Transformational Leadership in Transformative Times

I have always been fascinated by the concept of transformational leadership as a young student in college. As I grew older and joined the work environment it remained a concept I wanted to see in action. I think it fascinated me because I longed to see the theory in practice. I looked for it everywhere in my young career and found it to be a rare commodity among leaders. Those who did exhibit the qualities of a transformational leader were revered by their teams. My fascination with transformational leadership also stemmed from the fact that it seemed so revolutionary yet transcendence for its time. Years later, I learned and experienced how it can breathe life into a team and an organization that has long lost its lustre and sense of vitality. It can give life to teams and workforces resulting in truly engaged employees who achieve extraordinary results.

In my journey as a Human Resources professional, I have made it my quest to instill these transformational principles in young leaders that I have had the fortune of coaching and mentoring. Those who have grasped these qualities have seen a dramatic improvement in the results of their teams. There is no leadership concept that is perfect, however, for me, the concept of a leader that motivates his or her team and works with them to identify areas of change, who creates a vision for the team and inspires them to achieve the desired outcome wins me over every time. It could be the excitement of a possible future that lies ahead that electrifies me. But then again, it could just be my optimistic nature that forever sees possibilities even in the darkest of times. This is the type of leadership that we need today.

The world is filled with so much uncertainty, organizations are no exceptions. Employees need leaders who are strong yet compassionate, kind yet results-driven, sensitive, and yet decisive. These may be challenging times for leaders however they also present opportunities for true leaders to shine through and lead with heart and courage. We are living in ever-changing times, organizations need leaders who face the change head-on while bringing employees along on the journey through transparent communication to continuously build trust with the employees.