Custom «Leadership: Characteristics of a Transformational Leader» Essay Paper Sample

Transformational leadership is a process through which leaders and their subsequent followers lift each other to elevated stages of motivation and morality. Transformational leaders are therefore individuals who appeal to moral values and ideals like equality and justice which can be found various organizational levels. Transformational leadership surpasses individual needs, centers on a common purpose, attending to intrinsic rewards and higher psychological needs like developing commitment in the followers, and self actualization (Manning & Curtis, 2005).

Pennings (2007) asserts that one of the most important characteristic of a transformational leader is creation of collective vision and goals. The primary role of this kind of leader is having synergy to generate visions and goals for the benefit of the institution through adequately communicating the vision to others. In sharing this vision, transformational leaders do so in three stages: first of all, they have to recognize the essence for revitalization and new direction within the mission, creation of the new vision and thirdly institutionalizing change to achieve the mission.

The second important attribute is their ability to foster collective decision making process. Here the transformational leader derives pleasure in and comfortably involves other individuals in the process of decision making. Through empowering others and delegating responsibilities, the leader ensures that their followers are actively involved in the process of decision making by engaging a participatory process to reach a consensus (Manning, 2005).

To sum up this whole discussion about transformational leaders, it is important to emphasize that this leadership is all about visionary, daring and inspiring followers. There are many attributes of transformational leaders due to their abilities to revive firms that are seen as failing and lead them into bright and successful future.