You don’t have to be a CEO to be a transformational leader. When the world thinks of transformational leaders, they think of people like Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. However, it’s possible for any professional at any level to be a ‘transformational leader’ as long as they bring six qualities to the process of change.
Here are six tips for creating your own culture of transformation:
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1) Start by looking at your world from an elevated perspective.
Take time to elevate your view. Pull yourself out of the tactical grind of daily activities to obtain a more comprehensive view of your business from above. This elevated perspective helps you take in a more complete picture so you can get a better view of trends, opportunities, and threats that your business faces. Look at the whole chess board!
2) Imagine more options.
Many executives only consider the possibilities that directly relate to them or that are immediately apparent. It’s essential to identify and find a rich set of options as you develop your transformational vision. Create a long list of possibilities. Be bold and think big thoughts! In the words of Alexander The Great, “With the right attitude, self-imposed limitations vanish.”
3) Create a vision.
Once you’ve selected some options on which to focus your attention, reimagine the future. Ask; How will that future look? What is its growth and profit potential? Attempting to imagine the future is valuable in helping you to sort through various alternatives, strategies and visions.
4) Communicate the vision.
Communicating the vision is a critical step that many executives overlook. Communication is key to achieving buy-in, and buy-in is key to making progress. Communication is not merely sharing information. Craft and communicate a strong story which vividly describes the future state and benefits. Describe the path and name milestones. Help people understand how they can be part of it and let them know there is room for them.
5) Get people to buy in.
A great leader needs collaborators. People add to the effort, and the ultimate success, once they feel an emotional connection to the vision and understand how they can contribute. Big things are more easily accomplished with strong teams.
6) Manage implementation.
To be an effective transformational leader, you need to manage the implementation process. Provide leadership by building the team’s confidence and by make sure teammates know you are there to support them in this great quest. Processes are managed, but people are led. Lead from the front.
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