.jpg)
June 6, 2011
Meaning: In the early years of MDA, one of my clients was a senior executive whose leadership style intrigued me. People went above and beyond for her; it was as if she had a secret sauce. She was passionate, energetic, unrelenting and unafraid of touting audacious goals. But there was something more. I found the clue in an article that contrasted transactional with transformational leadership. Transactional leaders carefully define goals and anticipated rewards. They ask, “What are you looking for in your work and how can I help you succeed?” While that is a reasonable conversation for a leader, it offers a predictable exchange of this for that - a transaction. Transformational leaders go one step further. Had my client asked only, “What do you believe you can do?” her team’s goals would have been reasonable and comfortable. Instead, she painted a compelling picture of the future that inspired her team to want to achieve it. She saw what was possible, person by person, and challenged each to achieve in ways they might not have chosen on their own. She literally ‘transformed” them, individually.
Ideas for Action: What are you doing to paint a compelling picture of the future that inspires individuals to go beyond what they otherwise might choose? Transformational leaders somehow make the impossible seem realistic.
Once you and your team have a shared vision, link that vision with specific actions for each team member. Make your delegation to individual team members less directive (“Your job is to complete this part for us.”) and more vision-oriented (“I can imagine you really doing well by taking the lead on this piece.”). Don’t be afraid to challenge someone to step up into a new role – if you believe they can do it.
Consistently express confidence in the individual abilities of your team members to achieve or go beyond. It’s like the Pygmalion effect in management: people have a habit of living up to (or down to) your expectations. The more you convey either directly or subtly that an individual is not good enough, they aren’t. The more you show your confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion, the more they do. Another senior leader I know told me that an inflection point in her career was when her manager said, “Let’s look for a line role for you because I think you would be great at it.” At the time she would have never raised her hand to ask for that kind of assignment, because she had not yet thought about it as possible. He helped her literally transform her career.
Know that there is a downside to unrelenting transformation. I have also seen powerful transformational leaders burn people out. Constantly stretching to go above and beyond is thrilling and exhausting. As you and your team achieve successes, take time to recognize and celebrate them. Give yourself and others time to “recover” and celebrate before you move on to the next new impossible dream.
By proactively and incrementally working to imagine the best for your team members, you will achieve the true hallmark of a transformational leader: followers who are consistently willing to stretch beyond the predictable to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Best regards,
Sandra Davis, CEO