Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations  Transformational leaders are defined as leaders who transform groups or organizations. They focus on followers, motivating them to high levels of performance. In the process they help their followers develop their own leadership potential. In short, transformational inspires positive changes throughout an organization. Transformational leaders are easy to spot. They are energetic, enthusiastic and passionate. Yes, they are concerned about processes and the bottom line, but their primary focus is helping every member of the group to succeed as well. “Transformational leaders…are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers’ needs, by empowering them, and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization.” – Bernard Bass and Ronald Riggio, Transformational Leadership What makes a transformational leader?

• They are intellectually stimulating. Transformational leaders encourage creativity among followers and explore new ways of doing things.

• They are considerate to individuals. Yes, growth and profit are important but their primary focus and concern is meeting the needs and respecting the feelings of followers. This includes open communication lines, encouraging team members to share ideas freely.

• They inspire and motivate. When we talk about leadership charisma, we define it as a combination of inspiration and motivation. The inspiring message has to be conveyed clearly to allow the team to be inspired and motivated to fulfill goals.

• They are role models. They walk the walk, instilling trust and respect in their followers, inspiring them to emulate the transformational leader and live his/her ideals.

Numerous studies indicate that transformational leaders motivate their teams to higher levels of performance and satisfaction compared to groups lead by other types of leaders. Ultimately, transformational leaders have the ability to accelerate lasting, meaningful change. Transforming into this type of leader and cultivating the habits of true leadership can help your entire organization play to their edge and capitalize on their potential to create extraordinary results.