Transformational leadership is when a leader can articulate a clear vision or mission and motivate and inspire followers to drive transformation and progress towards that vision. Transformational leadership has been shown to be the most effective style, with over 20 years of research demonstrating positive outcomes.
To understand who is most likely to be a transformational leader, Cognitive-Experiential Theory proposes a relationship between information-processing and leadership styles. The theory posits people have two interacting information-processing systems, the cognitive and the experiential. The cognitive system is linked with a person’s rationale, logic and thought processes. The experiential system relates to a person’s emotion, intuition and imagination.
Current research posits a strong relationship between imaginative thinking and leadership, suggesting the experiential information-processing system may have a stronger impact than the cognitive information-processing system on transformational leadership style.
Research by Yukl et al., (2008) proposes transformational leaders use the following four tactics to influence, motivate and inspire others:
1. Rational persuasion: uses logical arguments and factual evidence to explain a particular course of action.
2. Consultation: Asks their team(s) for their ideas, suggestions, opinions and feedback to help plan the change. Empowerment and buy-in go hand-in-hand.
3. Inspirational appeals: appeals to people’s values and ideals and seeks to arouse their emotions to gain commitment. This must be done in a genuine and authentic way or leaders run the risk of being perceived as contrive.
4. Collaboration: Provide assistance and resources to encourage teams to implement
required changes. See them as your partners and treat them accordingly.
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, research indicates a transformational leader relies strongly on their experiential information-processing system. This means they use their ‘gut’ intuition regularly, are more creative and imaginative and are not afraid to be emotive.
The community services sector now and in the future needs transformational leaders. What can you do to foster and promote intuition, creativity and imagination in your teams and future leaders?
References
Bommer, W. H., Rubin, R. S., & Baldwin, T. T. (2004). Setting the stage for effective leadership: Antecedents of transformational leadership behaviour. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 195-210
Cerni, T., Curtis, G. J., & Colmar, S. H. (2014). Cognitive-Experiential Leadership Model: How leaders’ information-processing systems can influence leadership styles, influencing tactics, conflict management and organizational outcomes. Journal of Leadership Studies, 8(3), 26-39. doi:10.1002/jls.21335
Yukl, G., Seifert, C. F., & Chavez, C. (2008). Validation of the extended Influence Behavior Questionnaire. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(5), 609-621
Comments