Let’s talk today about transformational leaders. Our companies, our businesses require we’ve to run into a continuous transform processes. This change is related to our businesses processes and obviously ourself.
Transformational in the business is something new? No it’s not a new approach. Let’s start from a sentence that has been attributed to Mr. Charles Darwin:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
In our companies we can see how things change quickly and quite always due unplanned situations. In the changing period it’s always important to work in teams, teams can (must) share ideas, knowledge and resources.
Team, nice word, stand up the hand who has been able to build the perfect team instantaneously. Build a team, build a good team it’s not an easy task. Commit a group of persons to work together it’s not automatically a team, it’s still a group of persons.
To build a team it’s mandatory to have the ability to share ideas, opportunities, knowledges, tricks and best practices cross the team members to obtain the common goal. In few words: share our values!
In a book I’ve in my house I found few sentences that may help to understand this concept:
- the first one is of an Italian football coach: “who plays individually plays for the opponent”
- the second it’s of a volleyball coach: “when the team has a problem it is better to look for the solution instead of the culprit”
- Mr.Charles Darwin again: “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
Now let’s consider some problems we have, in one study it was shown that 50% of the energies we spend in the corporates are are used for “internal competitiveness”. This means that 50% of the efforts we spend in our companies are not dedicated to achieve the company goals but used to protect ourselves vs colleagues/competitors attacks.
I’m sure, just for example, that we are all aware of emails sent to our “competitor”, but at the same time “CC” to many others in order to let when know that one person, 99% the email sender, has been forced to act in a not approved manner. If we focus to work together, like a real team, trying to remove and avoid any possible team competitiveness, for sure, our tasks, goals, projects will benefit a lot.
Why I’m writing now about collaboration in an article that has like subject: Transformation? It’s simply because, we are in a continuous evolution process and, like Darwin says it’s important to collaborate.
Collaborate it’s the key point, but for sure someone has to drive and take the responsibility oft he initiative collaborating within the team members and this person is:
The transformation leader
Transformation leaders inspire great loyalty and trust in their followers. Transformation leaders have high expectations, and they inspire their people to reach their goals.
An effective transformation leader must be able to:
- Create an inspiring vision of the future.
- Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision.
- Manage delivery of the vision.
- Manage the team and prevent conflicts between team members
- Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with the team members.
Just to conclude we need to remember that a transformational leader, to succeed will need to work on the continuous improve of their own skills, and set aside time and space for personal development in technical, relational and negotiation aspects