The Need for Transformational Leadership – Part 1
This article begins a series on transformational leadership. We will examine what transformational leadership is, why it is needed, and develop 12 distinctive attributes of transformational leaders using biblical characters. At the end we will make application to business owners looking to impact their communities.
In his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, author John Maxwell describes “The Law of the Lid”. That law says the organization you lead is only as good as your own leadership ability. If you want to have a better organization, become a better leader.
Dr. Maxwell goes on to say that “everything rises and falls on leadership”. When he says “everything”, he truly means everything… including families, churches, schools, businesses, governments, and nations. The success of every organization is dependent upon its leadership.
If you need evidence to prove this point, simply open your Bible and read the Old Testament. Ancient Israel thrived during times of great leadership, and suffered and finally fell under abysmal leaders. The Bible clearly shows that strong, competent, high integrity leaders are needed for us to thrive.
I want to take this a step further and say that any significant, lasting positive change comes not just from good leadership, but from transformational leadership. All the major advancements in the world such as manned flight, the Protestant Reformation, disease-preventing vaccines, widespread utilization of automobiles, defeat of ruthless dictators, and dramatic changes in communication technology all resulted from transformational leadership.
Without transformational leadership individuals, families, businesses, schools, and all elements of society stagnate. We grow sdull, set in our ways, and do not achieve our potential.
What Is Transformational Leadership
According to a Wikipedia definition, transformational leadership “enhances the motivation, morale, and performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. These include connecting the follower’s sense of identity and self to the project and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them and makes them interested; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that enhance their performance”.
Businessdictionary.com defines transformational leadership more concisely as “a style of leadership in which the leader identifies the needed change, creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of the members of the group”.
These definitions give us a good idea of what transformational leadership is, but the real impact is in what transformational leadership does. Transformational leaders help people reach their God-given potential so they can make the most of their lives and benefit other people. The impact of transformational leadership can have profound, life changing effects as people think, behave, work, and live differently.
Where Are Transformational Leaders Needed
There is a one word answer to the question of where transformational leaders are needed…everywhere! If significant positive change can result from transformational leadership, why wouldn’t we want it everywhere?
For your business to have an impact in your community you need to be transformational. You need to know what your business stands for, believe in it, not waiver from it, and inspire others to help you.
There is also a need for you to be a transformational leader in your home. Our family responsibilities are even more important than our businesses, and without our transformational leadership our kids and marriages will be status quo, average. Is that really what we want?
In short, every home in every city or town on every continent needs transformational leadership. It is the only way a society can advance and prosper. Everything suffers without it, but everything benefits with it.
In our next article we will discuss and analyze transformational leaders from the Old and New Testaments, and more fully develop distinctive attributes of transformational leaders.
About the Author
Scott McClymonds is a veteran corporate leader and entrepreneur. He is CEO of Nehemiah Worldwide, a strategic consulting firm that helps clients develop valuable businesses, attractive cultures, and positive community impact.