, inspire and empower others for success (Gaiter, 2013). To accomplish these goals a leader will utilize a leadership style.
To inspire and influence others, a leader must possess many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Peter Northouse, states, “a leader should be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant” (Northouse, 2013) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a singular goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, one will feel like they are trying to herd cats rather than leading.
Transformational leadership is one of the most popular leadership styles. According to Kendrick (2011), “Transformational leadership involves four factors: 1. idealized influence, 2. inspirational motivation, 3. intellectual stimulation, and 4. individual consideration.” These four factors make transformational leadership have an impact on followers. The goal of transformational leadership is to cause a positive change in individuals, help motivate them, and develop a leader within each individual.
...d other to join in her cause. Additionally, her purpose became the foundation of her organization, which has spread into 133 countries. In addition, we have witnessed throughout history, the power of inspiration because individuals understood the vision or purpose. For example, in his 1961 Inaugural address President John F. Kennedy shared his vision of space exploration, not in terms of results but why this cause was important to not only for himself but for everyone. Like Sinek suggest, with whom I agree, a leader, does not have to grand speeches or be the smartest in the room but most importantly they have a vision (the why). Because nothing happens until it happens in someone’s mind first. From that point all of the other details are filled in, which includes the strategies to fulfill the vision.
Discovering what motivates this leader to lead is the belief that this she was sent to this earth to help others become autonomous and self-reliant; to help groups overcome their fears, to prepare the way for followers to embark upon their own progressive journey to help lead teams to authentic happiness. Therefore the proposed vision for this project oriented organization will be: “to strive to lead, the best way, every day (Crawford, 2013)!” Brilliant leaders comprehend their personal and professional strengths and seek prospects where their unique profici...
Inspire a Shared Vision- leaders believe that they can make a difference in getting others excited and drafting them into their dream and the future possibilities.
The old system of management has undergone many changes within the last century. An employee once performed the assigned job duties during the allotted hours and then went home. Now employees are encouraged to grow, give input, and to contribute for the good of the organization. There is a plethora of information for leaders to learn why and how to grow personally thus allowing the organization to grow as well. This new emerging leader is a transformational leader.