What is transformational leadership? Leadership is a competence of interpersonal intelligence that we have already discussed in a previous episode. Today we will delve into transformational leadership in which the person manifests the ability to encourage, inspire and move other people to action to innovate and create changes that help them grow.
What is transformational leadership and what are its characteristics?
Transformational leaders influence their team members toward high-performance goals, in the midst of any circumstance and assuming a supportive and inspirational role. They are people with a high self-motivation and serve as an example to their collaborators through an attitude committed to the goals and assuming a strong and effective direction in a constant way.
This competence is therefore related to intrapersonal intelligence competencies, (already seen above), such as self-motivation, self-control and self-confidence and with interpersonal intelligence competencies, such as empathy, change management and communication and development of others.
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP HOW TO TRAIN MY INTEGRATION CAPACITY?
• As we know, the reflections first begin with oneself, (self-knowledge and self-control), to then be able to know and empathize with the people of the team.
So what are we afraid of as people in situations of uncertainty? Possible fears of loss of control, loss of security, loss of well-being, threat to survival (professional), etc. In those situations, cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone, rise and you start to get upset. Also the most nervous people, if they are not able to manage their nerves, become more impulsive and irritable and clash a lot with the people around them. There are as we know, two types of stress: eustress, (known as positive stress, in which I consider that I have enough internal and / or external resources to successfully face the situation) and distress, (or negative stress, in which I feel that the situation “overwhelms” me and I do not have the necessary resources to face it successfully).
Good leaders are like sponges, able to absorb uncertainty so their teams can work, Peter Drucker
TRUST
How can I absorb uncertainty in my team? What can I offer them to lessen their distress? (at the level of information, resources, support, etc.).
• To develop my leadership I need Increase confidence to connect with people. Let’s start with a reflection… How much do I trust people? How is my willingness to trust as a leader?, (Pygmalion effect: In psychology and pedagogy, it refers to the potential influence of one person’s belief on another’s performance.)
Trust has 3 pillars:
a. Sincerity of intention: Am I honest in my purposes? Do I share the purpose of the projects and objectives sincerely? How can I develop more environments of sincerity? Starting with my example. Not punishing sincerity in meetings, when someone thinks something different from what I think. Listening to the “uncomfortable”. Not passing judgment. Creating private and safe environments to converse freely.
b. Credibility: Am I consistent between what I say/do/think? If I say that people and their development are important to me, do I sabotage meetings/trainings by interrupting? Do I respect the free time of my employees? Do I give them space to manage their time or do I need to control them?
c. Reliability in Commitments: Do I comply with what I say? Can others take my word for it? Do I offer conversations of honest, constructive feedback that helps to grow? How do I manage commitments? How do I resolve not being able to attend an established meeting or commitment?
