Several personal leadership characteristics are essential for a leader to possess in order to effectively lead and transform an organization. These personal characteristics describe the aspect of leadership best known as transformational leadership, leadership that seeks to transform not only the organization but also the vision of followers from “what is” to “what can be.” Below are four characteristics that leaders exhibit when they effectively lead organizational transformations.

Possessing self-confidence and belief in one’s own abilities:

One of the first personal characteristics a transformational leader must possess is confidence and belief in their own abilities to truly influence and change the current course and action of an organization. Studies have shown that possessing high self-confidence, self-determination, and inner purpose and direction are positively associated with transformational leaders. Leaders who are confident in their abilities to influence change and their environment do not rely on luck or chance to make things happen. They see themselves as “enablers” and the source of “energy” to drive transformation.

Deliberately inspire and energize people to take action:

Effective leaders are able to purposely inspire and energize people to act in a direction toward a goal that they have helped them understand to be valuable and meaningful. Therefore, transformational leaders must possess the ability to create and communicate a powerful vision that excites the minds of their followers, inspiring them to go “beyond” their current limits. This is an essential leadership characteristic because it is the ability to define and communicate the purpose of transformation in a meaningful way to the organization that enables its members to effectively take up their own personal banners in support of the larger goal.

Continuously Develop, Communicate and Sell the Vision:

Developing and communicating the vision is just the beginning. An effective transformational leader must also be able to continually sell the vision and continually convince others to jump on board and stand their ground, whether in good times or bad. How a leader “frames” the organization’s future and purpose is critical to long-term support. This can be illustrated in a story that has been passed down about the confidences of three masons when asked about their work. When the first bricklayer was asked what work he was doing, he replied, “I am laying bricks, one on top of the other.” When the second mason was asked what he was doing, he replied, “I am building a big wall.” He was asked what he was doing. he replied “I am changing the world! I am building a new gateway to the west. A place where people from all over the world will have the opportunity to come and visit new places, meet new people, make new friends. I am building one of the world’s most advanced travel facilities. Millions of people will benefit from the work I’m doing. This airport will change lives!” The difference in how each mason saw the same job of hers is an example of how important it is for an effective leader to create, communicate and “frame” the future purpose of the organization. The first two masons where doing his job, however, the third mason was inspired and motivated because he was changing the world.

Be a Change Leader, Innovator and Coach:

Finally, three additional characteristics that are essential to being a transformational leader include being a change leader, an innovator, and an effective coach. First, change is and will continue to be a constant for all organizations. Therefore, transformational leaders must also be leaders of change, with the willingness and ability to change what is being done for something that may never have been done before. They need to be seen as people who abandon today in search of a better tomorrow. Second, the effective leader must welcome and encourage innovation while encouraging others to develop new and innovative concepts to solve tomorrow’s problems and deliver world-class solutions. They know that the ideas and thinking that created the current state are not the same as those needed to create a better tomorrow. Therefore, effective leaders know how important it is to encourage and reward “new thinking” and “new thinking” to take the organization to a new place. And third, an effective transformational leader must be willing and able to coach and advise their followers and whether they have the right team and people to support the transformation going forward. Not all people have the same level of ability and willingness to transform. Understanding your level of readiness to transform and change is critical to being able to determine the timing and expectations for transformation. Therefore, the effective leader must know the level of support needed by the organization and the people it leads. By doing so, the effective leader will be able to make the “right connections” and effectively “partner” with their organization by training and developing followers where needed, ultimately positioning everyone to execute successfully and bring new value to the organization. organization.