Transformational Leadership has recently gone from being just a nice idea an organizational imperative for any individual or company to thrive in today’s world. Deepening our understanding of what it means to be Transformational Leaders allows us to more effectively develop and position ourselves as successful competitors in the global marketplace.. For starters, Transformational Leadership is defined as a leadership approach that values people, inspires growth, and supports organizations in transcending from good to great.

In this approach, the leader focuses on creating an environment where people can realize their true potential by identifying their aspirations, goals and purpose in life. A transformational leader must focus on their organization’s greatest asset, people. The keystone to any successful organization is the quality of people within that company. How those people see themselves and define their self-worth is best represented with how effectively they focus on stakeholder needs. People know the difference between ambiguous mission and vision statements, which do not inspire individual and organizational excellence. Creating synergy requires all leaders to encourage people to find their voice and be given the opportunity to follow their dreams. Valuing team members as a collaboration of equals requires leaders to foster a harmonious workplace to transform people to realize greatness. Leaders, who inspire outstanding performance, validate individual contributions of team members by linking their sense of identity to the mission and purpose of the organization.

Understanding the challenges in a multi-generational workforce where four generations of working professionals, all of whom have a vastly different set of values, goals, and aspirations can very easily create conflict. In his work as a leadership facilitator, Dr. Stephen Covey teaches first to seek understanding before being understood. This mantra sets the stage for people to become highly effective. When we understand that problems are created as a byproduct of how we think, Einstein’s paradox becomes very applicable: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” We must consider these words as we face the significant problems in life.

The true role of a Transformational Leader must be that of a Coach and Mentor. Understanding that people have the innate ability to solve their own problems as defined by Dr. Einstein, the leader’s role is to help people to become truly self-actualized and thereby focus on their individual life goals.

Rewarding leaders in direct proportion to the problems they solve creates a win-win for the organization and all levels of leadership. When we change the culture from performance based to solutions based, we change the focus to serving our internal and external stakeholders. Excellence then is no longer an objective goal, it becomes a governing value. This in turn lays the necessary groundwork that competing in today’s marketplace demands.

About: As Founding Principle of Leadership Advisors Coaching and Consulting, LLC based in Palm Beach County Florida, Michael Palazzo helps executives and managers sharpen their leadership skills in order to create winning organizations. His seminars and workshops focus on creating transformational leaders, such as: how to build collaboration, teamwork, and trust within the ranks; how to inspire others to share a common vision; succession planning and creating organizational synergy across the generational divide.

Author Bio: Michael Palazzo is the Founding Principle of Leadership Advisors Coaching and Consulting, LLC, a company specializing in producing powerful leadership symposiums throughout the US. Michael Palazzo is available as a Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. To retain Michael email info@leadershipadvisors.net