Understanding Transformational Leadership: How it Drives Growth and Innovation

More often than not, it is leadership that determines the morale and motivation of any particular team within an organisation. With various leadership styles being explored across the board, there’s no dearth of inspiration for emerging leaders. Experts suggest that strong leadership should have the capability to drive change and aid in the growth of both individuals and the organisation. And one leadership style that embodies this change and fosters a culture of growth is transformational leadership. 

So, what exactly is transformational leadership? This is a leadership style in which leaders lead by example to motivate and inspire their team members. Transformational leaders believe in the concepts of ownership and independence at the workplace and also cultivate a strong work culture. It is by inspiring these positive emotions that transformational leaders help their team members achieve goals. 

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But before delving into further details, let’s take a look at how this leadership style was developed. First coined by sociologist James V Downton, the concept of transformational leadership was further developed by biographer James MacGregor Burns and Bernard M Bass, an American scholar. And according to the developers, transformational leadership broadly encompasses four tenets: 

• Idealised influence: When leaders set examples and act as a role model for the team members.
• Intellectual stimulation: When leaders encourage team members to think creatively and practise out-of-the-box thinking.
• Inspirational motivation: When leaders spread a feeling of optimism through their vision of the future and set achievable and challenging goals for the team members to attain.
• Individualised consideration: When leaders show empathy, respect to their team members and strive to forge strong relationships.

Tranformational leadership can prove to be beneficial when it comes to driving growth and innovation in an organisation. This is how it works. 

Creates positive change 

Change is a part of any growth story and transformational leadership is all about motivating employees to innovate and create positive changes. This leadership style focuses on employees getting excited about new ideas and developments. Once the team members believe in the vision, they can perform to their full potential. 

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Encourages creativity and learning

Transformational leaders foster an environment of learning and acquiring new skills. They try and understand what their team members need in order to perform to their maximum potential. The focus on learning new skills leads to better performance and a healthier work culture. 

Fosters passion and enthusiasm 

Enthusiasm and excitement is a heady combination. A leader who is excited and enthusiastic about the vision and mission of the organisation is more likely to inspire the team members to be excited and passionate about the same. This boosts productivity and overall team spirit. 

Boosts team morale

Transformational leaders understand the need for team members to take a break from their daily routines. And this is achieved by building relationships that encourage activities beyond work as well. The leadership style focuses on boosting morale by building strong and healthy relationships within the team to encourage a culture of collaboration and harmony.  

Many world leaders and visionaries in the corporate world practice transformational leadership to stay abreast of the ever-changing professional landscape. At BYJU’S, where the focus is on cutting-edge innovation and creativity, this leadership style certainly presents an interesting approach to driving both professional and personal growth. 

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