By Aaron Kaplan
James MacGregor Burns sparked a new era of study and practice of leadership with his groundbreaking book “Leadership”. His conceptualization of transactional and transforming leadership was revolutionary thinking about the role and purpose of leadership. Transactional leadership is when someone takes the initiative to contact others for the purpose of an exchange of valued things. Transformational leadership occurs when someone engages with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Authentic, transformational leadership impacts all organizations because they have goals that transcend their own self-interests and work toward the common good of the followers. Research evidence from around the world suggests that transformational leadership provides a positive augmentation in leader performance beyond the effects of transactional leadership.
Our society is in critical need of effective, transformational leadership from both individuals and organizations themselves. Any individual or organization, regardless of stature and size, has the capacity to exhibit transformational leadership.
The following are what I consider to be 10 of the most important functions of transformational leadership:
- Help interpret the meaning of events. This is important because the pace of change is accelerating and touching every part of our lives and organizations. Effective leadership interprets the events, provides understanding of their relevance, and identifies emerging threats and opportunities.
- Create alignment on objectives and strategies. Effective performance of a collective task requires considerable agreement about what to do and how to do it. Effective leaders build consensus about objectives, priorities, and strategies.
- Build commitment and optimism. Effective leadership increases enthusiasm for the work, commitment to task objectives, and confidence that the effort will succeed, even in the face of obstacles and setbacks.
- Build mutual trust and cooperation. Effective performance of a collective task requires cooperation and mutual trust, which are more likely to exist when people understand each other, appreciate diversity, and are able to confront and resolve differences in a constructive way. Effective leaders facilitate this dynamic.
- Strengthen collective identity. The effectiveness of a group or organization requires at least a moderate degree of collective identification. In this era of fluid teams, virtual organizations, and joint ventures, boundaries are often unclear and loyalties are divided. Effective leadership creates a unique identity for an organization.
- Organize and coordinate activities. Successful performance of a complex task requires the capacity to coordinate many different but interrelated activities in a way that makes efficient use of people and resources.
- Encourage and facilitate collective learning. In a highly competitive and turbulent environment, continuous learning and innovation are essential for the survival and prosperity of an organization. Members must collectively learn better ways to work together towards common objectives. Effective leadership facilitates this process.
- Obtain necessary resources and support. The survival and prosperity of an organization depends on favorable exchanges with external parties such as clients, customers, and funding agencies. Effective leadership promotes and defends the interests and reputation of their organization and assists in obtaining necessary resources and support for it.
- Develop and empower people. The performance of a group or organization is likely to be better if competent members are actively involved in solving problems and making decisions. Relevant skills must be developed to prepare people for leadership roles, new responsibilities, and major change. Effective leadership requires empowering people to become change agents and leaders themselves.
- Promote social justice and morality. Member satisfaction and commitment are increased by a climate of fairness, compassion, and social responsibility. Maintaining such a climate requires active efforts to protect individual rights, encourage social responsibility, and oppose unethical practices. Effective leadership models moral behavior and then takes necessary actions to promote social justice.
These basic functions of effective leadership are of great value; however, these leadership functions comprise only part of the leadership that organizations need now and in the future as they meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
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Aaron Kaplan, Founder/Director of The Kaplan Project, LLC can be contacted by phone at 832-831-9451, by email at AKaplan@thekaplanproject.com, or visit the website at www.thekaplanproject.com.
