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10 CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERS
BY BILL HOGG

There are certain core characteristics the majority of leaders possess. However, there are also an additional set of characteristics that define transformational leaders — leaders that have the ability to make an impact on organizational growth.
It is an organizations ability to develop this next level of leadership capabilities through training programs, mentoring, and skill development programs that put organizations in the enviable position to grow year over year without experiencing dips in performance.
Core leadership characteristics
There are certain leadership characteristics that, while important, do not inspire organizational change and growth that help companies develop into innovative, consistent industry leaders.
Examples of these core leadership characteristics include:

• Good judgment
• Communication skills
• Competence or knowledge
• Interpersonal skills
• Confidence

We hear about these leadership characteristics all the time and in many different contexts. While they are very important for leaders to have, there is another level of leadership characteristics that are “must haves” for transformational leaders. These are the leadership characteristics that make an impact and spur growth.
Transformational Leadership characteristics that impact organizational growth
In order to put your organization in a position to grow effectively and on a consistent basis, leaders with the following characteristics not only make them an effective leader — but also a transformational leader:

1. Internal motivation and self-management: Transformational leaders find motivation from within and use that as the driving force to effectively manage the direction of the company. The best natural form of motivation is to love what you do and ensure that your values are aligned with the organization you work with.

2. The ability to make difficult decisions: Difficult decisions are a part of being a leader. Transformational leaders do not back away or put off tough decisions. Difficult decisions are made easier when decisions align with clearly defined vision, values, goals, and objectives.

3. Check their ego: When placed in a position of power, it is easy to let your ego get the best of you. However, transformational leaders keep their ego in check and do not let it get in the way of doing what is best for business. The benefit of checking your ego ensures you put the company first over personal gain and encourages the best input from others within the organization — because when the company succeeds, you as a leader also succeed.

4. Willing to take the right risks: Anyone can take a risk. Transformational leaders take calculated risks that more often than not result in positive outcomes. Trusting your instinct, as well as your team to gather the necessary intelligence is important. Trusting your gut is easier when you have taken the time to research, evaluate and inform your decisions with input from those around you. Failure to take the appropriate risks and make these difficult decisions will inhibit change and your ability to grow.

5. Organizational consciousness: Transformational leaders share the collective conscious of their organization. They understand what actions to take to evoke change, spur innovation, and make decisions that will create growth. Since their own values are aligned with the organization they share a joint purpose with the organization and do not just view their position in the company as just a job.

6. Adaptability: Transformational leaders are willing to adapt and are always seeking new ways to respond to a constantly changing business environment. They know that the second they stand still is when they will be passed by their competitors; which means they are open-minded to change and lifelong learners.

7. Willing to listen and entertain new ideas: It is a rare individual who can build an empire. Transformational leaders understand that success is a team effort and growth is derived from the willingness to be open and listen to ideas from all levels of their organization. Transformational leaders create intentional ways to listen to their team and incorporate their insights.

8. Inspirational: People want to be inspired. Transformational leaders have the ability to make those around rise to the occasion. Inspiration comes not just from a formal motivational speech or simple recognition for a job well done, but by treating people as individuals and taking the time to understand what motivates and inspires their team.

9. Proactive: Transformational leaders are proactive decision makers. They do not wait around for others to make decisions and then react. They are willing to take risks, try new things and take an innovative approach to growing the organization. However, they also understand how to manage risk and make decisions that are backed by research, multiple insights and are well thought out.

10. Visionary: Being a visionary is about setting a realistic and concise company mission, vision, and values that fit the culture of your organization. Transformational leaders have the ability not only to effectively communicate the vision, but also get every person to buy in and work toward that vision by communicating with passion and clearly emphasizing the direction they want the company to pursue.

Transformational leaders constantly strive to have these characteristics. Developing these characteristics is what separates companies that are led by managers versus leaders.

© Copyright 2012 – Bill Hogg & Associates All Rights Reserved
Leadership Expert | Professional Speaker | Performance ExceleratorTM
Bill is the “just do it” guy who has walked in your shoes. He is recognized as the Performance ExceleratorTM because of his uncanny ability to create profound change and deliver extraordinary results with the most demanding organizations.
Senior leaders at organizations like Anheuser-Busch/InBev, The Bay, RBH and ServiceOntario hire Bill to navigate change and influence and inspire higher performing teams that deliver exceptional customer service, higher productivity and improve profits.

© Copyright 2012 – Bill Hogg & Associates All Rights Reserved

http://www.campuslabs.com/products/beacon/case-study-dixie-state-college/

http://www.gp-training.net/training/leadership/results.htm

1. Courage
“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” – Winston Churchill

The first requisite of being a good business leader is courage. As a leader, you will need courage to hold the mantle of leadership; courage to face your worst fears and courage to do the right thing regardless of whose butt is kicked. Courage is essential for facing competition and handling business challenges or business failures. Without courage, you can never be a good business leader. Examples of business leaders that displayed exceptional courage are J. Paul Getty, Mike Adenuga and Richard Branson.

