Question

What are the transformational leader behaviors? Define and explain three of them.

Answer 1

Transformational leadership focuses on increasing employee motivation and engagement and attempts to link employees’ sense of self with organizational values. This leadership style emphasizes leading by example, so followers can identify with the leader’s vision and values. A transformational approach focuses on individual strengths and weaknesses of employees and on enhancing their capabilities and their commitment to organizational goals, often by seeking their

Transformational leaders challenge followers with an attractive vision and tie that vision to a strategy for its achievement. They engage and motivate followers to identify with the organization‘s goals and values. Transformational leadership comprises following types of behaviors:

Individualized Consideration

Individualized consideration is the degree to which the leader attends to each follower’s needs, acts as a mentor or coach to the follower, and listens to the follower’s concerns. This behavior can include the following actions:

•Discussing and empathizing with the needs of individual employees

•Making interpersonal connections with employees

•Showing genuine compassion

•Encouraging ongoing professional development and personal growth of employees

Intellectual Stimulation

Transformational leaders encourage followers to be innovative and creative. Intellectual stimulation springs from leaders who establish safe conditions for experimentation and sharing ideas. They tackle old problems in a novel fashion and inspire employees to think about their conventional methods critically and share new ideas. This type of behavior includes:

•Encouraging employees’ creativity

•Challenging the status quo

•Aiming for consistent innovation

•Empowering employees to disagree with leadership

•Risk-taking when appropriate to achieve goals

Inspirational Motivation

Leaders with an inspiring vision challenge followers to leave their comfort zones, communicate optimism about future goals, and provide meaning for the task at hand. Purpose and meaning provide the energy that drives a group forward. The visionary aspects of leadership are supported by communication skills that make the vision understandable, precise, powerful, and engaging. Followers are willing to invest more effort in their tasks; they are encouraged and optimistic about the future and believe in their abilities. Behaviors that demonstrate inspirational motivation include:

•Inspiring employees to improve their outcomes

•Explaining how the organization will change over time

•Fostering a strong sense of purpose among employees

•Linking individual employee and organizational goals

•Aiding employees to succeed to an even greater extent than they expect.