One of the three types of management theory called the power of paradoxical behavior is transformational leadership. It was created by Chester Gill, Michael Gardell, and David Norton. The basic principle behind it is that it will motivate them to do a task or take action, the greater the chance of achieving a positive outcome. This theory states that leaders must take control and set the tone for others using creatively crafted and carefully constructed statements.
What is Transformational Leadership?
James McGregor Burns, a leadership expert, introduced transformational leadership to the world in 1978’s “Leadership” book. He defined transformational leadership as “leaders and followers raising one another up to higher morality and motivation.” While transformational leadership can be more humane than other leadership styles, it is also considered more effective than aggressive transactional style. This approach encourages employees to do splendid work by following the example of their leader. It believes that positive motivation is more effective than negative motivation.
Many people see the benefits of transformational leadership. However, others see its drawbacks. Here are the pros and cons of this transformational leadership approach.
Pros of Transformational Leadership
-
It allows formulating a vision quickly.
The transformational leadership approach differs from all other leadership styles. It can quickly assess an organization’s situation and create a vision for its future. Transformational leaders communicate their ideas to all employees and other leaders within their organizations to get everyone on board. Transformational leadership styles don’t “tell” people how to behave. They inspire action. As everyone can see the bigger picture, this would enable them to deal with difficult situations.
Visionaries in the business world usually have some personal vision. But transformational leadership is not about dreams; it’s about followers taking action to create that vision. This could be as simple as a team-building strategy where employees get together and discuss what they want the company to look like. Or even something as simple as setting up a meeting to discuss upcoming goals and objectives and help them reach them.
-
It’s an Effective Form of Leadership
It is no surprise that the companies – Google, Apple, and Netflix – have been among the most successful worldwide fastest growing industries in the next decade. Many studies have shown that transformational leadership has the most significant influence on management. Transformative leaders can inspire their employees by fostering collaboration and strong communication. They also set challenging goals that encourage creativity and raise morale.
-
It promotes enthusiasm to followers.
The transformational leadership model fosters an environment that encourages innovation and energy and creates a positive work environment. This approach is especially beneficial for individuals motivated by their efforts to achieve greater efficiency and output. The leader will be so positive that the followers will feel the same emotions. This can lead to an inability to communicate with the other team members appropriately. A leader’s powerful sense of self can lead to dominance in conversations.
Transforming leadership is more than telling employees what to do. They can also show leadership skills, which helps employees feel confident in their abilities. Employees have the most significant benefit of staying flexible in any situation other than financial security.
-
It uses inspiration to motivate people
A key advantage of transformational leadership lies in the prime motivation of its leaders. A transformational leader is a very energetic person. It can quickly destroy any resistance. The vision of transformational leadership is aligned with the ability to motivate and inspire. Passion drives transformational leaders to help their teams achieve maximum performance.
Transformative leaders engage their followers by keeping them informed about their progress, status, future goals, and other relevant information. This keeps followers informed about what’s happening with their team members. Transforming leaders know that engaging others and making them feel part of something bigger than themselves is the best way to inspire them. These leaders would rely on their passion for helping others and getting them moving in the right direction.
-
Transformational leaders ask essential questions
Transformational leaders will often ask the fundamental question, “Why?” The second-most frequent question is “Why not?”. This leadership style goes beyond being creative. It’s also strategic. They don’t do it because it’s the usual way. They seek the best path to success and bring along as many people as possible. Transformational leaders are always on the lookout for a better way to do things.
Cons of Transformational Leadership
-
It can face serious detail challenges
Although transformational leaders are well known for their big-picture visions and inspiration, they may struggle with detail orientation. Experts believe such leaders will need to be supported by more organized and detail-oriented people. To keep these leaders’ visions, they will need to be supported by assistants or other executives.
-
It might overlook reality and truth
Transformative leaders can fall prey to emotion and passion and end up overlooking reality and truth. Over-reliance can limit their ability to do research and use logic to confront harsh facts about their companies.
-
It carries the difficulty and risk of abuse
The idea of transformational leadership is complex and draws from many leadership theories. This type of leadership can be powerful, but it is not always morally or for the common good. It isn’t easy to teach or learn, and a truly transformational leader is more of a personality trait. Because it is mainly unchallenged in this model, it can be misused. This approach is not for everyone. Leaders may misuse their power in this way. Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler can also cite this type of leadership as examples.
-
It Can Lead to Employee Burnout
Similar to the previous point, too much weight placed on employees’ shoulders can lead to long-term problems for their relationships. Employee burnout can occur quickly if you require high productivity levels to reach a specific vision or meet ambitious deadlines. If your company is considering moving to a digital world, you need to consider both the pros and cons of transformational leadership.
-
Transformational leaders are not always detail-oriented
Transformational leaders tend to be more focused on the bigger picture. They have excellent ideas that can help them achieve their wildest dreams. This can lead to leaders becoming too focused on the result and not looking at the details necessary to reach it. A lack of transactional focus is one of the most significant weaknesses of transformational leaders.
Final Thought
So, I have discussed the pros and cons of transformational leadership. Let me now go into more detail. Transforming leadership fosters trust, where employees feel valued and held accountable for their actions to improve their effectiveness. This encourages high performance and results, as transformational leaders understand the importance of being a leader who can guide the organization in the right direction. This doesn’t mean that transformational leaders are without critics. It implies that critics can be a benefit when motivating people.
Leaders must be able to motivate their followers to make the organizational change vision a reality. Leaders will reap the rewards of anticipating and recognizing the behavior of their followers as motivated leaders. This encourages their motivational aspects and allows them to take ownership of their actions. Transformational leadership is an excellent form of organizational management if a business leader can understand these motivational principles and apply them consistently.
