TRANSFORMATIONAL AND CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP

TRANSFORMATIONAL AND CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP

Transformational Leadership

A transformational leader is a leader who helps organizations and people make positive changes in the way they do things. Transformational leadership combines charisma, inspirational leadership, and intellectual stimulation. The transformational leader develops leader develops new visions for the organizations and mobilizes employees to accept and work toward attaining these visions.

How Transformations Take Place

To bring about the overhaul, transformations take place in one or more of three ways:

· First, the transformation leader raises the awareness of the importance and value of certain rewards and how to achieve them. He points out the pride workers would experience if the firm were to become number one in its field.

· Second, the transformation leader gets people to look beyond their self-interests for the sake of the work group and the firm.

· Third, the transformation leader helps people go beyond a focus on minor satisfactions to a quest for self-fulfillment.

Charismatic Leadership

Charisma is the ability to lead or influence others based on personal charm, magnetism, inspiration, and emotion.

The following presents leader’s qualities that relate specifically to charisma.

1. Vision. Charismatic leaders offer an exciting image of where the organization is headed and how to get there. A vision is more than a forecast; it describes an ideal version of the future of an organization or an organizational unit.

2. Masterful communication style. To inspire people, charismatic leaders use colorful language and exciting metaphors and analogies. Another key aspect of the communication style is that they tell captivating stories that relate to the goals of the firm.

3. Elicits trust. People believe so strongly in the integrity of charismatic leaders that they risk their careers to pursue the leader’s vision. When a charismatic leader leaves an organization, several subordinates often follow the leader to his next firm.

4. Energy and action orientation. Most charismatic leaders are energetic and serve as a model for getting things done on time.

5. Inspiring leadership. Charismatic leaders emotionally arouse people to the point that they want to achieve higher goals than they thought of previously. In short, charismatic leaders stands as an inspiration to many others.

Developing Charisma

Managers can improve their image as charismatic by engaging in favorable interactions with group members through a variety of techniques:

· Use Visioning – develop a dream about the future of your unit and discuss it with others.

· Make frequent use of metaphors –develop metaphors to inspire the people around you. Example “Like the phoenix, we will rise from the ashes of defeat.”

· It is important to inspire trust and confidence – get people to believe in your competence by making your accomplishments known in a polite, tactful way.

· Be highly energetic and goal oriented – so your energy and resourcefulness become contagious. To increase your energy, exercise frequently, eat well, and get ample rest. Express your emotions. Freely express warmth, joy, happiness, and enthusiasm.

· Smile frequently – even when you are not in a happy mood. A warm smile indicates a confident, caring person, which contributes to the perception of charisma.

· Make everybody you meet feel important- example, at a meeting shakes the hand of every person you meet. Another way is, giving them assignments in which they have a high chance of succeeding and then give them positive feedback.

· Multiply the effectiveness of your handshake – Shake firmly without creating pain, and make enough eye contact to notice the color of the other person’s eye. By this, you will project care and concern.

· Stand up straight and use nonverbal signs of self-confidence –practice good posture and minimize fidgeting and speaking in a monotone.

The downside of Charismatic Leadership:

Ø Some charismatic leaders manipulate and take advantage of people.

Ø Some charismatic leaders are unethical and lead organizations toward illegal and immoral ends.

Ø Some charismatic leaders perceive themselves as superstars who accomplish most of the company leadership personally.

Ø Some charismatic leaders become caught up in publicity and mingling with politicians and investors, neglecting the operations of the business.