Remember that fundamental to the advantages of transformational leadership is the need to empower the people to promote change while improving productivity and meeting shared goals and objectives. A transformational leader needs to have the relevant skills or competencies needed to build and maintain productive relationships with his or her followers.
Nevertheless, considering its advantages, the applications of transformational leadership are also important to take into consideration, especially because despite its strength and benefits, it is not a one-size-fits-all leadership and management style. There are specific situations that are not only suitable but also can maximize its advantages.
The Applications of Transformational Leadership
1. Establishing a Team or Organization
Startup businesses and new teams can benefit from transformational leaders. These leaders have the skills to build relationships and create a vision based on the shared goals and objectives of their people. Furthermore, they also have the capabilities to draw out insights from their followers through their strong penchant for open communication and collaboration.
2. Prompting and Managing Change
Organizational change is another application of transformational leadership. Stagnation and lack of sense of direction may transpire in a team or an organization. This situation requires a leadership style that focuses on the need to develop a new vision that would inspire and motivate people by instilling a collective sense of ownership of the goals and objectives.
3. Inspiring and Raising Level of Morale
Similar to the aforementioned, there are instances when people become demotivated due to their respective personal issues or the overall situation of an organization. It is during these circumstances that a transformational leader needs to step in to raise morale by empowering and inspiring people through mentorship, realignment, and recognition.
4. Developing Talents and Potentials
Another application of transformational leadership is in developing talents to meet their full potential. Leaders following this style of leadership are tasked not only to meet shared goals and objectives but also to ensure that their people can perform assigned tasks, maximize their existing capabilities, and acquire new sets of skills and knowledge.
5. Collaborative Problem-Solving
There are conditions that require collaboration. Examples include strategic planning, product development, and response to issues, among others. A transformative style of leadership believes that collaboration through open communication is essential to uncover diverse insights and opinions, become more creative as a whole, and promote innovation.
6. Avoidance and Resolution of Conflicts
Conflicts are inevitable in a team or an entire organization. People are almost always bound to clash due to their differences. Even change creates conflicts. Transformational leaders avoid or resolve conflicts through open communication, encouraging dialogues, and emphasizing the importance of teamwork and collaboration in meeting shared vision.
7. Multicultural Teams or Organizations
Note that conflicts can also transpire in cross-cultural interactions. Furthermore, there is a need to synthesize diverse values within a particular multicultural team or organization. A transformative leader is suitable for this situation because of his or her focus on change, empowerment, open communication, and collaboration.
