One of the most important factors of any company is human capital. On its knowledge, interests, motivations and skills depends, to a large extent, its success or failure. However, despite the fact that a company has involved and talented workers, it is necessary the presence of a leader to guide and coordinate the work of each team member in order to achieve business objectives.There are various styles of leadership, each defined by a series of specific characteristics. Thus, one can differentiate between democratic, autocratic, paternalistic, ‘Laissez-faire’, transactional or transformational leaders,
Characteristics of the transformational leader
The term of transformational leadership was introduced by James McGregor Burns, in the late 1970s, and developed by Bernard M. Bass. According to these authors, the characteristics that define this leader profile are:
- It promotes the creative participation of workers . This type of leader invites the members of his team to participate in the company, to contribute their opinions and ideas to improve the processes and results of the organization. The transformational leader encourages and rewards creativity among his followers, for he understands that it is necessary to achieve the change he seeks.
- Believe in your team members . A transformational leader believes in the capabilities of each of the members of his team and lets him know. In addition, he knows how to guide them so that each person gets the best of himself.
- He cares for others . One of the characteristics of this type of leaders is their capacity for empathy and communication with others. Thanks to these skills, this leader is able to establish personal links with each member of his team, which favors his team’s commitment to him and to the company.
- Motivate your team . Another of the skills he possesses is his ability to motivate others. The transformational leader knows his team and knows how to motivate them, both individually and globally. In addition, he has no problem in publicly congratulating his followers, nor does he like to share and celebrate business successes with his entire team.
- Inspire your team members. Thanks to his know-how, this leader becomes a source of inspiration for his followers and a role model.
- He is not afraid to face risks . The ultimate goal of this leadership style is the transformation of the company , seeking to be adapted to new changes and market needs, continuously. They are aware that every change carries a risk and they are not afraid to face it and overcome it.
It can be concluded by defining the figure of the transformational leader as one that focuses on human capital , on the members of his organization, to achieve the change he seeks . He knows that the transformation of the company is only possible through them, so he values them, invites them to participate and motivates them. Their attitude enhances the commitment of workers and their involvement in the projects they assume as their own.