                “When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash

                “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” – W. Clement Stone

                “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

2. Self Control

 “He that controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” – Lao Tsu

Self control is one of the leadership traits essential for effective business leadership. Show me a great business leader and I will show you an individual who has established control over himself. Effective leadership will never be attained without self control. Of all controls available to a business leader; control over emotions is supreme. Without it; your success in leadership will be limited.

                “When we direct our thoughts properly, we can control our emotions.” – W. Clement Stone

3. Good sense of Judgment

Leaders sometimes find themselves in a dilemma or situation where they have to trust their instinct and sense of judgment. One attribute of good leadership is the ability to discern right and wrong; and also making the right decisions when in a dilemma. All leaders are sometimes faced with situational cases; sometimes, you have to settle staff conflict and customer complaints. That’s why having a good sense of judgment is a prerequisite to becoming a good business leader.

                “Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgments.” – Dr Warne W. Dyer

4. Definiteness of Decision

One thing with being a leader is that the decision making rests solely on your shoulders and you have to live with the consequences of your decisions. You may have a great business team but they are not going to make the decisions for you; all they are going to do is render advice. To be a good business leader, you must be definite and firm in your decision. You must also be quick in making your calculations and arriving at a conclusion. Henry Ford; the founder of Ford Motor Company was a leader respected for his firmness and definiteness of decision.

                “Before making an important decision, get as much as you can of the best information available and review it carefully, analyze it and draw up worst case scenarios. Add up the plus or minus factors, discuss it with your team and do what your guts tell you to do.” – The Mafia Manager

5. Skillful Planning

Skillful planning is another attribute of good leadership. Good leaders are known to be tactical planners and plan executors. They plan and strategize critically with their team before making any move or taking any decision.

                “The best thing to invest in your business is your time. To schedule, plan and use time effectively, know your turf and know your objectives. Assess the obstacles and opportunities, then devise your strategies.” – The Mafia Manager

6. Understanding

“It takes character and control to be understanding and forgiving.” – Dale Carnegie

Understanding is another essential trait of good leadership. You need understanding to decode signals sent across to you by your followers. You also need understanding to make good judgments of situations and handle staff conflict.

7. Responsibility

 “A real leader faces the music even when he doesn’t like the tune.” – Arnold H. Glassgow

Fear of responsibility and accountability is the utmost reason why most people shy away from occupying leadership positions. As a business leader, you are responsible for the entire actions of your team. If things goes right, your entire team will share the honor and recognition with you but when things go wrong; you are alone. Ability to take responsibility is therefore the major difference between a leader and a follower.

                “Fire is the test of gold, adversity of strong men.” – Seneca

8.  Team work

 “Successful businessmen share the ability to hire people smarter than they are.” – Dillard Munford

Another quality of good leadership is team work. Good business leaders don’t work alone; they bring on board people who are smarter than they are and delegate duties to these smart individuals. Great business leaders know that worthwhile achievements are never accomplished by stand alone men but by great business teams. Just like Sam Walton says “individuals don’t win in business; teams do.”

                “I hire people brighter than me and I get out of their way.” – Lee Iacocca

9. Good Personality

 “The most important thing in your business relationships is your reputation for honesty. If you can genuinely and sincerely fake honesty, you will be a success. Never doubt it.” – The Mafia Manager

Character is one of the attributes of good leadership. In fact, it’s probably the most important leadership trait of all. Your character is who you are and what you are made up of; without which you will never make a good leader.

That’s why I listed good personality as one of the traits of good leadership. Good personality entails having integrity, charisma, self confidence and a good appearance. No employee, investor or customer will willingly follow a timid leader who lacks good character.

                “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and only five Minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

10. Humility

Leadership is not being at the helm of affairs neither is it overseeing a large group of followers. Leadership in business is all about directing a team towards achieving the desired goal and that business team comprise of men and women who are smarter than you in all ramifications. So if you must lead such individuals of high intellect; then you need to be humble.

                “If there is such a thing as good leadership, it is to give a good example. I have to do so for all the IKEA employees.” – Ingvar Kamprad

Leadership is all about service and it takes humility to serve. It takes humility to admit your mistakes in business; it takes humility to learn new things and it takes humility to direct smarter individuals. That’s why humility is one of the most important leadership traits. Take a look at the achievements of Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie and Mike Adenuga; and you will come to acknowledge the importance of humility in business leadership.

As a final note, these are the ten traits every entrepreneur must possess to become a good business leader. If achieving extraordinary accomplishments is your concern; then you must strive to develop these qualities of leadership.

http://www.strategicbusinessteam.com/entrepreneurial-skills-development/leadership-traits-10-attributes-and-qualities-of-a-good-business-leader/

I ♥ Clara Hughes. Happy and WELL DESERVED Retirement to a rockin’ Canadian girl!!

…For sixteen years, almost all her adult life, in six different Olympics, in five different countries, in numerous events in two very different sports, all she has been is a champion of what is left of Olympic idealism, a smiling, heart-warming, uplifting, uber-competitive advocate of the power of what sport can be at its best …

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/08/01/clara-hughes-rides-off-into-sunset